Interesting battery observations

[solarbbq2003]

The sulphur smell sounds very positive, I guess if something is sulphated the sulphur smell is the sulphur being released from the lead sulphate.
I've been messing with rejuvenating batteries also with what looks like some good results.
Dont open up the batteries, lead poisoning is easy to get, you will notice a metallic taste in your mouth if you start to get lead in your system, it also stays in body for a long long time apparently ( i got lead poisoning once doing just that )
The matting between the plates can be asbestos (sometimes they put some around the caps to soak up any acid ), asbestos fibres if inhaled are also dangerous. But I've noticed that the asbestos matting doesn't soak up water very easily, wouldn't hurt to put a drop of acid in to perhaps aid the matting thats dry soaking up some electrolyte. I've left some of the matting in a cup of water for a week and still the matting has not completely absorbed the water, parts of it remaining dry, so letting them sit for a long period so the water can soak in might be a good way to go to.
I'm convinced that drying out of sla batteries is a big part of their lifespan, they are not completely sealed of course and charging seems to lead to water loss (especially in the positive end of battery cells ).
So heres what I've done to rejuvenate sla batts;
(ones that will charge up to about 12.4-12.5volts, not completely knackered ones )
1. add demineralised water/distilled water
2. add small amount of new electrolyte
3. charge batts. do two deep discharges with car headlight globe as load, down to 10.5volts ( no lower )
4. also i've used commercial electronic desulphators which seem to do same as two deep discharges
Heres some notes on results:
Have gotten cell voltage to hold back up to 13v, capacity seems to be increased substantially (some cases doubling, measured by time to discharge to 10.5v using car headlight globe (approx. 50watts).
Must not add water/electrolyte over top of cells, suck up the excess with a syringe, matting just needs to be moist/wet but not above it seems to reduce capacity/voltage alot.
I think if the batteries dont charge up to about 12.4volts before doing anything are probably not worth wasting time on them.

 

[Johnbear]

Has anyone had any good results with a deep cycle battery desulfator? I would love to add life to my lead acid batteries. Maybe in combination of adding new acid/ distilled water? Please let me know your experience.

Thanks.

 

[Malcolm]

Not heard anything from lemmi for a while now. Last thing I heard he was making good progress with his battery desulphator and was planning to post some results soon.
He was complaining that his dogs had been eating his motorcycle, just hope they didn't fancy some red meat for a change

 

[mvadventure]

There is a product out there that was recommended to me by a marine electrician. I've used it very successfully and continue to use it on my boat which has a 8D wet battery.
Pulse Tech http://pulsetech.net/productinfo/productinfo.html is pretty amazing. There is a lot of info out there and to me at least it does the job. It extended the life of just about dead golf cart batteries for me for at least two more years. To my untrained eye it appears to be a capacitor that stores energy and then dumps it all at once back into the battery. It does it over and over, 24/7/365 every few seconds. Results are not immediate but will occur, at least in wet cell batteries that aren't completely gone.
I have not tried it on SLA.
Mike

 

[D-Man]

The sulphur smell sounds very positive, I guess if something is sulphated the sulphur smell is the sulphur being released from the lead sulphate.
I've been messing with rejuvenating batteries also with what looks like some good results.
Dont open up the batteries, lead poisoning is easy to get, you will notice a metallic taste in your mouth if you start to get lead in your system, it also stays in body for a long long time apparently ( i got lead poisoning once doing just that )
The matting between the plates can be asbestos (sometimes they put some around the caps to soak up any acid ), asbestos fibres if inhaled are also dangerous. But I've noticed that the asbestos matting doesn't soak up water very easily, wouldn't hurt to put a drop of acid in to perhaps aid the matting thats dry soaking up some electrolyte. I've left some of the matting in a cup of water for a week and still the matting has not completely absorbed the water, parts of it remaining dry, so letting them sit for a long period so the water can soak in might be a good way to go to.
I'm convinced that drying out of sla batteries is a big part of their lifespan, they are not completely sealed of course and charging seems to lead to water loss (especially in the positive end of battery cells ).
So heres what I've done to rejuvenate sla batts;
(ones that will charge up to about 12.4-12.5volts, not completely knackered ones )
1. add demineralised water/distilled water
2. add small amount of new electrolyte
3. charge batts. do two deep discharges with car headlight globe as load, down to 10.5volts ( no lower )
4. also i've used commercial electronic desulphators which seem to do same as two deep discharges
Heres some notes on results:
Have gotten cell voltage to hold back up to 13v, capacity seems to be increased substantially (some cases doubling, measured by time to discharge to 10.5v using car headlight globe (approx. 50watts).
Must not add water/electrolyte over top of cells, suck up the excess with a syringe, matting just needs to be moist/wet but not above it seems to reduce capacity/voltage alot.
I think if the batteries dont charge up to about 12.4volts before doing anything are probably not worth wasting time on them.

I added some distilled water to a 12 volt sla with low capacity on 2 cells. I can see a very small amount of water inbetween the white matting. So your not suppose to see any water at all? Its only been a couple of days though. Maybe the matte hasn't soaked it up yet. I can see "cloudy" water on the 2 bad cells though. I just cycled it. I added like 15ml water for each cell.

 

[koonaone]

I just found this old set of postings and found them interesting but not very conclusive.

I will relate what little I know about the topic.

Maintainance free lead/H2SO4 batteries have the lead plates adulterated with bismuth (or something) so when they start to fail any remedies are very short term.

RV and Marine type deep cycle batteries are purer lead and if internal connections aren't broken are a better prospect. (they are also big and ugly enough to suggest a trailer behind your bike)

What I do with good prospects: Wear cheap raingear, gloves, rubbers, GOGGLES

Top off with rainwater charge to max (using pulse techniques as above)

Hold battery upsidedown over clean container and shake vigourously (to loosen bottom crud) then let drain upsidedown overnight....

(over a different container) Fill with clean water and repeat the last step several times till you're not getting any more black sludge

Pack as much baking powder as you can get in there and fill with water. let sit overnight.

Drain. Try another shot of baking powder. When there is no more fizz at all flush thoroughly with clean water.

When completely drained, fill with the original charged battery fluid. Charge right up slowly overnight

Run through a couple of drain/charge cycles, test with hygrometer and top with acid if neccesary to adjust specific gravity, and
the battery should be good to go.

The black precipitate is a lead compound and is real poison so don't just bury it under your cabbages or flush it !

I pour it into old dry batteries bound for the recycler.

I get a 20% failure rate with this method. (my supply is turn ins at the battery retailer in the fall when folk do thier automatic replacements)

douglas