SERVICE BULLETIN

NOTICE: The Type of Change and Recommended Compliance specified reflects Solar's best judgment regarding the Service
Bulletin. All questions should be directed to your Solar Field Service Representative. Solar, Saturn, Centaur, Taurus,
Mercury, Mars, Titan, SoLoNOx, and Turbotronic are trademarks of Solar Turbines Incorporated. Cat and Caterpillar are
trademarks of Caterpillar Inc. Specifications subject to change without notice.

NUMBER: 5.9/103B
ISSUED: October 1997
REVISED: February 2018
PRODUCT: All
MODEL(S): All
Specifics:
SUBJECT: BATTERY CHARGER ADJUSTMENTS
Type of Change: Product Information

Recommended Earliest Convenience

Compliance:

—REVISION NOTICE—
This revision replaces Service Bulletin 5.9/103A. The previous
issue must be removed and discarded.

Purpose:
To ensure your battery charger is adjusted correctly for your battery type.

GENERAL INFORMATION:
In several recent instances, engine bearings have been damaged after loss of AC power. The
root cause was traced to improper settings on the battery charger that resulted in the battery not
being charged sufficiently to perform the required backup post-lube cycle when commercial AC
power was lost.

When commercial AC power is lost, the DC backup post-lube cycle is critical to prevent damage
to engine bearings. Both 24 volt and 120 DC systems are affected.

Battery chargers that are supplied by Solar are usually pre-adjusted for use with lead-calcium
(VRLA) batteries. (A tag in the battery charger indicates the factory settings as-shipped.) In-field
re-adjustment of the float voltage and high-rate voltage settings are required for use with other
battery types. If re-adjustment is not provided, it is possible that damage to the battery could occur

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due to over-charging or the battery could not be adequately charged. This could very likely result
in an inability to perform the required back-up post-lube cycle when commercial AC power is lost.
Both 24V and 120Vdc systems are affected, as applicable to your site.

ACTION REQUIRED:
The required float-voltage and high-rate-voltage settings are accomplished by adjusting
appropriate multi-turn potentiometers that are on a printed-circuit card in the battery charger. See
the battery charger operations manual for specific instructions. (For chargers in NEMA-3R
enclosures, the manual is in a pocket on the inside of the door.)

SET POINTS

The float and high rate voltage settings of the charger are dependent on the specific battery
model and the number of cells in the battery string. The table below shows the number of cells in
the Lead-Calcium, Lead-Acid, and NiCd battery strings for Solar’s 24VDC and 120VDC systems.
The specific Operation, Maintenance, and Installation Manual from the battery manufacturer
should be referenced for the charge voltage per cell to calculate the final float and high rate charge
voltage. Before making adjustments, ensure the battery charger output current is less than half the
charger nameplate rating. The voltmeter used for adjustments should be accurate within ± 0.5%.

Number of
Battery Type
Cells
Lead-Calcium (VRLA) 12
24VDC Lead-Acid 12
Ni-Cd 20
Lead-Calcium (VRLA) 60
120VDC Lead-Acid 60
Ni-Cd 96

Set "Float" voltage before adjusting "High Rate" voltage.

The "Current Limit" potentiometer is set at the factory and

sealed. Do not change this adjustment. An improper setting may
damage the rectifier. Under no circumstances should the
rectifier current exceed the nameplate value. Damage may occur
if misadjusted.

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 The "Float/High Rate" switch controls the "High Rate" charge. Never
leave the switch in the "High Rate" position for long periods of time.
Excessive "High Rate" charging will cause the battery cells to gas
(through electrolysis) and dissociate the water in the electrolyte into
hydrogen and oxygen. Never let the electrolyte level drop below the
minimum level line.

OPERATIONS NOTE

Refer to battery charger operation and maintenance manual for specific step-by-step
instructions.

Although the above procedure is accomplished with the battery charger operating, the following
comments apply any time that it is necessary to turn the charger "ON" or "OFF":

1 Manual turn-on of the charger should be accomplished by using the AC switch or circuit
breaker. That is, the DC output circuit breaker should be closed first, then the AC switch or
circuit breaker should be closed.

2 When turning the battery charger off, the AC switch or circuit breaker should be opened first,
then the DC circuit breaker may be opened.

3 Make sure the turbine is shut down and the post-lube cycle is complete before turning off the
battery charger.

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