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Batteries
for renewable energy
and backup power systems
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AGM
Batteries
AGM
Pro's: Better
cycling and depth of discharge
over the wet or gell batteries.
While most wet batteries
are supposed to only go
to about 50% depth of discharge,
the AGM's are able to go
to about 20% depth of discharge
without harming them PROVIDED
that you don't overcharge
them at too high a voltage
on their return. What does
this mean in numbers? If
you have a Golf Cart battery
that is 220 amp/hours for
both the wet and the AGM,
then the AGM would be able
to have 176 ah of useful
capacity (220 X .80) vs.
the wet battery at 110
amp/hours
AGM's
need no watering and will
receive a charge faster than
wet batteries or Gell batteries. How
much faster? AGM
will charge over twice as
fast. Throw Peukert's law
out the window: the physical
compression of the plates
in the cell compartment,
when coupled with the better
quality of materials in an
AGM give it far less internal
resistance than the other
types. Practically speaking
this means less time to recharge
your batteries while underway. AGM's
can be mounted in any position,
require no room for venting
and therefore can be installed
in living quarter sections
of your boat. This can be
especially important if you
already have a cramped space
in mind for your batteries.
Also, because of the low
internal resistance of the
batteries, they were tested
by the Coast Guard for their
potential for explosion and
they passed with flying colors
(excuse the pun) by not exploding
when heated to 200 degrees
f., then dead shorted! So
these are some amazing batteries.
AGM's
also are virtually maintenance
free: although everyone should
visually check the terminals
and general condition (for
swelling, corrosion, black
post, or high temperature)
of a battery at least every
six months. How long will they
last? Who knows?
AGM
Con's: Price
is pretty stiff when compared
with the wet lead acid
batteries--generally by
2 times. This difference
begins to fade if any of
the above items listed
are important to you: cramped
space, no maintenance,
difficult mounting, rapid
recharge, explosion-proof
and non-gassing. Wet
Lead Acid Battery Con's: Slower
to recharge than AGM, require
maintenance more often,
and don't cycle as deeply
as the AGM batteries. The
wet cells need to have
space and volume around
them to allow the flow,
cool and allow transfer
of ions and acid back and
forth in the liquid solution. ¥ You’ll
have something "cooler" than
a regular battery: you
will have the latest, greatest
battery. ¥ NO
hassle of standing on your
head to fill 'em with distilled
water, sitting in or flicking
acid on yourself. ¥ Faster
recharge time, less engine
or generator run time,
safety from explosion,
and more storage options. ¥ Longer
design life
There!
You are, the reasons to buy an
AGM battery: |
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Designed
by John Surrette, the father of modern deep
cycle batteries, these batteries have a reputation
for heavy duty deep-cycle capacity with a long
service life. This reputation has spread worldwide
among commercial captains as well as serious
pleasure boaters. Rolls Surrette batteries
are constructed with techniques which are unique
in marine deep-cycle manufacturing. Emphasis
is placed on the Rolls Surrette positive plates,
since they are the limiting factor in battery
service life. Rolls Surrette manufactures it's
own materials, which are unavailable to competitors.
They do not use commercially available inexpensive
automotive grade components.
The
heart of the Rolls Surrette battery is their
thick high density positive plates. Each Rolls
Surrette positive plate is wrapped in fiberglass
matting to extend active material integrity
during cycling service. This mat holds the
active material in place during deep discharges
and keeps the plate material from shedding
off of the plate. The mat covered plate is
inserted into a micro-porous polyethylene envelope
to insulate it from the negative plate and
isolate it from impurities which may try to
contaminate it and shorten it's service life.
This unique insulating technique deletes the
need for sediment chambers at the bottom of
each cell, since any sediment is captured and
contained within the envelope. Subsequently,
this allows space for taller plates, which
increase capacity, adds to battery service
life, and accounts for the additional weight
of Rolls Surrette Batterie
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