Measuring Battery Cell Degradation

Interview conducted by Stuart MilneJan 27 2015

Josh Cirillo, Category Manager - Test Equipment, talks to AZoM about the SBS-6500 Digital Battery Analyzer and the benefits it brings to the battery testing industry.

Could you please provide a brief introduction to the industry that SBS works within and outline the key drivers?

Storage Battery Systems, LLC offers products and services to the Motive Power, Stationary, Battery Service and Testing, UPS, Renewable, Telecommunication and Automotive / Marine industries.

Could you briefly explain the basic technique of how multipurpose resistance and voltage testing works?

As battery cells age and deteriorate, the internal resistance values in the cells increase indicating departure from healthy battery readings. Sudden changes in the history of readings from one preventive maintenance performance to the next can indicate an upcoming problem with a battery before an actual catastrophic failure occurs.

Only by measuring, monitoring and comparing these values to reference values supplied by the battery manufacturer can we get a sense of when a battery is GOOD, POOR, or FAILED.

Our SBS-6500 Battery Analyzer sends an AC signal through the positive and negative post and measures the internal resistance (impedance) of a battery.  It also measures and logs temperature and voltage.  Within 3 - 5 seconds, the unit will indicate a Pass/Warning/Fail status for the tested battery.

What are the major advantages of using the SBS-6500?

The SBS-6500 Battery Analyzer will store over 200 battery reference and 300 battery strings (600 if requested) in its internal memory and can store up to 7.5 million data points (300 battery strings x 250 cells per string x 4 tests per year over a period of 25 years = 7.5 million records).

Data is easily accessed and quickly available in a data table or a trend graph on the unit for immediate battery analysis.

It is also the only unit on the market that you can download Specific Gravity readings into with the SBS-2003 via Bluetooth for complete battery testing and review.

Software provided with the unit is easy to install and navigate and helps manage the data recorded and create reports that can be exported into Excel, PDF or Word formats.

Finally, this unit has a live monitoring and recording option.

What are the primary applications of SBS-6500?

The SBS-6500 is used for testing and servicing all batteries in all industries.  It should be included in all standard battery maintenance programs and will satisfy IEEE and NERC Standards for regular maintenance and testing being performed and recorded.

What industries primarily benefit from using it?

The SBS-6500 is currently being used in Utility, UPS, Telecommunications, Battery manufacturing, Industrial maintenance, Critical power and Data center applications.

What are the main differences between the SBS-6500 and previous versions?

The main differences include:

1. SBS-6500 has data storage of 7.5 million readings versus 100,000
2. The SBS-6500 can download specific gravity readings directly from the SBS-2003 via Bluetooth
3. SBS-6500 has a volt testing range of 100V when testing Impedance and 300V as a Volt Meter as opposed to the 60V capability of our last unit and most current units on the market
4. SBS-6500 can live monitor and record the trend of a cell during charge or discharge.
5. Software is quick and easy to use and can export data in Exel, PDF or Word formats
6. User can easily navigate and manage battery references, String data and readings with the included software, either onsite or with the SBS-6500 hand held unit.

Where do you currently supply to? Are there plans to expand operations in the near future?

We currently serve a global market and can provide test equipment to any region in the world.

How do you see your sector progressing over the next decade and how will SBS be a part of this change?

Battery testing and maintenance is an expanding and growing market and is the only true way to predict a batteries performance and available life.  As an industry-leading manufacturer of stored energy Power Solutions™, Storage Battery Systems has been in the forefront in the development of devices used in analyzing, recording and monitoring critical battery operating parameters required by many government and safety regulatory agencies.

Dating back to the late 1980’s, Storage Battery Systems was the first North American battery manufacturer to market a “Digital Battery Hydrometer” to quickly test and record electrolyte specific gravity, temperature and cell voltage in lead-acid batteries. Storage Battery  Systems will continue to be on the forefront of the industry with new, unique, innovative, reliable products which are easy to use and operate with superb customer service and support.

Where can our readers learn more?

For more information about our battery and battery testing products, readers can learn more at www.SBSBattery.com or call +1-800-554-2243

About Josh Cirillo

Josh received his Bachelor of Business Administration from University of Wisconsin – Whitewater and majored in Marketing. Josh has dedicated his career to product sales, development and management. He joined Storage Battery Systems in 2012 as the Category Manager for the Test Equipment Department. He is responsible for battery test equipment product development and managing the overall category.