Technical Manual: Ni-Cd Block Battery
Technical Manual: Ni-Cd Block Battery
Technical Manual: Ni-Cd Block Battery
Technical manual
April 2007
Contents
2.1 Complete reliability +122°F), and accept extreme 2.10 Extended storage
The block battery does not suffer temperatures, ranging from as When stored in the empty and
from the sudden death failure low as –50°C (–58°F) to up to discharged state under the
associated with the lead acid +70°C (+158°F) (see section recommended conditions, the
battery (see section 4.1 Plate 4.3 Electrolyte). block battery can be stored for
assembly). many years (see section 10.2
2.6 Fast recharge Installation and operating
2.2 Long cycle life The block battery can be instructions).
The block battery has a long recharged at currents which
cycle life even when the allow very fast recharge times to 2.11 Well-proven pocket
charge/discharge cycle involves be achieved (see section 8.3 plate construction
100% depth of discharge (see Charge acceptance). Saft has nearly 100 years of
section 6.7 Cycling). manufacturing and application
2.7 Resistance to experience with respect to the
2.3 Exceptionally long mechanical abuse nickel-cadmium pocket plate
lifetime The block battery is designed to product, and this expertise has
A lifetime in excess of twenty have the mechanical strength been built into the twenty-plus
years is achieved by the Saft Nife required to withstand all the years’ design life of the block
block battery in many harsh treatment associated with battery product (see section 4
applications, and at elevated transportation over difficult Construction features of the
temperatures it has a lifetime terrain (see section 9.2 block battery).
unthinkable for other widely Mechanical abuse).
available battery technologies 2.12 Environmentally safe
(see section 6.8 Effect of 2.8 High resistance to Saft operates a dedicated
temperature on lifetime). electrical abuse recycling center to recover the
The block battery will survive nickel, cadmium, steel and
2.4 Low maintenance abuse which would destroy a plastic used in the battery
With its generous electrolyte lead acid battery, for example (see section 12 Disposal and
reserve, the block battery overcharging, deep discharging, recycling).
reduces the need for topping-up and high ripple currents (see
with water, and can be left in section 9.1 Electrical abuse). 2.13 Low life-cycle cost
remote sites for long periods When all the factors of lifetime,
without any maintenance (see 2.9 Simple installation low maintenance requirements,
section 6.9 Water consumption The block battery can be used simple installation and storage
and gas evolution). with a wide range of stationary and resistance to abuse are
and mobile applications as it taken into account, the Saft Nife
2.5 Wide operating produces no corrosive vapors, block battery becomes the most
temperature range uses corrosion-free polypropylene cost effective solution for many
The block battery has an containers and has a simple professional applications.
electrolyte which allows it to have bolted connector assembly system
a normal operating temperature (see section 10 Installation and
of from –20°C to +50°C (–4°F to operating instructions).
4
3. Electrochemistry of
nickel-cadmium batteries
Protective cover
• to prevent external
short-circuits Flame-arresting vents
• in line with Material: polypropylene.
EN 50272-2 (safety)
with IP2 level
Cell container
Material: translucent
Plate group bus
polypropylene.
Connects the plate
tabs with the terminal
Plate tab post. Plate tabs and
Spot-welded both to the plate terminal post are
side-frames and to the upper projection-welded to
edge of the pocket plate. the plate group bus.
Plate
Horizontal pockets
of double-perforated
steel strips.
In order to provide an optimum solution for the wide range of battery applications which exist, the
block battery is constructed in three performance ranges.
Saft Nife
L M H
battery types
mini 3h 30 min 1s
Autonomy
maxi 100 h 3h 30 min
Power Power Starting,
Use of battery backup backup Power
Bulk energy backup
storage
Applications Engine starting - Switchgear - UPS - Process control -
Data and information systems - Emergency lighting -
Security and fire alarm systems -
Switching and transmission systems - Signaling
Railways
intercity & ● ● ●
urban transport
Stationary
Utilities
electricity, gas,
● ● ●
water production
& distribution
Oil and gas
offshore & onshore,
● ● ●
petrochemical
refineries
Industry
chemical, mining, ● ● ●
steel metal works
Buildings
● ● ●
public, private
Medical
hospitals, ● ● ●
X-ray equipment
Telecom
radio,
satellite, cable, ● ●
repeater stations,
cellular base stations
Railroad
substations ● ● ●
& signaling
Airports ● ● ●
Military
● ● ●
all applications
10
5.1 Type L 5.3 Type H 5.4 Choice of type
The L type is designed for The H type is designed for In performance terms the
applications where the battery is applications where there is a ranges cover the full time
required to provide a reliable demand for a relatively high spectrum from rapid high
source of energy over relatively current over short periods, current discharges of a second
long discharge periods. Normally, usually less than 30 minutes in to very long low current
the current is relatively low in duration. The applications can discharges of many hours.
comparison with the total stored have frequent or infrequent Table 2 shows in general terms
energy, and the discharges are discharges. The range is typically the split between the ranges for
generally infrequent. Typical uses used in starting and power the different discharge types.
are power backup and bulk backup applications. The choice is related to the
energy storage. discharge time and the end of
discharge voltage. There are, of
course, many applications
5.2 Type M where there are multiple
The M type is designed for discharges, and so the optimum
applications where the batteries range type should be calculated.
are usually required to sustain This is explained in the section 7
electrical loads for between “Battery sizing”.
30 minutes to 3 hours or for
“mixed” loads which involve a
mixture of high and low discharge
rates. The applications can have
frequent or infrequent discharges.
