The Model 4800 Battery De-Sulfation System Operators Manual Dated Oct 31, 2012 Revision 5

Transcription

1 The Model 4800 Battery De-Sulfation System Operators Manual Dated Oct 31, 2012 Revision 5 1

2 Model 4800 Operating Manual Table of Contents 1) What is The Model 4800 Batt-Recon System? 4 2) What is Zulu One? 8 3) What is Lead-Acid Battery Sulfation? 7 4) The Ecological Impact of Battery Sulfation 8 5) What is Level 2 Sulfation and is it harmful to the battery? 9 6) What is Level 3 Sulfation and is it harmful to the battery? 9 7) What is the Batt-Recon Process? 9 8) How does Batt-Recon Model 4800 Work? 10 9) How long does it take to De-Sulfate a Battery? 10 10) What is Battery Impedance and why is it important? 11 11) How long do the benefits of re-conditioning last? 12 12) Is every battery capable of being re-conditioned? 13 13) Does an Equalization Charge completely remove sulfation? 13 14) The Electrical In-Efficiency of the Battery Charger Profile 14 15) Maximization of Run Time Co-Efficient 14 16) Matching client expectations with results. Which batteries are not good 14 candidates for Sulfation Elimination? 17) What is the Levels of Aggression Axiom? 16 18) Common Safety Instructions for the Model 4800 System 16 19) Underwriters Laboratories (UL) REQUIRED SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS 17 20) Model 4800F De-Sulfation Machine Specifications 18 21) Model 4800 HDX De-Sulfation Machine Specifications 23 22) Battery Preparation and Inspection Criterion prior to De-Sulfation 27 2

3 23) The Model 4800 Basic System Operation 28 24) Basic Battery Charging and De-Sulfation Rules and Observations 29 25) The BZI Proprietary Process of Sulfation Elimination in lead-acid batteries 30 26) The Acid Equalization Process for Lead-Acid Batteries 31 27) The Battery Load Test Using the BZI Model 1000 Load Tester 33 28) The Model 1200 Battery Impedance Tester 34 29) Warranty 35 All information and material contained in this manual are subject to copyrights owned by Bravo Zulu International Ltd., (BZI). Any reproduction, retransmission, republication, or other use of all or part of this document is expressly prohibited, unless prior written permission has been granted by BZI. All other rights reserved. The names, logos, trademarks, and service marks of BZI, that appear in this document may not be used in any advertising, publicity, promotion, or in any other manner implying BZI s endorsement, sponsorship of, or affiliation with any product or service, without BZI s prior express written permission. This operations manual in not intended as a replacement for battery manufacturer s recommendations, nor the recommendations of other devices or equipment used in the process of de-sulfating or battery maintenance. Please consult the appropriate manufacturer s documentation prior to use. 3

4 What is The Model 4800 De-Sulfating System? Bravo Zulu International Ltd., (BZI), has developed the Model 4800 Lead-Acid battery de-sulfating machines. The machines come in two versions, the Model 4800 HDX and the Model 4815 HDX. These machines are the first commercially viable lead-acid battery de-sulfating systems, since they are capable of de-sulfating large motive batteries in as little as one hour, or delicate enough to de-sulfate smaller automotive batteries in as little as 30 minutes. The Model VAC systems are all capable of working any cell combination from 2-48 volts, while the 220 VAC versions are capable of working cells that range from 2-96 volts (depending on the desired peak Amplitude and the battery impedance). The Model 4800F-120 is a 120 VAC 60 hz powered system, while the Model 4800F-220 is a 220 VAC 50/60HZ powered system. The 4815 HDX can be configured as either a 120 or 220 VAC version. 4

5 All Model 4800 series systems include safety systems such as a temperature safety cutout system, an over peak amperage cutoff system and an optional reverse current audio annunciator. The system will shut down in the event that the temperature of the monitored internal components exceeds 140 degrees F and in the event the temperature safety system is activated, it will reset once the temperature switch sense less than 90 degrees F. The system will shut down in the event that the PEAK AMPS exceeds approximately 325 amps peak to peak, to protect the internal components from damage. These machines are unique because they are Universal Machines allowing them to work on most leadacid types of batteries. The BATT-RECON Model 4800 Series Universal Systems have a digitally controlled, high power pulse width modulated process with our new Multi-Channel design. Our unique Variable Power Pulse Technology sm allows you to control the Power of the Pulse, allowing you to de-sulfate a small motorcycle battery using 10 amps peak-to-peak; a sealed automotive battery such as AGM, VRLA or Maintenance Free battery at amps peak-to-peak; a flooded car battery at amps peak-to-peak, a flooded golf car battery at amps peak-to-peak, or an individual motive battery cell or any combination of cells, up to 48 volts, from 130 to 300 amps peak-topeak. The battery electrolyte does not need to aggressively boil or gas to effectively de-sulfate a battery, therefore, variable power pulse allows you to lower the power settings to the preferred microbubble type of gassing event. The system is designed so there is little rise in the battery temperature while the de-sulfator is operating. The Model 4800 series have a Dual Channel operating mode, which allows the machines to deliver twice the operating power over our previous single channel system. This greatly reduces the time to de-sulfate a battery. The 120 VAC systems operate on line input voltage of less than 20 amps, while the 220 VAC system operates on less then 10 amps. The 120 VAC systems have a typical line amperage consumption as follows: 1) when used on a 12-volt battery the BATTRECON uses about 5 amps, 2) on a 24-volt battery it is about 10 amps, 3) on a 36-volt battery it is about 15 amps, and 4) on a 48-volt battery it is about 20 amps. The electrical consumption in watts is as follows: 1) when used on a 12-volt battery the BATTRECON uses about 500 watts per hour, 2) on a 24-volt battery it is about 1000 watts per hour, 3) on a 36-volt battery it is about 1500 watts per hour, and 4) on a 48-volt battery it is about 2400 watts per hour. These machines are a breakthrough in technology allowing for the first time, a commercially viable method to remove sulfate buildup on the inside of a battery s lead plates. This is now possible because of BZI Laboratory s mastery of the science of Pulse Width Modulation (PWM). PWM is simply the creation of a square wave, direct current electrical signal, consisting of an On state or duration measured in milli-seconds (ms), an Off state or duration measured in ms, and a peak amplitude measured in Peak-to-Peak amperage. The associated frequency and amplitude selection is then referred to as the operational algorithm. PWM is the basis of this new and exciting product because the generation of high amplitude, low frequency electrical waves, provides an ultra-sonic type of cleaning action to the battery s internal plates. The Model 4800 s PWM ultrasonic process is primarily designed for preventive maintenance to remove Level 2 sulfates before they become harmful Level 3 sulfates. If Level 2 sulfates can be removed on a preventive maintenance basis to a like new or Year Zero Impedance condition, then the battery s life expectancy will greatly increase. In addition, the Model 4800 has been successfully proven to restore most batteries that were previously discarded, to a serviceable condition. 5

6 The Model 4800 series of lead-acid battery de-sulfators are easily distinguished from other de-sulfation technologies, because they allow the operator to control the strength or Peak-to-Peak amplitude of the pulse width modulated frequency. Therefore, unlike other smaller, less capable systems available; the Model 4800 allows the operator to select and control the Peak-to-Peak amplitude of the PWM signal adapting the strength of the signal to the size and level of sulfation of the battery to be de-sulfated. This is important because a large, 3,000 pound motive (forklift) battery typically requires between 180 to 250 peak-to-peak amplitude, while a small sealed Absorbed Gas Mat (AGM) automotive battery would typically require only 30 amps peak-to-peak. If the power of the pulse was not controllable and the AGM battery had an amplitude of 250 peak to peak applied, then it would be permanently damaged. Conversely, if a large motive battery would have only 30 amps peak-to-peak applied, it would never desulfate to the same level as if 200 apms peak-to-peak were applied. Impedance levels are often referred to being as unique as a human fingerprint. The impedance levels of batteries of the same brand, type and age, often differ substantially. A new 12-volt automotive style of battery would normally have an impedance of about 3 to 6 milliohms. A used and discarded battery, for example, may have an impedance of 36 milli-ohms (battery #1), while another battery of the same brand and age may have 390 milli-ohms of impedance (battery #2). This is caused primarily by two factors, 1) sulfation induced impedance and 2) corrosion induced impedance. If you applied the same peak power potential to these different batteries, you may observe an initial 90- amp peak-to-peak indication on battery #1 with the 36 milli-ohm impedance, and a 20-amp peak-to-peak indication on battery #2 with 390 milli-ohms of impedance. If the target peak indication level for effectively and safely de-sulfating this type of battery was 50 amps peak to peak, then neither battery would have immediately fallen within the optimum range. Battery #1 would have been receiving excessive peak amplitude, causing excessively gassing and boiling of the electrolyte. Battery #2 would have been a concern because as the sulfation was broken free, the peak amplitude would have substantially risen possibly damaging the battery from the same characteristics as battery #1. As battery #2 s sulfation levels diminished, the operator would then have to rotate the Power Control Knob lowering the applied peak power potential, to maintain the peak amplitude in the prescribed range. Battery #2 in this example may have been considered a Graveyard battery, while battery #1 may be illustrative of the characteristics of a Normally sulfated battery. A Graveyard battery is one that has operational characteristics that are opposite the Normally sulfated battery, when placed on the Model 4800 system. When rotating the Power Control Knob to a value of 20 AMPS RMS (a value picked as a typical motive battery starting point), the normally sulfated battery will quickly drop in AMPS RMS value in the first 5 minutes, to let s say about 19 AMPS RMS. This is indicative that the battery sulfation is being removed and that there is probably no shorts or open circuits within the battery. As the successful de-sulfation process continues, the AMPS RMS will continue to lower and probably stabilize at about 18 amps or so. At this point you could allow it to remain at this AMPS RMS setting, or rotate the Power Control Knob to increase the AMPS RMS back to 20. These are the characteristics of a normally sulfated battery during sulfation elimination with the Model Incidentally, the Peak-to-Peak indication for any applied AMPS RMS will vary depending upon the level of resistance within the battery. If the resistance is caused by sulfation, then the PEAK AMPS will lower for the same applied APMS RMS as the sulfation is eliminated. In the event that the peaks stay the same with the same applied AMPS RMS, over a time factor of about 30 minutes, then the battery is probably 6

