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VRLA Batteries – GEL vs AGM.

A frequently asked question is, should I use a GEL or AGM battery?

To answer this question we need to understand the differences between VRLA GEL and VRLA AGM and we must understand what a VRLA battery is. Simply, a VRLA battery is one which would not normally be topped up with water at periodic intervals which is what has to be carried out on a “vented” battery. Because of this characteristic they have often been miss-quoted as sealed. They are not sealed but have a one way valve to release excessive internal pressure. The design of the valve varies but they all have a pre-set value and when this is reached releases and maintains the pressure within design limits. This pressure is usually low and in the order of 0.5 BAR. Both AGM and GEL are VRLA batteries and have this valve arrangement.

VRLA Battery Maintenance, Ways To Obtain The Best Service Life.

This paper discusses techniques that will improve the service life and reliability of VRLA batteries. There are many facets that influence this and here we look at the most important items.

By improving the service life the reliability will be enhance. In a standby emergency battery system it is more important to improve the reliability rather than the service life. There are some parameters that will marginally reduce the service life but will enhance the reliability. Some care needs to be applied to obtain the correct balance.

Parallel String Batteries In High Voltage Applications.

This article discusses the use of parallel string batteries in high voltage applications but the contents may be considered for any battery voltage.

The subjects discussed in the paper are: -

Blue Box Batteries Ltd has relocated to new premises.

In order to meet with our ongoing success as a major industrial battery supplier Blue Box Batteries Ltd has now relocated to larger premises which will enable us to maintain increased stocks in line with the requirements of our valued client base. Our ability to maintain good availability of battery products is essential to further improve our fast response service to ensure that projects are completed within the best possible timescale, first time, on time, every time.

Based at Deer Park Farm, Horton Heath our new premises offer a modern and professional facility which will provide the extra space needed for our continued expansion. We will soon be adding additional options and choices to our extensive catalogue of products, further increasing the selection of solutions we can make available.

Series And Parallel Batteries Explained

Generally we talk about series connected cells or monoblocs and single or parallel connected strings. For example, a modern telecommunication battery system may have 24 lead-acid cells connected in series and 4 strings connected in parallel. This configuration is illustrated in Fig 1 below.

Common reasons for early life failure of lead acid batteries.

The integrity of any standby power system is reliant on the battery installed, if the battery is degraded then the system will not provide the necessary or expected back up power when required. This can be a serious issue for environments that are reliant on back up power from uninterruptible power supplies, and even critical when emergency lighting is considered. So what causes early life failure in VRLA battery systems and how can maximum service life be achieved? The following offers some of the main causes of life failure that should be understood.

Temperature is possibly the most common cause of life failure in lead acid battery systems, high ambient battery room temperature is a common issue that needs to be addressed within any battery installation environment. Most valve regulated lead acid battery manufacturers will specify a temperature range of 21 to 25 degrees celsius as necessary to achieve optimum service life. For an in depth look at how temperature affects lead acid battery life please refer to our previous blog post How Does Temperature Affect Lead Acid Batteries?.