Battery Testing Standards and Best Practices

Volney Naranjo, Senior Applications Engineer

Daniel Carreno, Applications Engineer
Megger
tsdos.org
 Introduction
• Electrical substations require ESS to operate under outage
conditions
• Lead Acid and Nickel Cadmium are the main technologies
• Regulations and recommended practices to guarantee
safety, reliability and durability
• Installation design, installation, maintenance and testing
practices are scattered in different documents
• Navigating guide for substation designers and operators
through the documents from NFPA, IEEE, NETA and NERC

tsdos.org
 Agenda
• Stationary Battery Types
• Standards and Regulations
• Inspections and Testing
• Load Testing
• Ohmic Testing

tsdos.org
STATIONARY BATTERY TYPES

tsdos.org
 Battery Types: Construction

VLA VRLA
Vented NiCd

tsdos.org
 Battery Types: Application
Feature Long duration General Purpose Short duration
Plate characteristic Thick positive plates Moderately thick plates Thin positive plates
Application Telecommunications Switchgear and control UPS
Suitable for UPS
Type of load Constant and low current Constant and switching loads High current loads
Minimum supply time 3 hours 1 to 3 hours 1 hour or less
Nominal discharge rate 8 hours 8 hours 15 minutes
Cycles per year Less than 10 2 to 5 10-20
Performance under high Poor Good Good
discharge/short time rates
Performance under low discharge/long Good Good Poor
time rates

tsdos.org
STANDARDS AND REGULATIONS

tsdos.org
 Standards and Regulations
Stationary Storage
Systems

Design and Maintenance

Safety
installation and Testing

NFPA 1 NFPA 855 IEEE C2 Sizing of VLA VRLA NiCd NERC

VLA VRLA NETA ATS
Chapter Chapters Section LA Installation Installation Installation PRC-005
52 4&9 14 IEEE 450 IEEE 1188 & MTS
IEEE 485 IEEE 484 IEEE 1187 IEEE 1106 Reliability

tsdos.org
Standards and Regulations

tsdos.org
 Safety Standards

NFPA 1 Chapter 52
NFPA 70 Non-utility –
Articles 90 and
480
NFPA 855 Chapters 4 and 9
IEEE C2 Section 14

tsdos.org
 Design and Installation Standards

NFPA 855 Chapters 4 and 9

IEEE C2 Section 14
IEEE 485 Sizing of LA
IEEE 484 VLA Installation
IEEE 1187 VRLA Installation
IEEE 1106 NiCd

tsdos.org
 Maintenance and Testing

IEEE 1106 NiCd

IEEE 450 VLA
IEEE 1188 VRLA
NETA ATS & MTS VLA, VRLA, NiCd
NERC PRC-005 VLA, VRLA, NiCd

tsdos.org
 Reliability

NERC PRC-005 VLA, VRLA, NiCd

tsdos.org
VLA/VRLA: INSPECTIONS AND TESTING

tsdos.org
VLA/VRLA: Monthly Recommendations
Monthly
Inspection Type Activity
VLA VRLA
Visual General appearance and cleanliness of the whole installation I N I N
Visual Crack in cells (evidence of electrolyte leakage) I I
Visual Evidence of corrosion at terminals, connectors, racks or cabinets I N I N
Visual Electrolyte levels I N
Visual Verify presence of flame arresters N
Visual Verify existence of suitable eyewash equipment N N
Mechanical Ambient temperature and ventilation I N I N
Mechanical Perform a thermographic survey under load7 N6 N6
Mechanical Structural Integrity of the battery rack N N
Mechanical Verify tightness of accessible bolted electrical connections 5 N6 N6
Electrical Float voltage measured at the battery terminals I I
Electrical Pilot cells (If used) voltage and electrolyte temperature I
Electrical Cell-to-cell and terminal connection resistance N6 N6
Electrical Charger output current and voltage I I
Electrical Unintentional battery grounds I N N
Electrical Battery float charging current or pilot cell specific gravity I

tsdos.org
 VLA/VRLA: Quarterly/Tri-annual
Recommendations
Add to Monthly
Quarterly/ Tri-annual*
Inspection Type Activity
VLA VRLA
Visual Electrolyte levels P
Mechanical Temperature of at least 10% of cells I
Mechanical Temperature of the negative terminal of each cell I
Mechanical Specific Gravity of 10% of the cells of the battery I2