7 suffering from impedance caused by internal corrosion, or in other words a loss of electrical conductance. If the AMPS RMS remained at 20 after the first 5-10 minutes, or started to climb to 25 and higher, then the battery may either be heavily sulfated, a Graveyard battery, or is suffering from a short circuit within the cell(s). In this case, you should lower (and continue to lower) the peak power potential by rotating the Power Control Knob counterclockwise to maintain the initial 20 AMPS RMS setting, or consider lowering it to a value such as 10 AMPS RMS. As you continue to lower the AMPS RMS and assuming the battery is not shorted, at some point in time (typically from 1-2 hours) the graveyard battery will stabilize in AMPS RMS and then begin to fall as would a normally sulfated battery. This is a good sign that a graveyard battery may actually be restored to operation again. If a graveyard battery never reduces in AMPS RMS, then again you may have a shorted or open circuit battery, which is not repairable by sulfation elimination techniques. Typically, the graveyard battery will not lower in AMPS RMS as much as the normal battery, but after your place it on a normal charge cycle, you could again create improvement by using the Model 4800 in another cycle. This sulfation elimination/charging cycle process may be done as many a 4 times, before you reach a point of diminishing returns. The entire sulfation elimination process can be illustrated as being similar to an uneven stair step process, that is, the most dramatic reduction of sulfation will be in the first 20 to 30 minutes of the Model 4800 s operation, the first and largest step. A second application of the Model 4800 will again typically provide a reduction in sulfation, but this second change will be a much smaller step than the first one, and so on. Thus, Variable Power Pulse Technology allows the operator to adjust the peak amplitude to match the battery s individual sulfation resistance level. The Model 4800 is also unique in that it allows the operator to control the level of voltage applied to the battery during the de-sulfation process. Most small, ineffectual systems use one of three basic operational characteristics: 1) a fixed voltage power supply, 2) the battery s own electrical voltage power, or 3) is a system that uses the battery charger to provide a base voltage and simply raises the PWM voltage slightly above the charger voltage. The Model 4800, by contrast, uses it s own generated and operator variable current and finely tunable voltage generation system to allow the operator to select the precise Peak-to- Peak amplitude of PWM output, or to select a maximum output voltage potential. This is important for example, when de-sulfating sealed or gel types of batteries, since those batteries should not recommended be charged or de-sulfated in excess of a specific voltage. Appling excessive voltage would damage some batteries, defeating the intended purpose of de-sulfating and restoring the battery to a low impedance. One of the typical problems with restoring a motive type of battery from Level 2 and 3 sulfation, is that individual cells tend to lag behind others in the same bank. Unlike other systems available on the market, the Model 4800 systems easily handle this problem by allowing you to simply install the output clamps to the individual cell or adjacent cells, and apply power until the desired peak amperage is achieved. Once the individual cell(s) are restored to the same approximate level as the rest of the cells in the same bank of cells, then you may either continue de-sulfating the entire battery or remove the BATT-RECON system and install your normal charging system. This fundamental design feature allows the operator the ability to vary the voltage, frequency and peak-to-peak amperage output of the Model This adjustment capability sets the BATT-RECON system apart from other, low power, ineffectual systems. 7

8 What is Zulu One? Zulu One is a device that acts as an interface between the battery, battery charger, battery load tester or the lift truck, and a computer. Zulu One scientifically measures, stores and compares battery and charger performance data, while the battery is being charged, load tested, or simply operating within the battery s environmental conditions. The environmental conditions are important because batteries operating in a freezer, for example, have different characteristics than those operating in a hot, dry goods facility. Probes and sensors are used to collect charger wattage consumption and output performance, battery charge acceptance efficiency, individual cell voltage, temperature, and electrolyte levels. This raw data will allow the comparative analysis of the battery cells under charge or load. A battery historical Cradleto-Cradle Carbon Tracker, Electronic Logbook Memory and Vibration Analysis modules are optional features. Zulu One is also a process, that reads and stores raw battery, charger, load tester and lift truck data into a commercially available database or spreadsheet program, used to analyze the entire battery operation resulting in decisions that minimize operational expenses and carbon costs, while maximizing battery life. What is Lead-Acid Battery Sulfation? Level 1 sulfation occurs as a natural process of discharging a battery during normal use, when the sulfur molecule in battery acid is transferred and attaches itself to the lead plates inside a battery. During the recharging process, not all sulfur molecules are forced back into the acid solution; those that remain on the lead plates are called Level 2 sulfation. As this charging and discharging process continues over time and many cycles, the Level 2 sulfates accumulate and eventually develop into a crystalline form, referred to as Level 3 sulfation. As the battery sulfates increase, they reduce the battery s performance until you notice the battery no longer has the strength it needs to start your car, or power your forklift for as many hours as it used too. In addition, the life of the battery is shortened significantly requiring expensive replacement. As the battery increases in internal sulfation, the time to re-charge your battery keeps getting longer, wasting electricity. As the batteries age and Level 2 and 3 sulfation increases, most batteries will not reach a high enough cell voltage to allow the charger to shut off or progress into the top-charge processing rate. As this happens, you are literally throwing electricity away and wasting money on electrical inefficiency. In fact, over the life of the battery, most companies can save between 10 and 25% of the electricity used to charge their motive batteries, by simply keeping them tuned up with the BATTRECON system! The Ecological Impact of Battery Sulfation From an ecological perspective, each year in North America approximately 96 million batteries are discarded and re-cycled, of which approximately 70% (67 million) are discarded due to sulfation. If one could reverse or prevent Level 2 and Level 3 sulfation, then the average life expectancy of an automotive battery would jump approximately 2 or 3 years. The battery re-cycling industry has an excellent recycling recovery rate, about 90 percent efficient, however, that still leaves the cumulative effect of approximately 9 million batteries that are not recoverable. This means the by-products of 9 million batteries are lost into our air, land and water. Another consideration is the vast amount of energy in the form of fuel and other expenses used to haul 96 8

9 million batteries back to a re-cycling center. Consider how much electricity it takes to operate a recycling plant, the crushing of battery cases and the re-melting of plastic and lead for reuse. Imagine the amount, measured in thousands/millions of tons, of lead and plastic contamination of our water supply and landfills, simply because of the remaining 10% inefficiency within the recycling industry. Imagine the economic cost to consumers by replacing 67 million batteries that they would not have to replace, except for the effects of sulfation. Imagine the dramatic change in a world without battery sulfation! What is Level 2 Sulfation and is it harmful to the battery? Level 2 sulfation is the natural progression of accumulating sulfur ions from the Level 1 stage. The charging process of a normal battery charger is not 100% efficient, thus Level 1 sulfation that remains on the plates after charging attempts fail to return them back to solution, result in Level 2 sulfation and an increase in battery impedance. Normal battery charging systems typically do not remove Level 2 sulfation, reducing the electrical performance of the battery from the increased internal resistance (impedance). As the Level 2 sulfates accumulate, typically from cycling the battery from a charged to discharged state numerous times or simply sitting inactive for a long period of time, these Level 2 sulfate molecules group together and form a crystalline form of sulfation, Level 3. The more the accumulation of Level 2 and 3 sulfation, the greater the internal impedance and the lower the battery s performance. Level 2 sulfation causes lengthened charging cycles, incomplete charging and poor duration from a host battery. Level 2 sulfation can be easily removed from the lead plates by using the BATT RECON system, thus normally restoring the battery to a serviceable condition. Left uncorrected by the BATT-RECON System, these Level 2 sulfates develop into Level 3 sulfates, which are the most destructive of all and the leading cause of battery failure. What is Level 3 Sulfation and is it harmful to the battery? Level 3 sulfation results from the continued accumulations of Level 2 sulfation, which then imbed themselves into the pores of the battery lead plates. As Level 2 progresses into Level 3 sulfation, it grows and acts as wedge to cause small fractures within the porous material of the lead plates. Therefore, not only does the battery plate suffer the reduced capacity and increased impedance caused by additional layers of choking sulfates, but also the small fractures begin to weaken the structure of the battery plates, damaging the battery. Once imbedded into the lead plates, it is more difficult for the BATT RECON system to remove the sulfation. Level 3 sulfated batteries often progress into what we consider as a Graveyard battery, one which is very old and difficult to restore to full operational value. Unfortunately, the removal of Level 3 sulfation also tends to damage the porosity of the plates, because the Level 3 sulfate crystals literally pull the lead surface with it, as the sulfate crystals are released by the BATT RECON system. While the BATT RECON system is capable of safely removing most of the Level 3 sulfates, it is better to prevent Level 3 from forming, by regular, preventive maintenance conditioning on a regular basis What is the BATT-RECON Process? BATT RECON is a REVOLUTIONARY NEW process that is used to remove damaging sulfate buildups on the internal lead plates of a lead-acid battery. It is a carefully developed series of tests and correction processes developed after years of research and development. The process is based on the relationship of a battery s natural tendency to sulfate and our ability to quickly and accurately measure sulfation on a battery in a field environment. Once the level of sulfation is determined, the operator can use one of the Model 4800 systems to quickly and easily remove the sulfates from the lead plates, placing 9

10 them back into the electrolyte solution. This process is capable of making battery de-sulfation commercially viable on a large-scale basis for all sizes of lead-acid batteries, from the small motorcycle battery to a massive 4,000 - pound motive battery. Since battery sulfation is the leading cause of battery failure, the removal of this sulfation will allow the battery to again transfer electricity efficiently in and out of the battery. How does the BATT RECON Model 4800 WORK? BATT RECON uses a technology to provide a PULSE WIDTH MODULATION de-sulfating process to the battery. This technology is based upon high amperage and low frequency pulses of direct current, which induce a resonance within the battery s internal lead plates. This resonant frequency then allows the lead plates to safely shed the harmful sulfate build-ups and return them to solution within the battery electrolyte, increasing the specific gravity and voltage, while lowering the impedance to a minimum level increasing the performance of the battery. How long does it take to De-Sulfate a Battery? For an in service large motive battery (forklift) with only a few Fussy Cells, the de-sulfating process can take about 1 hour. If the cell voltage, specific gravity and impedance are all acceptable in the remaining cells and one wanted to only work the sulfated Fussy Cells (those individual cell with lower voltage, S.G. and higher impedance than the rest); you could simply install the battery clamps of the Model 4800 across those and work them separately. On an individual basis, they typically take about 1 hour to restore to the proper voltage, S.G and impedance using about 130 to 230 amps peak to peak. If the motive battery is being removed from the graveyard and has been unserviceable for many years, it may take two or three de-sulfating processes of 1 hour each, followed by top charging with a conventional charger after each cycle, to fully restore the battery. If a motive battery is kicking off the charger, then you may have to shift the clamps of the Model 4800F to a smaller grouping of adjacent cells, such as a bank of six cells (12 Volts), or a bank of three cells (six volts), and then apply 130 to 250 amps peak to peak, to get the battery to take an initial charge. If the battery will take an initial charge, then it is as if you were starting with a typical unserviceable battery. Since the Model 4800 is not designed as a charger, the unserviceable graveyard batteries tend to restore in a stair-step manner. That is, they tend to take only so much de-sulfating and the impedance lowers only so far, after which you need to install a conventional charger to accelerate the process. Once the charger has maximized the voltage and S.G. of the battery cells, another de-sulfating process of about 1 hour will lower the impedance an additional step, which needs to be followed by the conventional charger. This may continue for three or four cycles until the S.G is in the green, the on charge voltage of each cell is above 2.2 volts and the impedance is minimized to factory new levels. Incidentally, if the individual cells show no vibratory action, or fails to gas, then they are probably unserviceable and need to be individually replaced. Destructive testing has shown that if any cells are flat lined during this process, (show no vibration or gassing) while the remaining cells are active, then the individual cell has either shorted or is an open circuit. In this case, you can continue working the rest of the cells and replace the damaged cells with used cell of a similar age, or replace them with a new cell. For a typical golf cart, it may take 30 minutes to complete all the batteries contained in a 48-volt system, if the system is operated at about 140 amps peak-to-peak. For a typical automotive battery, it may take only about 20 minutes to completely de-sulfate the battery at 60 amps peak-to-peak. What is Battery Impedance and why is it important? 10

