Hi all! Surely, many people have non-working lead batteries at home, for example, from an uninterruptible power supply. Typically, these batteries have good voltage, but low current. That is, under load, there is a voltage drawdown immediately. I have two such batteries: one for 6 volts, the other for 12. If you also have such batteries lying around idle, do not throw them away, because most likely they can be restored.
Required Components
To restore the battery, we need:
- Electrolyte (I use distilled water as it is readily available and cheap option)
- Syringe (can be bought for a penny at any pharmacy)
First of all, you need to open the covers on the top of the battery. Usually they are glued on.
On 6-volt batteries, there is usually one cover that looks like this:
When the covers are removed, you need to remove the second, rubber covers. They are much easier to remove than the previous ones, since they are not glued. When removing these plastic covers, the main thing is to remember which place, which cover, this will save you time when assembling.
In my case, on a 6-volt battery - 3 caps.
On the 12 volt 6 caps.
Now we take the electrolyte and pour it into some container where it will be convenient to lower the syringe. In my case, this is a plastic disposable cup.
Next, we draw liquid with a syringe and pour it into each can of the battery, one by one. Pour until the material that is inside the battery (fiberglass) becomes wet and stops absorbing moisture. It took me 2 syringes for each jar.
After filling the electrolyte, the battery became noticeably heavier than it was.
Battery assembly
After that, nothing special, just put the battery on charge for a long time. In this way, I successfully restored my 2 batteries.
So this method really works. Good luck to everyone and if you have any questions -!
People who use uninterruptible power supplies may find themselves in a situation where the device cannot keep the equipment in working condition even at the slightest voltage surge. This is because the device's battery has failed. In such cases, restoring the uninterruptible battery can significantly save on the purchase of a new expensive battery. There are several methods that help to get the equipment up and running.
According to experts, battery failure can lead to a variety of reasons:
- Regular undercharging of batteries of uninterruptible power supplies - given reason occurs much more often than others, because economy class sources are usually equipped with chargers Bad quality;
- Low quality of the input mains voltage - it is because of it that the device often has to turn on the battery mode;
- Uninterruptible power supplies got too deep charge;
- The reasons for the failure may also lie in the fact that the battery has been in a discharged state for quite a long time;
- The UPS itself can also discharge the battery, but this indicates a malfunction in the equipment circuit;
- There is a decrease in the electrolyte level due to increased voltage during charging, as a result of which the battery begins to dry out and lose its original qualities;
- The operation of an uninterruptible power supply in conditions with elevated temperature air
All of the above factors negatively affect battery performance. and lead to breakdowns.
- The active mass of positively charged electrodes begins to crawl and crumble due to its loosening and loss of uniformity;
- Deterioration of the mechanical strength of down conductors;
- Weak adhesion of the active mass;
- Corrosive destruction of electrodes, in which electrochemical processes of oxidation and dissolution occur in electrolytes, and the material of the current leads crumbles;
- In the batteries of an uninterruptible power supply, sulfation of the plates occurs, as a result of which reversible current-generating processes stop.
The vast majority of us use such an extremely useful device as an uninterruptible power supply. The quality of food is not ideal everywhere, and simply the smallest problems with power can sometimes be expensive. Data loss is always unpleasant, and sometimes just fatal. The device is purchased, installed under the table, connected and its owner is in complete confidence that in any case, in the event of a power outage, it will have time to shut down correctly, and maybe make a backup to a USB flash drive. Time goes by, the uninterruptible power supply periodically makes itself felt - like a real watchdog, it gives a voice at the slightest deviation in the parameters of the electrical network. The owner is calm and everything is fine. But one day, an interruption does happen, and this time the UPS does not just give a voice and immediately switches from the battery to the network, this time the light was turned off for a long time. We quietly copy the files (after all, we have 15 minutes left, no less) and then the uninterruptible power supply starts beeping very often and everything turns off. How so? After all, the uninterruptible device was supposed to protect us from similar situations, and he only instilled in us false confidence in our safety! Why did it happen?
