(Brent Geery) wrote in
:
Larry, I've always enjoyed your posts and the knowledge you
clearly have. However, I think you need to study up on batteries
a little more.
Ok.....
Batteries will always loose some water, even without
overcharging. Rather, I should say batteries are always slightly
overcharged as a practical matter. If you charged below the
gassing voltage- say 13.8 volts, the amount of extra charging
time required to top-off the batteries is extreme. Charging at
say 14.5 volts (standard for solar charging) and letting them gas
a little shaves a heck of allot of time off the charging time-
thus the costs as well.
I never said they wouldn't. But sitting out in the yard are two L-16s in
the driver's footwell of my mobile electronics shop that don't sit at the
dock condo for months on overcharge. They work every day and have for over
2 years, now. There is a simple marine on-off 650A switch that parallels
them with the two AGM starting batteries for the 6.2L GM diesel engine, so
one alternator can charge everyone, another myth blown all to hell.
If you go check their temperature-compensated specific gravity, you'll find
all cells at 1.250-60, a full charge. They'll power the mobile DJ power
amps all night, no problem....loud! They are NOT charged by a constantly
switching on and off charger, 24/7/365, like the dock condo.
I have not checked the electrolyte in a "few months", but you'll find there
is more than enough to submerge all the plates, without expensive caps. I
water them with distilled I make for drinking about every 6 months. L16s
are big batteries. They will drink about 2 quarts in 6 months, and be
halfway between "full" and the top of the plates. As long as the plates
are submerged, batteries are fine.
Your premise of overcharging them to reduce the charging time it takes to
replenish them is simply not true. NONE of these house batteries can be
recharged in 2 hours at 200 amps....Battery chemistry doesn't work like
that, I'm sorry to say.
Controlled slight gassing is also good for the batteries as it
prevents the electrolyte for stratifying in the cells. Battery
manufactures recommend that the batteries are charged at voltages
that will do just this, when in cycled service. The only time
you don't want to charge above gassing voltage is batteries used
in float/standby service.
If your boat is a dock condo in a very quiet marina, I suppose you could
talk the electrolyte into stratifying. But, alas, on boats USED, as
they're supposed to be, I'd bet those 6' swells that beat my head against
the bulkhead while trying to stay seated on the head and hanging on for
dear life PROBABLY will prevent that from happening at 25 degrees of heel.
It prevents my stomach contents from 'stratifying' I'd like to report,
also! Dock condos don't even need batteries....do they?
Hydrocaps also solve the problems of loosing water to evaporation
and the problem of losing the acid, thus weakening the
electrolyte. They also virtually eliminate dirty acid covered
and dirty battery tops.
I never saw the acid "evaporate". I saw the water evaporate, but not the
acid. The "dirty acid covered" battery tops is from you filling the
battery up way to the top then gassing it with your 14.5 volt constant
overcharging! That's how your acid is escaping....
I never "fill" a battery I'm charging regularly to the mark. Halfway
between the plates and "full" is plenty, and allows for electrolyte
expansion from the heating and recovery of sulfuric acid from the dissolved
lead sulphate during the charging process. The top of the L16s sloshing
around in a wooden box in the stepvan shop is as clean as the new ones. Of
course, I don't heel as far because it would flip over...(c;
Hydrocaps are expensive, but well worth the costs. Shop around,
as there can be a significant discount at some shops.
Excellent. While researching Hydrocaps, I came upon an interesting solar
website with other technology discussing the differences in both. Read:
http://store.solar-electric.com/ba****miscap.html
This same vendor sells Hydrocaps for $10:
http://store.solar-electric.com/hydrocaps.html
The solar store also makes an interesting statement:
"Hydrocaps will not last forever, though - life will vary from 2 years to 8
years, depending on charge rates and how they are treated. If left on
during battery equalization, they can be quickly used up and/or ruined."
Notice how it also tells you about combining O2 and H2 recovering water,
but says nothing about what the effect of acid ingestion into the cap
causes. Hmm....What happens if I pour dilute sulphuric acid on platinum
muffler beads? Well, back to the lab...(c; Is there a Platinum sulphate?
Sound reasonable. Should be a stable salt.
--
Larry