11 By definition, Impedance is the measure of opposition to an alternating current. Electrical impedance extends the notion of resistance to AC circuits, accurately describing the relative amplitude of voltage and current. Impedance is the primary element in BZI s modern methodology to non-destructively test a battery s performance. The 1940 s methodology of time consuming, expensive and destructive battery load testing empirically tests conductance (the reciprocal of Impedance). By contrast, impedance testing is a more modern, fast, low cost and non-destructive method of testing the internal resistance of the battery. While the battery load testing is deemed by most as more analytical in nature, the implementation of an Impedance Meter into the BATT RECON system, will be a daily and practical additional tool used to determine a battery s condition. A commercially available impedance tester designed for a motive battery has typically been a stand-alone device, typically costing $3,000 to $5,000. These devices are generally not universal, that is, one size does not fit all battery applications. Today, however, with the advent of the new BZI Model 1200 Universal Impedance Tester, a technician can quickly and accurately test a motive or other battery cell, or entire cell bank s impedance. This allows the technician to determine with scientific certainty whether or not the battery requires a de-sulfation attempt, or when the de-sulfation process is finished. The process typically involves applying a known alternating electrical current at a known cycle frequency (e.g., 60 cycle, single phase AC, 1 amp) across the battery and measuring the voltage drop. This loss is the change (increase) in impedance and with regard to most lead acid batteries, is an indication of the accumulation of sulfates on the plates over time, usually measured in years or number of charge/discharge cycles. When the battery is newly manufactured, the impedance consists of the summation of the following elements: 1) the terminals at about 12% of the total impedance, 2) Straps and posts at about 25%, 3) the plates themselves at about 40 %, 4) the separators at about 1 %, 5) the Electrolyte at about 15% and 6) the remaining balance consists of other minor elements. Incidentally, the effect of temperature is vital to the accurate measurement of impedance. For example, above 75 degrees F, impedance measurements are only moderately affected. Below 75 degrees F, however, the cooler temperatures greatly increase a battery s impedance. Over time, the deterioration of the plate grid to active material (paste) caused by corrosion, both sedimentary and mossing lead shorting, plus the accumulation of Level 2 and Level 3 sulfates; constitutes the total change (increase or decrease) in impedance. The change in impedance is most dramatic with respect to: 1) sulfation of the plates and 2) corrosion between the plate grid and active material. When the battery is new the internal plate grid to active material surface contact area is at its optimum. The impedance of a normal flat plate motive cell ranges from 0 to.1 milli-ohms, while the impedance of a typical automotive battery is between 3 and 6 milli-ohms. As the battery is cycled and charged, the resultant gassing produces oxygen that travels upwards along the plates and oxidizes the grid to active material mating area. This oxidation causes the contact area to corrode reducing the conductive area, resulting in an increase in impedance. Therefore, the primary reason the battery impedance of an older battery remains high after de-sulfation, is because of the corrosion caused by the effects of gassing during charging. The more gassing during the lifetime of the battery, such as equalization charging or overcharging due to inefficient Charge Return Factors of the charger/battery combination, the lower the life expectancy of the battery. 11

12 Sulfation also causes a measurable increase in battery plate impedance. Level 1, 2, and 3 sulfation accumulations are all measurable, but in most cases, are reduced to immeasurable levels with the Batt- Recon system. The normal charging process removes level 1 sulfation, while Level 2 and Level 3 sulfation cause sulfation related increases in impedance. Therefore, if one can remove or prevent the Level 2 and Level 3 sulfation and return the sulfates back into the electrolyte solution, the result will be a dramatic increase in specific gravity, battery conductance, and the reduction in impedance will immediately increase the cell voltage when the cell is under load. Thus, the accurate measurement and resultant reduction of impedance to minimum values, is the basis for the BATT RECON system of battery de-sulfation. Shorting of the cell by contrast, causes a reduction of impedance. Should a cell have a short circuit, the impedance would decline rapidly. However, as the cell discharges more rapidly than the other adjacent cells, the resultant rapid formation of lead sulfate in the damaged cell would increase the cell impedance to the approximate level of the other, adjacent cell impedances. As the BATT RECON de-sulfation process removes the sulfate build-up from the affected cell, the cell impedance drops to the previously shorted condition, which is why occasionally batteries will seemingly be damaged by the de-sulfation process, when in fact they are simply being returned to the previously shorted state prior to sulfation. With respect to an older battery, you may observe an initial high impedance reading that is lowered by the Batt-Recon de-sulfation system to a seemingly low impedance level, yet the battery has little noticeable improvement during a load test. The probable cause for this is internal shorting of the cell caused by either sedimentary or mossing shorting. Sedimentary shorting is a deposit of lead at the bottom of the cell that bridges the normally non-conductive area between positive and negative plates. Mossing shorting is caused by positively charged particles of lead plate, which are shed during charging, that are attracted to the negative plate of the cell. This attraction slowly begins to bridge the normally non-conductive gap between the positive and negative plates. In either event, shorting is measured by the reduction in impedance All batteries nearing the end of their life cycle have some degree of sulfation, shorting and internal corrosion. Without knowing the history of the battery, it is difficult to determine the most probable cause of the battery s deterioration in performance. As an example, you will encounter a motive cell that it is 2 milli-ohms, when it is known to be optimum at about.2 to.6 mill-ohms. After applying the de-sulfation techniques using Batt-Recon, the impedance may drop to.4 mill-ohms and the battery may work noticeably better. In this case you have successfully restored the battery. Using the same example, it is also possible that the same battery may drop to.4 milli-ohms of impedance and have no noticeable change in performance, which is probably due to shorting of the cell. The same battery may drop from 2 mill-ohms to 1.5 mill-ohms and be equally unsatisfactory, yet the cause is from internal corrosion. In all cases you will witness the reduction in impedance from the removal of sulfation, but because of the previous un-serviceability of the battery caused by shorting, corrosion or the combination of both, the Batt-Recon system was unable to restore the battery to serviceability. How long do the benefits of re-conditioning last? Most clients equate the de-sulfation process with the repair of their battery and wonder how long will the battery last after de-sulfation repairs the battery. The correct way to view this process is simply that the rate of sulfation accumulation has a reasonable scientific certainty. If the battery after de-sulfation is exposed to the same operational environment as it was subject to before de-sulfation, then will take the 12

13 equivalent time to re-accumulate the same measurable amounts of sulfation. From the practical perspective, however, the battery after de-sulfation will again be charged and have oxygen passing along the plate grids, further increasing the impedance leading to the more rapid, non-linear performance decay caused by internal corrosion, than caused by sulfation. In addition, the battery will continue to lose active material from the charge cycles and vibration during use, again in a non-linear accelerated manner, decreasing the battery s performance due to shorting. Most clients will mistakenly associate the decline in performance after de-sulfation as a failure of the process, when in fact the battery s life was extended by sulfation elimination allowing it to eventually fail from other, inevitable causes. Most of our studies show that between 50 and 70% of all discarded batteries are restored to a serviceability standard of 80% of the battery s rated capacity. Of these batteries, the remaining life of the battery is more dependent on the operational environment, how the battery is used or treated after de-sulfation, rather than the secondary post sulfation elimination accumulation of the battery. Batteries that are used in a reasonable manner after sulfation elimination will typically last another 50% of the original pre-sulfation life. With respect to the Batt-Recon Sulfation elimination process, it is clearly known that the battery s life expectancy will never again be limited solely as a result of sulfation, but the Batt-Recon process allows the battery the opportunity to live the fullest possible life ultimately failing from corrosion and shorting, not sulfation. Is every battery capable of being re-conditioned? First of all, the BATT-RECON system is useful only on lead-acid batteries, including flooded lead-acid, sealed lead acid, absorbed gas mat lead-acid, valve regulated lead-acid and lead-acid gel cells. The battery cell must be evaluated in an individual basis, but generally speaking, if you attempt to de-sulfate a cell or battery and the cell or cells within the battery show no movement (electrolyte rippling or gassing) after minutes or so, then the cell or battery is probably shorted and your efforts may be wasted. If the cell voltage is reading substantially less than the nominal voltage expected, you may be able to save the cell, but it should be attempted at lower peaks than normal over a greater time period. While we have restored numerous 12-volt batteries reading lower than 10.5 volts, (some even less than 1 volt indicated), and motive battery individual 2-volt cells with literally zero volts, it is generally not recommended to work on anything less than 75 % of the cell s rated voltage. Any battery that has a loss of performance due to internal corrosion or shorting of the cell will not respond to de-sulfation techniques. It is important to develop the skills and experience to pre-test the battery to see if it is a good candidate for improved performance from sulfation elimination. Does an Equalization Charge completely remove sulfation? Prior to the Model 4800 s existence, the process of Equalization Charging, and overcharging during each charging cycle was the only way that sulfation could be reduced in the field. This deliberate overcharging process is typically an extension of the top charge or finish charge rate for an additional few hours. It had been recommended that this process be conducted every week and many chargers had an automated process built into the charger. For many years charger manufacturers had been advocating this process as the end all of sulfation accumulation. We conducted several empirical tests that prove that while equalization charging is somewhat effective, all batteries quickly show an improvement by the reduction of impedance with the Model 4800 system. As such, why would you want to waste the weekly charging rate electricity when you could easily remove the sulfates more efficiently, for a lower cost with the Model 4800? 13

14 Several facilities we have tested had extensive capitalization expenditures (a million dollars or more) based on the placement of advanced high frequency chargers with computer monitored automated equalization schedules. The most effective equalization systems tested were applying a constant current charge rate of about 25 amps for an 8-hour period, one day a week, per battery. While these systems had a marked improvement over the traditional systems of the 3-4 hour extension of the top charge rate, all the batteries tested showed a marked reduction in impedance when the Model 4800 was placed on the batteries for about 1 hour. The conclusion one could make about the state of the art equalization process is that a single Sulfation Elimination process performed by the Model 4800, easily overcomes the cost of amortizing one million dollars of chargers and the marginal cost of electricity used on a weekly basis. Battery ID # 329 Battery ID # 299 Impedance Voltage Impedance Voltage Before After Improved Before After Delta Before After Improved Before After Delta % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % Improvement/cell 30.49% 5.58% 45.17% 5.17% The Electrical In-Efficiency of the Battery Charger Profile Chargers of differing design and the application of those chargers into differing battery and environmental conditions, make it difficult to determine which charger/battery combination is the most electrically efficient within a specific operational environment. Zulu One was designed to collect and record the raw data elements required for evaluating the charger/battery efficiency. This allows the operator to minimize electrical usage by matching charger/battery combinations, using empirical data based upon electrical consumption compared to battery efficiency. The Charge Return Factor is the number of amp hours returned to the battery during the charge cycle divided by the number of amp hours delivered by the battery during discharge. It is used when determining the Charger/Battery Electrical Efficiency Index, because it measures how well the charger adjusts it s charge profile to the battery s depth of discharge. 1 Previously, it was commonly accepted that the battery required a substantial and daily excess charge of approximately 10 to 30%, in order to remove sulfates from the battery plates and maintain battery health. The current methodology measured by the Charge Return Factor utilizes the charger to provide an overcharge condition to the battery to remove such sulfates. With the advent of the Batt-Recon system, battery overcharging is greatly reduced or eliminated saving electricity. It is widely known that there are 14