It's all about rechargeable batteries, from which our uninterruptible power supply feeds all our hardware when the external network is turned off. But these batteries, alas, are not eternal, they degrade, their capacity decreases, and with it the time battery life. Down to zero. Unfortunately, this process is often not controlled by anyone, the owner is confident that he is protected, and at this time the battery is no longer a battery, but a dummy.
How to be, what to do and where to run?
Why do batteries degrade? There are many reasons. From intensive use, sulphation of the plates occurs, from overloads, active substances crumble, and so on. The UPS has a maintenance-free battery, but it still has electrolyte and this electrolyte is water-based. Being constantly in the buffer mode, in the mode of slow recharging, this water gradually evaporates and the electrolyte no longer performs its functions. The battery is failing. How can this be avoided? This can be avoided by the correct mechanisms for charging the battery, monitoring its characteristics, but all this is beyond our control - this is the lot of UPS manufacturers.
It so happened that the Internet in my places is only wireless, for its operation a frightening-looking antenna is installed on the roof, and to reduce signal loss in the cable, its length is minimized. The server that then distributes the Internet (another server and a switch) is installed in the attic. This little bundle needs an uninterruptible power supply. Even without taking into account data loss - running to load the server at the slightest sneeze (and they happen often in our country) - there is little pleasure. Continuity should be and preferably more. I bought a 1100VA uninterruptible power supply, not new (new one costs more than those servers) and of course I did not rely on batteries - they are often worn out. Well bought and bought. Installed, everything seems to be okay. In the UPS control panel, they cheerfully told me about almost an hour of battery life (the load was about 70 VA). I decided to check it out. Turned off the power and after two minutes, approximately, everything turned off safely. Batteries are dead. Just the case with false protection. There is nothing to do but buy new batteries. Put backup batteries(it so happened that there are electric bikes and they are inactive), 12VA each. And dead relatives lowered down.
I have heard that the electrolyte in UPS batteries often just dries out. That not sulfation, not chipping of plates, is the cause of death UPS batteries, namely the drying of the electrolyte. An attempt, as they say, is not torture. Batteries are still on the ejection, and the craving for picking did not give a chance. For my experiments, I needed:
Distilled water (Never an electrolyte!). Sold in an auto shop.
- A syringe, better with a needle - it is easier to dose with a needle. Sold in a pharmacy.
- Knife for picking, stronger.
- Adhesive tape for assembly (for aesthetes, of course, ONLY blue electrical tape should be!).
- Flashlight.
A lid is glued on the battery that closes the jars. I carefully pry it with a knife (for picking). I had to walk in a circle - it was glued in several places.
Under the lid - jars covered with rubber caps. These caps are probably needed to bleed water vapor, hydrogen and other things that can create excess pressure in the bank during battery operation. Such a nipple that releases gas to the outside, but does not let anything in.
The caps are not glued, just removed them by prying with a knife.
Under the caps, if you look inside the jar - nothing interesting. Absolutely. You need a flashlight to look.
I took a syringe, filled it with distilled water (The main thing is without dirt. So that everything is clean!) And poured a cube of water into each jar.
The water was safely absorbed, almost instantly. I repeated it again. Then 5 or 7 more times, I don't remember. Water should not flounder in the jar, but the jar should not “take” the water either. It is better to shine a flashlight and look. The main thing is not to spill.
After pouring water, I covered the jars with rubber caps and put the battery to charge. And I charged separately, with a large charger, but I think this is not necessary - you can simply charge it in an uninterruptible power supply. If the batteries are discharged below 10V, then it will not be possible to charge them in this way, there is evidence that such batteries can also be “rocked”, but for this it is necessary to apply to them at the initial stages high voltage(about 35V per 12V battery) with current control. Haven't tried it so I can't say for sure. I can't recommend this method either.
The first moment - if you poured water - it will return from under the lid. It must be collected with a syringe and poured into the sewer.
