BATTERY ENERGY

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BATTERY ENERGY

• AND
• Advanced SuperGEL Battery Technology
• By Dr DJ Brown

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AGENDA

• Industrial Battery Overview
• Customer Technical Requirements
• Battery Energys SuperGel Battery Programme
• - Background
• - Purpose
• Results
• - Float Performance
• - Cyclic Performance
• - Resistance to abuse
• Advantages of SuperGEL
• Question and Answer Time

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Industrial Battery Overview

• Lead Acid Batteries are under increasing threat
  from Lithium (ion) in a number of traditional
  areas such as standby and cyclic markets.
• Lead Acid batteries have been replaced in newer
  markets such as PHEVs and increasingly in
  electric bikes.
• BATTERY ENERGY VIEW
• Lead acid batteries will continue to dominate
  if-
• Cost and not energy density is important, and
• Customer technical and commercial requirements
  are met or exceeded.

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Customer Technical Requirements

• Good starting performance
• Good float Capability
• Excellent cycling performance
• Good resistance to abuse
• Fast charge capability
• PSOC (partial state of charge) capability
• Long life especially in inclement
  conditions
• Standard footprint

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Rail Market

• Traditionally uses vented traction batteries
  or some Ni-Cad for starting and standby
  applications.
• Newer requirements are for-
• Minimal maintenance
• Passenger compartment security
• Long life (gt6-8 years)
• Cycling at low states of charge

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Traction/Utility Market

• Newer requirements are for-
• Fast charge capability
• PSOC capability
• Opportunity charging
• In Traction - Long life/low cost (3-4 years)
  at double shift
• In utilities Long life/low cost (gt10 years
  service)

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Solar/Raps Market

• PSOC capability (20 30 daily DOD)
• Good abuse resistance capability
• System predictability
• gt than 10 years service life

ONLY ADVANCED SUPERGEL BATTERIES CAN MEET ALL
THESE REQUIREMENTS.
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Battery Energy Gel Battery Programme

• Started 1992 with CSIRO.
• Worked with them and others through to mid
  2000s.
• Programme aim to develop sealed gel batteries
  at similar cost to vented but with major
  performance advantages.
  

Commonwealth Scientific Industrial Research
Organisiation
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SuperGel Technology
The basis for the Battery Energy SuperGel
Technology is as follows-

• In jar formation provides lower cost,
  improved OHS and performance advantages
• Optimised paste mixing/curing process
• Thick plate technology (5.3mm positive and
  3.9mm negative)
• High fumed Silica concentration (6)
• Optimised material selection process (VRLA
  lead, corrugated separators)
• GEL PRODUCTS INTRODUCED COMMERCIALLY 1996

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Gel Programme Achievements

• Battery Energy has developed a sealed SuperGel
  battery with high conversion of active material
  in formation
• The final products are characterised by-
• High degree of Ah efficiency (102 103)
• Capable of PSOC operation over long periods of
  charge/discharge cycles with minimal overcharge.
  Starts out at 101, probably 102 at end of life

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PSOC Example
Regime 3
120
Regime 1
Regime 2
100
80
SoC /
60
40
20
0
PSoC cycle no.
Parameters - PSoC window - charge rate -
battery temperature - battery condition -
conditioning charge
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Float Performance
Characterised by- - Very low float currants -
Good high rate performance - Typically 2-3 times
longer life on accelerated tests compared to
AGM
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Battery Energy SuperGEL Float Currents
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Cyclic Performance (1)

• Initial CSIRO test results 1200 cycles at 100
  DOD failure due to negative plate. Positive
  plate - 14 corrosion after 800 cycles.
• High temperature tests (45 degrees) 555 (100
  DOD) cycles no loss of capacity.

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Cyclic Performance (2)

• PSOC
• ETEC (US) 2001 fast charge/PSOC 70 DOD (100 -
  30) - gt1000 cycles. Battery Energy SuperGel is
  2-3 times life of competitor gel products.
• ETEC Current testing utility profile 80 - 30
  SOC 2000 cycles and still operating. AGM
  batteries 300 400 cycles under same profile.
• Solar PERU ILZRO RAPS daily 35 DOD (80 -
  45 SOC) in 240Vstrings. Still operating after 7
  years (requirement 8 years).

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Abuse resistance

• Overcharge 2.6V for 8.5 months 3 times
  longer than AGM battery.
• Operating in the discharge state - charge to
  2.45V/discharge to 1.75V battery walks down to
  30 SOC. 150 200 cycles (PSOC without
  equalisation). Recovery process 100 capacity X
  2.
• Water loss much less than other batteries.
  (See next slide for example)
• No stratification observed.

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Water loss Data
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Conclusion

• Advanced SuperGel technology together with
  advanced control techniques and further battery
  optimisation will lead to a bright future for
  industrial lead acid batteries.
• Independent of lithium battery technology
  advances

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BATTERY ENERGY
Australian Made Products, Designed for the
harshest of Australian Conditions
Australian owned company, employing Australians.
QUESTION TIME?