15 electrical savings by making the (charger) conversion from AC grid voltage to DC battery voltage more efficient. You could also increase electrical savings by shortening the time that the charger is supplying power when the battery is fully charged. A fully charged battery is less electrically efficient with respect to charging, than a battery with a lower state of charge. Zulu One has Charge Completion Technology that will easily determine the user-selected state of charge and turn off the charger automatically, creating a hybrid charger control for those chargers that lack or have in-efficient charging profiles. Maximization of the Runtime Co-Efficient The Runtime Co-Efficient is the battery capacity measured in minutes at a given amp/hour discharge rate. Sulfation Elimination techniques reduce internal resistance, which increases the electrical conductivity of the battery maintaining battery voltage for a longer duration under an applied load. If the battery has a runtime of 2.5 hours per charge before the Batt-Recon de-sulfation process and is extended to 5 hours of runtime after de-sulfation, the runtime co-efficient has then doubled. If the battery required two charges per day to complete the assigned task before de-sulfation and only one charge per day afterwards, then the electrical efficiency of the battery would have doubled. Using the Facilities Based battery maintenance methodology, the battery would deteriorate from the optimum 5 hours, ultimately becoming perceptibly slower at the approximate 2.5-hour runtime coefficient. Zulu One, by contrast, would provide the data to determine the slightest difference in operating runtime, allowing the warehousing manager the opportunity to fine tune the battery maintenance program optimizing the battery performance measured in runtime and electricity savings. Matching client expectations with results. Which batteries are not good candidates for Sulfation elimination? It is important that we recognize the expectations of our clients when performing Sulfation Elimination services. The client must have realistic expectations with respect to the process and it is our job to educate and inform clients as to the capabilities and limitations of the Sulfation Elimination process. First of all, the removal of sulfation does not guarantee that a battery will perform like new. We often refer to the restoration process as a Golden Triangle, that is, the interaction of three basic elements. In one corner is the level sulfation, in the other is the level is acidity, and finally the remaining corner is the condition of the battery. We can easily measure and remove the sulfation with the Model 4800 system, we can easily adjust the acidity, but of course we have no control over the final element, the battery s condition. The battery s condition plays a large role in the perceived success of the sulfation elimination process. If the battery is in a normally sulfated condition, the removal of the sulfation and adjustment of acid will often restore the battery to serviceable level of performance. Under these conditions the Sulfation Elimination process will be deemed a success. If the battery has suffered previous damage, abuse or is simply really old and worn out, then the application of the Sulfation Elimination process will be deemed a failure by most clients. When you are beginning to work on a battery of unknown origin, you must advise your client that the Sulfation Elimination process will only work if the battery is in good condition. Commonly accepted conditions that will shorten the battery life and are not good predictors of successful Sulfation Elimination attempts are as follows: 15

16 1) The battery is over ten years old. 2) The battery has been overcharged extensively regardless of the age causing internal corrosion. 3) The battery has been charged without electrolyte covering the plates, regardless of the age. 4) The battery has been operated in an environment, which has a very rough floor surface (for motive batteries), potholes, bad road surfaces for (automotive batteries) or the battery is loosely fitting in the application allowing it to move around excessively as this damages the plates internally. 5) The battery has been frozen, or stored/charged in excessive ambient temperatures. 6) The battery has excessively low specific gravity and the client has a propensity to refuse acid equalization procedures. 7) The battery has extensive physical damage. 8) The battery has a known short or open circuit in one or more cells. 9) The client has the incorrect charger for the battery they are using. Continued undercharging and thus lowered specific gravity, will typically be perceived as a failure of the Sulfation Elimination process, when in fact the lowered specific gravity from undercharging is the problem. What is the Levels of Aggression Axiom? The Levels of Aggression Axiom simply states that for each battery, there is a unique minimum level of de-sulfation PWM power required to effectively remove internal sulfation and return the battery impedance levels to serviceable impedance levels. Because each battery is unique in the levels of sulfation, impedance, operational history with regard to the environment in which it operates, and other factors; it is thus impractical to assume that one level of de-sulfation power, measured in Peak-to Peak amplitude, would suffice for all battery types and individual battery conditions. As a result of the unique and exclusive VARIABLE POWER PULSE TECHNOLOGY sm available in the Batt-Recon system, the lowest Level of Aggression can be selected by the operator and still effectively de-sulfate a battery. Therefore, one Model 4800 machine can effectively de-sulfate a delicate sealed lead-acid automotive battery requiring only 30 amps peak-to-peak of power in one instance, while the next battery such as a giant motive battery weighing 4,000 pounds, may require 250 amps peak-to peak of de-sulfating power. Without consideration of the Levels of Aggression Axiom characteristics of each battery, a small automotive battery may easily be over-powered and damaged, while a large motive battery would not effectively be de-sulfated, when using a system without Variable Power Pulse Technology. Common Safety Instructions for the Model 4800 Systems 1) Output voltages greater than 30 VDC outlet should never be used with the battery clamp style of connector ends as it increases the possibility that the operator, or another individual, may touch the open clamps and expose themselves to dangerous electrical voltage. Should this happen, severe electrical shock or injury may result. Under no circumstances should personnel touch any exposed terminal on the battery or the connections from the Model 4800 to the battery connections, while the battery is connected to the Model 4800 machine or machine connectors. It is also recommended that the operators wear rubber gloves to prevent the possibility of electrical conduction from the battery or machine connections to personnel, during the de-sulfating process. 2) Only use the pigtail style of connector with a polarized plug at each end when using the system above 30 VDC output. Simply plug the panel polarized connector end of the pigtail connector into the matching rear panel receptacle and the other polarized plug directly into the motive battery 16

17 receptacle. In the event that the motive battery or other battery types being worked on do not have protected polarized plugs, then additional steps must be taken by the operator to ensure electrical isolation between the battery and machine connections and possible contact with personnel. 3) Never use the Model 4800 systems on household dry charged types of batteries, such as AA, C or D cell types of batteries, any type of Nickel Cadmium or other battery types. The Model 4800 is approved for use on Lead-Acid batteries limited to automotive type of batteries, marine batteries, motive batteries, motorcycle batteries, farm or other industrial batteries. Always remove the battery from the vehicle prior to de-sulfating, or electrically isolate the battery from the vehicle by removing the negative terminal of the battery post first. NEVER use the Model 4800 system in a closed environment such as an aircraft, boat, motor home or other closed vehicle or environment! Ensure that adequate ventilation is maintained if the Model 4800 must be used in a semi-closed environment such as a mine, closed workshop area, factory or other confined area. Never use the Model 4800 system in an area with explosive or combustible materials, vapors, fumes, dusty areas or any other area that may become a source of combustible material. Never smoke or allow smoking within 200 feet of a battery charging/de-sulfating operation. Ensure that tools or parts do not fall across the terminals of the battery as it is being removed. The desulfating process can apply greater voltage than the design of the vehicle or application the battery was intended for. Vehicle system damage could occur if the battery is not electrically isolated from the vehicle during de-sulfating. 4) Always clean the connector contacts or battery terminals prior to installing the Model 4800 connections to the battery. Loose, corroded or improper connections could result in sparking or arcing of the connection to the battery. In the event that sparking or arcing occurs during the operation of the Model 4800, then immediately turn the system off and investigate and remedy the cause of the problem before attempting to de-sulfate the battery again. Underwriters Laboratories (UL) REQUIRED SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS 1. Do not expose the Model 4800 to rain, standing water or snow. It is designed to operate INDOORS ONLY. 2. The use of any attachment not specifically designed or recommended by the battery charger/desulfator manufacturer for use with this exact model of charger/de-sulfator, may result in risk of fire and electric shock or injury to persons. 3. An extension cord should not be used, unless absolutely necessary and of the required gauge of wire (10 AWG munimum). Use of an improper extension cord could result in fire or electric shock. If extension cord must be used be sure that the pins on the plug of the extension cord are the same number, size, and shape of plug on de-sulfation machine. The extension cord must be properly wired and in serviceable condition. The wire size of the extension cord must be large enough for the AC ampere rating of the de-sulfation machine, 10 AWG three-conductor wire at a maximum length of 100 feet from the line voltage source. 4. Do not use the de-sulfation machine if it received a sharp blow, has been dropped, or suffers any mechanical damage. 5. The De-sulfation machine contains no serviceable parts. If it fails for any reason, contact technical support at , or contact us at the address provided on 6. To reduce risk of electric shock, unplug the de-sulfation machine from the line voltage source prior to attempting any maintenance or cleaning. 17

18 7. WARNING CHARGING OR DE-SULFATION BATTERIES PRODUCES EXPLOSIVE GASES. WHENEVER YOU WORK NEAR A LEAD ACID BATTERY IT IS DANGEROUS AND ALL APPROPRIATE SAFETY PRECAUTIONS MUST BE OBSERVED. BATTERIES GENERATE EXPLOSIVE GASES DURING NORMAL BATTERY OPERATION. AS SUCH, IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT THAT YOU READ THIS MANUAL AND FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS EACH TIME YOU OPERATE THE DE-SULFATION MACHINE! To reduce risk of battery explosion, follow these instructions and those published by the battery manufacturer, or the manufacturer of any equipment you use in the vicinity of the battery. Review warnings, cautionary markings and instruction manuals on the products you intend to use on or in the proximity of, the battery. 8. PERSONAL SAFETY PREPARATIONS WHEN WORKING IN THE VINCINITY OF LEAD- ACID BATTERIES. Someone should be near enough to your operation to assist you in the event of an accident. This means they should have a clear line of sight to your operations area and are able to hear your voice. You should have fresh water and soap nearby case battery acid contact skin, clothing, or eyes. Wear complete eye, clothing and respiratory protection when working in and around batteries. Avoid touching your eyes while working near battery. If battery acid does contact your skin or clothing, wash immediately with soap and water. If acid enters your eye, immediately flood the your eyes with running water for at least 10 minutes and get help immediately. NEVER smoke or allow a spark of flame near a battery. Be extra careful to reduce the risk of dropping a metal tool or parts onto the battery as it may cause a spark or short circuit the battery or other electrical part, causing a fire or an explosion. Remove personal metal items such as rings, bracelets, necklaces, and watches when working with a lead-acid battery. A lead-acid battery can produce a short circuit current high enough to weld a ring or the like to metal, causing a severe burn. This de-sulfation machine is designed to be used for de-sulfating lead acid batteries ONLY. Never use it to power a low voltage electrical system, or for attempting to recharge or desulfate dry cell batteries that are commonly used in house holds. These batteries may explode and cause injury to persons and damage property. NEVER DE-SULFATE/CHARGE A FROZEN BATTERY OR ONE AT A TEMPERATURE ABOVE 123 F. 9. PREPARING TO CHARGE. If necessary to remove the battery from equipment to charge, always remove the ground terminal first. Turn off all accessories in the vehicle, so as not to cause an arc. Be sure the area around battery is well ventilated while battery is being de-sulfated or charged. Using a piece of non-metallic material as a fan can forcefully blow gas vapors away. Clean the battery terminals and be careful to keep corrosion from contacting eyes. Add distilled water to each cell until battery acid reaches level specified by the manufacturer. This helps Purge excessive gas from cells. Do not overfill. For a battery with out cell caps, follow manufacturer s recharging instructions. Study all battery manufacturers specific instructions such as removing cell caps while charging and recommended charge rates. Determine voltage of battery by referring to equipment owner s manual and make sure that the de-sulfator voltage output is correct. Model 4800F De-Sulfation Machine Specifications Operating and Performance Features 1) Line Input Voltage: 110 VAC, (220 VAC available for International Clients) 2) Line Input Amperage: from VAC. The typical line amperage consumption at 110 VAC when used on a 12-volt battery is about 5 amps, on a 24-volt battery is about 10 18

