The following article appeared in the March 3, 1999 issue of the "GRAINEWS" and has been transcribed verbatim for our web site.

I'm often asked, Why do our batteries have a life cycle of only nine to 15 months? The inevitable second question is, What can I do about it?

In heavy-duty trucks or farm equipment with a heavy electrical load, batteries tend to operate in a deep cycle pattern; the electrical draw sometimes exceeds the charging rate of the system. To bring them back to service, you need to drain the batteries of their charge and slowly recharge them.

Severe cold or hot weather can also play havoc even with correctly spec'd electrical systems - if batteries and alternator are not maintained closely.

Replacing batteries for a fleet can add up to thousands of dollars throughout the year. Deep-cycling and a low rate of battery charge from an alternator can lead to sulphation of battery plates. As a result, you have to replace the batteries before they reach their full life expectancy. Industry records show that up to 84 per cent of lead-acid batteries are being scrapped due to sulphation problems.

Battery plate sulphation is the No.1 cause of battery failure. Sulphate crystals form in a normal chemical reaction when you discharge and recharge a battery. These sulphates attach and cling to the battery plates and cause physical damage to the battery. Low specific gravity of electrolyte causes degradation and premature battery failure.

When battery plates become sulphated, the insulating film covering the plates causes the electrolyte to have a lower specific gravity. The chemical reaction in the battery is unable to support enough charging current from the alternator to restore the battery charge. This means the battery voltage has a tough time providing a strong discharge current to the electrical accessories or load, particularly in cold weather. Also, the battery won't crank the engine fast enough to get good cranking power for the starter motor.

The colder the weather, the tougher it is to keep batteries in a full state of charge. This is because at 0^o F (-18^oC) even a fully charged battery will provide a cranking power of only 40 per cent of a fully charged unit at 80^oF (27^oC).

Heavy-duty truck maintenance personnel often wrongly believe a battery maintained at a level of 13.2 volts will provide the fleet with good cold-weather starting capabilities and maintenance-free electrical systems. Well-maintained batteries can provide up to 2.5 volts per cell for a total battery output of as much as 15 volts. However, due to continuous deep-cycling, vibration problems and sulphation of the plates, many batteries provide only 12.8 to 13.2 volts. Running a charging and electrical system that cannot keep batteries at a value closer to 14.1 volts will result in an under-charged battery system.

It's common to find many fleets with poor battery maintenance and too low charging rates with voltage values at the batteries of 13.9 volts with no electrical load from the electrical accessories. When the truck/tractor cab electrical accessories are turned on, battery voltage will normally drop as low as 13.7 volts. Switching on the trailer lights will drop the voltage even further, to as low as 12.3 volts. If the charging rate is unable to provide at least 14.1 volts, the results will be low battery power and a short life.

To avoid battery problems, you should prepare a battery maintenance and charging system check/test/adjustment review, which must become part of any active maintenance program.

Always begin with a battery electrolyte specific gravity test where possible (open cell connectors and a hydrometer or refractometer), or convert a voltage value to an equivalent specific gravity value. A specific gravity of 1.27 to 1.275 or greater is considered acceptable, while a specific gravity of less than 1.25 indicates a sulphated battery that may fail during cold weather.

• Start with good quality batteries that are rated with 20 to 25 per cent excess capacity for deep cycle operation.
• Ensure the batteries are in a resonant vibration zone on the vehicle.
• Use proper size battery cables with soldered ends.
• Make sure the cable and Post clamps are tight and keep them corrosion-free.
• Keep the electrolyte continuously at a specific gravity of 1.275 or higher.
• Top up battery water regularly (more in the summer when batteries gas more freely).
• Avoid battery plate sulphation by using corrosion-free battery boxes and terminals.
• Set the alternator charging rate high enough to ensure that battery voltage can be kept at a suitable value. Typically this is a charging rate of a least 14.2 volts, particularly in cold weather.

The Solartech Can-Pulse Charge Partner, through its solid-state high frequency pulsing technology, raises cell voltages of batteries to over 15 volts. This action removes sulphation, forms the negative plate and allows the battery to be maintained in optimum condition.

Specific gravity readings as high as 1.3 significantly increase cranking power, headlamp light and peak vehicle system voltage. Higher specific gravity readings also result in a corrosion-free battery box, prolonged halogen headlamp life, longer starter life (reduction of burned solenoid discs due to repeated attempts at engine cranking with low battery voltage) and less unscheduled vehicle downtime.

The Can-Pulse Charge Partner is available in 12- or 24-volt models and measures about 2 1/2 inches by four inches. It's designed to prevent damaging buildup of sulphation on the plates by moving the sulphur molecules away from the plates and back into the electrolyte (acid and water mix) solution as sulphuric add.

The manufacturer says Charge Partner is for either continuous or temporary use and cannot overcharge or harm the battery. The Charge Partner is automatically activated when the vehicle battery receives charging current from the alternator, and is deactivated when the current is removed.

To connect the Charge Partner to the electrical system of a heavy-duty truck you attach the red and black eyelet connectors to the positive and negative battery posts, respectively. To do this, attach these connectors to the bolt on the battery post clamp and secure the Can-Pulse unit to a battery cable with plastic tie straps or with a small amount of silicone to the top of the battery casing.

The Can-Pulse unit is reverse polarity protected. If the battery voltage is not at least 13.5 volts, the Can-Pulse will not activate. Battery voltage less than 13.5 volts is a sign of a faulty voltage regulator or alternator charging system. Once the system is at 13.5 volts, a small green light on the Can-Pulse unit will flicker and then remain lit to show that the unit is sending high-frequency, low-current, energizing pulse waves into the battery. These waves energize the sulphate molecules that detach from the battery plates and are released into the electrolyte to restore the correct electromechanical balance.

With clean plates and a higher specific gravity electrolyte, the batteries operate at the best voltage and permit the vehicle's electrical system to operate at a higher voltage. A number of major Canadian truck fleets have successfully used Can-Pulse units on their vehicles for some time. A wellknown Winnipeg heavy truck fleet, TransX, claims a savings of about $103,000 over two years by using Car-Pulse units with its fleet truck/tractors.

For more information on this product, or if you have any questions regarding this or other Solartech products, visit the Web site at www.solartech.com and view the various testimonials. E-mail or phone Doug Eryou at 204-885-4652 (fax 204-888-2046).

R.N. (Bob) Brady is President of HiTech Consulting Ltd., in Burnaby, B.C. where he consults and writes from home. He is a regular monthly technical writer for both GRAINEWS and TRUCK NEWS in Canada; is a former member of the Board of Directors for the Society of Automotive Engineers, International, and has recently finished writing his 13th textbook for Simon & Schuster dealing with automotive and heavy-duty trucks and equipment.

You can contact Bob by e-mail.

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