Battery

testing guide

▪▪Why backup batteries are needed

▪▪Battery types
▪▪Failure modes
WWW.MEGGER.COM

▪▪Maintenance philosophies
▪▪Practical battery testing
▪▪Frequently asked questions
▪▪Megger products overview
Contents
Why backup batteries are needed................. 4 Ripple current............................................................ 16
Temperature............................................................... 16
Why test battery systems........................................ 4
Data analysis............................................................ 17
Why batteries fail.................................................... 4
Locating ground faults on DC systems without
Battery types................................................... 5 sectionalizing........................................................... 20
Lead-acid overview................................................. 5 Overview.............................................................. 20
Nickel-Cadmium Overview...................................... 5 Current test methods............................................ 20
Battery construction and nomenclature...................... 6 A better test method............................................ 20
Configurations........................................................ 6 Frequently asked questions......................... 21
Single post batteries..................................................... 6
Battery technology summary................................... 21
Multiple post batteries................................................. 6
Megger products overview.......................... 22
Failure modes.................................................. 7
Impedance test equipment....................................... 22
Lead-acid (flooded) failure modes........................... 7
BITE® 3................................................................. 22
Lead-acid (VRLA) failure modes............................... 7
BITE® 2 and BITE®2P.............................................. 23
Nickel-Cadmium failure modes............................... 8 ProActiv battery database management software....... 23
BITE® accessories........................................................ 23
Maintenance philosophies............................. 9
Capacity testing....................................................... 25
How to maintain the battery...................................... 9
TORKEL 820/840/860........................................... 25
Standards and common practices............................ 9
TORKEL accessories.................................................... 25
IEEE 450....................................................................... 9
Inspections............................................................... 9 Ground fault tracing equipment............................... 26
Capacity test (discharge test) should be done............ 9 Battery Ground Fault Tracer (BGFT)....................... 26
IEEE 1188................................................................... 10 Battery Ground-fault Locator (BGL)....................... 26
Inspections............................................................. 10 Digital Low Resistance Ohmmeters (DLRO®) and
Capacity test (capacity test) should be done............ 10 Microhmmeters (MOM)........................................... 28
Battery replacement criteria.................................... 10 DLRO200 and DLRO600....................................... 28
IEEE 1106................................................................... 10
DLRO 247000 series............................................. 28
Inspections............................................................. 10
MJÖLNER 200 and MJÖLNER 600......................... 29
Capacity test (discharge test) should be done.......... 10
MOM200A and MOM600A.................................. 29
Summary of best way to test and evaluate your
battery.................................................................. 10 MOM690............................................................. 29
Test intervals.............................................................. 10 Multimeters............................................................. 30
MMC850 Multi-conductor AC Digital
Practical battery testing............................... 11 Clampmeter......................................................... 30
Capacity test............................................................ 11 Multimeters.......................................................... 30
Battery testing matrix – IEEE recommended
Insulation Resistance Test Equipment........................ 31
practices............................................................... 11
MIT400 series insulation resistance testers............. 31
Procedure for capacity test of vented lead acid
battery.................................................................. 12 PowerDBTM............................................................. 32
Impedance test........................................................ 13 Acceptance & Maintenance Test Data Management
Software............................................................... 32
Impedance theory................................................. 13
Test Forms.................................................................. 32
Intercell connection resistance.................................... 14
Testing and electrical paths......................................... 15
Voltage...................................................................... 15
Specific gravity .......................................................... 15
Float current.............................................................. 16

battery TESTING GUIDE 3

Why backup battery. Nonetheless, a battery, to work the way it is sup-
posed to work must be maintained properly. A good battery
maintenance program may prevent, or at least, reduce the
batteries are costs and damage to critical equipment due to an AC mains
outage.
needed Even though there are many applications for batteries,
Batteries are used to ensure that critical electrical equipment standby batteries are installed for only two reasons:
is always on. There are so many places where batteries are ▪▪ To protect and support critical equipment during
used – it is nearly impossible to list them all. Some of the an AC outage
applications for batteries include: ▪▪ To protect revenue streams due to the loss of service
▪▪ Electric generating stations and substations for protection The following discussion about failure modes focuses on
and control of switches and relays the mechanisms and types of failure and how it is possible
▪▪ Telephone systems to support phone service, especially to find weak cells. Below is a section containing a more
emergency services detailed discussion about testing methods and their pros
and cons.
▪▪ Industrial applications for protection and control
▪▪ Back up of computers, especially financial data
and information
Why batteries fail
In order for us to understand why batteries fail, unfortu-
▪▪ “Less critical” business information systems nately a little bit of chemistry is needed. There are two main
Without battery back-up hospitals would have to close their battery chemistries used today – lead-acid and nickel-cad-
doors until power is restored. But even so, there are patients mium. Other chemistries are coming, like lithium, which is
on life support systems that require absolute 100% electric prevalent in portable battery systems, but not stationary, yet.
power. For those patients, as it was once said, “failure is not
Volta invented the primary (non-rechargeable) battery in
an option.”
1800. Planté invented the lead-acid battery in 1859 and
Just look around to see how much electricity we use and in 1881 Faure first pasted lead-acid plates. With refine-
then to see how important batteries have become in our ev- ments over the decades, it has become a critically important
eryday lives. The many blackouts of 2003 around the world back-up power source. The refinements include improved
show how critical electrical systems have become to sustain alloys, grid designs, jar and cover materials and improved
our basic needs. Batteries are used extensively and without jar-to-cover and post seals. Arguably, the most revolutionary
them many of the services that we take for granted would development was the valve-regulated development. Many
fail and cause innumerable problems. similar improvements in nickel-cadmium chemistry have
been developed over the years.
Why test battery systems
There are three main reasons to test battery systems:
▪▪ To insure the supported equipment is adequately backed-
up
▪▪ To prevent unexpected failures by tracking the battery’s
health
▪▪ To forewarn/predict death
And, there are three basic questions that battery users ask:
▪▪ What is the capacity and the condition of the battery
now?
▪▪ When will it need to be replaced?
▪▪ What can be done to improve / not reduce its life?
Batteries are complex chemical mechanisms. They have
numerous components from grids, active material, posts,
jar and cover, etc. – any one of which can fail. As with all
manufacturing processes, no matter how well they are made,
there is still some amount of black art to batteries (and all
chemical processes).
A battery is two dissimilar metallic materials in an elec-
trolyte. In fact, you can put a penny and a nickel in half
of a grapefruit and you now have a battery. Obviously, an
industrial battery is more sophisticated than a grapefruit
4 battery TESTING GUIDE
Battery types Nickel-Cadmium Overview
Nickel-Cadmium chemistry is similar in some respects
There are several main types of battery technologies with to lead-acid in that there are two dissimilar metals in an
subtypes: electrolyte. The basic reaction in a potassium hydroxide
(alkaline) electrolyte is:
▪▪ Lead-acid
2 NiOOH + Cd +2 H2O Ni(OH)2 + Cd(OH)2
▶▶ Flooded (wet): lead-calcium, lead-antimony
However, in NiCd batteries the potassium hydroxide (KOH) does
▶▶ Valve Regulated Lead-acid, VRLA (sealed): lead-calcium, not enter the reaction like sulphuric acid does in lead-acid batteries.
lead-antimony-selenium The construction is similar to lead-acid in that there are alternat-
ing positive and negative plates submerged in an electrolyte. Rarely
▶▶ Absorbed Glass Matte (AGM)
seen, but available, are sealed NiCd batteries.
▶▶ Gel
▶▶ Flat plate
▶▶ Tubular plate
▪▪ Nickel-cadmium
▶▶ Flooded
▶▶ Sealed
▶▶ Pocket plate
▶▶ Flat plate

Lead-acid overview
The basic lead-acid chemical reaction in a sulphuric acid
electrolyte, where the sulphate of the acid is part of the
reaction, is:
PbO2 + Pb + 2H2SO4 2PbSO4 + 2H2 + 1⁄2 O2
The acid is depleted upon discharge and regenerated upon
recharge. Hydrogen and oxygen form during discharge and
float charging (because float charging is counteracting self-
discharge). In flooded batteries, they escape and water must
be periodically added. In valve-regulated, lead-acid (sealed)
batteries, the hydrogen and oxygen gases recombine to form
water. Additionally, in VRLA batteries, the acid is immo-
bilized by an absorbed glass matte (AGM) or in a gel. The
matte is much like the fibre-glass insulation used in houses.
It traps the hydrogen and oxygen formed during discharge
and allows them to migrate so that they react back to form
water. This is why VRLA never needs water added com-
pared to flooded (wet, vented) lead-acid batteries.
A battery has alternating positive and negative plates
separated by micro-porous rubber in flooded lead-acid,
absorbed glass matte in VRLA, gelled acid in VRLA gel
batteries or plastic sheeting in NiCd. All of the like-polarity
plates are welded together and to the appropriate post. In
the case of VRLA cells, some compression of the plate-
matte-plate sandwich is exerted to maintain good contact
between them. There is also a self-resealing, pressure relief
valve (PRV) to vent gases when over-pressurization occurs.

battery TESTING GUIDE 5

Battery construction and cur (i2R heating) and damage the battery or in the worst cases,
damage installed electronics due to smoke or fire.
nomenclature To prevent plates from touching each other and shorting
Now that we know everything there is to know about battery the battery, there is a separator between each of the plates.
chemistry, except for Tafel curves, ion diffusion, Randles Figure 1 is a diagram of a four-post battery from the top
equivalent cells, etc., let’s move on to battery construction. A looking through the cover. It does not show the separators.
battery must have several components to work properly: a jar
to hold everything and a cover, electrolyte (sulphuric acid or Configurations
potassium hydroxide solution), negative and positive plates, Batteries come in various configurations themselves. Add to
top connections welding all like-polarity plates together and that the many ways that they can be arranged, the number
then posts that are also connected to the top connections of of possible configurations is endless. Of course, voltage
the like-polarity plates. plays the biggest part in a battery configuration. Batteries
All batteries have one more negative plate than positive plate. have multiple posts for higher current draws. The more cur-
That is because the positive plate is the working plate and if rent needed from a battery, the bigger the connections must
there isn’t a negative plate on the outside of the last positive be. That includes posts, intercell connectors and buss bars
plate, the whole outer side of last positive plate will not have and cables.
anything with which to react and create electricity. Hence,
Single post batteries
there is always an odd number of plates in a battery, e.g., a
Smaller battery systems are usually the simplest battery
100A33 battery is comprised of 33 plates with 16 positive
systems and are the easiest to maintain. They usually have
plates and 17 negative plates. In this example, each positive
single post batteries connected with solid intercell connec-
plate is rated at 100 Ah. Multiply 16 by 100 and the capacity
tors. Frequently, they are quite accessible but because they
at the 8-hour rate is found, namely, 1600 Ah. Europe uses a
are small and can be installed in a cubby hole occasionally,
little different calculation than the US standards.
they may be quite inaccessible for testing and maintenance.
In batteries that have higher capacities, there are frequently
four or six posts. This is to avoid overheating of the cur- Multiple post batteries
rent-carrying components of the battery during high current Batteries with multiple posts per polarity start to become
draws or lengthy discharges. A lead-acid battery is a series of interesting quickly. They are usually larger and frequently are
plates connected to top lead connected to posts. If the top more critical.
lead, posts and intercell connectors are not sufficiently large
enough to safely carry the electrons, then overheating may oc-

