Generator Battery Got Bursted

If there is a loose terminal connection at the battery terminals, it not only causes spark but also causes internal damage to the battery.

Severe sparking at the battery terminal sometimes incapacitates it on the spot otherwise internal damage builds up over a period of time to have busted the battery.

Check if the charger is working fine. Overcharging a battery can lead to collapse of plates.

Also ensure that the electrolyte is topped up. Since your generator is running 24 hours there is a likelihood of the battery loosing all its electrolyte in some period.

cheers.

Kmrknp, the battery was it bursted IE casing blown apart or busted IE just stopped working? Sorry but it doesn't come across clear in your OP

If the batter is/was a lead/acid type and your assertion that the battery "got bursted", I suspect that there is/was a loose terminal connection and when you "switched ON the DG once again" there was an arc which ignited the hydrogen (battery) gas.

One must assume that 500KVA Diesel Generator is 3PH, 50 Hz. From the description of the problem, the power was being supplied by a Standby-3PH, 50 Hz EBPS.

Did you bother to sychronize the DG with the EBPS output before closing the DG breaker? If not, the EBPS was damaged (probably sparked or caught fire) which caused the out-gassing battery to explode. Whether the battery is Pb/H2SO4 wet cell or gel-cell, it will still out-gas H2 (Hydrogen), which is extremely volitile.

Basically it is a manufacturing defect. There are several reasons for battery burst due to manufacturing defect. 6 two volt cells are joined using "Squeeze Welding" technique or "Riveting". A poor weld or rivet will lead to battery burst. During manufacturing process the batteries are subjected to "High Rate Discharge" cranking test. May be this particular battery some how skipped the test. The other reason is this battery is over charged and vent plug is totally blocked due to dust or poor quality vent plug. this will lead to high pressure because of evolved Hydrogen gas in one or more cells leading to Burst. A photograph will help in finding more answers.

GA - mostly for "the other reason ....."

Pl. give some details about HIGH RATE DISCHARGE CRANKING TEST and limits of discharge rate.

How it leads to the birsting should be related to vent related matter.

Let us see what other CR4 Members express their views.

SDR710

Is this battery, "Sealed maintenance free" or "tubular Lead acid"? Is 200 Ah capacity battery sufficient to handle the DG cranking current? Answer(s) will depend on these factors too.

Thanks and regards

Ashok Toshniwal

Hello,

It is problem with Lead Acid based battery technology.

Totally unpredictable performance

H2 generation, terminal corrosion adds to its .

Read the terms and conditions mentioned in the warranty card (provided my the lead acid battery manufactures) of the lead Acid batteries and one will get convinced, how the lead acid battery manufactures takes care, to protects themselves from, the totally unpredictable performance of the Lead Acid batteries.

Compared to Lead Acid battery technology, the Lithium based battery technology provides far reliable batteries / electrical energy storage solution.

Now LiFePO4 batteries are available, for direct replacement of Lead Acid Batteries, being used for Engine Starting application, both in stationary and mobile applications.

The study carried out, about the benefits of using LiFePO4 batteries, in place of conventional Lead Acid Batteries, for engine starting applications, in conventional petrol / diesel engine driven vehicles, show that use of LiFePO4 results in fuel saving and this it self helps in recovering the partial cost of LiFePO4 battery.

Apart from UPS / Inverter / Solar / Wind applications of large format LiFePO4 batteries, Engine starting application, both in stationary and mobile applications, is new area where LiFePO4 batteries have started replacing the Lead Acid batteries.

We are introducing large format LiFePO4 batteries in India, for various applications.

If anybody is interested, please contact by sending mail (sweetechnologies at gmail dot com)

Thanking you

With regards

Madhav Chowdhary

SWEE Technologies

Pune City (India)

We know you sell lithium batteries - nothing to do with the OP's question - give it a break.

Hi, I have serviced lots of generators and other equipment with these kinds of batteries. When I have to service a generator that I have never serviced before, I go over the entire generator, checking the battery also. When I observe several items that lead me to believe the generator has been neglected, the electrolyte level is almost always low. There is a risk of battery explosion if the electrolyte level is below the top of the plates of the battery. At least a quarter of the time the customer that describes the problem as "no start" and also tells me that the generator has run fine for years and that they have a "guy", "friend", etc. that services it (not a trained company with a comprehensive checklist) the battery system is faulty, always low electrolyte, sometimes the battery is exploded. Checking the batttery electrolyte level, cable connections at the battery, contactor, and frame should be part of the regular maintenance schedule of the generator. Remember to check the charger for the correct voltage for the temperature of the battery and only to add distilled water to the battery, not municipal or well water. Remember to neutralize and flush well any spilled battery acid and wipe the top of the battery clean each service. Hopes this helps.

Battery as any other device need maintenance and care. Also its charging should stop, when it is fully charge. If it is 12V battery the charging should stopped if the battery cannot take any more charge and its open circuit output is 14 V, because it got enough. Normal charger has transformer wound to deliver 14V at max. It might also be that D.G. output is not matched to the transformer of the charger. If you load the battery from charger providing 16V or more the battery "juice" disappears fast and it got basted.

It seems this is the case. Just disconnect charger from fully loaded battery and check the voltage of charger. If it has more than 14V adjust it to that.

14 V is amplitude of AC transformer while 12 V is RMS of that voltage.

Also DG should have voltage control. It might be not properly set so the transformer input is higher than it should. Check it and set it properly.

Have a fun! and be successfull!

Why bother? The OP doesn't reply to questions!

There are several reason as already discussed. Next time take care of these points,

Always open the battery cell caps before cranking.

Check for the loose terminals before use.

and very important avoid excessive no of starts in shrt time or over cranking. Genset must have an over crank safety active.