In article <jZSdnWEGPYCJn9XVnZ2dnUVZ_judnZ2d@web-ster.com>, Tim Wescott <tim@seemywebsite.com> wrote:>Dave Vanden Bout wrote: >> I have a customer who needs a battery-powered system that will operate >> in any orientation. A car battery is the only thing that has the A-hrs >> he needs (I think). I assume a sealed car battery solves the obvious >> problem of leaking acid, but are there any other considerations that >> prevent a car battery from being used when it is upside-down? >> >> Are there other types of rechargeable batteries I should consider that >> give the same A-hrs (approx 240 A-hrs) as a car battery? >> >I know for a fact that not all car batteries without visible fill holes >are really sealed, and I wouldn't be surprised if none are. Even if >they're "sealed" that usually means "sealed until it vents" (i.e. they >have pressure relief valves), and the valve is going to be oriented down >at some point in its life. > >I'd check the usual suppliers of _real_ sealed lead-acid cells and see >if you can come up with a battery (or parallel combination thereof) that >gets you sufficient capacity. > >I assume that your application is too cost-conscious to use Li-Po or NiMH? >Most car batteries are less than 80 amp hours. greg
Can car batteries work upside-down?
Started by ●June 5, 2008
Reply by ●June 5, 20082008-06-05
Reply by ●June 5, 20082008-06-05
Dave Vanden Bout wrote:> > I have a customer who needs a battery-powered system that will operate > in any orientation. A car battery is the only thing that has the A-hrs > he needs (I think). I assume a sealed car battery solves the obvious > problem of leaking acid, but are there any other considerations that > prevent a car battery from being used when it is upside-down? > > Are there other types of rechargeable batteries I should consider that > give the same A-hrs (approx 240 A-hrs) as a car battery? > > ----------------------------------------------------------------- > Dave Van den Bout / XESS Corp. > (919) 363-4695 > devb@xess.comAccording to the Ultimate Authority on Everything, gel cell batteries cannot be charged inverted. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gel_battery It might be worthwhile actually contacting am actual manufacturer to verify this. But don't get your hopes up if you need to charge while inverted. -- Paul Hovnanian paul@hovnanian.com ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Have gnu, will travel.
Reply by ●June 5, 20082008-06-05
On Jun 5, 7:24=A0am, Dave Vanden Bout <d...@xess.com> wrote:> I have a customer who needs a battery-powered system that will operate > in any orientation. =A0A car battery is the only thing that has the A-hrs > he needs (I think). =A0I assume a sealed car battery solves the obvious > problem of leaking acid, but are there any other considerations that > prevent a car battery from being used when it is upside-down? > > Are there other types of rechargeable batteries I should consider that > give the same A-hrs (approx 240 A-hrs) as a car battery? > > ----------------------------------------------------------------- > Dave Van den Bout / XESS Corp. > (919) 363-4695 > d...@xess.comYou want an absorbed glass mat (AGM) battery. I'm pretty sure they make AGM car batteries, but unless you need a couple hundred amps you're probably better off with a big AGM deep-cycle lead-acid battery.