19 amps, on a 36-volt battery is about 15 amps, and on a 48-volt battery is about 20 amps. The typical line amperage consumption at 220 VAC when used on a 12-volt battery is about 2 amps, on a 24-volt battery is about 4 amps, on a 36-volt battery is about 6 amps, and on a 48- volt battery is about 9 amps. Note: The typical time for de-sulfation varies with the battery condition and environmental factors, however, most operators complete automotive batteries in approximately 20 minutes, while most in service motive batteries average about 45 minutes. Motive batteries that have been out of service for years or are removed from salvage requiring complete restoration, may take 2 or 3 desulfation/restoration cycles between charging cycles, to fully restore the battery. A series of batteries in an entire golf cart will take about 30 minutes. Batteries that are shorted, have open circuits, have been excessively charged or overheated may not recover. 3) Multi-Channel/Dual Channel Operating Mode: The Dual Channel mode allows the machine to deliver twice the operating power over our single channel system, greatly reducing the time to desulfate a battery. 4) DC Output Voltage to the Battery: 0-80 VDC 5) DC Output Amperage RMS (Average): 0-30 amps RMS 6) Output Amperage Peak to Peak: amps variable by the user because of our exclusive and Patent Pending, VARIABLE POWER PULSE TECHNOLOGY sm. 7) Weight: Approximately 95 lbs for 120 VAC versions and about 125 lbs for 220 VAC versions. 8) Dimensions: The Model 4800F is enclosed in a standard 19 inch 8U rack system. Case dimensions (inches): 22.5 Wide, 22.5 Deep and 16 Tall. 9) Battery De-Sulfation Capability: Motive battery, as small as a 2-volt individual cell to a bank of 48-volt cells. This system easily de-sulfates automotive/golf car batteries with sizes of: 6-volt, 8- volt, 12-volt, 24-volt, 36-volt, or 48-volt batteries. You can also connect batteries in series, such as 6 batteries of 8 volts each, which equals a 48-volt bank of batteries. A truly UNIVERSAL Machine! 11) Operational Description: The operational system is a digitally controlled, high power pulse width modulated process with our new Patent Pending Multi-Channel design. Our unique Variable Power Pulse Technology sm allows you to control the Power of the Pulse, allowing you to de-sulfate a small motorcycle battery using very low amps peak to peak; a sealed automotive battery such as AGM, VRLA or Maintenance Free battery at low amps peak to peak; a flooded car battery at medium amps peak to peak, a flooded golf car battery at a high peak to peak, or an individual motive battery cell or any combination of cells, up to 48 volts, using very high peak to peak. 12) A Peak Amperage Current Limiter is incorporated into the circuitry so that in the event that the PEAK AMPS exceeds 300 peak, the system will shut down and the RED RESET LIGHT will illuminate. This means you will be required to rotate the POWER CONTROL KNOB to the fully counterclockwise position to reset the safety logic system. 13) An optional Reverse Polarity Annunciator may be installed that provides an audible sound in the event that the battery clamps have been reversed in polarity. If the audio sound is heard when installing the clamps, immediately remove the clamps and check the polarity of your connection. Control Panel Features 1) The control panel is constructed of a high strength; aircraft grade composite resin material, which has the graphics designs dye imbedded into the plastic using a patented, heat vapor, subliminal, transfer system. This technology is a space age, state of the art process allowing the graphics to be 19

20 embedded on a molecular basis within the plastic material, resulting in a glass like depth and feel to the finish. This process ensures years of brilliant appearance, with superb scratch and fade resistance. There are no exposed silkscreen lines to wear off, no low quality vinyl lettering or decals; simply the most brilliant aircraft grade finish you have ever seen on an industrial machine! In addition, the images and graphics are so sharp and clear, that you would easily compare them to the quality of a high-resolution photograph! In case you want your machine control panel customized with your company message or logo, we can provide this for an additional cost. 2) The control panel has an AC Power switch, which controls a relay that turns the AC Line Voltage on and off to the machine. To start the machine, simply flip up the switch guard and lift up on the switch. To turn the machine off, simply press down on the switch guard. 3) The Model 4800F/CX system has an optional Constant Voltage Charger switch, which will apply a maximum of 25 amps to an individual 2-volt cell, or any combinations of cells up to a maximum 80 volts DC. To operate the charger, simply ensure the Power Control Knob is in the zero or Off position, then flip up the de-sulfate switch to Constant Voltage Charger mode and slowly advance the Power Control Knob until you reach the desired amperage. The Model 4815 HDX dos not have a charger option. 4) The operating system has a Manual Timer switch that must be rotated to a selected time between 1 and 6 hours, before the machine will begin de-sulfating. 5) The Dual Channel Control Panel has two separate Channel Monitors, one for Channel A, the other for Channel B. The Dual Channel system allows the machine to provide twice the desulfating performance as our previous single channel machines. Each Channel has two separate temperature monitoring instruments, in addition to separate temperature shut down safety switches that shut the system off in case the temperature of individually monitored components is excessive. The system resets after the temperatures are reduced below the switch threshold temperature. 6) The Power Control Knob is located in the center of the control panel. Turning the knob clockwise increases VOLTS, AMPS (RMS), and PEAK AMPS. Rotating the knob counterclockwise reduces VOLTS, AMPS (RMS), and PEAK AMPS. When a de-sulfating cycle is first begun on a battery, the Power Control Knob must be rotated to the OFF position to allow the system to begin de-sulfating a battery. In the event that the manual timer switches off, the system incurs a power loss, or the AC Power switch is closed, then upon restoring power to the system the red RESET light will illuminate. The normal operation of the Power Control Knob is to connect the battery, verify the voltage and amperage to be applied to the battery, power up the system with the AC POWER and MANUAL TIMER switches, then simply rotate the Power Control Knob. The Power Control Knob is increased until you attain the desired level of PEAK AMPS, AMPS RMS and VOLTAGE. Be careful not to apply excessive voltage and amperage to the battery! In the case of batteries that are heavily sulfated. You may find that the desired PEAK AMPS are unable to be reached without excessive knob rotation. In this event, reduce the knob rotation and to the normal level that you experience has shown to be the approximate setting on other normal batteries and allow the system to work. As the heavily sulfated battery begins to restore, you may observe that the PEAK AMPS and AMPS will increase, requiring you to lower the voltage potential by rotating the Power Control Knob counterclockwise. 20

21 7) The RED RESET Light: To reset the red light and enable the green de-sulfating mode light, you must have the Power Control Knob in the fully counter-clockwise position, the manual timer must be rotated and have a time value selected, and the AC Power switch must be up and power to the system from your line input. This safety system prevents you from turning on the machine with a higher voltage potential (from the previous battery de-sulfating cycle) than the battery you are currently working with. In every case, it is the operator s responsibility to ensure that the voltage and amperage applied to the individual battery is within the correct values of the battery manufacturer s recommendations. 8) The GREEN RESET Light indicates that the system is ready to de-sulfate a battery. You can now rotate the Power Control Knob and apply power to the battery. 9) The PEAK AMPS Meter indicates the amperage Peak to Peak Value being applied to the battery. Rotate the Power Control Knob CW to increase peak, rotate CCW to reduce peaks. 10) The AMPS RMS Meter indicates the RMS (Root Mean Squared) amperage applied to the battery. Rotate the Power Control Knob CW to increase amperage, rotate CCW to reduce amperage. 11) The VOLTS Meter indicates the battery voltage during the de-sulfating process. Rotate the Power Control Knob CW to increase voltage, rotate CCW to reduce voltage. 12) The I-Meter, or on some version the Battery Health Indicator, is an indicator that represents the level of the battery s internal resistance due to sulfation. The I-Meter/BHI will initially indicate a large number, that number is dependent upon the level of sulfation, battery type, battery voltage, age/condition and temperature. As the sulfates are removed by the BATT-RECON process, the impedance is lowered and the I-Meter numerical value will also lower. This number will continue to lower until the sulfates are removed. The value wherein the I-Meter stabilizes, is an indication of when to remove BATT-RECON and apply the traditional charger. If the I-Meter is indicating a value higher than 75 to 100, then it is advisable to reduce the Power Control Knob to a value below 75 and allow the system to work the battery at this lowered rate. 13) Channel A and Channel B ON Lights indicate that power is available to each respective system channel. 14) The LH and RH lower Fan Inlet Cooling Ducts allow fresh, ambient air to enter the system to cool the operational components. Both inlet ducts are covered with the General Instructions panel on the LH side and the company logo on the RH side. 15) The Control Panel Door is hinged to allow easy access for maintenance or calibration. DO NOT OPEN AND ATTEMPT TO SERVICE THIS MACHINE WITHOUT PROPER CERTIFICATION. HIGH CAPACITIVE VOLTAGES ARE PRESENT THAT MAY CAUSE INJURY OR DEATH. ONLY CERTIFIED MODEL 4800 SERVICE TECHNICIANS ARE AUTHORIZED TO OPEN THE CONTROL PANEL DOOR. 21