Figure 1 Battery construction diagram

6 battery TESTING GUIDE

Failure modes Corrosion of the top lead, which is the connection between
the plates and the posts is hard to detect even with a visual
inspection since it occurs near the top of the battery and is
Lead-acid (flooded) failure hidden by the cover. The battery will surely fail due to the
high current draw when the AC mains drop off. The heat
modes build-up when discharging will most likely melt then crack
▪▪ Positive grid corrosion open and then the entire string drops off-line, resulting in a
▪▪ Sediment (shedding) build-up catastrophic failure.
▪▪ Top lead corrosion Plate sulphation is an electrical path problem. A thorough
▪▪ Plate sulphation visual inspection can sometimes find traces of plate sulpha-
▪▪ Hard shorts (paste lumps)
tion. Sulphation is the process of converting active plate
material to inactive white lead sulphate. Sulphation is due
Each battery type has many failure modes, some of which
to low charger voltage settings or incomplete recharge after
are more prevalent than others. In flooded lead-acid batter-
an outage. Sulphates form when the voltage is not set high
ies, the predominant failure modes are listed above. Some
enough. Sulphation will lead to higher impedance and a
of them manifest themselves with use such as sediment
lower capacity.
build-up due to excessive cycling. Others occur naturally
such as positive grid growth (oxidation). It is just a matter
of time before the battery fails. Maintenance and environ- Lead-acid (VRLA) failure modes
mental conditions can increase or decrease the risks of ▪▪ Dry-out (Loss-of-Compression)
premature battery failure. ▪▪ Plate Sulphation (see above)
Positive grid corrosion is the expected failure mode of ▪▪ Soft and Hard Shorts
flooded lead-acid batteries. The grids are lead alloys (lead- ▪▪ Post leakage
calcium, lead-antimony, lead-antimony-selenium) that con- ▪▪ Thermal run-away
vert to lead oxide over time. Since the lead oxide is a bigger
crystal than lead metal alloy, the plate grows. The growth ▪▪ Positive grid corrosion (see above)
rate has been well characterized and is taken into account Dry-out is a phenomenon that occurs due to excessive heat
when designing batteries. In many battery data sheets, there (lack of proper ventilation), over charging, which can cause
is a specification for clearance at the bottom of the jar to elevated internal temperatures, high ambient (room) tem-
allow for plate growth in accordance with its rated lifetime, peratures, etc. At elevated internal temperatures, the sealed
for example, 20 years. cells will vent through the PRV. When sufficient electrolyte
is vented, the glass matte no longer is in contact with the
At the designed end-of-life, the plates will have grown suf- plates, thus increasing the internal impedance and reducing
ficiently to pop the tops off of the batteries. But excessive battery capacity. In some cases, the PRV can be removed
cycling, temperature and over-charging can also increase the and distilled water added (but only in worst case scenarios
speed of positive grid corrosion. Impedance will increase and by an authorized service company since removing the
over time corresponding to the increase in electrical resis- PRV may void the warranty). This failure mode is easily
tance of the grids to carry the current. Impedance will also detected by impedance and is one of the more common
increase as capacity decreases as depicted in the graph in failure modes of VRLA batteries.
figure 2.
Soft (a.k.a. dendritic shorts) and Hard shorts occur for a
Sediment build-up (shedding) is a function of the amount number of reasons. Hard shorts are typically caused by
of cycling a battery endures. This is more often seen in UPS paste lumps pushing through the matte and shorting out
batteries but can be seen elsewhere. Shedding is the slough- to the adjacent (opposite polarity) plate. Soft shorts, on the
ing off of active material from the plates, converting to other hand, are caused by deep discharges. When the specif-
white lead sulphate. Sediment build-up is the second reason ic gravity of the acid gets too low, the lead will dissolve into
battery manufacturers have space at the bottom of the jars it. Since the liquid (and the dissolved lead) are immobilized
to allow for a certain amount of sediment before it builds- by the glass matte, when the battery is recharged, the lead
up to the point of shorting across the bottom of the plates comes out of solution forming threads of thin lead metal,
rendering the battery useless. The float voltage will drop and known as dendrites inside the matte. In some cases, the lead
the amount of the voltage drop depends upon how hard the dendrites short through the matte to the other plate. The
short is. Shedding, in reasonable amounts, is normal. float voltage may drop slightly but impedance can find this
Some battery designs have wrapped plates such that the failure mode easily but is a decrease in impedance, not the
sediment is held against the plate and is not allowed to drop typical increase as in dry-out. See figure 2, Abnormal Cell.
to the bottom. Therefore, sediment does not build-up in Thermal run-away occurs when a battery’s internal compo-
wrapped plate designs. The most common application of nents melt-down in a self-sustaining reaction. Normally, this
wrapped plates is UPS batteries. phenomenon can be predicted by as much as four months
or in as little as two weeks. The impedance will increase in

battery TESTING GUIDE 7

advance of thermal run-away as does float current. Thermal catastrophic to supported equipment. It can be reversed by
run-away is relatively easy to avoid, simply by using tem- exchanging the electrolyte.
perature-compensated chargers and properly ventilating the Floating effects are the gradual loss of capacity due to long
battery room/cabinet. Temperature-compensated chargers periods on float without being cycled. This can also cause
reduce the charge current as the temperature increases. a catastrophic failure of the supported load. However,
Remember that heating is a function of the square of the through routine maintenance, this can be avoided. Floating
current. Even though thermal run-away may be avoided by effects are reversible by deep-cycling the battery once or
temperature-compensation chargers, the underlying cause is twice.
still present.
NiCd batteries, with their thicker plates, are not well-suited
for cycling applications. Shorter duration batteries gener-
Nickel-Cadmium failure modes ally have thinner plates to discharge faster due to a higher
NiCd batteries seem to be more robust than lead-acid. They are
more expensive to purchase but the cost of ownership is similar surface area. Thinner plates means more plates for a given
to lead-acid, especially if maintenance costs are used in the cost jar size and capacity, and more surface area. Thicker plates
equation. Also, the risks of catastrophic failure are considerably (in the same jar size) have less surface area.
lower than for VRLAs. Iron poisoning is caused by corroding plates and is irrevers-
The failure modes of NiCd are much more limited than lead- ible.
acid. Some of the more important modes are:
▪▪ Gradual loss of capacity
▪▪ Carbonation
▪▪ Floating effects
▪▪ Cycling
▪▪ Iron poisoning of positive plates
Gradual loss of capacity occurs from the normal aging
process. It is irreversible but is not catastrophic, not unlike
grid growth in lead-acid.
Carbonation is gradual and is reversible. Carbonation is
caused by the absorption of carbon dioxide from the air
into the potassium hydroxide electrolyte which is why it is
a gradual process. Without proper maintenance, carbon-
ation can cause the load to not be supported, which can be

Figure 2 Changes in impedance as a result of battery capacity

8 battery TESTING GUIDE

Maintenance How to maintain the
philosophies battery
There are different philosophies and ambition levels for Standards and common
maintaining and testing batteries. Some examples: practices
▪▪ Just replace batteries when they fail or die. Minimum or There are a number of standards and company practices for
no maintenance and testing. battery testing. Usually they comprise inspections (observa-
Obviously, not testing batteries at all is the least costly with tions, actions and measurements done under normal float
considering only maintenance costs but the risks are great. condition) and capacity tests. Most well-known are the
The consequences must be considered when evaluating IEEE standards:
the cost-risk analysis since the risks are associated with ▪▪ IEEE 450 for flooded lead-acid
the equipment being supported. Batteries have a limited
▪▪ IEEE 1188 for sealed lead-acid
lifetime and they can fail earlier than expected. Time
between outages is usually long and if outages are the ▪▪ IEEE 1106 for nickel-cadmium
only occasions the battery shows its capability risk is high
IEEE 450
that reduced or no back-up is available when needed.
IEEE 450, “IEEE Recommended Practice for Mainte-
Having batteries as back-up of important installations
nance, Testing and Replacement of Vented Lead-acid Bat-
without any idea of their current health spoils the whole
teries for Stationary Applications” describes the frequency
idea of a reliable system.
and type of measurements that need to be taken to validate
▪▪ Replace after a certain time. Minimum or no maintenance the condition of the battery. The standard covers Inspec-
and testing. tions, Capacity test, Corrective actions, Battery replacement
This might also be a risky approach. Batteries can criteria etc.
fail earlier than expected. Also it is waste of capital
Below is a summarized description for the maintenance, for
if the batteries are replaced earlier than needed.
the full instructions see the IEEE450 standards.
Properly maintained batteries can live longer than the
predetermined replacement time. Inspections
▪▪ A serious maintenance and testing program in order to ▪▪ Monthly inspection include appearance and
ensure the batteries are in good condition, prolong their measurements of string voltage, ripple voltage, ripple
life and to find the optimal time for replacement . current, charger output current and voltage, ambient
A maintenance program including inspection, impedance temperature, voltage and electrolyte temperature at pilot
and capacity testing is the way to track the battery’s cells, battery float charging current or specific gravity at
state of health. Degradation and faults will be found pilot cells, unintentional battery grounds etc.
before they become serious and surprises can be avoided.
▪▪ Quarterly inspections include same measurements as
Maintenance costs are higher but this is what you have
monthly inspection and in addition, voltage of each cell,
to pay for to get the reliability you want for your back-up
specific gravity of 10% of the cells of the battery and float
system.
charging current, temperature of a representative sample
The best testing scheme is the balance between maintenance of 10% or more of the battery cells.
costs and risks of losing the battery and the supported
▪▪ Once a year a quarterly inspection should be extended
equipment. For example, in some transmission substations,
with, specific gravity of all cells of the battery, temperature
there is upwards of $10 million per hour flowing through
of each cell, cell-to-cell and terminal connection resistance
them. What is the cost of not maintaining battery systems
are performed on the entire string.
in those substations? A $3000 battery is fairly insignificant
compared to the millions of dollars in lost revenues. Each Capacity test (discharge test) should be done
company is different and must individually weigh the cost- ▪▪ At the installation (acceptance test)
risk of battery maintenance. ▪▪ Within the first two years of service
▪▪ Periodically. Intervals should not be greater than 25% of
the expected service life.

