Battery Alarm 300

Publication I6009K
 The Company
and its Products

GEC ALSTHOM T&D Protection & Control Limited is part of GEC ALSTHOM,
one of the largest electrical power generation, transmission and distribution
groups in the world.
It is an acknowledged world leader in the design and production of relays and
instrumentation. This position has been achieved through a continuing policy of
increasing investment in new product development.
The company is represented all over the world and has its British base at
Stafford where approximately 1,600 personnel are employed.
GEC ALSTHOM T&D Protection & Control markets a quality range of electrical
instrumentation serving the control requirements of the power generation,
transmission, distribution and industrial process markets.
This product range includes:
● Panel instruments (conforming to DIN, BS and ANSI standards)
● Istat electrical transducers
● MotorMaster motor protection relays
● Novar capacitor controllers
● R30 Chart recorders
● Battery alarms
● Rotary switches
● Prima Auxiliary Relays
Expert technical support for product selection, application and after sales
service is available through a network of over 80 established representatives
around the world.

2
Substation battery installations are required to provide not only dc auxiliary supplies for protection and control
equipment, but also to supply trip and close currents to breakers under tripping conditions. Monitoring of the
performance of the dc system is therefore fundamental to the efficient operation of the substation.
Battery Alarm 300 is designed to provide comprehensive continuous battery monitoring and to give local and remote
indication of alarm conditions, including an impedance alarm. This alarm is designed to monitor the ability of the battery
to supply a large current for trip/close requirements, failure of which could result in extensive damage.
Early detection of such problems using Battery Alarm 300 allows effective maintenance to be scheduled to help maintain
the integrity of the dc system.

Product Features Customer Benefits

● Monitors ability of battery to supply load current
● Provides continuous in-service monitoring of the battery
● Over and Under voltage alarms
● High Impedance alarm
● Earth Fault alarm
● Fault indication LEDs and relay contacts
● Models available for each of seven standard
dc voltages up to 220V dc
● Wide voltage alarm setting ranges
● Loss of supply volts indicated via drop-off of normally
energized relay, providing self checking
● Self-powered with minimal burden
● Ensures dc powered equipment such as critical
protection relays and SCADA systems remain
operative
● The need for time consuming and costly site visits and
battery servicing by maintenance engineers is
minimized
Batteries may remain safely in service after perceived
useful life has expired, thus reducing replacement costs
● Ensures battery charge is sufficient to support the
required voltage level
Ensures battery charger is performing correctly
● Guards against high battery circuit impedance, caused
by corroded terminals or internal build-up of plate
deposits, which would prevent the battery from
supplying the required load current
Improves security of remote unmanned installations
against theft
● Protects against earth leakage which could prevent the
battery supplying sufficient load current and would
also result in increased charging costs
● Local and remote alarms to facilitate fast and
efficient fault diagnosis
● Security of supply available for all dc powered
equipment
● Suitable for all types of battery including lead-acid
and alkaline
● Battery Alarm does not require expensive
maintenance
● Easily retrofitted to existing installations