22 Rear Access Panel 14) The Rear Access Panel is hinged to allow easy access for maintenance or calibration. DO NOT OPEN AND ATTEMPT TO SERVICE THIS MACHINE WITHOUT PROPER CERTIFICATION. HIGH CAPACITIVE VOLTAGES ARE PRESENT THAT MAY CAUSE INJURY OR DEATH. ONLY CERTIFIED MODEL 4800 SERVICE TECHNICIANS ARE AUTHORIZED TO OPEN THE CONTROL PANEL DOOR. 15) The Dual Cooling Fans are housed in the rear access panel and provide in excess of 400 cubic feet per minute of cooling air to the system. If either fan becomes operative, stop using the machine and have it replaced by an authorized Model 4800 service center. 16) The 110 VAC 20 AMP circuit breaker interrupts the electrical power to the system in the event that the system draws more than the rated input amperage. On the international version, two 220 VAC 10 Amp circuit breakers protect the system from excess amperage. 17) The Gray SB 50 connector extending from the center of the rear access panel connects the operating 0 80 VDC SIDE of the system to the battery to be de-sulfated. Simply insert the battery cable provided into the connector and connect the other end of the cable to the battery. Ensure that the polarity is correct when connecting to the battery. The Red Clamp connects to the Positive battery terminal; the Black Clamp connects to the Negative terminal.. 22

23 18) A DC Output Fuse is installed inside the access door and is rated at 80 VDC, CNN 60 amps. In the event that the fuse is blown, then a new fuse will have to be installed by a certified technician. An operator replaceable 1.5 amp fuse/circuit breaker is installed in the rear door that powers the internal AC to DC power supplies. DO NOT TOUCH THE EXPOSED BATTERY CONNECTORS, LEADS OR BATTERY TERMINALS WHEN OPERATING THE DE-SULFATION SYSTEM. SERIOUS ELECTRCIAL SHOCK, INJURY OR DEATH MAY RESULT. TURN OFF THE INPUT POWER TO THE MODEL 4800F BEFORE REMOVING THE BATTERY CONNECTORS OR CLAMPS. Training, Certifications and Publications 1) In order to validate the warranty, your operational personnel must receive technical training and certification. This is provided free of charge with the purchase of a Model 4800F Machine. An authorized representative of the company may perform the training at our manufacturing facility in the Los Angeles, California area, or on location. Upon completion, the operator will receive a certificate from the National Association of Sulfation Elimination. 2) The Model 4800FC/X and 4815 HDX are delivered with a Digital Edition of the Operators Manual and additional technical information and updates will be posted on our website: Model 4815 HDX System De-Sulfation Machine Specifications: With VARIABLE POWER PULSE TECHNOLOGY 23

24 Operating and Performance Features 1) Line Input Voltage: 110 VAC. (220VAC to 120 VAC transformer available for International Clients) 2) Line Input Amperage: from VAC. 3) Multi-Channel/Dual Channel Operating Mode: The Dual Channel mode allows the machine to deliver twice the operating power over our single channel system, greatly reducing the time to desulfate a battery. 4) DC Output Voltage to the Battery: VDC 5) DC Output Amperage RMS (Average): 0-15 amps RMS 6) Output Amperage Peak to Peak: amps variable by the user because of our exclusive and Patent Pending, VARIABLE POWER PULSE TECHNOLOGY sm. 7) Weight: approximately 65 lbs for the 120 VAC version and 85 lbs for the 220 VAC version. 8) Dimensions: The Model 4815 HDX is enclosed in a Pelican Brand carrying case. Case dimensions (inches): 21 Wide, 17 Deep and 9 Tall. 9) Battery De-Sulfation Capability: A single automotive battery, or a series group of batteries that total 80 volts. This system easily de-sulfates automotive/golf car batteries with sizes of: 6-volt, 8- volt, 12-volt, 24-volt, 36-volt, or 48-volt batteries, in as little as 20 minutes. The system also is capable of de-sulfating forklift batteries and is more portable than the Model 4800F series of forklift de-sulfation machines. 10) Operational Description: The operational system is a digitally controlled, high power pulse width modulated process with our new Patent Pending Multi-Channel design. Our unique Variable Power Pulse Technology sm allows you to control the Power of the Pulse, allowing you to de-sulfate a small motorcycle battery using very low amps peak to peak or a sealed automotive battery such as AGM, VRLA or Maintenance Free battery. 19) Limited Warranty: 1- year limited warranty, which covers manufacturer s defects, excluding damage from misuse, shipping or operator error. 20) Infinite Care Extended Warranty: We provide an infinite flat rate repair warranty, which begins after the Limited Warranty expires. In the event the machine fails: 1) beyond the initial 1 year warranty, 2) the machine becomes inoperative from normal wear and tear (excluding physical damage) or 3) simply needs a performance overhaul or adjustment; then the cost of the repair will not exceed the published, flat rate repair. The current flat rate repair cost is $ per occurrence, plus shipping charges. The flat rate repair cost may be adjusted on an annual basis, or at the discretion of the company. Other terms and condition may apply. 21) Upgrade Protection: In the event that Bravo Zulu International Ltd., designs and develops improvements and upgrades for the Model 4815 HDX, we agree to make those upgrades or improvements available to the current owner of the Model 4815 HDX at an affordable fixed price. This offer is exclusive of shipping and handling charges. Control Panel Features 16) The control panel is constructed of a high strength; aircraft grade composite resin material, which has the graphics designs dye imbedded into the plastic using a patented, heat vapor, subliminal, transfer system. This technology is a space age, state of the art process allowing the graphics to be embedded on a molecular basis within the plastic material, resulting in a glass like depth and feel to the finish. This process ensures years of brilliant appearance, with superb scratch and fade resistance. There are no exposed silkscreen lines to wear off, no low quality vinyl lettering or decals; simply the most brilliant aircraft grade finish you have ever seen on an industrial machine! 24

25 In addition, the images and graphics are so sharp and clear, that you would easily compare them to the quality of a high-resolution photograph! In case you want your machine control panel customized with your company message or logo, we can provide this for an additional cost. 17) The control panel has an AC Power switch, which controls a relay that turns the AC Line Voltage on and off to the machine. To start the machine, simply flip up the switch guard and lift up on the switch. To turn the machine off, simply press down on the switch guard. 18) The operating system has a Manual Timer switch that must be rotated to a selected time between 1 and 6 hours, before the machine will begin de-sulfating. 19) The Dual Channel Control Panel has two separate Channel Monitors, one for Channel A, the other for Channel B. The Dual Channel system allows the machine to provide twice the desulfating performance as our previous single channel machines. Each Channel has two separate temperature shut down safety switches that shut the system off in case the temperature of individually monitored components is excessive. The system resets after the temperatures are reduced below the switch threshold temperature. 20) The Power Control Knob is located in the center of the control panel. Turning the knob clockwise increases VOLTS, AMPS (RMS), and PEAK AMPS. Rotating the knob counterclockwise reduces VOLTS, AMPS (RMS), and PEAK AMPS. When a de-sulfating cycle is first begun on a battery, the Power Control Knob must be rotated to the OFF position to allow the system to begin de-sulfating a battery. In the event that the manual timer switches off, the system incurs a power loss, the Peak Amps are exceeded, or the AC Power switch is closed, then upon restoring power to the system the red RESET light will illuminate. The normal operation of the Power Control Knob is to connect the battery, verify the voltage and amperage to be applied to the battery, power up the system with the AC POWER and MANUAL TIMER switches, and then simply rotate the Power Control Knob. The Power Control Knob is increased until you attain the desired level of PEAK AMPS, AMPS RMS and VOLTAGE. Be careful not to apply excessive voltage and amperage to the battery! In the case of batteries that are heavily sulfated. You may find that the desired PEAK AMPS are unable to be reached without excessive knob rotation. In this event, reduce the knob rotation and to the normal level that you experience has shown to be the approximate setting on other normal batteries and allow the system to work. As the heavily sulfated battery begins to restore, you may observe that the PEAK AMPS and AMPS will increase, requiring you to lower the voltage potential by rotating the Power Control Knob counterclockwise. 21) The RED RESET Light: To reset the red light and enable the green de-sulfating mode light, you must have the Power Control Knob in the fully counter-clockwise position, the manual timer must be rotated and have a time value selected, and the AC Power switch must be up and power to the system from your line input. This safety system prevents you from turning on the machine with a higher voltage potential (from the previous battery de-sulfating cycle) than the battery you are currently working with. In every case, it is the operator s responsibility to ensure that the voltage and amperage applied to the individual battery is within the correct values of the battery manufacturer s recommendations. 22) The GREEN RESET Light indicates that the system is ready to de-sulfate a battery. You can now rotate the Power Control Knob and apply power to the battery. 25

26 23) The PEAK AMPS Meter indicates the amperage Peak to Peak Value being applied to the battery. Rotate the Power Control Knob CW to increase peak, rotate CCW to reduce peaks. 24) The AMPS RMS Meter indicates the RMS (Root Mean Squared) amperage applied to the battery. Rotate the Power Control Knob CW to increase amperage, rotate CCW to reduce amperage. 25) The VOLTS Meter indicates the battery voltage during the de-sulfating process. Rotate the Power Control Knob CW to increase voltage, rotate CCW to reduce voltage. 26) The I-Meter/BHI is an indicator that represents the level of the battery s internal resistance due to sulfation. The I-Meter will initially indicate a large number, that number is dependent upon the level of sulfation, battery type, battery voltage, age/condition and temperature. As the BATT- RECON process removes the sulfates, the impedance is lowered and the I-Meter numerical value will also lower. This number will continue to lower until the sulfates are removed. The value wherein the I-Meter stabilizes, is an indication of when to remove BATT-RECON and apply the traditional charger. The I-Meter also indicates when a battery is in relatively poor condition because as the I-Meter value increases with the same applied AMPS and PEAK indication, as compared between a known good battery and a questionable battery, the higher the initial I-Meter the worst condition the battery is in. In the event that you see an I-Meter indication above 75, it is advisable that you lower the Power Control Knob below 75 and allow the system to work the battery until the I-Meter will maintain a lower than 75 value in normal operation. 27) Channel A and Channel B ON Lights indicate that power is available to each respective system channel. 28) The Fan Inlet Cooling Ducts allow fresh, ambient air to enter the system to cool the operational components. 29) The Control Panel Door allows easy access for maintenance or calibration. DO NOT OPEN AND ATTEMPT TO SERVICE THIS MACHINE WITHOUT PROPER CERTIFICATION. HIGH CAPACITIVE VOLTAGES ARE PRESENT THAT MAY CAUSE INJURY OR DEATH. ONLY CERTIFIED MODEL 4815 SERVICE TECHNICIANS ARE AUTHORIZED TO OPEN THE CONTROL PANEL DOOR. 30) The 110 VAC 20 AMP circuit breaker interrupts the electrical power to the system in the event that the system draws more than the rated input amperage. 31) The Gray SB 50 connector extending from the lower left front side of the Model 4815 HDX connects the operating VDC SIDE of the system to the battery to be de-sulfated. Simply insert the battery cable provided into the connector and connect the other end of the cable to the battery. Ensure that the polarity is correct when connecting to the battery. The Red Clamp connects to the Positive battery terminal; the Black Clamp connects to the Negative terminal. DO NOT TOUCH THE EXPOSED BATTERY CONNECTORS, LEADS OR BATTERY TERMINALS WHEN OPERATING THE DE-SULFATION SYSTEM. SERIOUS ELECTRCIAL SHOCK, INJURY OR DEATH MAY RESULT. TURN OFF THE INPUT 26