battery TESTING GUIDE 9

▪▪ Annually when the battery shows signs of degradation or IEEE 1106
has reached 85% of the expected service life. Degradation IEEE 1106, “IEEE Recommended Practice for Installation,
is indicated when the battery capacity drops more than Maintenance, Testing and Replacement of Vented Nickel-Cad-
10% from its capacity on the previous capacity test or is mium Batteries for Stationary Applications”.
below 90% of manufacturers rating. If the battery has Below is a summarized description for the maintenance, for
reached 85% of service life, delivers 100% or greater of the full instructions see the IEEE1106 standards.
the manufacturer's rated capacity and has no signs of
degradation it can be tested at two-year Intervals until it Inspections
shows signs of degradations. ▪▪ Inspection at least once per quarter include battery
terminal float voltage, appearance, charger output current
IEEE 1188 and voltage, pilot-cell electrolyte temperature.
IEEE 1188, “IEEE Recommended Practice for Main-
▪▪ Semi-annually general inspection and measurement of
tenance, Testing and Replacement of Valve-Regulated
voltage of each cell shall be done.
Lead-Acid Batteries for Stationary Applications” defines the
recommended tests and frequency. Capacity test (discharge test) should be done
Below is a summarized description for the maintenance, for ▪▪ Within the first two years of service
the full instructions see the IEEE1188 standards. ▪▪ At 5-year intervals until the battery shows signs of
excessive capacity loss.
Inspections
▪▪ Annually at excessive capacity loss
▪▪ Monthly inspection include battery terminal float voltage,
charger output current and voltage, ambient temperature,
visual inspection and DC float current per string.
Summary of best way to test
▪▪ Quarterly same measurements as for monthly inspection
and evaluate your battery
shall be done and additionally cell/unit impedance value, Test intervals
temperature of negative terminal of each cell and voltage 1. Make a capacity test when the battery is new as part of
of each cell. For applications with a discharge rate of one the acceptance test.
hour or less, resistance of 10% of the intercell connections
2. Make an impedance test at the same time to establish
shall be measured.
baseline values for the battery.
▪▪ Semi-Annual same measurements as for quarterly
inspection shall be done and additionally a check and 3. Repeat the above within 2 years for warranty purpose.
record of voltage of each cell/unit, cell/unit internal ohmic 4. Make an impedance test every year on flooded cells and
values, temperature of the negative terminal of each cell/ quarterly on VRLA cells.
unit of battery. 5. Make capacity tests at least for every 25% of expected
▪▪ Yearly and Initial above measurements should be taken service life.
and in addition, cell-to-cell and terminal connection
6. Make capacity test annually when the battery has
resistance of entire battery and AC ripple current and/or
reached 85% of expected service life or if the capacity
voltage imposed on the battery.
has dropped more than 10% since the previous test or is
Capacity test (capacity test) should be done below 90% of the manufacturers rating.
▪▪ At the installation (acceptance test) 7. Make a capacity test if the Impedance value has changed
▪▪ Periodically. Intervals should not be greater than 25% of significantly.
the expected service life or two years, whichever is less. 8. Follow a given practice (preferably from the IEEE
▪▪ Where impedance values has changed significantly standard) for all temperature, voltage, gravity measure-
between readings or physical changes has occurred ments etc. and fill in a report. This will be a great help
▪▪ Annually when the battery shows signs of degradation or for trending and for fault tracing.
has reached 85% of the expected service life. Degradation
is indicated when the battery capacity drops more than
10% from its capacity on the previous capacity test or is
below 90% of manufacturers rating.
Battery replacement criteria
Both IEEE 450 and IEEE 1188 recommend replacing the
battery if its capacity is below 80% of manufacturer’s rating.
Maximum time for replacement is one year. Physical char-
acteristics such as plate condition or abnormally high cell
temperatures are often determinants for complete battery or
individual cell replacements.

10 battery TESTING GUIDE

Practical battery Capacity test
Capacity test is the only way to get an accurate value on the
testing actual capacity of the battery. While used regularly it can be
used for tracking the battery’s health and actual capacity and
The Battery testing matrix below may help guide even the estimating remaining life of the battery. When the battery is
most skilled battery testing technician and will help simplify new its capacity might be slightly lower than specified. This
the recommended practices. is normal.
The following is a description of some of the tests or main- There are rated capacity values available from the manufac-
tenance parameters. turer. All batteries have tables telling the discharge current
for a specified time and down to a specific end of discharge
voltage. Table below is an example from a battery manufac-
turer
End 8h Nominal rates at 25º C (77º F)
Volt. Model Ah Amperes (includes connector voltage drop
/Cell Ratings 1 h 2 h 3 h 4 h 5 h 6 h 8 h 10 h
DCU/DU-9 100 52 34 26 21 18 15 12 10
1.75 DCU/DU-11 120 66 41 30 25 21 18 15 13
DCU/DU-13 150 78 50 38 31 27 23 19 16

Common test times are 5 or 8 hours and common end of dis-

charge voltage for a lead acid cell is 1.75 or 1.80 V.
During the test it is measured how much capacity (cur-
rent x time expressed in Ah) the battery can deliver before
the terminal voltage drops to the end of discharge volt-
age x number of cells. The current shall be maintained at
a constant value. It is recommended to select a test time
that is approximately the same as the battery’s duty cycle.
Common test times are 5 or 8 hours and common end
of discharge voltage for a lead acid cell is 1.75 or 1.80 V.
It is recommended to use the same testing time during the

Battery testing matrix – IEEE recommended practices

Instrument Bite3 Bite2 DLROs MOM/ DCMs BMM80 M5091 BGFT BGL DMA35 TORKEL Visual
Mjölner
Parameter
Capacity ▪▪
Internal ohmic value ▪▪ ▪▪
Intercell connection
resistance
▪▪ ▪▪ ▪▪ ▪▪
Voltage of each
cell / pilot cell
▪▪ ▪▪ ▪▪
Spec. grav. and temp.
of each cell / pilot cell
▪▪

Corrosion at Terminals ▪▪ ▪▪ ▪▪
DC Float Current ▪▪ ▪▪ ▪▪
Unintentional Battery
Grounds
▪▪ ▪▪ ▪▪ ▪▪

Battery ripple current ▪▪ ▪▪ ▪▪

Charger DC
float current
▪▪ ▪▪ ▪▪
Cycling of Ni / Cd
batteries
▪▪
Structural integrity of
rack / cabinet
▪▪

Spectrum Analyzer ▪▪

battery TESTING GUIDE 11

battery’s lifetime. This will improve accuracy when trending It is important to measure the individual cell voltages. This
how battery’s capacity changes. has to be made a couple of times during the test. Most
If the battery reaches the end of discharge voltage at the important is to measure the cells at the end of the discharge
same time as the specified test time the battery’s actual test in order to find the weak cells.
capacity is 100% of the rated capacity. If it reaches the end It is also very important that the time OR the current during
of discharge at 80% (8 h) or before of the specified 10 h it a discharge test is adjusted for the temperature of the bat-
is shall be replaced. See figure 3. tery. A cold battery will give less Ah than a warm. Tempera-
ture correction factors and methods are described in the
Procedure for capacity test of IEEE standards.
vented lead acid battery Manufacturers can also specify their batteries at constant
1. Verify that the battery has had an equalizing charge if power discharge. This is used where the load has voltage
specified by the manufacturer regulators. Then the current will increase when the volt-
age drops. Procedure for testing these batteries is the same
2. Check all battery connections and ensure all resistance but the load equipment must be able to discharge with a
readings are correct constant power.
3. Record specific gravity of every cell Batteries can also be tested at a shorter time than their duty
4. Record the float voltage of every cell cycle, for instance at 1 hour. Then the current rate has to be
5. Record the temperature of every sixth cell in order to increased. Advantage is that less capacity is drained from
get an average temperature the battery (valid for lead-acid) and it requires less time to
recharge it. Also less man-hour is needed for the test. Con-
6. Record the battery terminal float voltage tact your battery manufacturer for more information. At
7. Disconnect the charger from the battery higher rates it is more important to supervise the battery’s
8. Start the discharge. The discharge current should be temperature.
corrected for the temperature obtained at point 5 (not if Between load tests, impedance measurement is an excellent
capacity is corrected afterwards) and maintained during tool for assessing the condition of batteries. Furthermore, it is
the entire test. recommended that an impedance test be performed just prior to
any load test to improve the correlation between capacity and
9. Record the voltage of every cell and the battery terminal impedance.
voltage in the beginning of the discharge test
10. Record the voltage of every cell and the battery terminal
voltage one or several times at specified intervals when
the test is running
11. Maintain the discharge until the battery terminal voltage
has decreased to the specified end of discharge voltage
(for instance 1.75 x number of cells)
12. Record the voltage of every cell and the battery terminal
voltage at the end of the test. The cell voltages at the
end of the test have special importance since weak cells
are indicated here.
13. Calculate the actual battery capacity

Figure 3 If the battery reaches the end of discharge at 80% Figure 4 Replacement of battery is recommended when the
(8 h) or before of the specified 10 h it is shall be replaced. capacity is 80% of rated.

