Executive Summary - Can-PULSE Technology and the Fire Department

The Winnipeg Fire Department has conducted an extensive analysis of the effects of Can-PULSE technology on the Fire Department's fleet of emergency vehicles.

Most electrical problems on the fleet vehicles prior to use of the Can-PULSE technology were due to low voltage. With the use of Can-PULSE Charge Partners, the condition of the vehicle battery packs improved. Low voltage problems caused by low state-of-charge batteries were eliminated. Overall electrical maintenance costs dropped by 70%.

The study was conducted in two phases.

The first phase was an analysis of battery costs and battery life on a total of fifty-five vehicles in the Fire Department's fleet on which pulse technology was installed. Average battery age steadily increased during the course of the study, and battery replacement costs dwindled to a fraction of their levels prior to the introduction of Can-PULSE Charge Partner technology.

The second phase of the study investigated the effects of Can-PULSE technology upon a selection of batteries from various users and applications. Some batteries were treated with pulse technology, while others were charged with conventional technology. The batteries were inspected visually prior to testing, and voltages were monitored throughout testing. After performance testing of each battery was completed, the batteries were dissected. The lowest cell of each battery was then evaluated to determine the condition of the battery. Samples of negative and positive plates were selected for examination and photography by microscope and electron microscope. A summary of the batteries tested and results follows:

Battery	Description	Charging Method	Tear Down Inspection Results
1	5 year old Fire Department pumper battery	conventionally charged; Can-PULSE Charge Partner, Can-PULSE Charger	Sulfation reversed, but the physical damage caused by sulfation not reversible
2	6 month old ambulance battery	conventionally charged	Battery in severely sulfated condition
3	8 1/2 year old seasonally used boat battery	conventional charging, then Can-PULSE Charger	Sulfation reversed, but the physical damage caused by sulfation not reversible
4	5 year old Fire Department pumper battery	conventional charging; Can-PULSE Charge Partner, Can-PULSE Charger	Sulfation reversed, but the physical damage caused by sulfation not reversible
5	railway locomotive battery	conventionally charged	Battery in severely sulfated and damaged condition
6	11 month old Fire Department pumper battery	Can-PULSE Charge Partner from new condition; Can-PULSE Charger	Very little sulfation apparent; battery condition excellent
7	new battery, never placed in service, but sulfated on shelf	attempt to pulse charge unsuccessful	No tear down evaluation done.
8	new battery, never placed in service, but sulfated on shelf	conventionally charged	Battery in heavily sulfated and damaged condition
9	4 year old gel cell battery used consistently for 2 years and occasionally for next 2 years	pulse charged, then pulse charged while heated with a battery blanket	Pulse charging recovered the voltage of this battery. It did not affect the temperature of the battery or cause gassing.
TransX	3 year old highway tractor batteries 3 batteries in the pack	conventionally charged for 18 months then pulse charged for 18 months	Battery electrolyte low. Electrolyte strength in all cells was 1.3 or higher. Main cause of failure was lack of watering.

From the testing and inspection of the batteries, it was clear that pulse technology could remove accumulated sulfation. Pulse technology was able to reverse and control sulfation. However, pulse technology could not repair the physical damage to the battery plates caused by the sulfate while it was present.

Thus it was concluded that pulse technology is most effectively used on new batteries. Preventing sulfation from getting a foothold is much better than reversing sulfation and operating thereafter with damaged batteries. It was also found that batteries pulsed from new were in much better mechanical condition than conventionally charged batteries operating under similar load demands.

It was found that batteries which were pulse charged were consistently higher in voltage output than conventionally charged batteries. Sulfation was much less apparent in pulse charged batteries.

Additionally, the analysis of the TransX batteries proved that battery maintenance including battery watering is still necessary if pulse technology is being used.

The report also concluded that pulse charging is the one component that completes the total preventive maintenance program of DC electrical systems. Pulse charging converts a vehicle's charging system into a "smart" charging system. Batteries are properly charged to optimum condition without the operator having to constantly vary voltage regulator settings with ever changing loads, climatic condition and operational demands. Batteries with clean, well formed and sound plates with a strong, clean electrolyte will give the reliable service demanded and expected by equipment users.