The second point - if you covered the jars with lids, then during the charging process the pressure in the jar rises a little and the lids will scatter all over the room with a characteristic bang. It's funny, but only once. I checked twice - the second time is no fun. I covered the lids with my own plastic lid, and put a load on it.
After charging, I discharged the batteries a little with a car “carry”, about half an hour, measured the residual voltage, estimated the capacity. Charged again and again discharged a little.
I did the same with the second battery - there are a couple of them in the uninterruptible power supply. After all, I sealed the otkovyryanye covers with adhesive tape, put the batteries in place.
The results are:
In 10 minutes at a load of 110VA, the batteries were discharged to 79 percent. The battery life changed somewhat, at the end the software spoke of almost 29 minutes + 10 already passed, almost 40 minutes. This state of affairs suits me. Enough to go and start the generator. When I have it :). And make some tea along the way. And drink it.
Based on 79%, that's 21% for 10 minutes or 47 minutes of battery life. Somewhere in the region of what the software promises.
Another calculation option is the total capacity of the batteries 12V * 7Ah * 2pcs = 168 Watt / hours. This is ideal. With a load of 110W, the charge should last for 1.5 hours. But in reality, even on new batteries, there will not be such an operating time - the discharge current is too large and the output capacity will be lower. It is difficult to say unequivocally how much the capacity has recovered, but it is very likely that up to 80 percent of the nominal one. In my opinion - not bad at all for one syringe, a can of distillate and an hour of time.
The moral of this fable is this:
- Check the battery life periodically. They can put a pig on you at the most unpleasant moment.
- At your own risk, even battered batteries can be restored little blood. But no, you always have time to buy new ones.
Surely most of us use this useful device as an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS). This device always comes to the rescue in situations where there is an unexpected blackout in the network, just at the moment when we are editing important documents, giving us about 15 more minutes of electricity to complete the work correctly. However, the UPS is not eternal and after a year or two, it starts to give us less and less time to complete the work with the PC. And one fine day, when the electricity is cut off again, we leisurely save everything important documents knowing that there are still about 10 minutes left, after a minute the uninterruptible power supply begins to beep frequently and turns off, leaving us at a loss.
Why does the UPS not work for the time specified in the characteristics?
It's all about the battery, which powers the PC during a power outage in the external network. Unfortunately, the battery eventually becomes unusable and loses its capacity. Why does the battery drain quickly? There can be many reasons. Intensive use (overloading) due to which the sulfation of the plates begins. Incorrect charging mechanism - often the batteries are constantly in recharging mode and the water that forms the basis of the electrolyte slowly evaporates, rendering the battery unusable.
Fortunately the most common cause loss of battery capacity in the UPS, is the drying of the electrolyte. Why fortunately? Because it can be corrected and the battery's previous capacity restored.
You will need:
- Distilled water (not electrolyte!!!);
- Scotch;
- Syringe with a needle.
We take out the battery from the UPS.
Remove the cover and see something like this. Rubber caps that close the openings of the jars. They probably serve to relieve excess pressure, which is formed due to water vapor, hydrogen and other substances.
Remove the caps and pour distilled water into each jar. You need to make sure that the water does not flounder in the jar. When illuminating the holes with a flashlight, be careful not to pour excess water.
After pouring, we set to charge the battery (you can charge it using the uninterruptible power supply itself). If you poured water, then excess water will flow out of the cans during charging. It must be collected and poured into the sewer.
After charging, I discharged the batteries a little with a car “carry”, about half an hour, measured the residual voltage, estimated the capacity. Charged again and again discharged a little.
After these manipulations, we return the cover to its place and, using adhesive tape, glue it to the battery case. We collect the UPS.
Battery Recovery Results
In 10 minutes at a load of 110VA, the batteries (there are two of them in this UPS) were discharged to 79 percent. The program reported 29 minutes remaining until the end of the work. 29 + 10 (already elapsed minutes) = 40 minutes. Impressive result.
Based on materials from the site: habrahabr.ru
UPS battery recovery
Probably, many will find uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) that do not work due to a "killed" battery. Due to certain reasons, batteries in uninterruptible power supplies do not last as long as they can with right conditions operation.