The range is typically used in
power backup applications.
There are a number of methods 7.1 The voltage window 7.3 Temperature
which are used to size nickel- This is the maximum voltage and The maximum and minimum
cadmium batteries for standby the minimum voltage at the temperatures and the normal
floating applications. The method battery terminals acceptable for ambient temperature will have
employed by Saft is the the system. In battery terms, the an influence on the sizing of the
IEEE 1115 recommendation maximum voltage gives the battery. The performance of a
which is accepted internationally. voltage which is available to charge battery decreases with
This method takes into account the battery, and the minimum decreasing temperature and
multiple discharges, temperature voltage gives the lowest voltage sizing at a low temperature
de-rating, performance after acceptable to the system to increases the battery size.
floating and the voltage window which the battery can be Temperature de-rating curves
available for the battery. discharged. In discharging the are produced for all cell types to
nickel-cadmium battery, the cell allow the performance to be
A significant advantage of the voltage should be taken as low recalculated.
nickel-cadmium battery as possible in order to find the
compared to a lead acid battery, most economic and efficient
is that it can be fully discharged battery.
without any inconvenience in
terms of life or recharge. Thus,
to obtain the smallest and least 7.2 Discharge profile
costly battery, it is an advantage This is the electrical
to discharge the battery to the performance required from the
lowest practical value in order to battery for the application. It may
obtain the maximum energy from be expressed in terms of
the battery. amperes for a certain duration,
or it may be expressed in terms
The principle sizing parameters of power, in watts or kW, for a
which are of interest are: certain duration. The requirement
may be simply one discharge or
many discharges of a complex
nature.
17
7.4 State of charge 7.6 Floating effect
or recharge time When a nickel-cadmium cell is
Some applications may require maintained at a fixed floating
that the battery shall give a full voltage over a period of time,
duty cycle after a certain time there is a decrease in the
after the previous discharge. The voltage level of the discharge
factors used for this will depend curve. This effect begins after
on the depth of discharge, the one week and reaches its
rate of discharge, and the maximum in about 3 months. It
charge voltage and current. can only be eliminated by a full
A requirement for a high state of discharge/charge cycle, and it
charge does not justify a high cannot be eliminated by a boost
charge voltage if the result is a charge. It is therefore necessary
high end of discharge voltage. to take this into account in any
calculations concerning batteries
in float applications.
7.5 Ageing
Some customers require a value As the effect of reducing the
to be added to allow for the voltage level is to reduce the
ageing of the battery over its autonomy of the battery, the
lifetime. This may be a value effect can be considered as
required by the customer, for reducing the performance of the
example 10%, or it may be a battery and so performance
requirement from the customer down-rating factors are used.
that a value is used which will
ensure the service of the battery
during its lifetime. The value to
be used will depend on the
discharge rate of the battery and
the conditions under which the
discharge is carried out.
18
8. Battery charging
8.1 Charging generalities system and accepts a To minimize the water usage, it is
The block battery can be smaller voltage window than the important to use a low charge
charged by all normal methods. two-rate charger. voltage per cell, and so the
Generally, batteries in parallel minimum voltage for the single
operation with charger and load The two-rate charger has an level and the two level charge
are charged with constant initial high voltage stage to voltage is the normally
voltage. In operations where charge the battery followed by a recommended value. This also
the battery is charged lower voltage maintenance helps within a voltage window to
separately from the load, charge. This allows the battery obtain the lowest, and most
charging with constant current to be charged quickly, and yet, effective, end of discharge
or declining current is possible. have a low water consumption voltage per cell (see section 7
High-rate charging or due to the low maintenance Battery sizing).
overcharging will not damage charge or float voltage level.
the battery, but excessive The values given as maximum
charging will increase water The values used for the block are those which are acceptable
consumption to some degree. battery ranges for single and to the battery, but would not
two-rate charge systems are as normally be used in practice,
shown in Table 4 below. particularly for the single level,
8.2 Constant voltage because of high water usage.
charging methods
Batteries in stationary
applications are normally
charged by a constant voltage Cell Single level (V/cell) Two level (V/cell)
float system and this can be of type
min max min max floating
two types: the two-rate type,
L 1.43 1.50 1.47 1.70 1.42 ± 0.01
where there is an initial constant
voltage charge followed by a M 1.43 1.50 1.45 1.70 1.40 ± 0.01
lower voltage floating voltage; or H 1.43 1.50 1.45 1.70 1.40 ± 0.01
a single-rate floating voltage.
Table 4 - Charge and float voltages for the block battery ranges
www.saftbatteries.com
29
Saft is committed to the highest standards of environmental stewardship.
Implementing this commitment to minimise the impact of its products and operations on the environment means that
Saft gives priority to recycled over unrecycled raw materials, reduces its plant releases into the environment year after
year, minimizes water usage, and ensures that its customers have recycling solutions for their batteries at the end of their lives.
Regarding industrial Ni-Cd batteries, Saft has had partnerships for many years with collection companies in most EU countries as
well as in North America. This collection network receives and dispatches our customers’ batteries at the end of their lives to fully
approved recycling facilities, in compliance with the Laws governing transboundary waste shipments. Saft offers these services free
of charge to its customers.
Please find a list of our collection points on our web site.
In other countries, Saft assists its customers in finding environmentally sound recycling solutions. Please contact your sales
representative for further information.
Doc N˚ 21081-2-0407
Saft Edition: April 2007
Industrial Battery Group Data in this document is subject to change without
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