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Application
For substations it is important that the
security of the supply is maintained.
This means not only that the battery
voltage is within required limits, but
that earth leakage and any latent
faults in the battery and connections
will not result in failure to initiate
tripping when a heavy current is
demanded. For external wiring
diagram see Figure 1.
Battery Alarm 300 has been designed
specifically for electrical substation
batteries and has become a standard
for many utilities both for new
installations and for retro-fit to existing
batteries. It is suitable for all batteries
with an internal impedance exceeding
0.1Ω.
For battery charger systems fitted with
capacitor filtered outputs, the Battery
Alarm requires a choke of >2 mH to
be fitted at the output of the battery
charger to ensure correct operation
of the high impedance alarm
(see Figure 1).
Warnings
Caution. Refer to the Operation &
Maintenance Manual (I9-100)
before installing, commissioning
or operating the equipment.
1 Installation, commissioning and
maintenance should only be
carried out by qualified
personnel.
2 Battery charger systems with an
inductive output element only,
should have a suitable load
connected, such as a battery,
during commissioning and normal
operation. This is to avoid
resonance of the output inductor
with the system capacitance
which may produce damaging
high peak output voltages.
3 Terminations exposed during
installation and maintenance may
present a hazard unless the
equipment is electrically isolated.
4 The equipment should only be
operated as intended e.g. with
covers in place and the earth
conductor connected to maintain
the incorporated safety features.
4
Optional choke(Required when battery charger has capacitor filtered output)
FS1 2A rating Busbars to
battery loads
3
1
2
Non-urgent 6
4
Charger
Battery
5
8 To telemetry
7
9
Urgent 11
E 10
12
FS2 2A rating
Note: The Battery Alarm is shown in the energised state. Under healthy
operating conditions the urgent relay is operated and the non-urgent
relay is released.
Figure 1: External wiring diagram
Description ● Power supply operative
● Earth fault positive
The Battery Alarm is designed for flush ● Earth fault negative
panel mounting and connection to the
● High impedance
battery bus wiring. This forms the
source of supply for the electronics ● Over voltage
and also enables the device to monitor ● Under voltage
battery performance. The window and front panel are cut
away to provide easy access to three
The outputs provided are volt free
contacts from two separate relays. circuit adjustment potentiometers for
setting-up the following:
The first, designated URGENT, is
normally energized and will ● High impedance trip level
de-energize if the monitored ● Over voltage alarm point
parameters deviate beyond preset
● Under voltage alarm point
limits.
The second relay, designated
NON-URGENT, is normally High impedance alarm
de-energized and will energize if the
The high impedance alarm circuit
monitored parameters deviate beyond
monitors the ability of the battery,
preset limits. Each relay channel is
together with the charger and
fitted with a preset timer which serves
associated wiring, to provide a heavy
to inhibit alarms of a transient nature.
current pulse.
Each relay can be configured to
monitor any, or all, of the battery The impedance monitoring circuit
parameters. Two sets of changeover operates by drawing a series of heavy
contacts are available on each relay. current pulses (approx. 1A) from the
battery busbars. The values of these
A version is available with both relays
pulses are stored and, if a succession
designated NON-URGENT. Both
of pulses is low, the alarm will
relays are normally de-energised and
operate. The circuit is driven by a low
will energise if the monitored
frequency oscillator which gives a
parameters deviate beyond preset
pulse rate of two per second.
limits.
The pulse duration is approximately
The unit has six LED indicators so that 50 microseconds.
fault recognition is possible in the The high impedance monitoring circuit
event of a sustained fault. can be adjusted to monitor battery
These indicators display: impedances in the range of 0.1Ω to
5Ω. It should be noted that the
resistance of the fuses and connecting
cables will have an effect on the
potentiometer setting. Fuses should be
rated at 2A and all wiring should be
kept as short and direct as possible.
Voltage alarm level settings
The voltage levels specified will
depend on the operating conditions
of the battery installation and the
purpose for which the alarms are
required. However, the working
voltage range of the Battery Alarm
must be taken into account when
deciding on a specification.
The Battery Alarm power supply can
accommodate a maximum variation
of 80…140% in the input from the
battery. The power supply is generally
designed to operate over a voltage
range from maximum boost voltage
down to a minimum voltage below
which a battery would not normally be
allowed to deteriorate. The over and
under voltage alarm settings must be
within this range.
The adjacent figures can be used as a
guide to suitable settings.
High voltage cut-off facility
A high voltage cut-off facility is
achieved by routing the over voltage
alarm through the NON-URGENT
relay with a short time delay setting
eg. 2s and also through the URGENT
relay with a longer time setting
eg. 50s.
This provides a means of switching
off the charger or performing other
switching operations on detection of
a high voltage alarm condition.
A similar low voltage cut-off version
can also be provided.
Parameter (per cell) Lead acid Alkaline
Nominal volts 2.00 1.20
Max volts on boost 2.60 1.68
Working volts on charge 2.27 1.46
Minimum volts 1.85 1.00
Low alarm operation 2.14 1.32
High alarm operation 2.40 1.52
For example: For a 55-cell lead acid battery
Low alarm setting = 55 x 2.14 = 117.7V
High alarm setting = 55 x 2.40 = 132V
The over and under voltage alarm levels are adjustable (see technical
specification).
Note
The over and under voltage alarms have built-in hysteresis to prevent contact
chatter. This hysteresis (or pick up/drop off differential) will result in a high
alarm reset voltage of (0.995 x Vtrip) ±0.5% and a low alarm reset voltage of
(1.005 x Vtrip) ±0.5%.
Earth fault alarm Alarm indications and relay
outputs
The earth terminal on the Battery
Alarm is connected to the case back A popular configuration for alarm
plate and also to the earth fault circuit relay outputs is:
input.
– URGENT alarm for over voltage,
A leakage path from either the under voltage and high
positive or the negative pole of the impedance;
battery to earth will cause a current
– NON-URGENT alarm for earth
to flow in the input to the earth fault
faults.
circuit. If this current exceeds a
predetermined value, the earth fault On detection of an over voltage,
relay will operate and the relevant under voltage or high impedance
LED will illuminate. fault, the associated panel LED will
light immediately. At this stage the
The earth fault trip level is preset
urgent alarm delay will start to time
within the range 5…90kΩ and is
out and, if the fault persists, the urgent
symmetrical for both positive and
alarm relay will release after the delay
negative earth faults, irrespective
time.
of battery voltage.
On detection of an earth fault, the
If either the positive or negative of the
associated panel LED will light and the
battery is earthed, the Battery Alarm
NON-URGENT delay timer (usually
300 will indicate an earth fault alarm.
1s for earth faults) will start.
In the case when an earth fault relay is
The NON-URGENT relay will pick-up
already fitted, then a Battery Alarm
when the timer times-out.
300 model without earth fault is
recommended. Each relay channel is fitted with a
timer and each channel can be
configured to monitor any of the
battery parameters.
Both relays have two sets of volt-free
changeover contacts which can be
used for local and remote alarms,
SCADA inputs etc.
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 Technical Specifications

