Forgive me if this is a redundant post, I have searched and read the board, but would still like opinions on the following.
Locally available to me two 36 volt forklift battery packs that were removed from service about 2 months ago. Both packs were replaced due to not holding capacity for an 8 hour shift.
These are very minimally labeled as "GNB, 18 cell, 36 volt, 765 AH", and weigh 2220 lbs each, encased in a metal box. The terminals are soldered and another post describes how to cut the interconnects and drill/tap for reconnection into a 48 volt pack.
After setting for 2 months--each cell in one pack measures at or above 2.00 volts each. The other set has 4 flat cells (.129-.456 volts)and the remainder measure 1.80 to 1.930 volts per cell. Should I expect the batteries (when 24 are connected for a 48 volt pack) to perform well? Should the lower voltage cells recover and work well, after a few charge/discharge cycles?
If the 18 cell battery is rated at 765 AH, would the string of 24 batteries be rated at 1020 AH.
Each are available to me for $50.00 per set. (about 3 cents per pound). And in the future, additional packs would probably be available for cell replacement.
Transporting them 3 miles to my home won't be a problem, nor will unloading them.
Topping up with distilled water and measuring specific gravity won't be a problem-- However, performing a heavy charge on them may. My current PV and wind genny won't perform a decent charge on these batteries. Are there plans available on the site for a homebrew 48 volt charger to bring these to top charge or should I separate into 12 volt batteries and charge with my 30amp automotive charger?
