Author Topic: Battery Vibrator  (Read 2285 times)

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Sr WiNdTeCh

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Battery Vibrator
« on: March 28, 2010, 06:49:02 AM »
After searching on this, all I can find is well vibrators and phone vibrating batteries.... SO does anybody vibrate your batteries to mix the electrolyte or allow gas bubbles stuck on the plates to escape on days when it's cloudy or for just maintenance on them. Or do you simply wait to do an equalization charge?
« Last Edit: March 28, 2010, 06:49:02 AM by (unknown) »
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Rover

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Re: Battery Vibrator
« Reply #1 on: March 28, 2010, 11:30:22 AM »
Yep, each one of my g27s is mounted in its own gallon paint shaker.


Sorry , just couldn't help it :)

« Last Edit: March 28, 2010, 11:30:22 AM by Rover »
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Rover

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Re: Battery Vibrator
« Reply #2 on: March 28, 2010, 12:38:57 PM »
IMHO .. I think you would need some kind of vibrating plate. Based on the weight of batteries it would take so much  energy to this , that you would probably realize a negative gain.
« Last Edit: March 28, 2010, 12:38:57 PM by Rover »
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RP

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Re: Battery Vibrator
« Reply #3 on: March 28, 2010, 01:13:57 PM »
I think I'd be concerned about stirring up lead sludge from the bottom of the cells and causing shorts
« Last Edit: March 28, 2010, 01:13:57 PM by RP »

wpowokal

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Re: Battery Vibrator
« Reply #4 on: March 28, 2010, 04:45:32 PM »
I agree, just equalize every 1-3 months(follow battery manufacturers guidelines) for 5 hours.


allan

« Last Edit: March 28, 2010, 04:45:32 PM by wpowokal »
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REdiculous

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Re: Battery Vibrator
« Reply #5 on: March 28, 2010, 06:40:40 PM »
It's not like you need to lift the batteries before you can shake 'em. The only real load on a vibrator is the off-balance flywheel so I don't think it would take much power at all...


Take a 'bad for wind' treadmill motor and cut part of the flywheel off so that it's off-balance. Strap it to the side of the battery box and run at 12v. It wouldn't be a very fast vibrator but would do the trick I think. You probably wouldn't want to run it for very long anyway. Turn it on, count to 10 and turn it off kind of thing.


Also I don't see how a typical vibrator, by itself, could mix the electrolyte in any significant way. Maybe over long periods of time but not in 10 minutes or 10 hours...10 days would be my bet.


I could be wrong though..it's not a rare occurrence, it happens often. ;)

« Last Edit: March 28, 2010, 06:40:40 PM by REdiculous »
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Flux

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Re: Battery Vibrator
« Reply #6 on: March 29, 2010, 12:37:41 AM »
Some very large battery banks use air to stir the electrolyte but smaller ones are best equalised once in a while to keep the electrolyte mixed.


I am sure a vibrator would work but it doesn't seem practical from the energy wasted and I agree with others that something sufficiently violent to mix the electrolyte would start to damage the active plate material.


Batteries are a pain , they always have been and while we stick to lead acid they will always will be. They die if you use them, they die if you don't, you can't win. The methods that have been adopted over the years work as well as any and a simple equalising charge will waste far less energy then trying to devise new ways.


If you must avoid the problems of wet cells you can use VRLA but these come at a higher price and have some limitations that make them less useful than wet ones except for standby duty.


From what I see of wet Plante cells the modern methods of pampering them with clever charge controllers and the new ideas don't make them last any longer than the crude methods we used years ago. The newer less robust technologies may be different, we didn't have them then to compare.


Flux

« Last Edit: March 29, 2010, 12:37:41 AM by Flux »

DamonHD

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Re: Battery Vibrator
« Reply #7 on: March 29, 2010, 03:13:11 AM »
Even automated 4-stage charging and PWM?


I'm fairly sure that I'd have trashed my little 40Ah gel if I had to manually manage it for example.


Rgds


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« Last Edit: March 29, 2010, 03:13:11 AM by DamonHD »
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ruddycrazy

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Re: Battery Vibrator
« Reply #8 on: March 29, 2010, 03:58:15 AM »
Ah this topic came up in a forum years ago when I was single, one should of been there to see the replies when I told the gals to use rechargable batteries on their BOB's ( Battery Operated Boyfriend) or simply a battery vibrator.

« Last Edit: March 29, 2010, 03:58:15 AM by ruddycrazy »

Flux

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Re: Battery Vibrator
« Reply #9 on: March 29, 2010, 01:37:08 PM »
Gel and VRLA can't be managed manually, they are a very different technology, they don't suffer electrolyte stratification and normally don't benefit much from equalising either and it has to be done very carefully.


The robust wet cells are better off with a bit of overcharging and can be managed manually if you can keep an eye on them. The old robust Plante with antimony plates don't have quite the same charge efficiency and need more watering but they will stand years without fancy charge controllers as long as you keep electrolyte above the plates.


Fine to use the modern control technology with them too as long as you give them a good boiling to reverse sulphate and stir the electrolyte occasionally.


Flux

« Last Edit: March 29, 2010, 01:37:08 PM by Flux »