Diesel Generator Battery Maintenance

Diesel generator battery is the power supply equipment for starting electrical machinery operation. When the diesel engine is started, it is required that the battery can supply low voltage and high current (200~600A) for starting electrical machinery in a short time. When the diesel engine is in low speed or parking, the voltage output by generator is insufficient or stops working, the storage battery can supply the electric current for the electrical equipment of the diesel engine.

What is the function of the Battery?

The Battery is the storage device for the energy supplied by the battery chargers. It stores this energy by converting the electrical energy to chemical energy and then to electrical energy. It supplies power to the cranking motor to start the engine. It supplies the extra power necessary when the engine's electrical load exceeds the supply from the charging system. It also acts as a voltage stabilizer in the electrical system, where it evens out voltage spikes and prevents them from damaging other components in the electrical system.

Source: http://www.yuasabatteries.com

It can be seen that the storage battery plays an important role in diesel generator. For the battery maintenance, how much do you know?

1. When the storage battery is in use, it must be installed firmly. Make sure the wiring clip keeps a good contact with the battery terminal. To avoid oxidation of the wiring terminal, its surface should be covered with a thin layer of butter.

2. In general, the wiring terminal of the storage battery is marked with “+” or “-“ symbol. If there is no marking, you can use the multimeter to measure the polarity of the battery.

3. The starting time of diesel engine is not allowed to exceed 10 seconds. Besides, the interval time must be controlled more than 2 minutes when booting second time. Avoid the battery continuous discharge time is too long that will make the pole plate out of shape due to overheating, which will result in short circuit or active material shedding and reduce the capacity of the storage battery.

4. Inspect the exhaust hole on the sealing cover which must be kept unblocked at any time to prevent blocking to cause the battery burst.

5. Regularly inspect the battery electrolyte level, generally, it is higher than the pole plate top surface 10-15mm. If you find it is abnormal, you should adjust to use dilute sulphuric acid or distilled water. (River water, well water and concentrated sulfuric acid are not allowed to use.)

6. Keep the battery surface clean. If there is dust or acid liquor, you should timely clean it with distilled water or pure water.

7. When the battery is used for a long time, the internal electrolyte is missing, you should timely add distilled water inside the battery to prevent pole plate oxidation, otherwise, it will influence battery capacity.

8. When the diesel engine is not working for a long time, you should periodically start the engine to charge the battery or charge the battery with a special charger.

9. When the battery is charged, the sealing cover should be screwed off. The positive and negative electrodes of the charger should be respectively connected with the positive and negative electrodes of the battery. Generally, the charging method of the battery is divided into two types: constant current charging and constant voltage charging.

10. When using the battery in cold area, you should pay attention to thermal insulation. In addition, you should properly increase electrolyte specific gravity to prevent freezing. When the ambient temperature is below -40°C, the electrolyte density should be increased to 1.30-1.32 (The measured value at 20°C).

11. When the battery is used in low temperature environment, the discharge performance of the battery is poor and the torque of the starting electrical machinery is increased, if the discharge capacity of a pair of battery is insufficient, it can be connected in parallel with two batteries. Also, keep 24V voltage constant so as to increase battery capacity.

12. If you find the battery separator and battery cover are damaged, it shall be repaired or replaced by a professional unit.

Conclusion

A battery only requires a little maintenance to perform perfectly. Keep the battery charged to 100%. When the lights dim, the starter sounds weak, or the battery hasn't been used in more than two weeks, remember to recharge it.

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