VRLA Research Articles

An Enhanced State-Space Modeling for Detecting Abnormal Aging in VRLA Batteries

The knowledge of battery aging is an indicator that allows controlling the performance of large battery banks. State of Health (SOH) is typically the metric used, encompassing all possible mechanisms in a percentage indicator, with the Coulomb Counting as the most common method. Hence, an in-depth study of aging based on known models provides proper information for correctly managing batteries. This article proposes an aging-sensitive 3-RC-array-equivalent electrical circuit model to characterize the behavior of batteries throughout their useful life, identifying parametric changes as complementary information to the state of health. This model was validated based on experimental tests with 2 V and 6 Ah VRLA batteries aged according to the manufacturer’s recommended use. The results reveal a proportionality through capacity degradation. Then, a control group of batteries was subjected to overcharge and over-discharge conditions. The information given by Coulomb Counting SOH and the proposed method were evaluated. The proposed method provides additional information to the SOH, enhancing the distinguishing capability between typical aging performance and misused aging performance, resulting in a useful tool capable of identifying the aging associated with parametric changes in a time-invariant system where aging is treated as an imminent multiplicative fault.

Dispersion phenomena in EIS and DIS spectra of porous materials and their representation as transmission line bases ‘diffusion’ elements—part I: a case study of lead-acid systems

A number techniques exist to assess the porosity of materials, however a large number of them cannot be used to monitor the behaviour of such in ‘live’ systems. This problem can be overcome by the usage of Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS). However, porous systems and their qualities, can not be easily described using regular equivalent circuit and basic elements. An approximation of such has to be made using transmission lines, which can, in turn, be equated to specific diffusion elements. The parameters of these elements can be related to porous material qualities. And in turn, the changes of these parameters can then be related to various processes—such as ageing or degeneration. In this part of the material a case study was performed on a number of lead-acid systems—a VRLA battery, a maintenance-free one and system consisting of a lead electrode and a platinum mesh counter electrode. This was done in order to test the validity of using the Warburg impedance element in equivalent circuits. During the course of the tests it was found that not only a Gerischer element is a better choice, but the changes in its parameters can be related to different ageing-related processes.

Green Management for Disasters Using an Inflatable Tent Prototype with a Solar Power Plant

Given the ever-increasing number of natural disasters, disaster management must be understood and implemented by all parties in a manner that includes green management and technology. This research begins with the problem of disaster preparedness management which currently uses less environmentally friendly facilities and infrastructure, including using tents with conventional structures and technological systems that are less flexible and require electricity with a gasoline-fueled generator. The aim of this research is to create a green technology-based disaster response facility in the form of an inflatable tent prototype for disaster preparedness using solar electricity. The method used in this study is experimental, designing and manufacturing prototype inflatable tents that use solar power plants. Tests are carried out on several variables: strength of tarpaulins, speed in construction and disassembly, comfort of air temperature, and performance of solar power generation. The results are of the experimental method are: the design and application of two prototype inflatable tents dimensions 6x9 square meters with a capacity of 20 patients, a 3,600 WP power plant using solar power, and a VRLA battery with a voltage capacity of 48 volts and a current of 200 Ah that is capable storing 4,800 watts of electricity. Thus, these devices meet electricity needs for air conditioning, lighting, and medical equipment in inflatable tents without using electricity from the state electricity company or gasoline generators. Keywords: disaster, inflatable tent, solar power generation

Densely-Connected Contrastive Observer for Fault Diagnosis of VRLA Battery in Large Data Center Based on Semisupervised Few-Shot Learning

Densely-Connected Contrastive Observer for Fault Diagnosis of VRLA Battery in Large Data Center Based on Semisupervised Few-Shot Learning

Ultrafast Self‐Charging in Acid–Base Free Aqueous Rechargeable Zinc–Quinhydrone Batteries