These batteries should not be thrown away because they contain lead, which is a heavy metal. Purchasing a new UPS battery is often impractical because the cost of the battery is slightly less cost new, more powerful uninterruptible power supply.
You can try to restore such a battery. Since gel-lead batteries are maintenance-free, there is no guarantee that the recovery will be successful. However, the chances of luck are high and it is better to try to restore the battery than it will lie for several years and end up in a landfill.
So, we have a gel lead-acid battery. Voltage - zero volts, charging current- zero amps. We pry off the plastic cover with a screwdriver and carefully remove it. It is glued on in several places. Under the cover are rubber caps, their purpose is to bleed gases formed during battery operation.
Remove the caps and add 3 ml of distilled water to each jar. Plumbing and boiled water cannot be used. Distilled water can be found at a pharmacy, auto parts, or obtained from a distiller. Some use melt water from snow.
 After topping up the water, the battery must be charged by connecting it to an adjustable power supply. Initially, there may be no charging current at all. It is necessary to increase the voltage in order to obtain a charging current of at least 10-20mA. Over time, the current will increase, while the voltage on the power supply must be gradually reduced. When the charge current reaches 100mA, the voltage does not need to be reduced, but you need to wait until the current rises to 200mA. After that, the battery must be disconnected and left for 12 hours. After this time, the battery must be charged again. The charging current will increase, so you need to lower the voltage of the power supply to such a value that the charge current is 600mA (for a battery with a capacity of 7Ah). Following the current, you need to charge within 4 hours. |
After that, you should discharge the battery to 11V by connecting a load - for example, a 15W light bulb. After the battery is discharged, it is necessary to repeat the charge with a current of 600mA. You can do several charge-discharge cycles.
After recovery, the battery can be used normally. The battery capacity will most likely be smaller, it will discharge faster, but, nevertheless, it will work.
Recovery for the battery is an extreme mode for which the battery is not designed, so you need to carefully monitor the process, do not expose the battery to prolonged exposure to increased voltage and current.
How to properly charge the battery
After the battery has been restored, it can be charged with a conventional of this type batteries in a way that in the simplest case may look like this: the battery is connected to a stabilized voltage source of 14.5V. A wire variable resistor of the appropriate power is installed in the circuit break, which sets the desired current. Instead of a variable resistor, you can install a current stabilizer. The current value is taken as the battery capacity divided by 10. For example, with a capacity of 7Ah, the charging current should be 700mA. After turning on the power supply with a variable resistor (or stabilizer), you must set this current. During charging, the voltage remains unchanged!
As it charges, the current will begin to drop, so you need to monitor the ammeter readings and reduce the resistance of the variable resistor in order to maintain a given current. At some point, the resistance of the resistor will be zero, in this mode, you can stop tracking: the current will gradually decrease and it will no longer be possible to increase it, because. voltage is constant - 14.5V. When the value of the flowing current becomes almost zero, the battery is charged.
It should be recalled that lead acid batteries must not be discharged below 11 volts.
UP 06/16/2012
Sometimes it happens that a refurbished battery does not work satisfactorily: its capacity is too low and it holds a charge under load for just a few days (while others work under such a load for weeks). What could be the reason - is it really a data resource maintenance-free batteries so small?
To check what's the matter, we dismantled such a battery.
The condition of the plates and the material impregnated with electrolyte does not cause any complaints. There are no even the slightest traces of sulfation, and the closure of the plates is all the more impossible due to the high density of the material between them. What causes irreversible loss of battery capacity?
The point is the "rotting" of the plates. The place where the plate connects to the outlet of the can seems to be made thin on purpose. As a result, it is there that the electrochemical destruction of lead and the destruction of the contact occur. For this reason, when restoring and charging such batteries, individual banks heat up, and the charge current can jump unexpectedly.
If this node had a larger cross section, the resource of sealed lead-acid batteries would be many times greater, but this is probably not profitable for manufacturers.
