MODULE: 7:0 CARRYING OUT GENERAL MAINTENANCE OF ELECTRIC AND
ELECTRONIC SYSTEM.
UNIT: 7:1 MAINTAIN BATTERIES
ELEMENT: 7:1:1 CHECK ELECTROLYTE LEVEL
Specific learning objectives:
At the end of this element the trainee should be able to:-
Define battery
Mention types of battery
Check electrolyte level as per standard
Observe safety precaution.
INTRODUCTION:
Battery is an electrical device which used to supply and store charge or
energy.
The battery used on motor vehicle are usually secondary cell (lead acid
battery)
A fully charged battery (lead acid battery) is capable of creating a pressure of
2.0v or 2.2v
A six cell battery can actually provide 12v or 13.2v when fully charged.
TYPES OF BATTERY:
1. Alkaline battery-eg (primary cell-charged during manufacture)
2. Lead acid battery-eg (secondary cell- Rechargeable battery)
TYPES OF LEAD ACID BATTERY:
1. Conventional battery
2. Low maintenance
3. Maintenance free
FUNCTION OF BATTERY:
i. To store electrical energy
ii. To operate starter motor
iii. To convert chemical energy into electrical energy
iv. To supply electrical energy to the electrical consumer in the vehicle.
CONSTRUCTION OF LEAD ACID BATTERY:
The battery box is a molded polypropylene container. This construction
provides a robust and light-weight container.
The moulded casing consists of six separate compartments which house the
six cells for the 12v battery
Provision is made inside the battery box to check the level of electrolyte
inside the battery.
Recesses in the bottom of container collects the active materials that falls
from the plate grids, this prevents the material from bridging the plate and
cause a short circuit.
A moulded cover seals the cells and removable plugs make topping up and
testing easy.
ELECTROLYTE:
Electrolyte is a solution which the plates are immersed.
It consists of sulphuric acid and distilled water.
The ratio is 40% acid and 60% distilled water.
THE CELL:
Cell is made up of two sets of lead plates such as positive and negative plate
and separated by insulating porous material such as wood, pvc, rubber or
glass fibre.
Each plate consists of a pattern type grid made of lead antimony (silver white
material), alloy into lead peroxide (positive) and spongy lead (negative)
POSITIVE PLATE:
The positive plate is joined by means of a common terminal and consists of a
lead antimony and paste.
The paste is a mixture of lead oxide, sulphuric acid and water.
During operation the mixture is converted into lead peroxide.
The lead dioxide has a chocolate brown colour.
NEGATIVE PLATE:
Negative plates are also joined together and contain sponge lead which is
grey in color.
SEPARATOR:
To ensure that plates do not touch each other separators are placed between
them.
This assembly of positive and negative plates and separators is called battery
element.
There is one element for every cell.
FILLER PLUG:
Filler plug are normally made out of plastic and are provide with vent holes.
The correct electrolyte level can be maintained through the filler plugs.
The plastic screw plugs can also be one-piece plastic lift up plate which is
quick and easy to remove and replace.
THE ELEMENT:
The typical 12v battery is constructed of six element itself is made up of two
group of plates.
One group forms the positive and the other the negative group.
An odd number of plates make up an element or cell.
Popular element assemblies have either seven or nine plate, there always
one more negative plate than the number of positive plate in a cell, this
means that the two end plates are always negative.
When a battery is taken off charge the voltage per element is 2.1v, six
elements in series will produce 12.6v, during the discharge period it quickly
drops to 2v per element where it remains for the largest portion of the
discharged period.
CAPACITY (AMP-HOUR CLASSIFICATION)
The capacity of the battery is expressed in ampere-hours.
This represents the current that a battery delivers for a given time.
This based either 10-hour or 20-hours periods for example a certain battery
have a capacity of 120-amp-hour based on a 20-hour rate will supply a
steady current of 6A for a period of 20 hours.
The capacity is governed by the size and number of plate per cell.
The surface area of the plates governs the discharge current available so the
cell may consist of seven or more thin plates, each set connected in parallel,
parallel connection does not affect cell voltage.
SULPHATION
Sulphation is the formation of lead sulphation on the surface of both positive
and negative plates.
This is the results of normal discharge action of the cell.
This white substance does not conduct electricity and when it build up will
results the permanent failure of the battery.
Sulphation increase the internal resistance of the cells and so reduces the
capacity and output voltage of the battery.
CAUSES OF EXCESSIVE SULPHATION:
1. Prolonged discharging
2. The electrolyte being too low
3. Insufficient charging
4. The specific gravity of electrolyte being too low
5. Local chemical action in the cell, due to the entry of dirty and impurities.