Battery Voltage Ranges

Battery voltages (VB) 24V, 30V, 32V, 48V, 50V, 60V,
110V, 125V, 220V.
Operating Range 80…140%VB
Burden 20mA nominal
Voltage alarm levels (adjustable)
Under voltage range 80…110%VB
Over voltage range 105…140%VB
Accuracy of setting ±0.5%
Hysteresis on setting 0.5%
Earth leakage protection (preset)
Trip level range 5kΩ to 90kΩ
Accuracy of trip level ±10%
Hysteresis on trip level 5%
Short circuit current <5mA
High impedance alarm (adjustable)
Setting range 0.1Ω …5.0Ω
Accuracy of setting ±0.05Ω
Hysteresis on setting 0.05Ω

Temperature
Nominal range of use –20°…+60°C
Reference temperature 23°C
Temperature coefficient
Voltage alarms ±0.006%/°C
Earth leakage alarm ±0.06%/°C
Timer settings ±0.06%/°C
High impedance alarm <0.1Ω deviation in setting over
temperature range

Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive 89/336/EEC

Emissions standard EN50081-2 1994 Industrial environment
Immunity standard EN50082-2 1995 Industrial environment
(IEC801 parts 2, 3 and 4)
Susceptibility to Electrostatic
Discharge 8kV air discharge/4kV contact.
WARNING: This specification applies when the front cover is fitted. If the
front cover is removed to gain access to the adjustment potentiometers then
appropriate ESD protection must be taken.

Low Voltage Directive 72/23/EEC

Designed to EN61010-1 1993 safety requirements.

Timers
Alarm time delay settings 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128s
(other settings available on request)
Accuracy of setting ±10% (±0.25s)

Output relays
URGENT alarm relay 2 changeover contacts
NON-URGENT alarm relay 2 changeover contacts

Contact ratings
Max. switching power 60W; 62.5VA
Max. switching voltage 220V DC; 250V AC
Max. switching current 2A

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 Max. carrying current 3A
Isolation 750Vrms across open contacts
Insulation resistance >100MΩ at 500V DC

Miscellaneous
Series mode noise (ripple) 10%VB(pk-pk) 50…120Hz
Common mode noise 100Vrms 45…65Hz

Isolation 1kVrms between inputs and alarm

contacts
Impulse 5kV (1.2/50µs) to IEC60-1/BS923
and IEC255-5/BS5992-3
High frequency disturbance To IEC255-22-1/BS142 Section 1.5.1
Overload ratings 2 x VB continuous or 200V dc
whichever is lower
220V version 350V dc continuous
Humidity 0…93% +2% –3% RH
Terminals Barrier type M3.5

LED indications
Power on Green LED
Earth fault (positive) Red LED
Earth fault (negative) Red LED
High impedance Red LED
Over voltage Red LED
Under voltage Red LED

Fail to safety and power on reset of URGENT alarm relay. If the supply voltage
falls below 66%VB for longer than 50ms, an instantaneous URGENT alarm is
given. When the supply voltage returns to above 66%VB, a power on reset
occurs after a time delay of 1 second.

Information required with order

Nominal battery voltage
Battery type (eg lead acid, nickel cadmium, etc.)
Number of cells
High and low voltage alarm points
Earth fault trip level
Relay alarm designations (if different from configuration shown on page 5)
Alarm time delays
Outline dimensions

96 5 104 24

96

+0.8
Panel cut-out 92 –0 square (Dimensions in mm)