Documents
LOAD SHARING MICROGENIUS® AND ENERGENIUS® CHARGERS
APPLICATION NOTE NUMBER 27
This application note describes how to use the load sharing accessory with MicroGenius® 2, MicroGenius® S2/S4, EnerGenius® IQ2 and EnerGenius® DC chargers.
COMMISSIONING NICD BATTERIES WITH MICROGENIUS® CHARGERS
APPLICATION NOTE NUMBER 26
This application note describes how to commission discharged (zero charge) Nickel-Cadmium batteries using the MicroGenius® 2 or MicroGenius® S2/S4 chargers.
Battery Ohmic Measurement Methods Revisited
“Ohmic Measurements” have become a mainstay of modern battery-plant maintenance practices. The basic method consists of instrumentation which forces a known current through a cell and measures the cell’s voltage response to the current. In an ideal cell with infinite current producing capability, the terminal voltage would be invariant to the forcing current. In the real world, cells have current producing limitations which can be analyzed as spurious internal resistances and capacitance. An increase in a cell’s equivalent internal resistance is well known to correlate directly to a corresponding decrease in the cell’s amp/hour capacity. Since steady declines in amp/hour capacity are a leading indicator of the approaching end of the cell’s life-cycle, accurate ohmic measurements made by portable instrumentation or fixed monitoring systems can be a very valuable component of a pro-active battery maintenance program.
HOW TO UPDATE FIRMWARE ON MICROGENIUS® PRODUCTS-4
APPLICATION NOTE NUMBER 25A-D
These Application Notes describe how to update firmware on MicroGenius® 2, MicroGenius® S2/S4 and MicroCab™.
Understanding Connection Resistance
Stationary battery plants are an essential component of most uninterruptible critical power systems. Of particular importance are battery plant runtime and battery plant safety under full load operating conditions. This is such an important matter that some critical infrastructure industries, such as electric generating facilities, are now under federal regulation requiring them to monitor and report on the integrity of their backup battery systems. A key element in both run time and safety is the integrity of the electrical connections that interconnect the individual jars in a string, as well as the inter-tier connections between blocks of jars. Poor or degrading connections can cause a range of performance and safety problems, including excessive voltage loss and dangerous heating conditions. Fearing the wrath of federal regulators, technical managers are consequently required to develop onerous compliance plans, with the hope that their plans hold up to scrutiny.
HOW TO UPDATE FIRMWARE ON MICROGENIUS® PRODUCTS-3
APPLICATION NOTE NUMBER 25A-D
These Application Notes describe how to update firmware on MicroGenius® 2, MicroGenius® S2/S4 and MicroCab™.
HOW TO UPDATE FIRMWARE ON MICROGENIUS® PRODUCTS-2
APPLICATION NOTE NUMBER 25A-D
These Application Notes describe how to update firmware on MicroGenius® 2, MicroGenius® S2/S4 and MicroCab™.
HOW TO UPDATE FIRMWARE ON MICROGENIUS® PRODUCTS-1
APPLICATION NOTE NUMBER 25A-D
These Application Notes describe how to update firmware on MicroGenius® 2, MicroGenius® S2/S4 and MicroCab™.
The Case for Continuous Remote Monitoring of DC Power Plants
Batteries have been and will continue to be an ever increasing part of our lives. Whether in our cars (conventional and electric hybrid vehicles), in backing up enterprise data systems, telecommunications infrastructure, or as part of building management systems, the demand for back up power (and batteries) is growing and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. During emergency situations such as natural disasters and blackouts, or simple e911 mobile calls, back-up power reliability is becoming critical. Along with many other industries, today’s Telecommunications and mobile operators can’t afford to gamble on battery backup! To ensure back-up power systems can perform as expected when required, a comprehensive understanding of the battery’s operating condition, or “state of health”, and history are critical. Antiquated manual quarterly maintenance practices are insufficient to provide enough information to ensure continuous reliability. What is necessary and long overdue, are reliable, standards-based, real time remote monitoring systems which can provide accurate on demand information (not just data). These new systems will gather data, analyze it and provide mechanisms for intelligent analysis, which can alert operators to pending battery problems and help, determine how back-up systems will perform when needed.
ALL ABOUT SIZING CHARGERS FOR ENGINE-START BATTERIES
APPLICATION NOTE NUMBER 24
This Application Note describes how to correctly size battery chargers for engine starting systems for both NiCd and Lead-Acid batteries.
Remote Battery Monitoring: Advanced Failure Prediction Through Trend Analysis
There are substantial advantages that consistent and continuous monitoring provide over manual battery maintenance techniques. This paper will describe how trending data can be used to paint a far more complete picture of the battery’s present and historical performance. In addition, the paper shows how trend data is used to predict events such as thermal runaway or battery end of life failures with months of advance notice to allow scheduled corrective actions.
