Sealed Batteries (Gel And Agm; Gel Cell; Absorbed Glass Mat; Nicad And Nife Batteries - Xantrex7 UX - REV A Owner's Manual

Appendix B - Batteries
Selection of a Battery Type (continued)

Sealed Batteries (GEL and AGM)

CAUTION: If using sealed
batteries, ensure the battery
charger is set to the
appropriate settings or
battery damage will result.

Gel Cell

Absorbed Glass Mat

NiCad and NiFe Batteries

NOTE: The UX inverter/charger may
not be able to adequately
charge NiCad or NiFe
batteries. A separate charger
may be required if NiCad or
NiFe batteries are going to be
used.
Please consult with your
Xantrex Customer Service
Representative before using
these types of batteries.
B-2
Both gel cell and absorbed glass mat (AGM) batteries are virtually maintenance
free, making them ideal for inverter applications. Since the batteries are
completely sealed, they can be mounted in almost any position. The only
disadvantages, compared to flooded batteries, are a higher initial cost and
greater susceptibility to damage from changes in temperature during charging.
• Gelled electrolyte instead of liquid
• Long life (up to 1500 cycles, typical)
• Low self-discharge
• Electrolyte is contained in glass-fiber mats between battery plates
• Similar to gel cells in characteristics
• Good low temperature performance
Xantrex inverters and battery chargers are optimized for use with lead acid
batteries having a nominal 2.0 volts per cell (i.e., 6 cells for a 12-volt system,
12 cells for a 24-volt system and 24 cells for a 48-volt system). Alkaline batteries,
such as NiCad and NiFe types, have a nominal cell voltage of 1.2 volts per cell.
The number of cells required in a battery-bank for alkaline batteries must be
adjusted for a 12-, 24- and 48-volt system (i.e., 10 cells for a 12-volt system,
20 cells for a 24-volt system and 40 cells for a 48-volt system).
Alkaline batteries require a higher charge voltage to fully recharge and drop to a
lower voltage during discharge, compared to a similarly sized lead-acid type
battery.
Another option for 24-volt (only) alkaline battery-banks is to use only 19 cells
instead of 20. This allows the battery charger to operate closer to the settings
used for lead acid batteries. However, the battery voltage will drop to as low as 18
volts when discharging the batteries.
Consult the battery manufacturer or supplier regarding system requirements and
battery charger settings for alkaline type batteries.
©2002 Xantrex Technology Inc. All Rights Reserved.
P/N 975-0026-01-01 Rev A 06/2002