Understanding the

Hazard
VRLA Batteries

fg

The Hazard
One of a series of publications designed to
help FM Global customers understand
everyday hazards present in their facilities.

Need More Information?

Ask your FM Global representative
about the following:

Real life loss examples demonstrating

how VRLA batteries failed, resulting
in lost property and downtime.
An explanation of how to run a capacity test of your battery bank, to be sure
it will perform when called upon.

Hazard or Risk?
Many of your critical operations and
electrical protection devices rely on
battery systems to assure continued and
effective operation. Often, these battery
banks utilize valve-regulated lead acid
(VRLA) batteries. While these do not
require the regular maintenance of their
cousins, vented lead acid batteries, they
still need regular maintenance to assure
they will respond when called upon.
Failure to do this represents a risk your
FM Global engineer will be glad to
discuss with you.

By supplying the power needed to trip circuit breakers, batteries serve as an uninterruptible power source for critical processes or systems. When a battery fails, it will
prevent a circuit breaker from clearing an electrical fault, resulting in severe arcing,
equipment damage and power supply interruption. These circumstances can then cause
dangerous process upsets, loss of information and business interruption.
It is important to understand the two main types of battery designs commonly used in
industry: flooded or vented cells, and the sealed or valve-regulated cells found in
valve-regulated lead acid (VRLA) batteries.
Flooded or vented cells consist of a transparent plastic jar filled with a liquid electrolyte, lead plates and plate separators. The liquid electrolyte is a diluted sulfuric acid,
and its spills and leaks are an inherent hazard associated with flooded cells.
To prevent battery failure, the VRLA battery design was developed about 15 years
ago. In these batteries, the liquid electrolyte is immobilized when it is either absorbed
by a sponge-like material or combined with a silica compound to form a gel. The
VRLA battery is sealed in an opaque plastic case, which is fitted with a pressure-relief
valve to vent internal pressure.
Because their sealed design does not allow conventional flooded battery maintenance
to be carried out, VRLA batteries are marketed as maintenance-free. However, industrial experience indicates that VRLA batteries are more sensitive to service conditions
and environments than vented batteries, and are more likely to fail prematurely in those
circumstances. It is therefore important to properly maintain and regularly test VRLA
batteries to detect deterioration.

The Science of the Hazard

VRLA and vented-type lead acid batteries essentially operate the same way.
During discharge, lead on the negative plate and lead dioxide from the positive plate of
the battery combine with the sulfuric acid electrolyte to form lead sulfate and water. A
voltage is generated across the positive and negative plates as a result of this chemical
reaction. The chemical reaction is reversed when an external voltage is applied across
both plates to recharge the battery.
Batteries will self-discharge if left alone, therefore, a float charge is needed to maintain
the cells in a fully charged condition. The float charge passes a current through the battery to overcome its tendency to self-discharge.
Usually more current is provided than needed, flooding the cell. This causes water in
the electrolyte to disassociate into hydrogen and oxygen which explains why you can
occasionally see bubbles in the battery jar. Water is lost when this happens. In flooded
cells, the water is replaced by periodically topping off the cell with distilled water.

What you can do

in your facility
Now:
Check that the maximum ambient
temperature at the VRLA batteries
does not exceed the manufacturers
recommended operating temperature range.
Inspect all cells for cracks or leaks.
Clean all electrolyte leaks with a
bicarbonate of soda solution.
Check all battery terminals and
connections for corrosion and
contamination. Clean and remove
excessive corrosion and contamination
using a bicarbonate of soda solution.
Check that the battery charger is the
correct type recommended by the
manufacturer (constant potential type
or constant current type).
Check that the float voltage and
current is within the manufacturers
recommended operating range.
(Remember to correct the float voltage for the ambient temperature.)

Soon:
Establish a battery maintenance
program as described on page 4.

In a VRLA battery, there is no means of topping off the cell to replace lost water.
To maintain the right electrolyte concentration, VRLA batteries provide a way to
recombine oxygen gas. Oxygen generated at the positive plate is transported across
the electrolyte to the negative plate, where it recombines with lead and sulfuric acid to
form lead sulfate and water. This chemical reaction prevents hydrogen gas from being
formed at the negative plate and minimizes water loss.
The common causes of VRLA battery degradation and failure are described below:

Dryout
The recombination process in a VRLA battery is self-regulating and should result
in minimal loss of water from the electrolyte. Other processes also can contribute to
water loss:
Normal corrosion of the battery plate
Periodic venting of gases due to battery overcharging
Evaporation of water vapor through the seals, pressure-relief valve and battery case
If the electrolyte loses too much water, battery capacity is reduced. Excessive water
loss also can create large voids in the electrolyte, increasing the batterys internal
resistance and possibly leading to thermal runaway. Thermal runaway can generate
sufficient heat to rupture the battery case and, in extreme cases, result in an explosion.

Float-voltage variation
VRLA batteries are sensitive to float-voltage variations. If the float voltage is too high,
the rate of internal gas generation will exceed the cells recombination ability. Excess
gases are vented through the pressure-relief valve and will lead to dryout.