12 battery TESTING GUIDE

Impedance test a critical load or revenue stream. If a single cell goes open
then the entire string goes off line and the load is no longer
Impedance, an internal ohmic test, is resistance in AC terms. supported. Therefore, it is important to find the weak cells
With regard to DC battery systems, impedance indicates before they cause a major failure.
the condition of batteries. Since it tests the condition of
The graph in figure 5 shows the effect of decreasing capac-
the entire electrical path of a battery from terminal plate to
ity on impedance. There is a strong correlation between
terminal plate, impedance can find weaknesses in cells and
impedance and capacity so that weak cells are ably and
intercell connectors easily and reliably.
reliably found in sufficient time to take remedial action. The
Basically, impedance test is determined by applying an AC graph shows the reorganized impedance data in ascending
current signal, measuring the AC voltage drop across the order with each cell’s corresponding load test end voltage.
cell or intercell connector and calculating the impedance (Impedance in milliohms coincidentally is the same scale as
using Ohm’s Law. In practice, not only is the AC voltage the voltage, 0 to 2.5). This view, that is ascending imped-
drop measured but so is the AC current. The AC current ance/descending voltage, groups the weak cells on the right
is measured because of other AC currents in a battery that side of the graph to find them easily.
are additive (subtractive). Other AC currents are present
from the charger system. The test is performed by applying Impedance theory
an AC test signal to the terminal plates. Then measure both A battery is not simply resistive. There is also a capacitive
the total AC current in the string and the voltage drop of term. After all, a battery is a capacitor, a storage device, and
each unit in the string by measuring each cell and intercell resistors cannot store electricity. figure 6 shows an electrical
connector consecutively until the entire string is measured. circuit, known as the Randles Equivalent Circuit, that de-
The impedance is calculated, displayed and stored. As the picts a battery in simple terms. There are those who would
cells age, the internal impedance increases as depicted in have people believe that the capacitive term is not necessary
figure 2. By measuring impedance, the condition of each and that the resistance is the only part that needs measuring.
cell in the string can be measured and trended to determine
when to replace a cell or the string which helps in planning Impedance measures both the DC resistance (the real
for budgetary needs. component in impedance) and the reactance (the imagi-
nary components in impedance). Only by measuring both
The impedance test is a true four-wire, Kelvin-type mea- can the capacitive term start to be understood. The other
surement that provides excellent reliability and highly repro- argument used against impedance is that frequency is a
ducible data on which to base sound decisions with regard variable in the reactance part of the impedance equation.
to battery maintenance and replacement. Impedance is able That is true except that since Megger uses a fixed frequency,
to find weak cells so that proactive maintenance can be namely 50 or 60 Hz depending upon geography, it is always
performed. After all, the battery is a cost but it is supporting

Figure 5 Ascending impedance with corresponding end voltage

battery TESTING GUIDE 13

the same. This variable, 2πω, now becomes a constant and, is commissioned. Proper intercell connections are necessary
therefore, frequency does not affect the final result in any to ensure that discharge rates can be met. The instrument
way. The only parts that affect the final result are the parts of choice is a DLRO® or a MOM which can easily verify
that vary within the battery, namely resistance and capaci- that all connections have been made properly. It can even
tance, which paint the whole capacity/condition picture. find minor errors before the battery is commissioned, pre-
In the diagram shown in figure 6, Rm is the metallic re- venting possible causes of failure or damage to supported
sistance, Re is the electrolyte resistance, Rct is the charge equipment.
transfer resistance, Wi is the Warburg impedance and Cdl is Testing intercell connection resistance performs two func-
the capacitance of the double layer. Rm includes all of the tions:
metallic components one post to the other post, i.e., post,
▪▪ Validates intercell connection resistance
top lead and grids and to a certain degree, the paste. Re
is the resistance of the electrolyte which doesn’t vary that ▪▪ Finds possible gross errors with top lead internal to the cell
much on a bulk basis. But at the microscopic level in the By following IEEE Recommended Practices, intercell con-
pores of the paste, it can be significant. Rct is the resistance nection resistance can be validated. Those recommended
of the exchange of ions from the acid to the paste. If the practices specify that the variation of intercell connection
paste is sulphated, then Rct increases or if that portion of resistance be less than ten percent. This translates into 7
the paste is not mechanically (electrically) attached to the micro-ohms on a 70-micro-ohm intercell connection resis-
grid so that electrons cannot flow out of the cell. Warburg tance. This method can even find a washer stuck between
impedance is essentially insignificant and is a function of the post and the intercell connector whereas torquing will
the specific gravity. Cdl is what probably makes the most not. They also specify that ten percent of the intercell con-
important contribution to battery capacity. By only measur- nectors be measured quarterly and all intercell connectors
ing DC resistance, capacitance, an important part of the annually.
cell, is ignored. Impedance measures both DC resistance In multiple post batteries, it is possible to find those rare
and capacitance. gross errors in a cell’s top lead. (See multiple post bat-
A battery is complex and has more than one electrochemi- tery diagram in figure 1). On multiple-post cells, measure
cal process occurring at any given time, e.g., ion diffusion, straight across both connections, then measure diagonally
charge transfer, etc. The capacity decreases during a dis- to check for balance in the cell and connections. Measur-
charge due to the conversion of active material and deple- ing only straight across does not adequately test for either
tion of the acid. Also, as the plates sulphate, the resistance intercell connection resistance or for gross top lead defects.
of the charge transfer increases since the sulphate is less This is due to the parallel circuits for the current.
conductive than the active material. (See discussion about The graph in figure 7 shows the data obtained from an ac-
the differences between the thickness of the plates in long- tual 24-cell telephone (CO) battery The peak at connector
duration versus short-duration batteries.) #12 (cell 12 to 13) is an intertier cable connection. Con-
nector #3 was out of specification and it was determined
Intercell connection resistance that one of the two bolts was not properly torqued. It was
Intercell connection resistance is the other half of the bat- retorqued and retested. It came within ten percent of the
tery. A battery is comprised of cells connected in a series string average after retorquing.
path. If any one component fails the entire series connec-
tion fails. Many times batteries fail, not because of weak The negative plates (odd-numbered plates #1 through 15)
cells, but due to weak intercell connections, especially on are all connected through negative top lead which is con-
lead posts which can cold-flow. Generally, hardware should nected to both negative posts. Positive plates (even-num-
be tightened to the low end of the torque scale that is rec- bered) are connected to each other through positive top
ommended by the battery manufacturer. But torque wrench- lead which is connected to both positive posts. There are
es are a mechanical means to verify low electrical resistance. two intercell connectors between neg post 1 and pos post 1
It is far better to actually perform an electrical test using an and between neg post 2 and pos post 2.
appropriate instrument. It is a low electrical resistance that The higher the current draw the more critical is the proper
is desired. This test should be performed before the battery sizing of current-carrying components both internal to the

Figure 6 Randles equivalent circuit Figure 7 Intercell connection resistance bar graph

14 battery TESTING GUIDE

cell and external. UPS batteries are usually designed for to find that weak cell sooner than voltage. In this case, im-
a high rate discharge lasting typically only 15-20 minutes. pedance will decrease since it is an impending short circuit.
However, a telecommunications CO battery may have only A similar example can be found in VRLA when it comes to
a 500 Amp draw but can discharge for up to eight hours. So dry-out or loss-of-compression. Voltage will not find this
either combination can have disastrous effects due to im- condition until it is far later in the battery’s life, until it is too
properly sized and maintained cells and intercell connectors. late. Impedance finds this condition much earlier so that
remedial action can be performed.
Testing and electrical paths
In order to properly test a multiple post cell, one must un- So don’t confuse fully charged with full capacity.
derstand its construction. Based on the diagram in figure 1, As said above, cell voltage divergence can be caused by a
it can be seen that there are two parallel paths for the test number of factors and one way to solve this problem could
current to travel. If the test leads are placed on neg post 1 be to make an equalization charge. In an equalization charge
and pos post 1, the two parallel paths are (1) directly from procedure, the entire battery is charged at a higher (than
neg post 1 to pos post 1 through their intercell connectors normal) voltage for several hours to balance the voltage in
and (2) neg post 1 down to the top lead, up to neg post 2 all the cells. The procedure can lead to heating and possibly
and across the intercell connectors to pos post 2 down to water loss. It is recommended to follow the manufacturer’s
the pos top lead and back up to pos post 1.The two paths procedure to avoid damaging the battery.
are parallel circuits and hence indistinguishable. If one bolt
is loose, there isn’t any way to determine that since the test Specific gravity
current will follow the path of least resistance. The bet- Specific gravity is the measure of the sulphate in the acid of
ter method to measure intercell connection resistance is to a lead-acid battery. It is also the measure of the potassium
measure diagonally from neg post 1 to pos post 2 and again hydroxide electrolyte in nickel-cadmium battery but since
from neg post 2 to pos post 1. Compare the two readings the potassium hydroxide electrolyte isn’t used in the chemi-
for highest confidence. Admittedly, diagonal measurements cal reaction, it is not necessary to measure it periodically.
are still parallel but the comparison becomes more interest-
Specific gravity traditionally has not provided much value
ing due to the increased influence of top lead and loose
in determining impending battery failure. In fact, it changes
hardware. Diagonal measurements do not allow for a direct
very little after the initial 3 to 6 months of a battery’s life.
connection from post to post. In the case of six-post cells,
This initial change is due to the completion of the forma-
measure diagonally across the farthest posts in both direc-
tion process, which converts inactive paste material into
tions.
active material by reacting with the sulphuric acid. A low
specific gravity may mean that the charger voltage is set too
Voltage
low causing plate sulphation to occur.
Float voltage has traditionally been the mainstay of any
testing procedure. What is voltage? Voltage is the difference, In a lead-acid battery the sulphate is a closed system in that
electrically speaking, between the lead and the lead oxide the sulphate must be either on the plates or in the acid.
on the plates or between the nickel and the cadmium. The If the battery is fully charged then the sulphate must be
charger is the item that keeps them charged. The sum of all in the acid. If the battery is discharged, the sulphate is on
of the cell voltages must be equal to the charger setting (ex- the plates. The end result is that specific gravity is a mirror
cept for cable losses.) This implies then that voltage merely image of voltage and thus state-of-charge. Specific grav-
indicates the state-of-charge (SOC) of the cells. There is ity readings should be taken when things are amiss in the
no indication of a cell’s state-of-health (SOH). A normal battery to obtain as much information about the battery as
cell voltage doesn’t indicate anything except that the cell is possible.
fully charged. An abnormal cell voltage, however, does tell Different battery applications and geographies have varying
you something about the condition of the cell. A low cell specific gravities to accommodate rates, temperature, etc.
voltage can indicate a shorted cell but only when the volt- Following is a table that describes some applications and
age finally drops to about 2.03. If a cell is low then other their specific gravities.
cells must be higher in voltage due to the charger setting.
Remember that the sum of all cell voltages must equal the Specific gravities and their applications
charger setting. Those cells that are higher are counteract- Specific gravity Percent acid Application
ing the low cell and generally speaking the higher cells are in 1.170 25 Tropical stationary
better condition because they can tolerate the higher volt- 1.215 30 Standard stationary
age. But those cells are being overcharged which over-heats 1.250 35 UPS/high rate
them and accelerates grid corrosion and water losses. 1.280 38 Automotive
1.300 40 VRLA stationary
Let’s say for the moment that the low voltage cell is not yet
1.320 42 Motive power
at 2.03, it is at 2.13 V. At 2.13 V it is not low enough to flag
1.400 50 Torpedo
a concern but it is degrading. It may or may not be able to
support the load when an outage occurs. Impedance is able