27 POWER TO THE MODEL 4815 HDX BEFORE REMOVING THE BATTERY CONNECTORS OR CLAMPS. 32) An optional Reverse Polarity Annunciator may be installed that provides an audible sound in the event that the battery clamps have been reversed in polarity. If the audio sound is heard when installing the clamps, immediately remove the clamps and check the polarity of your connection. 33) A DC Output Fuse is installed inside the access door and is rated at 100 VDC, 30 amps. An operator replaceable 1.5 amp fuse is installed at the bottom of the Model 4815 HDX case that powers the internal power supplies. 34) The Model 4815 HDX system includes one set of Battery Clamps with an attached Gray SB 50 connector. 36) The Model 4815 HDX also has a removable AC Inlet Power Cord. To disconnect, simple pull the metal tab on the lower side of the connector aft and rotate the connector clockwise. Battery Preparation and Inspection Criterion prior to De-Sulfation Each battery must be inspected prior to determining if it is a candidate for the BZI Sulfation Elimination Process. Mechanically inspect the battery for corrosion on the tray, battery terminals or inter-cell connectors on motive batteries. Inspect the battery for external leaks, damaged cable leads, terminals or other connections. Also inspect the battery for water levels, damaged, clogged or missing vent caps, or any other physical damage. Model 4800 Location: Make sure the Model 4800 is as far away from battery as output cables permit. Never place the Model 4800 directly above battery being de-sulfated as gases and moisture from the battery will corrode and damage it. Never allow battery acid to drip on charger when reading specific gravity or filling the battery with acid or water. Do not operate charger in a closed-in area or restrict ventilation in any way. Do not set battery on top of charger. Do not use the Model 4800 on a battery that is still connected to or physically located within a vehicle. The de-sulfation process may cause a higher voltage to be present at the battery terminals, which may cause damage to the vehicle s electrical system. Never use the Model 4800 while the battery is inside a closed area such as a boat or aircraft as dangerous gases may accumulate and cause an explosion. BZI does not recommend that the system be used on aircraft batteries, only because there is a greater liability potential if the system is incorrectly used. Never use the Model 4800, or any other charging device, while standing in water or by placing the machine in a wet environment. Always use the system in a clean, dry, unobstructed environment. Always operate the system with adequate training and safety equipment as required by applicable safety standards. 27

28 DC Cable Connections Connect and disconnect DC output clamps or connectors from the battery only after turning off the electrical power to the Model When using the 30VDC outlet clamps, attach them to the battery posts and twist or rock back and forth several times to make good contact. This tends to keep the clamps from slipping off terminals and reduces risk of sparking. Always check the battery terminals for polarity with a good quality multi-meter before connecting the Model 4800 battery terminals to the battery. The positive battery terminal is connected to the RED battery style clamp, while the negative battery terminal is connected to the Black battery style clamp of the Model Do not face battery when making final connections. When disconnecting the Model 4800, always do so in reverse sequence of the connecting procedure and break the first connection while as far away from battery as practical. Always shield your eyes and face with an approved facemask when connecting or disconnecting the battery clamps or connectors. The Model 4800 Basic System Operation 1) Make sure the battery is located in a safe place and follow all of the recommended safety procedures, before connecting the battery to the Model ) Determine the proper voltage rating, peak-to-peak amperage and RMS amperage required to desulfate the intended battery. Call Technical Support if you have any questions before you start the system. 3) With the machine turned off and power supply cord un-plugged from the line voltage source, install or attach the proper connector from the Model 4800 to the battery. Make sure you have a good, solid and clean connection. 4) Plug the machine into the line source voltage and select the AC POWER switch to the ON or up position. 5) Verify the VOLTS indicator on the front panel is reading the approximate battery voltage of the battery connected to the Model Never touch the battery terminals or battery to Model 4800 connectors once the machine is turned on! 6) Verify that the AMPS, PEAK and I-METER/BHI indicators are reading at or near zero. 7) Verify that the TEMP INDICATORS read approximately ambient temperature. If during operation any temperature indicator reading is higher than 130 degrees F, then turn the machine off and call Technical Support. 8) Verify that the RED RESET light is illuminated. 9) Rotate the large POWER CONTROL KNOB to the fully counter-clockwise (OFF) position. 10) Rotate the MANUAL TIMER to the desired hourly de-sulfating setting, typically 1 to 2 hours. 11) The RED RESET light should now extinguish, while the GREEN DE-SULFATE light should illuminate. If the green light fails to come on, verify that the POWER CONTROL KNOB is fully counter-clockwise and that the MANUAL TIMER is rotated past the 1-hour mark. You can rotate the timer lower than 1-hour once the system starts. 12) Both CHANNEL A and CHANNEL B Power LEDS should be illuminated. If not, check that the MANUAL TIMER switch has been rotated past the 1-hour mark. 13) Slowly rotate the POWER CONTROL KNOB clockwise until you get a slight rise (2-3 amps) on the AMPS and the PEAK (30 to 50 amps peak) indicators. Then using the predetermined AMPS, PEAK or VOLTS threshold for the battery type to be de-sulfated, slowly rotate the POWER CONROL KNOB clock-wise to the desired level. If you exceed the predetermined rate, simply slowly rotate the POWER CONTROL KNOB in the counter-clockwise direction until the appropriate levels are reached. Do not exceed 250 amps Peak, 25 AMPS RMS or the prescribed VOLTS. 28

29 14) Monitor the PEAK and AMPS indicator and maintain at the prescribed level. Also monitor the VOLTS to maintain the voltage within the prescribed level for the battery type and condition. 15) Once the AMPS and PEAK levels are set, a normal battery will show a lowering of AMPS of approximately 1 to 1.5 AMPS RMS in about the first 15 minutes of de-sulfating and you should see a corresponding increase in VOLTS. If you have an abnormal battery or an individually shorted cell, the amperage as indicated on the AMPS indicator may stay at the same initial level or may in fact increase in amperage, during the first 15 minutes of operation. In this case, stop the machine and inspect the battery for heat build up or an individual cell beginning to increase in temperature. This would be a sign of a shorted cell requiring discontinuance of the de-sulfating process. 16) Once you determine that the battery is reducing it s amperage draw slightly, you can either rotate the POWER CONTROL KNOB clockwise to the first initial setting, or you can allow the knob to stay at the new lower AMPS drawn setting. Allow the system to continue working until there is no longer an additional lowering of the AMPS drawn, the system has reached approximately 1.5 hours of operation, or the battery or individual cell impedance has lowered to or near the recommended level. Other than a Graveyard battery, the a de-sulfation process should take no more than 2 hours to complete. 17) Once you have completed the de-sulfation process and want to shut-down the system, simply rotate the POWER CONTROL KNOB counter-clockwise to the OFF Position, rotate the MANUAL TIMER to the fully counterclockwise OFF position, and close (lower) the AC POWER switch. When the system is shut down, you will see all the indicator lights extinguish, the instruments will no longer have a visible display and the cooling fans will no longer run. 18) You may now remove the battery clamps or battery interconnecting pigtail connector and move the system to another battery. The operational process would be duplicated as per the above instructions, on each successive battery. 19) Top charge the now de-sulfated battery in accordance with the battery manufacturer s recommendation and perform you final baseline testing process, if required. Basic Battery Charging and De-Sulfation Rules and Observations 1) In the absence of specific battery manufacturer s instructions, the generally accepted rate of charging the battery after de-sulfating is C/10, where C if the Ampere Hour Rating (AH) of the battery. For example: a 200 AH battery should be charged at a 20 amps rate. 2) If you open the cell vent plug and see black material on the bottom of the plug, or black material inside the cell area, then the battery has probably been overcharged and should not be de-sulfated. 3) During the de-sulfating process, you should monitor the battery for excess temperature by using a testing device over the cells or by hand on the exterior of the battery. DO NOT TOUCH ANY BATTERY TERMINLS OR CONNECTORS AS THE POSSIBILITY OF ELECTRICAL SHOCK MAY EXIST! If the battery gets hot, then stop conditioning and let it cool down. Then try it again the next day, many times the second or third time the battery will de-sulfate successfully. 4) Use the de-sulfator for about 15 minutes on each individual battery to test the ability of that battery to be de-sulfated. 5) You will need at least one good quality, temperature compensated hydrometer that will allow you to read specific gravity. You will also need one good quality multi-meter to read the voltage of each battery or individual cells. 6) An optional BZI Model 1200 impedance tester is available for purchase. If available, then use the impedance meter to test the battery or cell impedance both prior to and after de-sulfating. The typical new readings of individual flat plate motive battery cells are about.1 to.2 milliohms of 29

30 impedance. This is.0001 to.0002 ohms of measured impedance, so the measurements are difficult to read and are temperature sensitive. A typical new car flooded battery measure about 4 to 6 milliohms, while a gel cell, AGM or VRLA automotive type of battery will usually measure about 2 to 3 milliohms. 7) When using the Model 4800 system on a normal battery, there should be little if any perceivable temperature increases in the battery. If temperature increase is noted, stop the process and investigate the source of the heat build-up. 8) Never leave the Model 4800 system un-attended during the operation of the system. 9) When the battery s impedance has fallen to the manufacturers new (year zero level) or has stabilized, then the Model 4800 literally becomes a charger. At this point it is recommended that you remove the Model 4800 from the battery and install a traditional charger to top charge the battery. 10) In the event that you observe a very old motive type cell with extremely low impedance, such as.1 or.2 milliohms, then you should investigate the possibility of Sedimentary or Mossing shorting of the cell. Sedimentary shorting is a result of lead shedding from the internal plates of the cell, falling to the bottom, and ultimately accumulating enough the short out the bottom of the cell plates. Mossing is the effect of lead that has shed from the positive plate and becomes electrically attracted to the negative plates. Thus, the negative plate grids become shorted from the Mossing effect. The probability is approximately equal of finding both Sedimentary and Mossing shorting within a cell that is 4 or more years old with a low impedance after de-sulfation. 11) The open voltage of a typical lead-acid cell will increase as the temperature of the electrolyte decreases. Batteries that are charged using smart chargers depending on the battery reaching a specific voltage to turn off the charging cycle, may find that those batteries with very low temperature electrolyte are turning off pre-maturely. That is, the batteries with excessively cold electrolyte may be only partially charged with respect to State of Charge, when the charging cycle turns off. The BZI Proprietary Process of Sulfation Elimination in lead-acid Batteries. The BZI proprietary process consists of the following process elements, each of which is defined in detail in the aforementioned data. 1) Pre-test the battery prior to de-sulfation using individual cell or nominal battery voltage, impedance, and specific gravity. A previous top charging of the battery is required and load analysis test, if desired, is also performed to establish a performance baseline prior to de-sulfating. Impedance is the most useful methodology of determining sulfation accumulation, and is the determining factor of whether or not the battery requires the Sulfation Elimination processes to be performed. As an example, if the technician tests the individual cells of a typical motive battery and discovers that the average impedance using the BZI Model 1200 Impedance tester is between.2 and.3 milliohms, then the battery cells do not have sufficient sulfation accumulation to warrant a Sulfation Elimination process to be performed. If however, the technician tests the impedance levels and discovers a.5 impedance level per cell or higher, then a Sulfation Elimination process should be performed. Incidentally, the typical sulfation accretion rates are about.5 millohms per year in a typical motive battery, however, the accretion rate of sulfation can in fact be non-linear and be faster than or less than this level. The impedance level of a heavily sulfated battery can be as high as 5 milliohms and still have a reasonable probability of satisfactorily being returned to service. In the event that an individual motive cell is upwards of 40 or 100 milliohms of 30