Temperature
VRLA batteries are sensitive to heat and will degrade at an accelerated rate if operated
at high temperatures. As a general rule, the life of VRLA batteries is halved for every
eight degrees above 25 C (77 F).
The recombination process in VRLA batteries also generates heat and will contribute
to aging if this heat is not adequately dissipated.
Operating batteries at elevated temperatures also can lead to thermal runaway. High
battery temperatures require more current to maintain float voltage. High currents
increase heat generation, which in turn results in even higher currents. This cycle
eventually causes the case to rupture.
Your FM Global loss prevention consultant can discuss other less-common causes of
VRLA battery failures and degradation with you.

Loss History
A VRLA battery bank was used to
supply power to a DC emergency lube
oil pump for a steam turbine generator.
The battery bank was located on the
turbine operating floor adjacent to the
steam turbine. Temperatures on the
operating floor regularly exceed 25 C
(77 F). The VRLA batteries were
closely stacked together and placed
immediately against a wall. Solid metal
panels enclosed the sides and top of the
batteries. This arrangement resulted in
poor air circulation through the batteries, which did not allow heat to dissipate.

2001 Factory Mutual Insurance Company. All rights reserved.

During a trip of the steam turbine

generator, the VRLA batteries failed to
supply power to the emergency lube
oil pump. Lack of lubrication caused
wiping of all the steam turbine axial
and thrust bearings as well as some
rubbing of the steam turbine blades.
The cost was estimated at nearly
US$10 million in property damage and
time element losses.
This demonstrates the need to operate
VRLA batteries within the manufacturers recommended temperature range, and the need to allow for proper heat
dissipation from the batteries.

But what about

how to carry out capacity tests?
To perform a capacity test, the charger is switched off and the battery is connected to a
variable load, usually a bank of resistors or light bulbs. The battery is discharged at a
constant current, and the time measurements taken for the battery terminal voltage to
reach its minimal voltage is measured.

the cost to carry out a capacity test?

This will depend on several factors, but as a rough estimate, a capacity test will cost
about US$2,000 for a bank of about 50 cells.

time needed to carry out a capacity test?

This will depend on the rated capacity and the condition of the battery bank. A typical
capacity test on a battery bank used for supplying tripping power to circuit breakers
may take up to eight hours.

battery power during the capacity test?

It is important to ensure that a temporary set of batteries is provided during the capacity test. Contractors normally supply a set of car or truck batteries to replace the set
being tested.
If you have multiple sets of batteries and only one set is needed, it is acceptable to test
one set at a time without having to provide a temporary set of batteries.

the fact that I have online battery monitoring?

Most online battery monitors and passive battery testers only provide information such
as float voltage, float current, temperatures and internal cell resistance. Monitoring
these parameters does not provide information on the life of the battery and does not
replace the need to carry out a capacity test. The capacity test is the best method to
determine the condition of your battery.
Some of the more advanced battery monitoring systems are equipped with a quick
discharge function; a small resistive load is connected across the battery bank, and the
discharge current is measured and trended for a short duration. The discharge current is
very small, and the discharge duration is too short to adequately test the battery bank.
This should not be considered a replacement for a full capacity test.

Thermal runaway
If VRLA batteries are located in the
same area as sensitive telecommunications or electronic equipment
(computer rooms, PLC/DCS/DMS
rooms), the following improvements
are needed:
Establish a battery monitoring
system to warn of thermal runaway.
This system should take measure of
two of the following parameters:
Battery temperature
Battery voltage
Float current
Battery conductance
If there are indications of conditions
leading to a thermal runaway, one
of the following should be done:
For constant voltage-float
operations, reduce the voltage
below the threshold that will
sustain thermal runaway.
For constant current-float
operations, reduce the current
below the threshold that will
sustain thermal runaway.
Disconnect the battery from
the charger.
Turn off the charger.
Enclosures around the batteries,
if used, should be of noncombustible construction,with
adequate ventilation to control
temperature and prevent
hydrogen buildup.

Understanding the Hazard

Dont let this happen to you

One of a series of publications

designed to help you understand the
everyday hazards present in your
facility. For more information on how
you can better understand the risk
inherent in your operations, contact
your FM Global engineer, whose
card is attached below.
Construction
Equipment Hazards
Fire Protection
Human Element
Process Hazards

Transformer throughfaults can have severe consequences. Protection against throughfaults relies on properly functioning batteries to trip the circuit breaker and clear the
fault. Proper maintenance of the batteries assures the circuit breaker will be tripped and
prevent a disastrous consequence like the transformer fire pictured above.

Recommended Battery Maintenance Program

Monthly

Check and record the voltage at the battery terminals.

Check and record the charger output voltage and current.
Check and record the ambient temperature and condition of
ventilation equipment.
Visually inspect each cell for corrosion, leaks, cleanliness,
cracks and distortion.

Quarterly

Measure and record the internal resistance of each cell.

Measure and record the temperature of the negative terminal
of each cell.
Measure and trend a representative sample of intercell
connection resistance (10 percent or six connections). If an upward
trend is noticed, measure all intercell connection resistance.

Semiannually Measure and record the voltage of each cell.

Annually

Measure and record all intercell connection resistance.

Measure the AC ripple current and/or voltage imposed on
the battery.
Carry out a capacity test in accordance with IEEE Standard 1188,
IEC Standard 896-2 or Australian Standard AS 4029.2.

For additional copies of this publication

and other FM Global resources, call
Customer Services at (781) 255-6681 or
toll free in the United States and Canada
at (877) 364-6726; fax (781) 255-0181.
Visit our Web site at www.fmglobal.com
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Printed in USA (9/01)