Electrical Float voltage measured at the battery terminals P

Electrical Voltage of each cell I I
Electrical Cell/unit internal ohmic values I P10
Electrical Charger output current and voltage P
Electrical Unintentional battery grounds P P

tsdos.org
VLA/VRLA: Yearly/18-months Recommendations

Add to Quarterly/Tri-annual
Yearly/18-months*
Inspection Type Activity
VLA VRLA1
Visual Cell condition I P
Mechanical Measure negative post temperature N
Mechanical Specific Gravity of all cells I2
Mechanical Structural Integrity of the battery rack I P P
Electrical Float voltage measured at the battery terminals N P N P
Electrical Voltage of each cell N N
Electrical Cell/unit internal ohmic values N P4 N P
Electrical Cell-to-cell and terminal connection resistance I N P 3
I N P
Electrical AC ripple current and/or voltage imposed on the battery I
Electrical Performance or modified performance capacity test of entire bank I8 N8 P4 I9 N9 P10
Verify Equalizing Voltage Setting is in accordance to Battery's Manufacturer
Settings N N
recommendation
Settings Verify all charger functions and alarms N N

tsdos.org
NICD: INSPECTIONS AND TESTING

tsdos.org
 NiCd: Quarterly/Tri-annual Recommendations

NiCd

Inspection Quarterly/
Activity
Type Tri-annual*
Visual General appearance and cleanliness of the whole installation I
Visual Electrolyte levels I P
Visual Crack in cells (evidence of electrolyte leakage) I
Visual Evidence of corrosion at terminals, connectors, racks or cabinets I
Mechanical Ambient temperature and ventilation I
Electrical Pilot cells (If used) voltage and electrolyte temperature I
Electrical Float current I
Measure battery system voltage from positive-to-ground and negative-to-ground (check for unintentional
Electrical P
battery grounds)
Electrical Float voltage measured at the battery terminals I
Electrical Verify Station DC supply voltage P
Settings Charger output and voltage I
Settings Adequacy of ventilation I7

tsdos.org
 NiCd: Semi-annually
Recommendations
NiCd

Add to Quarterly/Tri-
annual
Inspectio
Activity Semi-annually
n Type
Electrical Voltage of each cell I

tsdos.org
NiCd: Yearly/18-months Recommendations
NiCd

Add to Semi-
annually
Inspection Yearly1 / 18
Activity
Type months*
Visual General appearance and cleanliness of the whole installation N P
Visual Verify existence of suitable eyewash equipment N
Visual Verify application of an oxide inhibitor on battery terminal connections N
Mechanical Ambient temperature and ventilation N
Mechanical Perform thermographic survey4 N2
Mechanical Intercell connection torque I
Mechanical Verify tightness of accessible bolted electrical connections by calibrated torque-wrench3 N2
Mechanical Structural Integrity of the battery rack I N P
Electrical Pilot cells (If used) voltage and electrolyte temperature N
Electrical Voltage of each cell N5
Electrical Perform internal ohmic measurements N
Electrical Condition and resistance of cable connections I N2 P
Electrical Measure battery system voltage from positive-to-ground and negative-to-ground (check for unintentional battery grounds) N
Electrical Float voltage measured at the battery terminals N
Electrical Perform load test N6
Settings Charger output and voltage P
Settings Charger float and equalizing voltage levels. Adjust to manufacturer’s recommended settings N P
Settings Verify all charger functions and alarms N

tsdos.org
NiCd: 6-years Recommendations

NiCd
Add to Yearly
Inspection Type Activity 6 Years
Electrical Performance or modified performance capacity test of entire bank P

tsdos.org
 Corrective Actions
IEEE recommends some corrective actions for common issues that can be found during
maintenance activities.
• Electrolyte levels should be maintained above the low-level line and up to the full-level line using either distilled or approved-quality
water.
• Remove any corrosion in posts or terminals.
• When inter-cell connection resistance values are not acceptable, even after retorque, connections should be disassembled, cleaned,
reassembled, and retested.
• If individual cell temperatures deviate more than 3 ˚C from each other, the problem should be investigated and corrected. For multi-tier
installations, 3 ˚C might not be achievable and the battery manufacturer should be consulted.
• Equalizing charge – for applicable battery types, when:
o Individual float voltages deviate from the average value recommended by manufacturer
o Undercharge condition is suspected and confirmed by lower than expected specific-gravity measurements
o Plate sulfation
o Immediately if any cell voltage is below the manufacturer’s recommended minimum cell voltage
• Hydration: a battery in this condition should be replaced as soon as possible

tsdos.org
LOAD AND OHMIC TESTING

tsdos.org
LOAD TESTING
tsdos.org
 Load Testing
• Load testing is the only proven
method to determine
– Capacity of the battery
– True State of Health (SOH)

• Load testing is a time and

resource demanding test
– Proper understanding of
procedures https://www.radiology.ca/article/how-does-exercise-stress-test-work

– Adequate tools

tsdos.org
Load Testing

tsdos.org
Type of Tests: @ Factory or
Upon
Installation
Specific
constant
Baseline for
discharge
trending
rate &
duration

Acceptance
Test
Acceptance
Measures
based on the
%C, ≥ 90% of
Time-
rated
Adjusted
Capacity
Method