battery TESTING GUIDE 15

Float current ficient heat removal. This process takes anywhere from two
Another leg of the Ohm’s Law triangle is current. The weeks to four months to occur once the float current starts
charger voltage is used to keep a battery charged but voltage its increase. By measuring float current, it may be possible
is really the vehicle to get current into the battery (or out to avoid catastrophic failure of the battery and damage to
of it during discharge). It is current that converts the lead connected and nearby equipment. Impedance will find many
sulphate back to active material on the grids. of these same errors.
There are two types of DC current on a battery: recharge Ripple current
current which is the current applied to recharge a battery Batteries, as DC devices, prefer to have only DC imposed
after a discharge and float current which is the current used on them. The charger’s job is to convert AC into DC but
to maintain a battery in a fully charged state. If there is a no charger is 100% efficient. Frequently, filters are added
difference between the charger setting and the battery’s to chargers to remove the AC current from the DC output.
voltage, that difference will cause a current to flow. When The AC current on the DC is called ripple current. Battery
the battery is fully charged [1], the only current flowing is manufacturers have stated that more than about 5 A rms
the float current which counteracts the self-discharge of of ripple for every 100 Ah of battery capacity can lead to
the battery (<1% per week). Since the voltage differential premature failure due to internal heating. Ripple voltage is
between the charger and the battery is small, the float cur- not a concern since it is the heating effect of the ripple cur-
rent is small. When there is a large voltage difference such rent that damages batteries. The 5% ripple current figure is
as after a discharge the current is high and is limited by the a rough estimate and depends also on the ambient tempera-
charger until the voltage difference becomes less. When the ture. Ripple current can increase slowly as the electronic
current is on the plateau in the graph below, this is called components in the charger age. Also if a diode goes bad,
current limit. When the voltage differential becomes less, the ripple current can increase more dramatically leading to
the charge current is reduced as depicted on the downward heating and premature death without anyone knowing it. Al-
sloping charge current line on the graph shown in figure 8. though impedance is not a measure of ripple current, ripple
The charge voltage is the voltage of the battery, not the current is measured because of the way Megger designs its
charger setting which is why it is increasing. impedance instruments.
Float current will vary with battery size. The larger the There is anecdotal evidence[4] that low frequency ripple
battery is, the more float current it will take to keep it fully (<10Hz) may charge and discharge a battery on a micro-
charged. Float current can increase for a couple of reasons: scale. More research is necessary to prove this hypothesis.
ground faults on floating battery systems and internal bat- Excessive cycling can lead to premature death of a battery
tery faults. Ground faults are discussed later. As a battery’s regardless of the reasons for the cycling, be they outages,
internal impedance increases, it takes more current to pass testing or maybe micro-cycling. One thing is true: the lower
through that higher impedance. The increase in float current the AC is on the battery system, the less the damage is that
can be an indicator of battery faults. In lieu of measuring can occur. VRLA batteries seem to be more sensitive to
float current, many of the same conditions are found with ripple current than their flooded counterparts. It is then
impedance. advisable to filter their chargers for ripple current/voltage.
In VRLA batteries, float current[2,3] seems to be an indicator
of battery problems, namely thermal runaway. Thermal run- Temperature
away is the result of a battery problem, not the cause. Some It is well known that low temperatures slow up the internal
of the causes that can lead to thermal runaway are shorted chemical reactions in any battery; the degrees of reduced
cells, ground faults, dry-out, excessive charging and insuf- performance vary according to the technology. For example,
at temperatures around freezing, a VRLA may need capacity
compensation of 20%. The lead-calcium cell using 1.215
specific gravity acid will require a doubling of capacity,
while the Ni-Cd will need about 18% increased capacity.
At the other end of the temperature range, high tempera-
ture is the killer of all batteries. There will be no surprise
to find out that this impact varies from one technology to
another. Lead acid at 95˚F will experience a 50% shortened
life, while Ni-Cd will have a 16-18% shortening of life.
By applying what Arrhenius learned about chemical reac-
Figure 8 Constant-voltage Constant-current charge character- tions, for every 18º F (10º C) increase in battery tem-
istics

[1] Cole, Bruce, et al., Operational Characteristics of VRLA Batteries Configured in Parallel Strings, GNB Technologies
[2] Brown, AJ, An Innovative Digital Flat Current Measurement Technique - Part Two, Proceedings of BattConn® 2000
[3] Boisvert, Eric, Using Float Charging Current Measurements to Prevent Thermal Runaway on VRLA Batteries, Multitel
[4] Ruhlmann, T., Monitoring of Valve Regulated Lead Acid Batteries, Proceedings of BattConn® 2000

16 battery TESTING GUIDE

perature, battery life is halved, battery life can start to be
managed. The increased temperature causes faster positive
Data analysis
grid corrosion as well as other failure modes. By holding a The essence of any testing methodology is how to interpret
lead-acid battery at a temperature of 95º F (35º C) instead the data to make some sense of it all. The same is true of
of the designed 77º F (25º C), a 20-year battery will last battery testing. If the data are to be hand-written and filed
only ten years, a ten-year battery only five years and so on. or if a printout from an instrument is reviewed then filed,
Increase the temperature by another 18º F to 113º F (45º C), then there is no useful analysis except if there is an emer-
a 20-year battery will last only five years! gency at that very moment. The real value in battery testing
lies in the trending of data to determine if problems are
A battery is rarely held at a certain temperature for its entire
imminent or a little farther out. Trending of battery data,
life. A more realistic scenario is for a battery to heat during
especially impedance and capacity, is an excellent tool for
the day and cool down at night with higher average tem-
budgetary planning. By watching the batteries degrade over
peratures in the summer and lower average temperatures
time, a decision can be made as to when to replace a battery.
in winter. It is unfortunate but cooling the battery off to
With trending, emergency replacements decrease dramati-
below 77º F (25º C) will not gain back the life that was lost.
cally.
Once the positive grid corrodes, it cannot be converted
back again. Furthermore, positive grid corrosion occurs at Like any other form of maintenance, battery testing and
all temperatures, it is merely a matter of speed of the cor- maintenance over the years has typically been recorded on
rosion rate. The end result is to control, as best as possible some sort of data sheet. The data sheet was possibly re-
(back to cost versus risk), the temperature of the batteries in viewed and then filed away, probably not reviewed again un-
the network. til a problem arose, if it could be found. If you think back
to the late 80’s and early 90’s the 386 and 486 computers
IEEE 450, Annex H offers a method for calculating the
were just making their way to the market and not everyone
impact of high temperatures on a lead acid battery.
was using one. With the use of the PC today that same data
which is filed away can be converted to information which
is useful and much easier to interpret. New data collected
can be easily stored in digital format rather than on paper.
It’s interesting to note that many maintenance programs still
use paper with and without a PC. Still others are filling out
the same old data sheets in digital format on the PC and
then just filing it electronically. It seems almost the same as
the paper method just a different filling cabinet. The key
to making data useful is the ability to graph and manipulate
the data. Do you think anyone in the stock market could
make money if they did not have all the charts and trends to
view? Do you think we could put anything into orbit with-
out plotting the orbit? Could you imagine looking at all the
numbers associated with an orbit and try to make sense of
it with out some sort of graphics? This point is illustrated in
Figure 9.
The data is not complete due to space limitations but it
is the actual data of each sinusoid. It would be close to
impossible to see a difference between the two sets of data
or the notching going on in the bottom waveform when
only the data is viewed, but without the data the waveform
could not be plotted. So now the question is what do we
do with the data from battery tests? To begin with whether
the data is from one test or from several tests on the same
battery string the data should be trended. Now for some
values like ambient temperature it will be difficult to trend
the data from one test because it is only one point. So let
us review what types of things could be plotted that would
make some sense with respect to batteries. Table below lists
the types of measurements with respect to single tests or
multiple tests from the same string.
When looking at data from a single test, the data is plotted
against itself. Ideally when a string of batteries is installed
they are installed at the same time and are all of the same

battery TESTING GUIDE 17

Figure 9 Waveform data vs. Waveform chart.

vintage and should be somewhat homogenous. As the bat-

teries age they may all age the same but most likely there will
be some cells which begin to fail early. In either case new or
old we are looking for the differences. Below in the table are
strap resistance measurements of a 60 cell string. It is easy
enough to look through the data and see a few numbers
which do not seem correct, but when you look at the graph
of the same data it is a lot clearer what needs to be looked
at and what does not.
When looking at impedances whether from a single test or
multiple tests it is often advantageous to plot the percent
deviation from average or the baseline. Figure 11 which
show the impedance plotted as percent deviation of average
allows the user to quickly identify which cells are near limits
which have been predetermined. In this example cells 1 and
Inter-cell Resistance Measurements
3 which are both greater than ten percent above the average
should be investigated further. You may also want to further
investigate why the first seven cells are above average and

Single test of any stringMultiple tests of same string

Discharge Discharge
Internal impedance Internal impedance
Strap resistance Strap resistance
Cell voltage Cell voltage
Cell temperature Cell temperature
Cell specific gravity Cell specific gravity
Ambient temperature
Charger output voltage
Charger output current
Ripple current
Float current
Battery measurements that can be plotted Figure 10 Inter-cell resistance graph

18 battery TESTING GUIDE

the rest are not. Any time you have a grouping of measure-
ments which corresponds to the physical location of the
cells it should be a cause for further investigation.
Below are some suggested percentages to use as flags in
impedance testing. Over time, users will establish their own
percentage deviation warning values.

