Industrial Deep Cycle Batteries
Industrial
Deep
Cycle Batteries
Internal
Resistance
of a Battery
Effects
of
Temperature
on Batteries
Industrial Deep Cycle Batteries
Sometimes called "fork lift", "traction" or "stationary" batteries, are used where power is needed over a longer period of time, and are designed to be "deep cycled", or discharged down as low as 20% of full charge (80% DOD, or Depth of Discharge). These are often called traction batteries because of their widespread use in forklifts, golf carts, and floor sweepers (from which we get the "GC" and "FS" series of battery sizes). Deep cycle batteries have much thicker plates than automotive batteries.
Plate Thickness
Plate thickness (of the Positive plate) matters because of a factor called
"positive grid corrosion". This ranks among the top 3 reasons
for battery failure. The positive (+) plate is what gets eaten away gradually
over time, so eventually there is nothing left - it all falls to the bottom
as sediment. Thicker plates are directly related to longer life, so other
things being equal, the battery with the thickest plates will last the
longest. The negative plate in batteries expands somewhat during discharge,
which is why nearly all batteries have separators, such as glass mat or
paper, that can be compressed.
Automotive batteries typically have plates about .040" (4/100") thick, while forklift batteries may have plates more than 1/4" (.265" for example in larger Rolls-Surrette) thick - almost 7 times as thick as auto batteries. The typical golf cart will have plates that are around .07 to .11" thick. The Concorde AGM's are .115", The Rolls-Surrette L-16 type (CH460) is .150", and the US Battery and Trojan L-16 types are .090". The Crown L-16HC size has .22" thick plates. While plate thickness is not the only factor in how many deep cycles a battery can take before it dies, it is the most important one.
Most industrial deep-cycle batteries use Lead-Antimony plates rather
than the Lead-Calcium used in AGM or gelled deep-cycle batteries. The
Antimony increases plate life and strength, but increases gassing and
water loss. This is why most industrial batteries have to be checked often
for water level if you do not have Hydrocaps. The self discharge of batteries
with Lead-Antimony plates can be high - as much as 1% per day on an older
battery. A new AGM typically self-discharges at about 1-2% per month,
while an old one may be as much as 2% per week.
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