Gel batteries are already quite widespread in household appliances today. Most often they can be found in uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), scooters, radios, and various portable devices. This type of battery lasts 3–4 years, and then problems begin with their operation due to severe loss of capacity. Gel batteries remain in charge-standby mode for a long time and for this reason their nominal capacity decreases. Another problem is boiling away of water from the electrolyte. Although they do not contain liquid electrolyte, the fiberglass on the lead plates must be kept moist. Gel batteries are mostly maintenance-free, but getting to the banks is realistic and not so difficult. Therefore, if problems begin with the battery, you can try to restore it.
In what cases is battery restoration inappropriate?
It should be noted right away that in most cases, failed gel batteries cannot be restored (swelling, destruction of plates, etc.). In such a situation, you shouldn’t bother with them and it’s easier to buy a new one.
Signs that a gel battery cannot be restored:
- Bloating. Swelling of one or more jars indicates that the electrolyte gel has peeled off from the lead plates. This battery can no longer be restored and is heading straight to the landfill. Bloating can be determined visually;
- Destruction of plates. This often happens as a result of long-term operation of uninterruptible power supplies in a poorly ventilated place. As a result of prolonged exposure to elevated temperatures, the contents of the jars are destroyed, including the fiberglass, gel electrolyte and the plates themselves. In particularly advanced situations, only coal dust remains inside. To identify this problem, shake the gel battery and listen. If something is loose inside, then the battery belongs in a landfill. There is no use in restoring it. You can also shine a light and look inside the openings of the cans. If the plates are visually indistinguishable, then the battery has served its purpose.
In the photo below you can see gel batteries that cannot be restored:
Swollen batteries
Batteries that cannot be restored
Gel battery with destroyed plates
If the insides of the battery are not destroyed, but the gel layer dries out and the capacity is lost, then there is a chance to restore the battery.
Fundamental differences between gel batteries
The operating principle of gel batteries is similar to that used in sealed acid batteries. Although manufacturers distinguish 2 differences.
The electrolyte is presented in the form of a gel consisting of distilled water and sulfuric acid. That's why the battery got its name. Some motorists call batteries helium. This is incorrect because gas is not used to refuel them.
Overcharging a gel battery, which leads to rapid loss of capacity, is also unacceptable. It is better to maintain the charging voltage at 14–16 V.
Among the positive qualities are:
- There is no need to deep charge the battery. After all, the rate of charge recovery does not affect the condition of the electrode plates.
- Minimal energy loss (no more than 20%) at rest.
- The number of charge-discharge cycles has been increased. Therefore, more active exploitation is allowed.
How to restore a battery
Now directly about how to restore a gel battery. The gallery below shows the procedure. First, remove the top plastic cover. Then the rubber caps are removed from all cans.
Remove the plastic cover
Remove the rubber caps
The battery is ready to be filled with water
There are also varieties of gel batteries with individual caps over each can. You will have to remove them all and then remove the rubber caps.
Removing plastic covers
Removing caps
The battery is ready for restoration
After this, using a regular medical syringe, add 2 “cubes” of distilled water to each of the jars. It is better to purchase it at a pharmacy, since car dealerships often sell just tap water.
Do not add a lot of distilled water. Moreover, the plates should not float in it. Water is required to return the gel electrolyte to its normal state and restore the battery. During operation, distilled water evaporates and as a result the gel dries out. It is better to pour a little water into 1-2 “cubes” and leave the battery for 2-3 hours.
The water will gradually be absorbed. Then add more if needed. It is enough just to keep the fiberglass with the gel moisturized. But nothing should float in the water. If there is water bubbling around in the jar, it needs to be pumped out with the same syringe.
The easiest way to measure distilled water is to measure it and fill it with a syringe
. After the water is absorbed, a reaction will take place and the gel battery will come to life.
You may even notice an increase in voltage. After this, you need to install the rubber caps in place and secure the lid. It needs to be secured either with tape or glued on. This is important because the rubber caps act as a valve, releasing the gas released during operation. And the lid acts as a retainer so that the caps do not fall off. Further recovery involves normal battery charging. Do not forget that the voltage should not exceed 14.4–14.6 volts, and the current is 0.1 of the battery capacity. If the battery is from a UPS, you can install it back and charge it in the case. To do this, simply connect it to the network and turn it on without load.
It may happen that during the charging process the battery will accept current very poorly. If charging has been going on for several hours and the current is not perceived, you need to increase the voltage to 20 volts.