HOW TO INSTALL A REMOTE TEMPERATURE SENSOR
APPLICATION NOTE NUMBER 23
This Application Note describes when to use and how to connect a remote temperature sensor (RTS) to both the charger and batteries.
Switch Mode – A new approach to high power switchmode battery charger design
Operating at high frequency, switchmode power conversion outperforms line frequency (50 or 60 Hz) power conversion topologies such as SCR and controlled ferroresonant in nearly every way. Switchmode technology delivers advantages in dynamic response, smoothness of DC output, size, weight, noise, energy efficiency, cost, and standards compliance. Switchmode converters are typically modular and hot-swappable, meaning that field repair can be performed faster and by less skilled staff than is required to repair legacy line frequency chargers. Despite these significant advantages, there is continued hesitance by some users, including at electric utilities and some industrial customers, to adopt switchmode technology battery chargers. This paper attempts to identify the causes for this hesitance. A new approach to the electrical, mechanical and thermal design of switchmode power converters suggests that the issues identified can be addressed. A ruggedized switchmode battery charger design suited for use in challenging environments is presented.
HELIX™ – Charging Technology Increases Genset Starting Battery Life & Cuts Risk of Catastrophic Battery Failure
HELIX (High-Efficiency LIfe eXtending) technology saves batteries and energy in genset engine starting applications. Today, lead-acid starting batteries used in gensets are replaced nearly twice as often as identical batteries used for vehicle starting, and too often fail catastrophically instead of gradually as they do in vehicles. The reason is that lead-acid starting batteries were optimized for the charging cycles experienced in vehicles. By emulating vehicle charging, HELIX extends the life of starting batteries and reduces the risk of catastrophic end of life battery failure. HELIX also reduces energy use by employing a special Eco-float mode when batteries are fully charged and in standby. A periodic HELIX refresh charge tops up batteries at the correct interval.
Dynamic Boost™ – A New System That Delivers Both Fast Charging & Minimal Risk of Overcharge
Dynamic Boost is a new battery charging technology that delivers more accurate real-world charging results than was available in earlier generation chargers. “More accurate charging” means faster charging with lower risk of overcharge for every recharge cycle. The benefits of more accurate charging enabled by Dynamic Boost include a more reliable battery-backed application, reduced need for battery maintenance, lower risk of premature battery failure, longer battery life and lower costs.
SAE J1939 COMMUNICATIONS (CANBUS)
APPLICATION NOTE NUMBER 21
This Application Note describes the optional J1939 interface on the MicroGenius® 150 charger.
Improve Genset Availability By Detecting Bad Batteries Early
Failure to start is the most significant avoidable cause of diesel generator malfunction. Over 80% of failures to start are caused by battery problems.
Today most gensets do not include any means to detect that the starting battery has deteriorated, and may not be fit to start the engine. End-users have tolerated this situation because there has been no practical, cost-effective battery failure detection system. The low-cost, practical battery failure detection proposal made in this paper would significantly reduce the number of genset start failures and associated business risk.
Wide Bandgap Semiconductors are Revolutionizing Battery Charger Design and Performance
What difference does the choice of semiconductor switch material make when designing power electronics for battery chargers? A huge difference! Just like silver behaves much differently from steel, semiconductor materials can have vastly different physical and electrical properties. Most semiconductor manufacturing today still relies on traditional silicon. This paper goes into the technical advantages of each material and how this specifically relate to power conversion applications and field data reliability.
NRG TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE
APPLICATION NOTE NUMBER 19
This Application Note describes how to troubleshoot NRG battery chargers. Each section demonstrates how to troubleshoot a specific alarm.
IQ CHARGER ALARM TESTING
APPLICATION NOTE NUMBER 18
This Application Note describes how to test IQ charger alarms to ensure they are working properly. The following procedures force alarm conditions to trigger actual alarms. Testing alarms in this way will not cause any damage to the charger.
NRG CHARGER JUMP FEATURE
APPLICATION NOTE NUMBER 17
This Application Note describes the function and usage of the JUMP feature included with NRG chargers.
BEST BATTERY SELECTOR IN ENGINE STARTING APPLICATIONS
APPLICATION NOTE NUMBER 16
This Application Note describes the function and usage of a Best Battery Selector (“BBS”) used in engine starting systems that use two batteries to increase system reliability.
INITIAL COMMISSIONING CHARGE FOR NICKEL CADMIUM BATTERIES USING NRG CHARGER
APPLICATION NOTE NUMBER 10
Some nickel cadmium (NiCd) batteries require a high voltage commissioning charge upon installation. Some battery manufacturers, for instance, recommend a commissioning charge of 1.55 volts per cell for 48 hours or 1.65 volts per cell for 24 hours. This required voltage is higher than the normal “boost charge” voltage of the NRG charger, and must be maintained regardless of current demand. This application note describes how to manually set the NRG charger to achieve the high voltages required for NiCd commissioning, how to override the NRG’s automatic release from boost charge voltage, and how to readjust the charger back to factory settings once commissioning is complete.