Capacity may
rise after use

tsdos.org
Type of Tests: Measures
the %C

To reflect
maintenance Constant
, do not current or
prepare the power
battery

Performance
Test

For
Similar in
trending:
duration to
Prepare the
duty cycle
battery
Test
https://www.radiology.ca/article/how-does-exercise-stress-test-work
periodically.
Every 25%
of Life

tsdos.org
 Type of Tests: Ability to
meet a
specific
application
If fails:
Ability to
review sizing,
meet the
maintain &
duty cycle
equalize

Service Test

Discharge As found, no
preparation,
rate as close
no
as practical temperature
to duty cycle correction
At discretion
in between
performance
IEEE485 tests

tsdos.org
Type of Tests: Constant
current
modified to
include duty
cycle
Aging factor
needed to Tests ability
calculate to meet the
minimum test duty cycle
duration

Modified
Performance
Test (MPT)

Three types
of MPT Measures
described in %C, uses
IEEE450 T correction
(Annex I)
Initial
conditions
same as
Service test

https://www.radiology.ca/article/how-does-exercise-stress-test-work

tsdos.org
 Analysis & Replacement Criteria
• If at 85% of service life, delivers
100% capacity or greater of the
manufacturer’s rated capacity,
and has shown no signs of
degradation:
– performance testing at two-
year intervals instead of 1-year
intervals
– Until the battery shows signs
of degradation
• Degradation:
– Capacity drop>10% from
previous performance
test
– Below 90% of the
manufacturer’s rating
• Replacement: at 80%
Capacity

tsdos.org
OHMIC TESTING
tsdos.org
 Test Methods
Internal Ohmic Measurements
─ Ohmic testing can be accomplished using one of three techniques:

– Resistance – Measures only the resistive value of a battery, The battery has capacitive and inductive values as well.

– Conductance – (Actually Admittance) This is the reciprocal of impedance.

– Impedance Testing – Measures the resistive, capacitive and inductive qualities of the battery.

NOTE: Ohmic testing is a relative test NOT an absolute test. We do not test against an absolute
value. We test and compare data to a previous test result.

tsdos.org
 Test Methods
• Impedance testing has a distinct advantage over resistive type testing. When we
look at a schematic representation of a battery there are more than just resistive
components to that battery. There are also capacitive and inductive
characteristics.

• This means that impedance testing will be able to detect certain problems that
resistive measurements can miss; these include negative lug rot as well as
negative plate corrosion. These failures will show themselves as changes in
inductance and capacitance, not in resistance. In addition many chemical changes
in a battery will be seen as impedance changes before they are seen as resistive
changes.

tsdos.org
 Battery Impedance Test
• The following factors will affect the readings (per IEEE 450):
– Cell type and construction
– Battery Charge
– Electrolyte temperature
– Specific Gravity
– String length and configuration (Parallel)
– Load
– Charger (Ripple and other noise)
– Make and model of instrument being used
– Probe Type
– Where the measurement is taken on the battery

tsdos.org
 Battery Impedance Test
Ohmic Results From Two Different Signals
1.8
1.6
1.4
Ohmic Value (mohms)

1.2
1
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
Cell

Instrument A Instrument B

tsdos.org
 Battery Impedance Test
Impedance before and after charging
1.2

1
Ohmic Value (mohms)

0.8

0.6

0.4

0.2

0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
Cell

Discharged Charged

tsdos.org
 Additional Measurements

• Voltage of each cell

• Float Current
• Ripple Current
• Strap Resistances

tsdos.org
Impedance Data Analysis
Type of Battery Single Test Trending
% change from % change from Overall %
average (short- last test (mid- change (long-
term) term) term)
VLA 15 5 30
VRLA 10 5 20
NiCd 10 5 15
Recommended impedance warning limits

tsdos.org
Impedance Data Analysis

tsdos.org
 Summary
NiCd

Application

Construction
Design,
Installation,
Maintenance
and Testing
VLA

VRLA

tsdos.org
 Summary
Fire & Life Design & Maintenance
Reliability
Safety Installation & Testing
NFPA 1
IEEE 450
NFPA 1 NFPA70
NFPA855
IEEE 1188
IEEE C2
NFPA70 NERC PRC-005
IEEE 485
NETA ATS & MTS
IEEE 484

NFPA855 IEEE 1187

NERC PRC-005
IEEE 1106

tsdos.org
 Summary
Fire & Life
Design & Maintenance
Reliability
Safety
Installation & Testing
NFPA 1
IEEE 450
NFPA 1 NFPA70 Ohmic
NFPA855 Testing
IEEE 1188
IEEE C2
NFPA70 NERC PRC-005
IEEE 485 Load Testing
NETA ATS & MTS
IEEE 484

NFPA855 IEEE 1187

NERC PRC-005
IEEE 1106

tsdos.org
QUESTIONS?

tsdos.org