Looking for a source of used or surplus industrial batteries

rplarry
rplarry Solar Expert Posts: 203 ✭✭
in General Solar Power Topics #1
I had a source here in southern Cal but he hasn't had a 2v industrial batteries in several years. Does anyone know of a company in the So Cal, Arizona, or Nevada area that swaps out battery banks for large companies and will sell the excess to a private individual? The batteries are taken to Mexico and put back into service in off grid homes.
Larry
· Share on Twitter

Comments

  • westbranch
    westbranch Solar Expert Posts: 5,183 ✭✭✭✭
    #2
    Re: Looking for a source of used or surplus industrial batteries

    Send forum member AJBelcher a note, he deals in demobing telecom sites.
     
    KID #51B  4s 140W to 24V 900Ah C&D AGM
    CL#29032 FW 2126/ 2073/ 2133 175A E-Panel WBjr, 3 x 4s 140W to 24V 900Ah C&D AGM 
    Cotek ST1500W 24V Inverter,OmniCharge 3024,
    2 x Cisco WRT54GL i/c DD-WRT Rtr & Bridge,
    Eu3/2/1000i Gens, 1680W & E-Panel/WBjr to come, CL #647 asleep
    West Chilcotin, BC, Canada
    · Share on Twitter
  • softdown
    softdown Solar Expert Posts: 3,895 ✭✭✭✭
    #3
    Re: Looking for a source of used or surplus industrial batteries
    westbranch wrote: »
    Send forum member AJBelcher a note, he deals in demobing telecom sites.

    I bought some new Gel batteries that seem to be made for telecom sites. Didn't know hardly anything. Wondering what to do with six 75 lb batteries rated at 109 Ah @ 12V. They were half price so I'm not bleeding badly.

    But nobody recommends Gel for solar.
    First Bank:16 180 watt Grape Solar with  FM80 controller and 3648 Inverter....Fullriver 8D AGM solar batteries. Second Bank/MacGyver Special: 10 165(?) watt BP Solar with Renogy MPPT 40A controller/ and Xantrex C-35 PWM controller/ and Morningstar PWM controller...Cotek 24V PSW inverter....forklift and diesel locomotive batteries
    · Share on Twitter
  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,613 admin
    #4
    Re: Looking for a source of used or surplus industrial batteries

    Research maximum charging current.

    For US GEL batteries, C/20 or 5% rate of charge maximum is pretty standard.

    For limited hours of winter sun, 10% minimum rate of charge would usually be better. In my humble opinion.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
    · Share on Twitter
  • softdown
    softdown Solar Expert Posts: 3,895 ✭✭✭✭
    #5
    Re: Looking for a source of used or surplus industrial batteries

    Is this saying that a 4% rate of charge is maximum? From http://www.alpha.com:8081/Media/Documents/AlphaCellGXL%2010_C003.pdf
    and
    http://www.alpha.com:8081/Products/Alphaiui/Cable-Broadband/Outside-Plant-Power/Batteries/AlphaCell-GXL/

    I have the 220 GXL batteries. Their self draining rate is almost non-existent.

    "AC Ripple Charger: 0.5% RMS or 1.5% of fl oat charge voltage recommended for best results. Max. allowed = 4% P-P"
    First Bank:16 180 watt Grape Solar with  FM80 controller and 3648 Inverter....Fullriver 8D AGM solar batteries. Second Bank/MacGyver Special: 10 165(?) watt BP Solar with Renogy MPPT 40A controller/ and Xantrex C-35 PWM controller/ and Morningstar PWM controller...Cotek 24V PSW inverter....forklift and diesel locomotive batteries
    · Share on Twitter
  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,613 admin
    #6
    Re: Looking for a source of used or surplus industrial batteries

    Most "simple" AC battery chargers are a Transformer and Diode/Rectifier that outputs 120 Hz charging voltage (rectified 50 HZ sine waves).

    0.04 * 14.4 VDC = 0.576 VAC ripple

    Put a DMM set to AC scale across the battery terminals and measure the AC voltage.

    My guess is that they fear too high of ripple voltage will give you (for example: 14.4 VDC + 0.576*srt(2) = 15.2 volts peak 120x per second... And could cause gassing -- Which in a GEL battery is very bad. It causes gas bubbles to permanently form in the GEL and reduce the battery's effective capacity/active plate area.

    I do not see anything in that specification on how to charge that battery model. Here is a manual for the battery families:

    http://www.alpha.com/download/pdf/745680C0002B__W.pdf

    It appears that maximum charging current may be 10 amps per 100 AH of battery bank. Their charger is setup to limit maximum current to bulk phase (charger runs at a lower charging current until battery is ~80% full, then voltage is bumped up for last phase of charging.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
    · Share on Twitter

Categories