AbstractIn the field of energy technologies, self‐charging batteries are receiving extensive attention. However, the existing technologies are highly dependent on the available sources of O2, have long self‐charging duration, and have complex architectures. Herein, a novel ultrafast chemical self‐charging Zn‐quinhydrone polymer gel (QPG) battery, composed of acid/base free quinhydrone as a cathode material is reported. The prepared Zn–QPG battery exhibits a specific capacity of 209.7 mAh g−1 at 10C rate and maintains 86.4% of the initial discharge capacity even after 3000 cycles with a high coulombic efficiency of 99.4%. The aqueous amphiphilic block co‐polymer‐driven selective oxidation of hydroquinone (HQ) to benzoquinone (BQ) compels the chemical self‐charging feature wherein the device attains ≈1.1 V within ten minutes of complete discharge. The chemical self‐charging generated a high specific capacity of 197.8 mAh g−1 at 10C rate with a capacity retention of 91.2% after 100 cycles. Moreover, a flexible Zn–QPG battery also demonstrates excellent rechargeability and power‐delivering ability even in a wrist‐bend geometry. This work paves the way to develop ultrafast energy storage systems, which are not dependent on an external power supply and broaden the horizon of aqueous zinc–organic batteries.

Design of 600 WP Solar Power Plant for Juice Vendors Through Off-Grid System

Solar power plants (PLTS) generate electricity from the energy of solar photons. Solar cells, or solar cells made of crystalline silicon, are examples of solar panels that generate electricity through the photovoltaic effect. Thus, the construction of solar power plants (PLTS) is one of the right choices to save energy. The purpose of this study is to utilize the energy that is owned and to introduce it to the surrounding community. The community has widely used solar power generation (PLTS) technology, one of the main components of solar power plants is solar photovoltaic technology, which is used to operate juice blenders, cup sealers, and energy-efficient lighting. PLTS functions as an alternative energy source to help juice traders. Based on solar energy for this off-grid system, it has a power capacity of 3 x 200 WP. This monocrystalline solar panel also has a 300 Ah VRLA battery, a 2000 W inverter, and a 50 A solar charger controller (SCC). In addition, the PLTS off-grid system for juice traders has blender equipment, cup sealers, and lighting with an average power rating of 600 Watts. With an efficiency calculation of 80%, this system can be fully used to support business operations. This study is to develop and Design a 600-watt peak Solar Power Plant using an off-grid system for juice vendors that costs Rp. 22,000,000, including all essential components and services needed to ensure that the system can operate properly

The Possible Mechanism of Improving the Performance of Lead‐Acid Batteries by Using Aluminum Ions to Influence the Gel Structure

Gel lead‐acid batteries have the advantages of no acid leakage, no maintenance, and a long cycle life. In this article, it was found that Al3+ in the gel electrolyte can shorten the gel time and improve the stability of the gel. The battery test results show that the HRPSoC cycle life of the gel battery can be significantly improved by adding Al3+. In comparison to blank gel batteries without Al3+, HRPSoC cycle life is 8.2 times higher. Additionally, the gel battery with added Al3+ has a 0.5C discharge capacity of 1.8 Ah, which is 2.5 times that of the blank gel battery. The added Al3+ also demonstrates good capacity stability and still retains a capacity of 1.7 Ah after 150 discharge cycles. The kinetic simulation shows that Al3+ may participate in the formation of a silicon gel system and tend to gather around Si atoms to affect the properties of the gel electrolyte.

Multi-source self-supervised domain adaptation network for VRLA battery anomaly detection of data center under non-ideal conditions

As the key component of uninterruptible power supply, the anomaly detection of valve-regulated lead-acid (VRLA) batteries is the reliable guarantee for the operation of internet data centers. Although deep neural networks (DNNs) have been investigated in battery anomaly detection, the key problem of feature learning under non-ideal conditions, i.e., data scarcity and class-imbalance, is not addressed very well. In this article, a novel DNN called multi-source self-supervised domain adaptation network (MSSSDAN) is proposed for VRLA battery anomaly detection of data center under non-ideal conditions. Firstly, multi-dimensional collaborative self-supervised learning (MDCSSL) is proposed to address the class-imbalanced problem by performing auxiliary feature learning task considering the temporal dependency of different channels. Secondly, a novel transfer learning (TL) framework, multi-source adaptive transfer learning (MSATL) is developed to solve the domain shift problem by adaptively minimizing the distribution discrepancy of different domains. Finally, the outperformance of MSSSDAN is verified on the VRLA battery dataset collected from Tencent data center. The testing results demonstrate that MSSSDAN can effectively solve the problem of battery anomaly detection under non-ideal conditions.

