Breaking in new batteries?

[mestrezat]

Just bought six Trojan T105s for my boat. Is there anything I need to do to "break " them in? Simple lead acid batteries but I don't want to screw them up for what I paid for them.

[john61ct]

Yes, AKA "commission charging."

The first few dozen cycles, go easy, avoid high current rate discharges and charges.

First step really fully charge, then manually follow mfg equalizing instructions.

Then discharge at .05C or 5A per 100AH, for about 20 hours.

The battery voltage should then be resting around 10.5 Volts.

Then recharge at ~.15C for the rest of the break-in period, say two months if regularly cycling, trying to avoid huge draw curents as well.

[john61ct]

Maine Sail's take http://www.sailnet.com/forums/showthread.php?p=3779746

[conachair]

Originally Posted by mestrezat

Just bought six Trojan T105s for my boat. Is there anything I need to do to "break " them in? Simple lead acid batteries but I don't want to screw them up for what I paid for them.

Why not email trojan? They're quite quick at replying.

[Ivansgarage]

Originally Posted by john61ct

Yes, AKA "commission charging."

The first few dozen cycles, go easy, avoid high current rate discharges and charges.

First step really fully charge, then manually follow mfg equalizing instructions.

Then discharge at .05C or 5A per 100AH, for about 20 hours.

The battery voltage should then be resting around 10.5 Volts.

Then recharge at ~.15C for the rest of the break-in period, say two months if regularly cycling, trying to avoid huge draw curents as well.

Thats bull **** for a lead acid battery 10.5 volts NO NO will destroy it.
12 volts is dead as a doornail. Thats mostly what I do is batteries
for electric vehicles, lead acid and lithium.

[sailcrazy]

Our "house bank" is also 6-T105s. When we last replaced them, in 2013 in Athens, Greece, they were delivered "fully charged". But once we had them installed and connected, I turned the switch "On", and then turned the battery charger "On". We spent the next couple of days remaining in the marina, using shorepower and keeping the battery charger "On". As I recall, after about 4-5 hours the charger showed near "0" amps output, our 2 Link 20 Battery monitors showed near "0"amps going in (we also have 280watts of solar and a small wind generator), and I re-topped off the water in all the cells. They've been installed since 2013, are still working perfectly, and no issues noted! But we do check/top up the water regularily, evan with the Water-Miser caps installed. In essence....we did nothing except put them into our system-and they've worked as advertised! One boat's experience, FWIW.

[john61ct]

Originally Posted by Ivansgarage

Thats bull **** for a lead acid battery 10.5 volts NO NO will destroy it.
12 volts is dead as a doornail. Thats mostly what I do is batteries
for electric vehicles, lead acid and lithium.

I'm sorry, but you are misinformed. It is certainly true that in normal "gentle rate House bank" daily usage, you should not go below 12.1-12.2V, and in fact for an expensive bank with a good SoC monitor, always stay above 50%.

Just like getting back up to 100% Full as often and as quickly as possible, just following those two rules can double or triple the usual lifetime in abusive conditions.

But for quality **deep cycling** FLA bank, there is no harm in going down to 10.5V as part of extraordinary scheduled maintenance procedures, closely monitored and following manufacturer specifications.

This deliberately discharging new FLA bank deeply etched the plates and creates more surface area for better charging.

Besides the initial "commissioning" protocol outlined above, a standard 20-hour load test to determine current remaining AH capacity should be conducted each year, more frequently after walks down to 85-90%. This procedure also requires a precisely controlled .05C discharge rate until reaching 10.5V, and by improving the accuracy of your SoC monitor also helps extend bank longevity.

Obviously the bank is not left at this SoC, but immediately charged back to Full. This is just another cycle, and less damaging than leaving the bank at 50% for many hours, which commonly happens in most boaters normal haphazard usage patterns. Not to mention the very common chronic PSOC abuse inflicted on most marine banks.

Compare also normal charge voltages with many mfg equalization protocols getting up past 16V, which you would never do in daily cycling, but performed once a month greatly helps extend longevity.

See the*"Ample Power Primer", www.amplepower.com, download from the tech tab,*section "Breaking In New Batteries"

Also Maine Sail's articles on battery monitors here

http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/boat_projects

and this one in particular: http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/p...attery_monitor

Note that many best practices for power storage and gentler House bank usage are not relevant for EV propulsion, and v/v

[john61ct]

Originally Posted by sailcrazy

They've been installed since 2013, are still working perfectly, and no issues noted!
....
we did nothing except put them into our system-and they've worked as advertised! One boat's experience, FWIW.

Yes, improving bank longevity, say increasing lifespan from 800 cycles to 1400 cycles, would not be a performance boost perceptible to the average sailor without advanced knowledge and precise measuring instrumentation.

However for those motivated and able to achieve such an improvement, it is IMO a worthwhile goal.

[onewadd]

All I'll say as an ASE and GM master tech, break-in is for mechanical things. Whatever else..... your call.

