2
By implementing proactive management strategies, high discharge rate VLA batteries typically used in
companies can optimize battery performance and large UPS systems have a design life of 20 years, but
protect against IT system instability and downtime. an average service life of 12-14 years.
Understanding battery life expectancy and aging
is the first step in developing an effective battery Factors that Accelerate Aging
management strategy that enhances performance Batteries are made by rolling paste onto a grid of
and reliability. positive and negative plates. The positive plates
experience mechanical stress due to the discharge
Battery Life Expectancy and recharge of the battery. This normal battery
Batteries represent a significant part of the cost of aging process is illustrated in Figure 3. During
the critical power system, but are subject to wear discharge, an electrochemical reaction makes the
and aging faster than most other components. lead paste inside the batterys grid structure expand.
When a UPS fails, there is a good chance that This puts dimensional pressure on the grid structure,
battery failure is the cause. According to the 2013 thereby changing the physical dimension of the
Study on Data Center Outages by the Ponemon positive plate material and the grid at the molecular
Institute, battery-related failure is responsible for level, causing grid corrosion. Grid corrosion causes
55 percent of UPS system failures, as shown in both horizontal and vertical growth of the positive
Figure 1. Understanding a battery failure involves plates and separation of the paste material from
understanding battery life expectancy as well as the the grid structure, allowing the electrolyte to attack
causes of battery aging. the structure over time. This results in corrosion
that increases a cells internal resistance thus
Batteries have a certain life expectancy, and reducing capacity.
sooner or later, every battery will reach the end of
its life. Misunderstanding battery life expectancy Whether the batteries supporting your critical
is common and stems from confusing battery power system will age normally toward their defined
design life with battery service life. Battery design life cycle or fail prematurely depends on a variety of
life is specified by the manufacturer and takes factors. How batteries are handled, the environment
into account cell design and battery aging under in which they are housed, the quality of the systems
controlled conditions in the manufacturers used to maintain the batteries, and other variables
laboratory. Battery service life considers how affect the aging process.
application, installation design, real-world operating
High ambient temperature and frequent discharge
conditions, and maintenance practices impact
rates are most commonly responsible for reducing
battery agingmost often lowering life expectancy.
useful life across all types of batteries. (Dryout is
Figure 2 shows estimated design life versus service
the most common cause of VRLA battery failure.)
life for different classes of batteries. For example,
Battery aging accelerates dramatically as ambient
temperature increases. This is true of batteries
in service and in storage. Even under specified
temperatures, batteries are designed to provide
a limited number of discharge cycles during their
expected life. While that number may be adequate
55% 45% Battery Related
Other Causes in some applications, there are instances where a
battery can wear out prematurely.
3
Other factors that can cause premature battery itself before the batteries are ever placed in
failure include: service. The batteries need to be fully charged,
properly installedphysically, electrically and
High or low charge voltage environmentallyand their condition verified in
Excessive charge current order to minimize the likelihood of costly retests
Strained battery terminals and equipment damage. Properly inspecting the
batteries before startup and/or load testing will
Manufacturing defects provide valuable information that can be applied
Improper room temperature immediately and serve as a baseline for any
Overcharging and over cycling testing conducted throughout the service life
of the batteries.
Loose connections
UPS BATTERY TYPE DESIGN LIFE SERVICE LIFE
Poor and improper maintenance
Vented Lead-Acid 20 years 12-14 years
Nothing can stop the battery aging process. Once Valve-Regulated Lead-Acid 20 years 8-10 years
a battery is formed, the aging process starts. Valve-Regulated Lead-Acid 10 years 4-6 years
However, facility managers can optimize battery Nickel-Cadmium 20 years 15 years
performance by adopting the following proactive
battery management strategies: Design Life = cell design + manufacturer operating conditions
Service Life = installation design + operating conditions +
1. Whenever possible, follow battery maintenance maintenance practices
best practices outlined by IEEE standards and Warranty Life = manufacturer amortizes the cost of the cell; no
relationship to design and service life
battery manufacturer schedules defining
specific battery maintenance checks and how Figure2. The service life of VLA, VRLA and NiCad batteries is
frequently they should be made. typically much shorter than the design life.
4. Perform capacity testing in accordance Depending on whether the facility is using VLA,
with IEEE recommended practices to verify VRLA or NiCad batteries, certain maintenance best
battery integrity. practices should be followed. These best practices
have been documented in IEEE publications (450,
The objective of implementing proactive 1188 and 1106) and include acceptance testing prior
management strategies is to get the most effective to commissioning, as well as inspections and load
use possible from your batteries without placing testing requirements for all batteries throughout
your operations in jeopardy due to a failing cell. their service life. Figure 4 outlines the requirements
per inspection period.
Battery Maintenance Best Practices
In a critical power application, the first line of Performing a capacity test, though expensive, is the
defense in guarding against battery failure presents only true way to determine absolute capacity, and
should be conducted at recommended intervals
4
to utilize their batteries longer and with confidence
by knowing the true condition of all critical battery
Active
Material
parameters, such as cell voltage, internal resistance,
Lead
Paste
Expanding Cracks cycle history, overall string voltage, current, and
Corrosion temperature.
5
monitoring service that combines state-of-the- environment and maintenance. Based on factors
art battery monitoring technology with proactive such as these, a typical VRLA battery may reach 80
maintenance and service response. This type of percent of rated capacity and need to be replaced
proactive solution integrates on-site and remote within three to five years. Keep in mind, mixing new
preventive maintenance activities with predictive and old batteries may have an adverse affect on the
analysis to identify problems before they occur. float characteristics between cells.
6
Optimized
Capacity Replacement
Figure 5. Batteries lose capacity as they age justifying the need for a preventive maintenance program.
7
Implementing Proactive Battery Management
Strategies to Protect Your Critical Power System
www.electricalreliability.com
Emerson Network Power - Liebert Services
EmersonNetworkPower.com
610 Executive Campus Drive
Westerville, Ohio 43082 USA
Tel: +1 614 841 6400
Fax: +1 614 841 6405
EmersonNetworkPower.com
EmersonNetworkPower.com
While every precaution has been taken to ensure accuracy and completeness of this literature, Emerson Network Power and Emerson Electric Co. assume no responsibility and disclaim any and
all liability for damages resulting from use of this information or for any errors or omissions. Emerson. Consider it Solved., Emerson Network Power and the Emerson Network Power logo are
trademarks and service marks of Emerson Electric Co. 2015 Emerson Electric Co. All rights reserved.
SL-24638 (R3/15)