Single Test Multiple Tests* Trending**

% Deviation from

Cell’s % change

Cell’s % change

Cell’s % change

Cell’s % change
from last test

from last test

string avg

overall

overall
Lead-acid,
5 2 15 2 20
Flooded
Lead-acid,
10 3 30 3 50
VRLA, AGM
Lead-acid,
10 3 30 3 50
VRLA, Gel
NiCd, Flooded 15 10 50 10 100
NiCd, Sealed 15 5 35 5 80

Another method which should be used is trending of his-

torical data. For example, if you perform tests every quarter
on the same cells, then you will want to chart the informa-
tion with respect to time. Figure 12 shows the impedance
measurements trended for one cell which were taken every
quarter. The first ten or eleven measurements seemed to be
fine and then a steady upward trend is very noticeable. This
type of trend in impedance should warrant further investi-
gation as to the cause. This method of trending over time
can be used in all the data that is measured.
All of the data presented thus far has been presented using
a standard Excel spreadsheet. Spreadsheets are very useful
and have been around almost as long as computers. There
are software packages presently available such as PowerDB
that automatically chart and trend the data for you. The im-
portant step is to use graphics to help in the analysis of data
that is newly measured and possibly with data still contained
in a paper or electronic file.

Figure 11 Impedance percent deviation from average Figure 12 Single cell trending

battery TESTING GUIDE 19

Locating ground faults ground resistance on that feeder. Faults can be traced easily
regardless of the number of distribution panels or circuits
on DC systems without because the “tracer” is merely following the strength of the
AC signal. System integrity is maintained because it is an on-
sectionalizing line AC test and is designed to prevent system trips.
After injection of a low-frequency AC waveform, a resistive
Overview fault on a branch of the battery system will be indicated by
The main objective of a battery system is to provide stand- a low-resistance value. For example, if the total resistance
by and emergency power to operate industrial, consumer, of a battery system showed 10 kΩ, this would indicate a
commercial or protective devices. Some of these devices resistive fault on the battery system. The resistive fault can
include emergency lighting units, uninterruptible power be located by clamping on each individual circuit until a
supplies, continuous process systems, operating controls, resistive value of 10 kΩ is found.
switchgear components and protective relays.
It is easy to see that this method can be adapted in a straight
In emergency situations, it is essential that these devices be forward manner to locate multiple faults by using the theory
in proper operating condition. Failure of a DC system or of parallel paths. For example, if the total system resistance
the battery can result in operational failure of the devices indicates 1 kΩ and an individual branch indicates 10 kΩ
connected to that system. System failure can lead to loss of resistive fault, the user would know that the system has a
revenue, damage to equipment and/or injured personnel. second fault because the total system resistance and the
It is a common situation for a floating DC system to de- branch resistance do not match. By using the AC injection
velop grounds within it. When a battery system is partially method, ground faults on ungrounded DC systems is easy,
or completely grounded, a short circuit is formed across the straight-forward and safe.
battery and consequently may cause the protective device to
fail to operate when needed.

Current test methods

Traditionally utilities and industrial complexes have gone
to great lengths to find ground faults within their battery
systems. However, locating these battery grounds proves to
be a very elusive and time-consuming process. The current
ground-fault location method involves sectionalizing, or
interruption, of DC branches to isolate the ground fault.
Sectionalizing disables the system protection and has been
known to cause inadvertent line and generator tripping. For
this reason, many utilities have banned sectionalizing. Until
more recently, though, this had been the only method avail-
able to locate ground faults.

A better test method

Developments have led to a better test method; injecting a
low-frequency AC signal and using that AC signal to locate
the ground in the DC system. This method can be per-
formed without sectionalizing the DC system and it reduces
the fault locating time from days to hours. Furthermore, it
allows for system protection to be present at all times.
The AC injection method measures single or multiple
ground faults by first injecting a low-frequency, 20 Hz AC
signal between the station ground and the battery system.
Second, the resulting current is then measured by us-
ing a clamp-on sensing current transformer. From this,
the resistance value can be calculated using the in-phase
component of the circulating current, thus rejecting the
effect of capacitive loads. Therefore, if the signal is injected
at the battery terminal and the clamp-on CT is connected
to the outgoing lead, the instrument will measure the total
ground resistance present on the battery system. If the CT
is clamped on a feeder, then the instrument will measure the

20 battery TESTING GUIDE

Frequently asked How often should impedance readings be taken?
The frequency of impedance readings varies with battery

questions type, site conditions and previous maintenance practices.

IEEE 1188 Recommended Practices suggests that a base-
line shall be taken six months after battery has been in
What does float voltage of a cell tell me? operation and then semi-annual quarterly. With that said,
Float voltage indicates that the charger is working, that Megger recommends that VRLA batteries are measured
is, state-of-charge. It does not indicate the state-of-health quarterly due to their unpredictable nature and semi-an-
(condition) of the cell. It indicates that the cell is fully nually for NiCd and flooded lead-acid. Impedance read-
charged, but don’t confuse fully charged with full capac- ing should also be taken prior to every capacity test.
ity. There have been many times that the float voltage is
At what point should I stop changing cells and replace the
within acceptable limits and the battery fails. A low float entire battery?
voltage may indicate that there is a short in the cell. This
is evident by a float voltage at about 2.06 or below for In shorter strings (less than 40 cells/jars), the entire
lead-acid (if the charger is set for 2.17 V per cell) should be replaced when three to five units have been
replaced. In longer strings, a similar percentage that is
In some cases, a cell floats considerably higher than the replaced is the criterion.
average. This may be caused by the high float voltage cell
compensating for another cell that is weak and is float- How can I predict when I need to change a cell?
ing low. It is possible that one cell floats much higher to Even though there is not a perfect mathematical cor-
compensate for several cells floating a little low. The total relation between battery capacity and impedance (or
of all cells’ voltages must equal the charger setting. any other battery test except a load test), the amount of
What are the recommended maintenance practices for the
increase in impedance is a strong indicator of battery
different types of batteries? health. Megger has found that a 20 percent increase in im-
IEEE Recommended (Maintenance) Practices cover the pedance for flooded lead-acid generally correlates to 80%
three main types of batteries: Flooded Lead-acid (IEEE battery capacity. In VRLA, that increase is closer to 50%
450), Valve-Regulated Lead-acid (IEEE 1188) and Nickel- from the battery’s initial impedance or from the manufac-
Cadmium (IEEE 1106). Generally speaking, maintenance turer’s baseline values.
is essential to ensure adequate back-up time. There are Will capacity testing destroy my battery?
differing levels of maintenance and varying maintenance The battery system is designed to provide back-up power
intervals depending upon the battery type, site criticality during all outages that appear during its lifetime. Per-
and site conditions. For example, if a site has an elevated forming a capacity test is nothing else than simulating one
ambient temperature, then the batteries will age more outage but in a controlled way. Batteries can normally be
quickly implying more frequent maintenance visits and deep discharged (discharged to manufacturer’s end-of
more frequent battery replacements. discharge voltage) 100 - 1000 times depending on type
How important is intercell connection resistance? of battery. Using a few of these cycles has no real impact
Our experience has found that many battery failures are on the battery’s lifetime. On the other hand there is no
due to loose intercell connections that heat up and melt reason to test more frequently than recommended by the
open rather than from cell failure. Whether a cell is weak standards.
or an intercell connector is loose, one bad apple does Can I make a discharge test while my battery is still connected
spoil the whole bushel. to the load (on-line)?
When lead acid batteries are frequently cycled, the negative Yes it is possible to do. Megger has test equipment that
terminal may cold flow, thus loosening the connection. automatically senses and regulate the discharge current
The proper sequence of measuring multiple post batter- even when the batteries are connected to the ordinary
ies is critical. Not all instruments provide valid intercell load. Most users choose to make a 80% discharge test
connection resistances due to their method of testing. when on-line in order to still have some backup time at
Megger instruments provide valid data. the end of the test.

What are some common failure modes? Battery technology summary

Failure mode depends upon the type of battery, the site As you can see, there is a lot to a battery. It is a complex
conditions, application and other parameters. Please refer electro-chemical device. There is much more information
the summary on pages 7-8 or to the “Battery Failure available that goes further into the details of Tafel curves
Modes,” which can be found on the Megger website. and depolarization but that is beyond this scope. Essential-
Look under the Battery Test Equipment product section. ly, batteries need maintenance and care to get the most of
In the upper right-hand column under “Documents click them which is the main reason people spend so much on
for Application Guides, Articles and FAQs. batteries – to support far more expensive equipment and
to ensure continuous revenue streams.

battery TESTING GUIDE 21

Megger products Impedance test equip-
overview ment
Regardless of whether you are testing flooded lead-acid,
Megger offers solutions to ensure system performance with VRLA or Ni-Cd cells, Megger has the right equipment for
its comprehensive line of Battery Test Equipment, Low your battery maintenance requirements. The products and
Resistance Ohmmeters and Micro-ohmmeters, Insulation associated accessories provides meaningful data on bat-
Testers, and Multimeters. tery health without significant expense or any reduction in
An overview of the various products available is described remaining battery capacity.
below. For more information on these and many other Meg- Interruption in service can cause disaster to supported
ger products, please contact us at (800) 723-2861, equipment and facilities. Consequently, a dependable backup
(214) 333-3201. Visit our web site www.megger.com for the power system is critical so that when AC mains fail, costly
most up-to-date news, product and service information. service interruptions can be avoided. The battery impedance
test helps to identify weak cells before they cause problems.
Taking the battery off-line for testing is time consuming and
adds risk to the process. This process is unnecessary with
the on-line testing capabilities of the Megger family of bat-
tery test products. The highly repeatable instruments help
reduce downtime.

BITE® 3

▪▪ Determines the condition of lead-acid batteries up to

2000 Ah
▪▪ On-line testing with Pass/Warning/Fail calculations
▪▪ Measures impedance, intercell connection resistance, cell
voltage
▪▪ Windows CE¨ Operating System with more than 16 MB of
memory
▪▪ Measures float and ripple currents
The BITE 3 is a compact, battery-operated, instrument with
powerful on-board data analysis tools. It is the first of its
kind instrument in that the ProActiv can download all pre-
vious data to provide the best in on-site data analysis like no
other instrument of its kind. The menus are easy to navi-
gate with a bright, backlit LCD. The data display includes
the normal numeric arrangement but adds two graphical
displays to help analyze weak cells.