Unleashing the electrochemical performance of zirconia nanoparticles on valve-regulated lead acid battery

The electrochemical act of valve-regulated lead acid batteries can be enhanced by conductive materials like metal oxides. This work aims to examine the preparation and influence of zirconia on poly(vinyl alcohol) based gel valve-regulated lead acid battery. Characterizations like Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, ionic conductivity, water retention study, cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and galvanostatic charge-discharge techniques were done. The optimized gel system exhibited a discharge capacity of 198.45 μAh cm−2 at the current density of 0.6 mA cm−2. The battery cell with an optimized gel matrix displayed a maximum discharge capacity of 22.5 μAh at a current of 20 μA. After 500 continuous cycles, the battery attained a discharge capacity retention of 91 %. The presence of zirconia will increase the electrochemical performance of gel valve-regulated lead acid batteries.

Effect of absorptive glass mat soaking method on electrical properties of VRLA batteries

The valve-regulated lead-acid (VRLA) battery with an absorbent glass mat has an important part in the global market for chemical power sources. This type of cell is used for both automotive SLI applications and stationary energy storage. The absorptive glass mat (AGM) is a key component in the VRLA battery, which co-determines the electrical properties of the system. For this type of lead-acid battery one of the most important stages of its production is the process of filling the cells with electrolyte and soaking absorptive glass mat before formation. Due to glass mat properties and overall high compression of plate group, this stage of production is difficult to carry out properly, especially in a short period of time. Therefore, to reduce the time, vacuum fillers are used. However, the problems of homogeneous filling of the glass mats cause that the process is often carried out in two steps. This article presents the effect of different electrolyte filling techniques on the 12V VRLA AGM battery's properties. Chemical and electrochemical experiments showed that the implementation of the one-step electrolyte filling process did not cause a decrease in the battery performance, while also reducing the time by about 26.7% compared to the method used previously.

ELECTRIC VEHICLE BASED ON STANDARD INDUSTRIAL COMPONENTS

The aim of this paper is to presents the complete design of an electric vehicle by using standard industrial components as VRLA batteries, AC induction motors and standard frequency converters. In comparison with dedicated components, the use of standard components has the following advantages: higher reliability, low price, broad range of products and suppliers, and high availability and technological independence. Besides this, we show that these components allow to make an easy and efficient electric differential without speed or steering sensors and they can perform regenerative braking.

DC Arc Flash Measurements From a 1000 V Valve Regulated Lead Acid Battery System

DC Arc Flash Measurements From a 1000 V Valve Regulated Lead Acid Battery System

Research on the application technology of lead acid batteries for mining electric vehicles

As a power source, ordinary explosion-proof large-capacity lead-acid batteries have been widely used in underground explosion-proof lead-acid battery scrapers and support trucks, but there are some problems, such as too long charging time, the need to manually add distilled water regularly, and the inability to realize intelligent management. In this paper, the mine special valve-regulated lead-carbon lead-acid battery with capacitance characteristics is applied to the explosion-proof heavy-duty electric drive car, which can shorten the charging time to about 1/5 of that of the ordinary lead-acid battery and reduce the labor maintenance cost. Through multi-sensor fusion technology, an online monitoring and intelligent expert management system for the explosion-proof battery is constructed, which can remotely monitor the real-time state of the battery. It can find out the causes of battery failure, give an alarm in advance, and prolong the service life of the battery pack, which is conducive to the further popularization and use of underground electric-driven trackless rubber tires.

Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory Model of SoH Prediction for Gelled-Electrolyte Batteries under Charging Conditions.

The impact of different charging currents and surrounding temperatures has always been an important aspect of battery lifetime for various electric vehicles and energy storage equipment. This paper proposes a bidirectional long short-term memory model to quantify these impacts on the aging of gel batteries and calculate their state of health. The training data set of the bidirectional long short-term memory model is collected by charging and discharging the gel battery for 300 cycles in a temperature-controlled box and an automated charge and discharge device under different operating conditions. The testing set is generated by a small energy storage device equipped with small solar panels. Data for 220 cycles at different temperatures and charging currents were collected during the experiment. The results show that the mean absolute error (MAE) and root-mean-square error (RMSE) between the training set and testing set are 0.0133 and 0.0251, respectively. In addition to the proposed model providing high accuracy, the gel battery proved to be stable and long-lasting, which makes the gel battery an ideal energy storage solution for renewable energy.

