UPS Data Center Stationary Lead Acid Batteries:

The Final Frontier for Preventing Downtime

Sean A. Blaylock
Director Business Development

Standards
IEEE 450 - Vented LeadAcid Maintenance &
Testing

IEEE 1187 - VRLA

Installation

IEEE 484 - Vented LeadAcid Battery Installation

IEEE 1188 - VRLA

Maintenance & Testing

IEEE 485 - Vented LeadAcid Battery Sizing

IEEE 1189 - VRLA Battery

Selection

IEEE 535 - Nuclear Battery

Qualification

IEEE 1375 - Battery

Protection

IEEE 1106 - Ni-Cd

Installation,
Maintenance & Testing

IEEE 1491 - Battery

Monitoring

IEEE 1115 - Ni-Cd Battery

Sizing
IEEE 1184 - UPS Batteries

Technology
gy
Lead Acid Battery Basics
Flooded and Valve
Regulated Lead Acid
((VRLA)) technology
gy

Flooded
Technologyy
gyy

PrimaryComponentsofLeadAcid
Batteries
PositiveGrid/Plate/Alloy
NegativeGrid/Plate/Alloy
Negative Grid/Plate/Alloy
Electrolyte/SulfuricAcid
Separator
TerminalPosts/BusbarStraps
Terminal Posts / Busbar Straps
PlasticContainer&Cover

StationaryFloodedBatteriesratedin
WattsPerCell(WPC)orAmpHours(AH)
(
)
p
( )

Recycling
y
g
97%
9
% off battery lead can be
reclaimed
Compare to other
materials:
- Aluminum
Al i
C
Cans: 55%
- Newspapers: 45%
- Glass
Gl
Bottles:
B ttl
26%
- Tires: 26%

Technology
gy
Lead Acid Battery Basics
Flooded and Valve
Regulated Lead Acid
((VRLA)) technology
gy

Small VRLA
Technology
gy

Small VRLA
Technology
gy

Large
g VRLA
Technology
gy

LargeVRLA2VoltDesign
Positive Grid: Lead Calcium-Tin-Silver

Negative Grid: Lead Calcium

LargeVRLA2VoltDesign
g
g
Orange Colored: Positive

G
Grey
Colored:
C l d N
Negative
ti

LargeVRLA2VoltDesign
g
g

Plates are stacked and

separated by Absorbent
Glass Mat (AGM) material.

LargeVRLA2VoltDesign
g
g

Each plate lug is welded to a

lead strap one strap for the
positives and one for the
negatives.

LargeVRLA2VoltDesign
g
g

Jar and Cover are welded

and post seal made using
industry leading HSPS
technology.

LargeVRLA2VoltDesign
g
g
CELL

MODULE

SYSTEM

VRLA vs. Flooded

VRLA

FLOODED

VRLA

vs.

Reduced Footprint
High Density
No
o water
ate addition
add t o
maintenance required
Negligible hydrogen evolution

Flooded

Independent racking system

and spill containment
Water addition required:
Maintain
M i t i correctt electrolyte
l t l t
level and specific gravity
Hydrogen freely vented to
atmosphere.
Special ventilation
Electrolyte acts as a large

Increased sensitivity to
temperature & charge voltage

heat sink and can be replaced

if lost by overcharging or
temperature
te pe atu e variance
a a ce

Sealed vs. Flooded: Life Cycle

y
Cost
125
5 Vdc
dc 1000
000 AH / 115
5 kW U
UPS
S Battery
atte y
Flooded
VRLA

Cost ($000's )

$45
$40
$35
$30
$25
$20
$15
$10
$5
$0

41.0

28.4
24.3 26.0

4.5
Purchase

1.8

Install

Maintain
per IEEE Standards

Batteryy
Selection
Select Battery Type based on
matrix of application factors:
9Foot Print/Floor Loading
g
9 Maintenance
9 Initial Cost
9 Full
F ll C
Cost off O
Ownership
hi
9 Discharge/Recharge Capability
(Cycles)
9 Reliability
p
Design
g Life/Application
pp
9 Anticipated
Life
9 Environment (Temperature/HVAC requirements)

Lead Acid UPS Battery

y Selection
Large 2V VRLA

Small 12V VRLA

Flooded Wet Cell

Footprint

Better

Best

Good

Reliability

Better

Good

Best

Initial Cost

Good

Best

Better

Design Life

Better

Good

Best

Temperature

Better

Good

Best

Cycles

Best

Good

Better-Calcium
BetterBest--Antimony
Best

Maintenance

Better

Best

Good

Environmental

Better

Best

Good

Factors Limiting Life of

Lead--Acid Batteries
Lead

Life Limiting
Limiting Factors
Voltage !
Temperature!
or
Temperature!