31 impedance, then it is more likely that this cell is damaged beyond repair. Thus, impedance measurement is critical in the preventive maintenance program when using the BZI Sulfation Elimination Process. 2) A typical automotive style of battery has about 2 to 6 milliohms of impedance across the entire battery measured from terminal to terminal. Batteries that have upwards of 100 milliohms of impedance can typically be restored to like new condition, but as the impedance approaches several hundred ohms, the statistical likelihood of complete restoration diminishes in a non-linear fashion. 3) An initial de-sulfation PWM power application to the battery of about 15 minutes, followed by an interim review and testing process on the battery, is required to determine if the battery is de-sulfating within the expected parameters. If the battery is beginning to lower the indicated AMPS and PEAK amplitudes, and the VOLTS are slowly climbing, then the battery is acting as a normal battery. In the event the AMPS or PEAK doesn t begin to drop and the VOLTS fails to climb in the first 15 minutes of de-sulfation, then the battery is likely in Graveyard condition or is suffering from either a damaged connecting link, internal open or shorted cells. In any case, inspect and remedy the problem before continuing the process. 4) Continuance of the de-sulfation process if the interim test is within the expected parameters. If the interim test is not within the published parameters, then the battery is set aside for a modified (slower Graveyard ) de-sulfating process or alternatively, safely and legally discard the battery as un-serviceable. 5) Upon completion of the Sulfation Elimination process, turn off the Model 4800 system and test each individual cell (in a motive battery), for the indicated level of impedance. If you are de-sulfating a conventional automotive style of battery, then measure the entire battery s impedance from positive to negative terminal. You should typically see an impedance dramatically lower then the initial test level, and often at serviceable impedance level. 6) Top charge the battery and a test the specific gravity, impedance and cell or battery voltage. If impedance levels remain high, you may investigate the battery to see if has cell damage, or in the case of a Graveyard battery, an additional de-sulfating process may be required. 7) Acid adjust the individual cells or entire battery, depending on the specific requirements and data values. 8) Perform a final test of the battery to determine if the performance has been restored to the desired or acceptable state. This can involve a load test of the battery using a calibrated load testing process, or simply placing the battery back into service and intuitively determining if the battery is serviceable. If the test is unacceptable, you may choose to conduct another restorative process, or simply safely and legally discard the battery. 31

32 The Acid Equalization Process for Lead-Acid Batteries This procedure is primarily designed for adjusting the specific gravity differential between individual cells of a motive, lead-acid battery. The procedure for a smaller automotive type of battery is discussed following the motive battery procedure. The final step in the de-sulfation and restoration of a motive lead-acid battery using the BZI process is to accomplish battery cell specific gravity acid equalization. After de-sulfation and re-charging of the battery, it may be necessary to raise or lower the electrolyte specific gravity of a battery, or specific cells within the battery. If acid adjustment is required, then use the following procedure: MOTIVE BATTERY PROCEDURE 1) Always attain the battery manufacturer s recommended level of specific gravity for each make and model of battery. Excess acidity measured in specific gravity may damage the battery. Lower values of specific battery will reduce the battery s performance. Always read and follow the information provided in the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) from both the battery and acid manufacturer, prior to beginning this process. EXTRA ORDINARY CARE MUST BE GIVEN TO SAFETY PROCEDURES WHEN HANDLING HIGHLY CONCENTRTED SULFURIC ACID. SEVERE INJURY COULD OCCUR IN TH EVENT CONCENTRATED ACID COMES INTO CONTACT WITH SKIN, EYES OR CLOTHING. BE EXTRA CAREFUL AND STRICTLY COMPLY WITH MANUFACTURER S MSDS PRODUCT GUIDELINES WHEN HANDLING ACID! 2) The recommended specific gravity for most motive style batteries ranges between and at 77 degrees F, typically most motive battery cells are Specific gravity is always determined when the battery is fully charged, with the electrolyte levels at the bottom of the vent well tube or slightly lower than the filling, vent cap. In addition, the battery should be connected to the charger and is charging at the finishing rate, or top charge rate, or less as recommended by the battery manufacturer, just prior to taking the specific gravity reading. 3) Once you are ready to take the specific gravity reading, first stop charging the battery and remove the battery charger connectors, to prevent accidental electrical shock from the charger while conducting the test. You must take extra precaution to prevent accidental electrical shock from the battery terminals while conducting this test. Always wear the appropriate protective clothing, gloves, eye and respiratory protection devices when working around batteries. Note: The top or finishing charge rate is typically equal to the constant current charging rate in amps, which is 5% of the rated ampere-hour rating C of the battery. As an example, if your battery has a recommended ampere-hour rating of 1000 A/H, then the top charge or finishing rate is 1000 x.05 = 50 amps. ALWAYS BE EXTRA CAREFUL WHEN WORKING AROUND BATERIES THAT ARE STILL ATTACHED TO THE CHARGER OR DE- SUFATION MACHINES. 4) The battery should first be de-sulfated using the Model 4800 system. Then the battery should be given an equalizing charge to ensure it is fully charged. An equalizing charge is simply an extended charge at the finish rate or top-charging rate, once the regular charging profile is completed. The equalization charge is usually 3 hours longer in duration, or until four voltage and corrected specific gravity readings taken at 30 minute intervals remain constant. The temperature correction factor for specific gravity is 77 degrees F. Do not allow the temperature of the electrolyte to exceed 115 degrees F during the equalization charging process. 32

33 5) Once it is determined that an individual cell specific gravity must be adjusted upwards, then it will be necessary to add acid to that cell. Acid with a 1400 specific gravity is typically used, which has an acid concentration of 50.5% by weight, and this concentration is potentially very dangerous to the operator. Again, follow all standard safety precautions found in the appropriate MSDS or as required by local safety codes, particularly those protecting personnel from splashes into the eyes and onto the skin. Acid resistant gloves, apron, boots, face shield and or safety goggles should be standard equipment. Running water from a hose and/or ready access to an eye-wash fountain is important for safety. 6) With the battery immediately removed from the charger (after completing the equalization charge), test the specific gravity and calculate the amount of change in points required to reach the prescribed level. Remove about 1/4" to 1/2" of electrolyte with a battery acid rated syringe, for every 5 points (.05 S.G.) of change desired. This is an approximation since the amount of S.G. change will vary with every cell type and with the volume of electrolyte in each cell. The shorter cells have less volume of electrolyte, so they would require less removal volume. The taller cells have a greater volume of electrolyte, so they would require more removal volume. Once the calculated removal is completed, carefully and slowly replace the removed acid with (50.5%) specific gravity sulfuric acid. Continue to charge the battery after acid addition until the specific gravity becomes constant, about 1/2 to 1 hour. Note: You must safely and legally dispose of the removed acid! Remember that there may be minute particles of lead or other hazardous metals or products within the removed acid solution. Please consult your local rules and regulations for the proper neutralization and disposal of battery acid. 7) Repeat the procedure until the temperature corrected specific gravity reaches the desired value. 1) If the specific gravity must be lowered instead of raised, then water can be used instead of specific gravity acid in the procedure. NON-MOTIVE BATTERY PROCEDURE 1) Follow the above procedure except that it is probably more efficient to remove the entire volume of acid in a small, automotive type of battery and refill with the appropriate specific gravity acid, than to try and acid adjust the individual cell S.G.. As in the instructions above, always dispose of the used acid in a safe, legal and approved manner. The Battery Load Test Using the BZI Model 1000 Load Tester In order to determine if a battery can deliver its rated capacity, a capacity test utilizing the BZI Model 1000 Load tester can be performed. This will determine the strength or health of a battery with respect to ampere-hours delivery. Based upon this information and other diagnostic tools, one can determine the ultimate level of battery serviceable in ampere-hours of operation. Only attempt this test if you have had the proper training and experience. The test is accomplished by discharging a fully top-charged battery at the six hour rating of the battery until the battery voltage drops to a level of 1.70 volts per cell with respect to individual cells. Multiply 1.7 volts times the number of cells to determine the entire battery voltage test threshold. The six-hour amp discharge rate is equal to the rated capacity of the battery s ampere-hours divided by six. Thus, if 33

34 C is equal to the total battery manufacturer s ampere-hour rating, then the formula for determining the amps discharge rate is: C / 6 = Discharge Rate in Amps. As an example: If you were to have a 600 ampere-hour (A/H) rated motive battery and wanted to set the load tester amperage rate from which to discharge the battery, then you would take 600 A/H and divide by 6, which equals 100 AMPS. This is the amperage setting to set the load tester to discharge the battery. Once you apply the discharge rate to a fully top charged battery, you can simply note the elapsed time from when the test was begun, to when the battery cell voltage drops to 1.7 volts. This will be the rated capacity of the battery in hours. Typically, a 5-hour battery is considered by most in the battery industry to be a serviceable battery. Never allow the battery to discharge to a level that will cause cell polarity reversal. The following is the procedure for Load Testing a battery: 1) Top charge the battery after de-sulfating with the Model 4800 De-sulfating machine. Adjust the specific gravity to the manufacturer s recommendation with the electrolyte level at the prescribed level, typically at the bottom of the vent well. Adjust the readings for the ambient temperature and record the values for future reference. 2. Connect the Model 1000 Load tester to the battery observing the appropriate safety precautions. Begin the test by applying a load in amps at the rated 6-hour capacity and record the starting time. 3. Record the individual cell voltages and/or the overall battery voltages every 15 minutes during the first hour. After the first hour, take the voltage readings every additional hour until the first cell voltage reaches 1.75 volts per cell. Then continue the discharge process and carefully record the cell voltage every 5 minutes. Monitor the voltage of the lowest cells. When the voltage of each cell drops below 1.7 volts, establish and record the time. When the majority of the cells reach 1.7 volts turn off the Model 1000 and stop the test. Never allow the cells go into voltage reversal. 6. To calculate the capacity percentage, simply divide the time the battery took to have a majority of cells reach 1.7 volts, and divide by 360. For example, if the majority of battery cells went 320 minutes, then the battery s capacity is rated at 89% of capacity. 7. After completing the test, record and compare the specific gravity of each cell for uniformity. If the cells have approximately the same specific gravity and the calculated capacity s greater than 80%, then the battery is considered serviceable. If not, determine if the battery can be repaired or if it requires replacement. The Model 1200, Hand Held Battery Impedance Tester Specifications and Operating Instructions 34