UPS Battery Testing and Maintenance - VRLA, Vented Lead-Acid, Ni-Cd and Lithium-Ion

• Electrical Maintenance Tradespeople And Technicians
• Battery Service And Electrical Testing Technicians
• Electrical Engineers And Consulting Engineers
• Facility, Plant And Data Center Managers
• Critical Power And Mission-Critical Facility Operators
• Substation And Power Plant DC System Personnel
• Telecommunications Power Technicians
• Health Care And Utility Facility Personnel
• Instrumentation And Control Engineers
• Other Electrical Personnel Responsible For Stationary Battery Systems In Industrial, Commercial And Institutional Facilities

UPS Battery Testing and Maintenance Course Outline

DAY ONE

BATTERY TECHNOLOGY, SAFETY AND INSTALLATION

MODULE 1 – THE ROLE OF THE BATTERY AND APPLICABLE STANDARDS

• Battery Function In UPS And DC Power Systems
• Why Batteries Fail
• Key Terms: Ampere-Hours, C-Rate, State Of Charge, State Of Health And End Voltage
• IEEE 450 (Vented Lead-Acid), IEEE 1188 (VRLA) And IEEE 1106 (Nickel-Cadmium)
• IEEE 1184, IEEE 485, IEEE 484 And IEEE 1187
• NEC Article 480, CE Code Section 26, NFPA 855 And UL 1973

MODULE 2 – BATTERY TECHNOLOGIES AND CONSTRUCTION

• Vented Lead-Acid: Lead-Calcium, Lead-Antimony And Lead-Selenium
• Valve-Regulated Lead-Acid: Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) And Gel
• Nickel-Cadmium Batteries
• Lithium-Ion Batteries For UPS: LFP Versus NMC And The Battery Management System (BMS)
• Plates, Separators, Electrolyte, Containers, Relief Valves, Flame Arrestors And Terminals
• Why VRLA Batteries Are Not Maintenance-Free

MODULE 3 – BATTERY THEORY, PERFORMANCE AND FAILURE MECHANISMS

• Chemical Reactions During Charge And Discharge
• Oxygen Recombination In VRLA Batteries
• Capacity Versus Discharge Rate
• Temperature Effects On Capacity And Life
• Depth Of Discharge And Cycle Life
• Micro-Cycling, Grid Corrosion, Sulfation, Dry-Out And Plate Growth

MODULE 4 – BATTERY CHARGING AND THERMAL RUNAWAY

• UPS Rectifier/Charger Operation
• Float, Equalize And Freshening Charges By Battery Type
• Temperature-Compensated Charging And Charge Current Limiting
• AC Ripple Current And Voltage
• Lithium-Ion Charging And BMS Control
• VRLA Thermal Runaway: Causes, Warning Signs And Prevention
• Lithium-Ion Thermal Runaway And Off-Gassing

MODULE 5 – BATTERY SAFETY

• Shock, DC Arc Flash, Chemical And Hydrogen Hazards
• NFPA 70E Battery Risk Assessment And Sectionalizing
• DC Arc Flash Estimating: Worked Example
• PPE, Insulated Tools And Meter Category (CAT) Ratings
• Eyewash And Emergency Shower Requirements
• Spill Response Kits And Safety Data Sheets (SDS)

MODULE 6 – BATTERY ROOMS, RECEIVING AND INSTALLATION

• Ventilation And Hydrogen Calculations
• Temperature Control
• Racks, Cabinets, Seismic Restraint And Spill Containment
• Shipment, Receiving And Inspection For Concealed Damage
• Storage Limits And Freshening Charge
• Torque, Oxide Inhibitor And Connections
• Acceptance Testing Per ANSI/NETA ATS

DAY TWO

BATTERY MAINTENANCE, TESTING AND REPLACEMENT

MODULE 7 – BATTERY SIZING AND RUNTIME VERIFICATION

• Load Profile And Duty Cycle
• Watts-Per-Cell And Number-Of-Cells Calculations
• Temperature Correction, Aging Factor And Design Margin
• Verifying The Runtime Of An Existing Battery
• Worked Battery Sizing Example

MODULE 8 – PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE PROGRAMS

• Monthly, Quarterly And Annual Checklists By Battery Type
• Vented Lead-Acid Maintenance Per IEEE 450
• VRLA Maintenance Per IEEE 1188
• Nickel-Cadmium Maintenance Per IEEE 1106
• Lithium-Ion Maintenance And BMS Data Review
• NFPA 70B Battery Maintenance Requirements

MODULE 9 – INSPECTION AND BASIC MEASUREMENTS

• Visual Inspection: Cracks, Leaks, Swelling, Corrosion And Post Seal Damage
• Float Voltage: String And Individual Cell/Unit
• Float Current As A State-Of-Charge And Thermal Runaway Indicator
• Negative Terminal And Ambient Temperature Measurement
• Electrolyte Level And Specific Gravity (Flooded Cells)
• Battery Cleaning: Approved Materials And Safety Precautions

MODULE 10 – CONNECTION AND OHMIC TESTING AND BATTERY MONITORING

• Intercell And Terminal Connection Resistance
• Internal Ohmic Testing: Impedance, Conductance And Resistance
• Establishing Baselines, Alarm Thresholds And Trends
• Infrared Thermography
• Online Battery Monitoring Systems
• Ground Fault Detection On Grounded And Ungrounded DC Systems

MODULE 11 – CAPACITY TESTING

• Acceptance, Performance, Modified Performance And Service Tests
• When To Test And Recommended Test Intervals
• Load Bank Setup And Safety
• Time-Adjusted And Rate-Adjusted Calculation Methods
• Temperature Correction Factors
• Calculating Percent Capacity: Worked Example

MODULE 12 – INTERPRETING RESULTS, REPLACEMENT AND PROGRAM MANAGEMENT

• Identifying Weak Cells And Failing Strings
• Ohmic Results Versus Capacity Results
• Signs Of Battery Failure By Technology
• Replacement Criteria: Cells Versus Strings
• Planning Replacements Without Exposing The Critical Load
• Lithium-Ion Retrofit Considerations
• Recycling, Disposal And Transportation Requirements
• Maintenance Records, Test Report Forms And Course Case Study

COURSE TIMETABLE

Both days:
Start: 10 am ET
Finish: 4:30 pm ET