Voltage!
g

Temperature
Effects Both Battery Performance and Life
Lead-Acid Battery Performs Best At 25oC (77oF)
Use Temperature Compensation When Possible

High
g
Temperature

Low
Temperature

Temperature Effects On Life

TemperatureEffectsOnLife
Based
BasedonArrhenius
on Arrhenius
Relationship

{(T25)/10}
{(T
25)/10}

Doublesforeach10C
riseabove25C

Death Acceleration
F t
Factor

12
10
8
6
4
2
0
0

15

30

45

Temperature (C)

e.g. Battery
B tt
with
ith 20 year design
d i lif
life att 25C will
ill provide
id
10 year design life at 35C

60

Voltage Effects On Life

Corrosion Rate

FloatVoltageIsSetTo
Maintain Capacity and
MaintainCapacityand
MinimizeGridCorrosion

2.0
1.5
1.0

OverCharging:
ReducesLife

05
0.5
0.0
2.15

UnderCharging:
L
Lossofcapacity
f
i

2.25

2.35

Float/Charge Voltage
V lt Per
Volts
P Cell
C ll

2.45

Storage/Handling/
g /
g/ Installation
Storage
Keepbatteriescleananddry
Keep batteries clean and dry
Avoidstoringbatteriesatveryhottemperatures
Boostchargebatterieswheninstorageforextended
B
h
b
i
h i
f
d d
periods(>3to6months)

Handling
dl
Avoiddamagetocell,terminalsandcontainer

Installation
Check
Checkelectricalconnections
electrical connections
Checkcellvoltagesandchargeroutput

Example Of Improper Storage

ExampleOfImproperStorage

Battery
y
Sizing
g
Gather five key pieces of information
Load profile
f
(Loads battery must carry/Run time)
Minimum system voltage (end
voltage)
Maximum system
y
voltage
g ((# of cells))
Correction factors
Battery Type

Battery Sizing Load Profile

ProvideLoadProfile graphortableshowing
the
discharge current vs time
dischargecurrentvs.time
Dis
scharge Rate (amps)

100

25
5

30

479
Time (minutes)

480

NOTE: Battery Performance is NON-linear with time. [e.g.

battery delivering 50 amps at 4 hours (200 AH @ 4 hr
rate) will NOT deliver 100 amps at 2 hours (200 AH @ 2
hr rate]

UPS Battery Sizing

C
Constant
t t Power
P
ObtainUPSNameplateinformation
ObtainSystemKilowatts(kW)=KilowattBattery(kWB)
(PF)(kVA)
kWB =
Eff
P.F.=PowerFactor(estimate0.85)
P
F Power Factor (estimate 0 85)
Eff.=Efficiency(estimate0.90)
p
kVA=Kilovoltamperes

(Alwaysconfirmthesevalueswithcustomer)

Battery Sizing
Minimum & Maximum Voltages
Volts Per Cell

Example
p of 240 cells/480 Volt Nominal
564 V

2.35 VPC
2 30 VPC
2.30

Recharge

2.27 VPC

544 8 V
544.8
Float Standby

2.17 VPC
1.75 VPC
1 67 VPC
1.67

520.8 V
Discharge
400 8 V
400.8

Battery Sizing Correction Factors

C
CorrectionFactors
ti F t
DesignMargin 1.10to1.20typical
Compensationforfutureormissedloads

AgingFactor 1.25typical
Compensatesfornormaldecreaseinbatterycapacity
overtime(typically80%ofnameplateratingatendoflife)

Temperature seenextpage
Compensationfordecreasedcapacityat
temperaturesbelow77F/25C

Battery Sizing Correction Factors

Temperature Correction Factors - Compensation for
decreased capacity at temperatures below 77 F/25C
F/25 C
(per IEEE 485)
Temperature

Correction Factor

Temperature

Correction Factor

25 F

1.520

68 F

1.056

30 F

1.430

69 F

1.048

35 F

1.350

70 F

1.040

40 F

1.300

71 F

1.034

45 F
F

1.250

72 F
F

1.029

50 F

1.190

73 F

1.023

55 F

1.150

74 F

1.017

60 F

1.100

75 F

1.011

65 F

1.080

76 F

1.006

66 F

1.072

77 F

1.000

67 F

1.064

Battery Sizing Battery Type

Select Battery Type based on matrix of
application factors:
F t Print/Floor
Foot
P i t/Fl
L
Loading
di
Maintenance
I iti l C
Initial
Costt
Full Cost of Ownership

Discharge/Recharge
h
/
h
Capability
C
bl
(C
(Cycles)
l )
Reliability
Anticipated Design Life
Environment (Temperature/HVAC
requirements)
i
t )

Questions

UPS Data Center Stationary Lead Acid Batteries: The Final

Frontier for Preventing Downtime

Sean A. Blaylock
Director Business Development