New Trojan RE-B's arriving - 1st bank of L16 REB's lasted 8yrs

Options
Surfpath
Surfpath Solar Expert Posts: 463 ✭✭✭
in Off Grid Solar & Battery Systems #1
Tomorrow I hope to pick up my new bank of Trojan RE-B's. I am going to retire the old RE-B bank which lasted 8 years (and still seems to be  keeping a good charge). 

Old bank conditions:
  • Warm 26-29 degrees C environment. 
  • Average DOD over the 8 years ~30-35%.
  • Absorb was set for 3 hours for the first 5 years, I changed this to 2 hours after the death of one cell in 2018*
  • The battery* involved above was dropped on it's side on installation (maybe made a difference?).
  • The bank was EQ'd ~every 3 months for about an hour.
  • It was watered (2 liters for 8 batteries) every 1.5 to 2 months.
I did not "kill" my first bank and I believe that's because of keeping a relatively low DOD (only for a few months did the bank go less than 60% SOC) and eventually making sure I had an array with a 10% rate of charge. I can also probably count on two hands the times the bank went less than 100% SOC at the end of the day.  The latter was advice that Coot gave me in 2013 and in my opinion this is the best advice for a healthy L16 FLA bank. These are tall batteries and need to be be fully charged each day, IMHO.

For renewing the bank I did not go the Lithium route ($$ plus I have a FM80 charger). The new batteries have a slightly more generous "Typical Life in a Stationary Application" chart (here), have a different model # ("SPRE 06 415"), and they use 'smart carbon'.  But basically it's the same battery with a different label.

Hopefully they will also give me a good run. It's been so long I have forgotten how the commissioning process works.  The main thing is when I get my hands on them I will take SG's on all cells and try not to get any knocked over this time! Other suggestions welcomed.....
-SP

 






Outback Flexpower 1 (FM80, VFX3048E-230v, Mate, FlexNetDC) 2,730watts of "Grid-type" PV, 370 AmpHrs Trojan RE-B's, Honda 2000 watt genny, 100% off grid.
· Share on Twitter

Comments

  • Surfpath
    Surfpath Solar Expert Posts: 463 ✭✭✭
    #2
    Options
    Quick update: The new bank is installed and commissioned (basically a full bulk, absorb, and EQ charge). So far it looks good. We have had a couple of days of charging now and in the early mornings the bank voltage has been around 50.1v 

    They seem happy, one or two cells have SG''s that are a tiny bit lower than the other cells after absorb (1.280 vs 1.288), but all the cells seem to be bubbling away fine.


    Outback Flexpower 1 (FM80, VFX3048E-230v, Mate, FlexNetDC) 2,730watts of "Grid-type" PV, 370 AmpHrs Trojan RE-B's, Honda 2000 watt genny, 100% off grid.
    · Share on Twitter
  • RCinFLA
    RCinFLA Solar Expert Posts: 1,484 ✭✭✭✭
    #3
    Options
    Eight years is not bad.  Just don't over do the equilization.  If fully charged every few days should not need equalization unless you see significant difference in SG.

    Equalization accelerates corrosion of positive plates grid causing the internal resistance to go up.  It's all the oxygen gas bathing the positive plates.
    · Share on Twitter

Categories