INSTALLATION OF SOLAR-POWERED ELECTRIC WARMERS FOR DOC-BROODING IN BLITAR CHICKEN FARMERS

Community Service (PPM) is held in Sumberejo Village, Sanankulon District, Blitar Regency. Chicken farmers face several challenges related to heating their chicken coops, including restrictions on using subsidized fuel or LPG, which force them to seek other heating alternatives. Leaks in heating systems that use LPG, which pose a fire hazard. Poor air quality and low oxygen levels in coops that use conventional heating methods (firewood and LPG). These challenges can contribute to the decline in the quality of Day-Old Chicks (DOC). This activity aims to install an electric warmer system that produces a safe and comfortable temperature for Day-Old Chicks (DOC) and is easy to use for breeders. In addition, build an independent energy source to run the heat treatment system equipment in the DOC-Brooding area with a solar panel installation. The installed 600 Wp PLTS system consists of 4 solar panels with a capacity of 150 Wp each, an 850 VA hybrid inverter and 100 Ah VRLA battery. Electrical energy from PLTS can power a 200 W electric warmer. The solar panel installations can produce an average of 3.6 kWh of electrical energy/day. So that the electricity savings from PLN can reach IDR. 162000 per month.

Capacity Prediction of VRLA Batteries Based on Stepwise Regression Analysis

Effective maintenance of valve-regulated lead-acid (VRLA) battery groups within substations is critical for DC system reliability. Therefore, assessing battery health and remaining capacity is essential. In this study, we focus on predicting the VRLA battery group remaining capacity and propose a prediction model based on stepwise regression. This model utilizes operational data, combining the charging and discharging characteristics of VRLA batteries. Stepwise regression selects the optimal independent variable subset, mitigating poor predictions from using all variables in multiple linear regression. Experimental results validate the accurate prediction of lead-acid battery capacity decline, offering effective forecasts. This model is expected to be widely applied in the capacity prediction of DC power systems in substations.

Operando analysis of the positive active mass of lead batteries by neutron diffraction

We have analysed, through neutron diffraction experiments with the volume-gauge technique, the operando performance of lead cells composed of industrial positive and negative electrodes, previously tank formed in the manufacturing plant. The cells, 6.7 cm × 11.5 cm in surface, comprised a 3.4 mm thick positive electrode sandwiched between two 2.3 mm thick negative electrodes. The electrolyte was sulphuric acid diluted in water, both deuterated, and the separators were industrial grade absorptive glass mat (AGM). The experiments, carried out using the VULCAN instrument at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (TN, USA), showed the evolution of α-PbO2, β-PbO2 and PbSO4 phases in the positive active mass during charge/discharge cycling, comparing the behaviour of fresh and cycled cells. No evidence of PbSO4 phase in fully charged plates or PbO in any state of charge were found above 1% by weight. Significant inhomogeneity of phase distribution and transition rates inside the positive electrode was observed. The experiments allowed estimation of the energy efficiency by comparing the external energy provided to the cell with the energy stored in the PbSO4 to PbO2 transformations.

Photovoltaic energy based fast charging strategy for VRLA batteries in small electric vehicles for sustainable development

Photovoltaic energy based fast charging strategy for VRLA batteries in small electric vehicles for sustainable development

Spatially resolved characterization of the porous structure of lead-acid battery plates after operation using micro-computed tomography

Micro-computed tomography is a powerful non-destructive analytical technique that is used in a variety of research fields including material and battery science. This technique was used to analyze SLI lead acid plates at different states of charge (SoC) and UPS AGM battery plates at different states of health (SoH). The SLI plates were found to have no discernable macro porosity differences at different SoC along with minimal visual changes. The UPS AGM battery plates varying in SoH were found to have significantly varying porosity over the geometric plate dimensions but also over the grid mesh dimensions and plate depth. The sulphation observed on the negative plates that most probably contributed to a decrease in capacity was confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis. All analyzed samples showed a positively skewed pore size distribution. Micro-computed tomography is a technique that allows for spatial resolving of the lead acid plates to further explore their porosity nature.

Insight into the performance of valve-regulated lead-acid battery using sodium salt of poly(4-styrene sulfonic acid-co-maleic acid)-poly(vinyl alcohol) gel electrolyte

Insight into the performance of valve-regulated lead-acid battery using sodium salt of poly(4-styrene sulfonic acid-co-maleic acid)-poly(vinyl alcohol) gel electrolyte