22 battery TESTING GUIDE

BITE® 2 and BITE®2P switchgear components, protective relays and continuous
process systems. Failure of a battery system within environ-
ments such as utilities, hospitals or manufacturing plants can
result in operational failure of the devices connected to it.
ProActiv assists the user to avoid battery failures, budget for
future battery string and cell replacements, and plan battery
change outs in an orderly manner.
ProActiv utilizes a standard MS Access database format. It
allows the user to organize and manage battery data such as
voltages, impedance, intercell connection resistance, ripple
current, specific gravity, IR thermographs and more.

BITE® accessories
▪▪ Determines the condition of lead-acid and nickel-cadmium ▪▪ Enhances the capabilities of the BITE line
batteries up to 7000 Ah ▪▪ Full line of accessories
▪▪ On-board Pass/Warning/Fail indications ▪▪ Designed for unique situations
▪▪ On-line testing ▪▪ Great for non-standard installations
▪▪ Robust, reliable instruments Megger offers a complete line of accessories to enhance the
▪▪ Built-in printer (BITE 2P) capabilities of the BITE product line. There are extension
The BITE 2 and BITE2P Battery Impedance Test Equip- cables, calibration shunts, etc. Even though we have many
ment work by applying a test current across the battery accessories, we are continually evaluating additional prod-
string while on-line, then measuring the impedance, cell ucts as interest arises.
voltage and intercell connection resistance. They also
measure ripple current which indicates the condition of the RopeCT™ is a flexible,
charger. The instruments help evaluate the condition of the highly accurate current
entire string from terminal plate to terminal plate and even transmitter for measuring
the charger. current flow in larger
battery systems. It comes
ProActiv battery database management in two lengths: 24 in.
software (60 cm) and 36 in. (90 cm)
for 8 in. (20 cm) and
12 in. (30 cm) diameters,
respectively. It is designed
specifically for the BITE 2,
BITE2P and EBITE.

Mini-CTs are for measuring

current in smaller gauge
wires and a single cable
tied in a bundle.

The Current Transformer

kit for the BITE 3 is for
measuring the current
in noisy battery systems
and to measure “escape
▪▪ Organizes and manages battery data
current” in parallel battery
▪▪ Performs trending analysis strings. Competitive
▪▪ Assists the user to manage multiple batteries instruments do not
▪▪ Prints basic reports measure current and then,
The first of its kind, ProActiv is a new, powerful, easy to use may provide erroneous
battery database management software designed to analyze internal ohmic values.
each individual battery in a battery system.
Battery testing is crucial to ensure a battery system provides
standby and emergency power to operate devices such
as emergency lighting, UPS systems, operating controls,

battery TESTING GUIDE 23

Lighted Probe Extensions
can be mounted on the
receivers and probes of
the BITE 3, BITE 2 and
BITE 2P. They are ideal
for measuring batteries
in cabinets and hard-to-
reach places. With these
probe extensions, batteries
needn’t be taken off line
to measure them – a
real time and cost saving
device.

The BITE 3 offers

alternative lead sets for
measuring ELUs and
other smaller battery
applications, spade
terminal batteries and
batteries with harnesses.
They facilitate measuring
the impedance of battery
systems with difficult
access.

Digital Hydrometer
measures specific gravity
and temperature for each
cell and it calculates a
temperature-adjusted
specific gravity to save
time – all in a hand-held
device. It can store up to
256 cells per string in up
to eight strings. No need
to worry about parallax
or hand writing data on
sheets, etc. It is much safer
than bulb hydrometers
and without any spilled
acid to clean up.

24 battery TESTING GUIDE

Capacity testing TXL830/850/870 are extra
load units for providing
TORKEL 820/840/860 higher load currents.
Together, TORKEL and the
TXL extra loads form a
system that can discharge
batteries with currents up
to several kA.

▪▪ Batteries can be tested “in service”

▪▪ Unit adjusts to include load currents in the test parameters
▪▪ User adjustable alarm and shutdown points to avoid
excessive discharge
Batteries in power plants and transformer substations must
provide the equipment they serve with standby power in the
event of a power failure. Unfortunately, however, the capac-
ity of such batteries can drop significantly for a number of
reasons before their calculated life expectancy is reached.
This is why it is so important to check batteries at regular
intervals, and the only reliable way of measuring battery
capacity is to conduct a discharge test.
The TORKEL instruments are used for discharge testing.
Tests can be conducted at constant current, constant power,
constant resistance or in accordance with a pre-selected load
profile. For extra discharge capacity there are auxiliary load
units available.
TORKEL 820 can discharge batteries ranging from 12 to
48 volts with currents up to 270 A
TORKEL 840 is used for battery systems ranging from
12 to 250 V.
TORKEL 860 is designed for users who travel from
place to place to maintain battery systems having differ-
ent voltages. It features excellent discharging capacity plus
a broad voltage range and outstanding portability. The
TORKEL 860 is used for systems ranging from 12 to 480 V.

TORKEL accessories
TORKEL Win is a software
for report functions and
remote control of TORKEL.

battery TESTING GUIDE 25

Ground fault tracing
equipment
There are two ground fault locating instruments from which
to choose, the Battery Ground Fault Tracer (BGFT) and
the Battery Ground-Fault Locator (BGL). The BGFT has
superior noise elimination while the BGL has an automatic
bridge to differentiate between high capacitance and low
resistance. Here is a brief description of each instrument.

Battery Ground Fault Tracer

(BGFT)
▪▪ Easily locates ground faults in ungrounded
DC battery systems
▪▪ Operates in high electrical noise environment
▪▪ Simplifies fault tracing by identifying fault characteristic
(resistive and capacitive) magnitudes
The Battery Ground-Fault Tracer is an economical, manu-
ally balanced instrument that identifies, tracks and locates BGFT
ground faults in ungrounded DC battery systems - on-line.
It is particularly effective in high electrical noise environ-
ments, as the strength of the test current can be adjusted
up to 80W. The BGFT is particularly useful in any industry
where supply of power for operating measurement, com-
munication and control equipment is critical.
The Battery Ground-Fault Tracer accelerates fault location
by eliminating trial-and-error procedures and because faults
can be located without going off-line. It is line operated and
has a manual bridge. The manual bridge is used to differen-
tiate between true, resistive faults and phantom, capacitive
faults by using a feedback cable to null the capacitance. But
the manual bridge is not required in order to trace faults.
The BGFT works by converting line frequency to 20 Hz. It BGFT
then pushes the AC signal through some coupling capaci-
tors to prevent transients on the DC buss and applies the
AC signal into the DC system while on-line. Using the
hand-held tracer, follow the signals with the highest readings
until the fault is found.

Battery Ground-fault Locator

(BGL)
▪▪ Ground faults in ungrounded DC battery systems
are easily located
▪▪ Features an automatic bridge
▪▪ Battery operated
▪▪ Simplifies fault tracing by identifying fault characteristic
(resistive and capacitive) magnitudes
The Battery Ground-Fault Locator was developed to detect,
track and locate ground faults on battery systems, without
resorting to sectionalizing! The BGL tracks and locates
ground faults on live or dead battery systems. To save hours
of unnecessary troubleshooting, the BGL readily differ-
entiates between the resistive fault currents and capacitive
charging currents. This feature allows the instrument to BGL

26 battery TESTING GUIDE

detect and track leakage paths, even in the presence of
surge-suppression capacitors.
The BGL works by filtering and applying an AC signal to
the DC buss on-line. The low level output of the BGL
allows it to be battery-operated but is more sensitive to
system noise. It has a built-in automatic bridge to differenti-
ate between real (resistive) and phantom (capacitive) faults
so only the real faults are traced. The BGL is moved from
panel to panel to continue the tracing process until the fault
is found. Since it has an automatic bridge it is very easy to
trace faults and as such is better designed for the novice
user.

battery TESTING GUIDE 27

Digital Low Resistance
Ohmmeters (DLRO®) and
Microhmmeters (MOM)
Many times batteries fail not because of weak cells but due
to weak intercell connections. Torquing is a mechanical
method to ensure that the electrical path resistances is very
low. But it does not truly indicate the quality of the electri-
cal path resistance. The only true method is to measure each
intercell connection resistance.
Megger has several DLROs and MOMs that are appropriate
for intercell connection resistance. The portability of the in-
struments allows effortless mobility around battery strings.
The instruments are built into strong, lightweight cases that DLRO 200
are equally at home in the field or in the laboratory.

DLRO200 and DLRO600

▪▪ Small and weighs less than 15kg (33 lbs)
▪▪ Test currents from 10A to 200 or 600 A DC
▪▪ 0.1 μΩ best resolution
Megger DLRO200 measures resistances between 0.1 µΩ
and 1 Ω, at high currents.This versatile instrument can pro-
vide test currents from 10 amps up to 200 amps subject to
the load resistance and supply voltage. A large liquid crystal
display provides all the information needed to perform a
test.

DLRO 247000 series

▪▪ Resolution to 0.1µΩ on 599.9 µΩ range
▪▪ Standard inaccuracy of ±0.25%
▪▪ Large, digital LED readout
The 247000 Series of DLROs are a family of highly accu-
DLRO247001
rate instruments that provide a simple, practical and reliable
means of making low-resistance tests in the field. They also
are ideal for production quality control. They operate on the
four-wire measurement principle, thus eliminating lead and
contact resistances. With basic accuracies of ±0.25% and
resolution down to 0.1 µΩ, they are nonetheless designed to
be rugged and portable for use at the job site.

DLRO10 and DLRO10X

▪▪ Accurate results in under three seconds
▪▪ Fuse protected to 600 V
▪▪ Automatically detects continuity in potential and
current connections
▪▪ Alpha-numeric keypad for entering test notes (DLRO10X)
▪▪ User configurable high and low limits (DLRO10X)
▪▪ Printer output and memory (DLRO10X)
The DLRO10 and DLRO10X are fully automatic instru-
ments, selecting the most suitable test current, up to 10 A
DC to measure resistance from 0.1 µΩ to 2000 Ω on one of
seven ranges.
DLRO10X

28 battery TESTING GUIDE

For users who desire more control over the measurement
process, DLRO10X uses a menu system to allow manual
selection of the test current. DLRO10X also adds real-time
download of results and on-board storage for later down-
load to a PC.

MJÖLNER 200 and MJÖLNER 600

▪▪ True DC ripple free current
▪▪ Inaccuracy ±0.3 μΩ
▪▪ Two displays LED and LCD for visibility in all conditions
▪▪ Low weight, 8.8 kg (19.4 lbs) and 13.8 kg (30.4 lbs)
▪▪ Fully automatic testing
MJÖLNER is designed to measure the resistance of circuit
breaker contacts, bus-bar joints, contact elements in bus-
bars and other high-current links. The product has been de-
signed with safety, ease of use and versatility in mind. There
are two models, one 200 A output current and one 600 A.
With MJÖLNER it is possible to make measurements ac- MJÖLNER 200
cording to the DualGround™ method. This means that the
test object will be grounded on both sides throughout the
test giving a safer, faster and easier workflow.