Reply by ●June 5, 20082008-06-05
On Thu, 05 Jun 2008 10:24:02 -0400, Dave Vanden Bout <devb@xess.com> wrote:>I have a customer who needs a battery-powered system that will operate >in any orientation. A car battery is the only thing that has the A-hrs >he needs (I think). I assume a sealed car battery solves the obvious >problem of leaking acid, but are there any other considerations that >prevent a car battery from being used when it is upside-down? > >Are there other types of rechargeable batteries I should consider that >give the same A-hrs (approx 240 A-hrs) as a car battery?Use a Gelled-electrolyte or AGM battery rather than one with liquid electrolyte (even if it claims to be sealed). The Gel and AGM batteries are basically lead-acid technology, but have no fluid sloshing around. -- Peter Bennett, VE7CEI peterbb4 (at) interchange.ubc.ca GPS and NMEA info: http://vancouver-webpages.com/peter Vancouver Power Squadron: http://vancouver.powersquadron.ca
Reply by ●June 5, 20082008-06-05
On Thu, 05 Jun 2008 10:24:02 -0400, Dave Vanden Bout wrote:> I have a customer who needs a battery-powered system that will operate in > any orientation. A car battery is the only thing that has the A-hrs he > needs (I think). I assume a sealed car battery solves the obvious problem > of leaking acid, but are there any other considerations that prevent a car > battery from being used when it is upside-down? > > Are there other types of rechargeable batteries I should consider that > give the same A-hrs (approx 240 A-hrs) as a car battery? >How about an airplane battery? Good Luck! Rich
Reply by ●June 5, 20082008-06-05
GregS wrote:> In article <jZSdnWEGPYCJn9XVnZ2dnUVZ_judnZ2d@web-ster.com>, Tim Wescott <tim@seemywebsite.com> wrote: >> Dave Vanden Bout wrote: >>> I have a customer who needs a battery-powered system that will operate >>> in any orientation. A car battery is the only thing that has the A-hrs >>> he needs (I think). I assume a sealed car battery solves the obvious >>> problem of leaking acid, but are there any other considerations that >>> prevent a car battery from being used when it is upside-down? >>> >>> Are there other types of rechargeable batteries I should consider that >>> give the same A-hrs (approx 240 A-hrs) as a car battery? >>> >> I know for a fact that not all car batteries without visible fill holes >> are really sealed, and I wouldn't be surprised if none are. Even if >> they're "sealed" that usually means "sealed until it vents" (i.e. they >> have pressure relief valves), and the valve is going to be oriented down >> at some point in its life. >> >> I'd check the usual suppliers of _real_ sealed lead-acid cells and see >> if you can come up with a battery (or parallel combination thereof) that >> gets you sufficient capacity. >> >> I assume that your application is too cost-conscious to use Li-Po or NiMH? >> > > Most car batteries are less than 80 amp hours. > > gregReally? The two or three websites I looked at all listed capacities over 200 A-hrs. I'll have to look at some of the battery recommendations I've received and get actual capacities. Thanks for the data point. -- Dave Van den Bout / XESS Corp. (919) 363-4695 devb@xess.com
Reply by ●June 5, 20082008-06-05
Dave Vanden Bout wrote:> I have a customer who needs a battery-powered system that will operate > in any orientation. A car battery is the only thing that has the A-hrs > he needs (I think). I assume a sealed car battery solves the obvious > problem of leaking acid, but are there any other considerations that > prevent a car battery from being used when it is upside-down? > > Are there other types of rechargeable batteries I should consider that > give the same A-hrs (approx 240 A-hrs) as a car battery? > > ----------------------------------------------------------------- > Dave Van den Bout / XESS Corp. > (919) 363-4695 > devb@xess.comThanks to everyone who has replied (even the centrifuge guys)! I now have some contacts for different types of batteries that might meet my needs. -- Dave Van den Bout / XESS Corp. (919) 363-4695 devb@xess.com
Reply by ●June 5, 20082008-06-05
On Thu, 05 Jun 2008 10:24:02 -0400, Dave Vanden Bout <devb@xess.com> wrote:>I have a customer who needs a battery-powered system that will operate >in any orientation. A car battery is the only thing that has the A-hrs >he needs (I think). I assume a sealed car battery solves the obvious >problem of leaking acid, but are there any other considerations that >prevent a car battery from being used when it is upside-down? > >Are there other types of rechargeable batteries I should consider that >give the same A-hrs (approx 240 A-hrs) as a car battery? > >----------------------------------------------------------------- >Dave Van den Bout / XESS Corp. >(919) 363-4695 >devb@xess.comLook at Optima batteries. They work in any position. Several other companies make batteries that are similar.
Reply by ●June 5, 20082008-06-05
Adrian C wrote:> Phil Allison wrote: > >> >> ** No problemo........... >> >> Just put the car battery in a spinning centrifuge - so it always has >> it own positive gravity. >> > > Nice idea, came up with similar :-) Now propose how you'd make the > necessary heavy duty connections to it :-p >Slip/Collector Rings? http://webpages.charter.net/jamie_5"
Reply by ●June 5, 20082008-06-05