[bluewatervet]

OK, a very few simple but very effective rules here for ordinary lead acid battery use & maintenance, deep cycle or starting service grade versions. First and foremost, try to not discharge below 11 volts. Stopping discharges higher higher is so much better for long battery bank life. Sure, at times you truly need the juice badly and going down towards 10.5 is reasonable. But the more you avoid any deep excursions, the better. Second, very-very important to get a re-charge going as soon as possible, to enhance battery life. (For specialized chemistry deep cycle batteries there are specialized charge regulators note. They greatly enhance cyclic lifetimes.) Thirdly, very deep discharges, well below 10 volts, are typically a lifetime damaging event. Even first time for brand new batteries. Your lights will still work, but do not expect any electronics to be happy....some of that stuff needs well over 11 volts to work at all. For ordinary starting type batteries, built to provide huge current draws for a few seconds, an immediate recharge current from the engine alternator is what they were designed for and expect, each time. (Relying on solar PV and wind generators to do your recharging is not a good idea...way-way too slow a recharge for especially starting service batteries. So fast-idle that motor for awhile longer! Much better for the motor too BTW. In other words, watch the charger amp meter drop way down before securing.) Conversely, deep cycle types are built to provide much lower current draws spread out over hours of use. And they actually appreciate long & low current recharging. But both types do not like to go much below 11 volts repeatedly. Fourth, total discharges can quickly destroy your battery bank. First time it happens can take as much as 30% off the recharging lifetime; second time another 30% and so forth. Ballpark numbers here, but you get the idea. Eventually, no matter how hard or long you charge them afterwards, they just don't seem to hold up as long. Permanent damage has occurred, typically irreversible. (There are no chemical additives you can add to make-up water that correct this damage. Do not fall for that 'snake-oil' advertising!) If you buy batteries using removable cell caps so you can top up the water levels, buy a quality battery state-of-charge hydrometer, with a thorough user guide. Especially learn to periodically access all the cells by doing a comparison test. All alike is very good news! And be sure to put the pulled test liquid back in the same cell cavity each draw! Why? What you pull-up is not just water, it is a water/acid chemical mixture critical to battery health. Paramount is ONLY adding pure distilled (demineralized) water, another critical good habit for long lead acid battery life. Refer to battery manufacturer service literature for the best guidance.....

[bluewatervet]

....that's 'assess' vs. 'access' BTW.....sorry 'bout that!

[john61ct]

Originally Posted by bluewatervet

try to not discharge below 11 volts. Stopping discharges higher is so much better for long battery bank life. Sure, at times you truly need the juice badly and going down towards 10.5 is reasonable. But the more you avoid any deep excursions, the better.
...
do not like to go much below 11 volts repeatedly.

Yes, in discussing daily cycling all that is true.

But again, we're not talking about normal usage, but a commissioning protocol that also functions as an initial benchmark 20-hour load test.

With a very high quality bank**well cared for** as you describe, the next such test could perhaps wait two to maybe four years, and if AH capacity is still above 85%, all is well, annually thereafter.

But when SoH is below 75% of original capacity, most industry experts recognize the bank's well on its way to scrapping, and more importantly at growing risk of unexpected failure at sea.

At that point I would start load testing at six months, perhaps even quarterly.

The extra-heavy single cycle done that rarely, helping to ensure all the other rules are followed precisely is, as I stated, far less damaging than the normally abusive conditions murdering most banks on the water.

Failing to keep your SoC gauge properly calibrated, just flying blind and crossing your fingers once the bank gets on in years, is no way to run a railroad.

For me anyway.

[john61ct]

Originally Posted by onewadd

All I'll say as an ASE and GM master tech, break-in is for mechanical things. Whatever else..... your call.

Nothing being discussed here has anything to do with topics automotive.

Battery engineering and marine electrics are a very specific niche area of expertise, and both Maine Sail and Ample Power have well-respected credentials in the industry.

This article is behind a paywall, but perhaps your professional credentials will give you access if you want to learn more on the topic

"A final word on 'breaking-in': a new battery is as delicate as a newly- born baby: it should not be strained too much. . ."

Theoretical and practical considerations on the formation of lead/acid battery plates, F. Steffens
Journal of Power Sources, Volume 31, Issue 1

[kimtrang]

Kind of off topic question. What would be the lifespan of a correctly sized bank of Trojan golf cart batteries, that were reasonably maintained with no excessive discharges?

[sailcrazy]

We switched to 6-T105s for our "house battery" back in 200o or 2001. We're now on our 3rd set; these were put into service during the spring of 2013. Seems to give us 6-7 years service per set. We do run a desulfidator on each pair, religiously keep the water level up and the terminals clean, and keep them charged....because we use an electric stove, we run the genset at least 1/day; and if the genset is running the batt charger is on, along with our solar and windgen. But then our boat sits idle for 6 months ea year too. Seems to work for us!