MOM200A and MOM600A

▪▪ Resolution 1µΩ on 1999 μΩ range
▪▪ Standard inaccuracy of ±1%
MOM200A/600A are ideal for finding poor connections
since they can put out 100 A for extended periods. Its range
extending up to 20 milliohms makes it ideal for measuring
many different types of connections.

MOM690
▪▪ Resolution 1µΩ on 200 mΩ range
▪▪ Standard inaccuracy of ±1%
▪▪ MOMWin™ software
MOM600A
▪▪ AC output
In addition to high current capacity, MOM690™ features
microprocessor-based measurement, storage and reporting.
The built-in software enables you to carry out an individual
test or an entire series of tests and store the results.
With the optional MOMWin™ software you can also ex-
port the test results to a PC for further analysis and report-
ing. Ranges are set automatically, resistances are measured
continually and test results can be automatically captured at
a preset test current.

MOM690

battery TESTING GUIDE 29

Multimeters
MMC850 Multi-conductor AC
Digital Clampmeter
▪▪ Single or multiple conductor measurement
▪▪ Flat or round section cables
▪▪ Backlit display
▪▪ Cable centralizing clamp
The MMC850 offers a unique solution to current measure-
ment in multiconductor cables without the need to split
cables. The MMC850 is simply clamped to a multi-conduc-
tor cable and the current flowing is then read.

Multimeters
Megger multimeters compliment the solution to measuring
and maintaining battery strings and cells. All instruments
undergo rigorous testing throughout the their design and
manufacture and are suitable for use in field service applica-
tions. All are CE marked and designed to National and In-
ternational Safety Standard, EN61010-1. They include such
features as large digital displays, automatic power down,
water and dust resistance. There are three series of Megger
multimeters, the M8000, M7000 and AVO300 depending
upon needs and features wanted.

MMC850

M8037

30 battery TESTING GUIDE

Insulation Resistance MIT400 series insulation
resistance testers
Test Equipment ▪▪ Choice of 4 models for commercial and plant applications:
Batteries are supposed to be well insulated from adjacent MIT Models 400, 410, 420 and 430
equipment and metallic objects. The insulation provides
▪▪ Choice of 3 models for telecom applications: MIT Models
several benefits: 1) keeps the charge in the battery rather
480, 481 and 485
than letting it leak, 2) provides for normal float current, and
3) reduces energy losses. If a battery is leaking electrolyte, ▪▪ “Special Applications” model for those who need a
then there may be a path to ground. When a path exists, the unique test voltage, MIT Model 40X offers a variable
current needed to keep the battery fully charged increases. insulation test voltage from 10 V to 100 V applications in
It also shortens the length of back-up time of the battery 1 V stepsÉproviding a solution to practically any unusual
depending upon the severity of the leak. An insulation resis- measurement requirement you may have.
tance test can identify whether there are leaks. The insula- The series consists of eight instruments
tion resistance is measured across one of the terminals of
the battery to some ground, presumably the battery rack or MIT400 250 V, 500 V and 1000 V
tray. It is a very easy test to perform and provides for a lot MIT410 50 V, 100 V, 250 V, 500 V and 1000 V plus PI
of confidence in the overall state of electrical insulation. and DAR
This test applies a DC voltage, say 500 Vdc, between the MIT420 Same as Model 410 plus result storage and
buss, off-line and the rack. Then measures the DC leakage download
current to calculate resistance in MΩ or GΩ. The higher the MIT430 Same as Model 420 plus Bluetooth® download
resistance is the better. This test is recommended at instal- MIT480 50 V, 100 V
lation and whenever a leak may be suspected (from tell-tale MIT481 50 V, 100 V, 250 V, 500 V, 1000 V plus PI, DAR
signs such as salt build-up.) and result storage
Megger offers the MIT400 Series insulation and continu- MIT485 Same as Model 481, plus Bluetooth® download
ity testers designed for electrical testing by power utilities, MIT40X 10 V to 100 V in 1 V steps
industrials, telecommunication companies, commercial/
domestic electricians and anyone with unique test volt-
age requirements. The wide range of features also makes
the MIT400 Series ideal for maintenance technicians and
engineers.
These instruments are available from as low as 50 V to as
high as 1 kV. For analytical applications, multiple test volt-
ages are desired.

MIT410

battery TESTING GUIDE 31

PowerDBTM ▪▪ Instrument transformers
▪▪ Power transformers
Acceptance & Maintenance Test ▪▪ Insulation fluids

Data Management Software ▪▪ Loadbreak switches

▪▪ Windows-based PC software available in three versions ▪▪ Motor control centers
▪▪ Interfaces to instruments via either Serial RS232, Ethernet, ▪▪ Power Ffactor tests
or USB flash drive (depending on instrument) ▪▪ Relays
▪▪ Allows user to set up test routines in advance of testing ▪▪ Switchboards
▪▪ Allows analysis, comparison and trending of data ▪▪ Transfer switches
▪▪ User can customize the User Interface (test form view) ▪▪ Watthour meters
with the ONBOARD and Full versions ▪▪ transducers
PowerDB is a powerful software package providing data The software will perform extensive information process-
management for each of your acceptance and maintenance ing including equation calculations, temperature correction
testing jobs. Data can be imported from various sources, factors and charting. Data trending for predictive failure
acquired directly from test instruments, or entered manu- analysis is accomplished by charting historical results, stored
ally. Test results for all electrical apparatus are synchronized in PowerDB or imported from other party’s proprietary
to your company’s central database. Result and summary database software, for any piece of equipment.
reports can be easily generated.
PowerDB provides a powerful editor to create or customize
PowerDB Lite is free software allowing you to use standard forms. No database knowledge is required. Simply drag-
PowerDB test forms with Megger instruments. It provides and-drop tables, text boxes, images, charts, and more into
a simple and consistent user interface to many Megger a form. VBScript® can be used to define calculations, use
instruments including the Delta 3000 power factor test lookup tables, and even interface with other applications.
set, 3-Phase TTR, earth testers and 5 and 10kV insulation Sections common to multiple forms, such as logos, head-
testers. ers and footers, can be defined once and included in many
PowerDB ONBOARD runs directly on the Megger test forms. Also, one change updates all forms where it is used.
instrument, and the forms are the instrument’s user inter-
face. Test results are transferred with a standard USB drive
and can then be read into PowerDB or PowerDB Lite.

Test forms
Designed from a ground up approach, PowerDB utilizes
over 200 industry standard test forms that have been devel-
oped and used over 20 years by industry specialists.
Test data entry screens and printed forms are identical al-
lowing intuitive operation. What you see on the screen is
what is printed in the reports. Entire test documentation
packages consisting of test reports, comment & deficiency
summaries, table of contents and field service reports are
created with a single step. Once created, reports can be
delivered electronically via email, CD-ROM, web server or
Adobe® Acrobat®.
Test forms are designed for the majority of the electrical
apparatus on the market today. PowerDB currently supports
the following devices:
▪▪ Batteries
▪▪ Cables
▪▪ Circuit breakers
▪▪ Coordination data
▪▪ Disconnects
▪▪ Generators
▪▪ Ground fault tests
▪▪ Ground Mat/Grid tests

32 battery TESTING GUIDE

34 battery TESTING GUIDE
battery TESTING GUIDE 35
Your “One Stop” Source for all your electrical test equipment needs
▪▪ Battery Test Equipment
▪▪ Cable Fault Locating Equipment
▪▪ Circuit Breaker Test Equipment
▪▪ Data Communications Test Equipment
▪▪ Fiber Optic Test Equipment
▪▪ Ground Resistance Test Equipment
▪▪ Insulation Power Factor (C&DF) Test Equipment
▪▪ Insulation Resistance Test Equipment
▪▪ Line Testing Equipment
▪▪ Low Resistance Ohmmeters
▪▪ Motor & Phase Rotation Test Equipment
▪▪ Multimeters
▪▪ Oil Test Equipment
▪▪ Portable Appliance & Tool Testers
▪▪ Power Quality Instruments
▪▪ Recloser Test Equipment
▪▪ Relay Test Equipment
▪▪ T1 Network Test Equipment
▪▪ Tachometers & Speed Measuring Instruments
▪▪ TDR Test Equipment
Megger is a world leading manufacturer and supplier
▪▪ Transformer Test Equipment
of test and measurement instruments used within the
▪▪ Transmission Impairment Test Equipment electric power, building wiring and telecommunication
▪▪ Watthour Meter Test Equipment industries.
▪▪ STATES® Terminal Blocks & Test Switches
With research, engineering and manufacturing
▪▪ Professional Hands-On Technical and facilities in the USA, UK and Sweden, combined with
▪▪ Safety Training Programs sales and technical support in most countries, Megger
is uniquely placed to meet the needs of its customers
worldwide.

For more information about Megger and its diversified

line of test and measurement instruments:
www.megger.com

Megger is certified according to ISO 9001 and 14001.

Megger is a registered trademark

UK GERMANY
Archcliffe Road Dover Megger GmbH
CT17 9EN England Obere Zeil 2
T +44 (0) 1304 502101 DE-61440 Oberursel Germany
F +44 (0) 1304 207342 T +49 6171 929870
WWW.MEGGER.COM

F +49 6171 9298719

USA SWITZERLAND
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Dallas, TX 75237-1019 USA Felsweg 1
T +1-800-723-2861 Postfach 59
F +1-214-331-7399 CH-5727 Oberkulm Switzerland
T +41 62 768 20 30
F +41 62 768 20 33
SWEDEN Registered to ISO 9001 and 14001
USA Megger Sweden AB Subject to change without notice.
Valley Forge Corporate Centre Eldarvägen 4, Box 2970 Art.No. ZP-AD01E • Doc. AD0009DE • 2010
2621 Van Buren Avenue SE-187 29 TÄBY Sweden BatteryTestingGuide_AG_en_V04
Norristown, PA 19403 USA T +46 8 510 195 00 www.megger.com
T +1-610 676 8500 F +46 8 510 195 95 Megger is a registered trademark
F +1-610-676-8610 E seinfo@megger.com
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