Attention! In this case, you will need to constantly monitor the charging process until the current flows. This will be visible by the voltage drop. It is important not to miss this moment, otherwise the gel battery will be damaged. I will say more, exceeding the current several times the permissible will cause smoke and burnout of the gel battery.
After the battery begins to accept current, set the voltage to about 14 volts. In this case, the current should not exceed 0.1 of the battery capacity. Then charge as usual and the battery will be restored.
The first is pouring distilled water into the battery jars
Although gel batteries are also called dry batteries, they must contain a water-based electrolyte inside them. And water in gel, and especially in acid, batteries is a consumable material, since when it is reduced by electrolysis of lead sulfate deposits on the plates, it is destroyed into the hydroxyl group and hydrogen. The latter leaves any battery into the surrounding air. In gel batteries, hydrogen escapes through rubber valve caps located under the outer plastic cover, which is often covered. Therefore, a very dry gel battery that has lost capacity needs to be topped up with distilled water .
To service a “maintenance-free” battery, you will need to tear off the glued top cover and remove all valve caps. You need to add a little water - not to the edges of the filler necks on the jars. The poured water will be absorbed into the filter paper, so after half an hour, look (by shining a flashlight) to see how much water is left in each section of the battery. The water level should slightly cover the surface of the battery plates, so excess liquid will have to be removed with a syringe or rubber bulb.
If the battery has lost a lot of capacity
In this case, you need to carry out cyclic charging to “heat up” the battery.
The battery is charged as much as possible and then discharged. To do this, you can use a low-wattage car light bulb. This way you can complete 3-5 cycles. Make sure that during the discharge process the voltage does not drop below 10.5 Volts. There are particularly severe cases when a gel battery does not restore capacity after cyclic charging. Then, with a high degree of probability, it can be argued that part of the lead plates fell off from the output of the can (cans). It is impossible to restore such a battery. Here all that remains is to operate it with a smaller capacity or buy a new one.
Is the “gel” recoverable?
Of course, not every battery can be restored: it happens that the battery case turns out to be damaged during its inspection. Or something inside it begins to “jingle” when you try to take it out of the car or move it to another place. If this happens, you should not attempt to restore obviously damaged batteries : this can be dangerous. In addition, you will then regret the wasted time that could have been spent on purchasing a new battery.
Therefore, before starting restoration, it is important to inspect the battery as thoroughly as possible and check it for remaining functionality in order to determine whether it is worth taking on.
You can determine whether a gel battery for a car is “alive” and whether it is worth taking to “reanimate” it by using a standard load fork. The battery voltage is measured with a voltmeter (everything is absolutely the same as when handling any other battery), a load plug is connected, which will simulate the operation of the starter. The plug is held for about three seconds, after which you need to carefully monitor how the voltage “behaves.”
If it is restored (the voltmeter needle should rise back), the battery is alive and, at a minimum, it needs to be recharged. And if the voltage is not restored, you can try to “resurrect” the battery with stronger currents. But this experiment is more suitable for extreme craftsmen.
It is easy to conclude whether a gel battery can be restored based on measuring the voltage that remains in it. It is best if U is at least 50-60% of the required value. It is recommended to restore the battery if its voltage does not drop below 30%. Then it is still possible to restore its capacity (Ah) at least partially in order to extend the life of the battery.
Principle of operation
Before you begin restoring gel batteries, you need to understand in detail the principle of their operation and the main differences from other types of batteries. In essence, it is somewhat similar to that used in sealed acid-type devices. However, experts mention two main differences.
A special gel-like substance is used as an electrolyte, which consists of purified water and sulfuric acid, which influenced the appearance of the characteristic name. Many car owners attribute the name “helium” to the systems, although this is not entirely correct, since they do not operate on gas.
Overcharging of such devices is unacceptable, because it causes a rapid loss of capacity. To avoid such consequences, it is advisable to maintain a voltage range of 14-16 V.
Advantages of gel batteries
As is known, in classical electrical power sources, the electrolyte reaction occurs very intensely and quickly, which is accompanied by the release of vapors.
By the way, at high overloads, boiling of the electrolyte and even explosion of the device cannot be ruled out. Will the new gel device be subject to such troubles? Fortunately, no: it works on a different principle and has many advantages over classic devices. This device uses an electrolyte with a special viscosity that has a jelly-like consistency. By adding a thickener to the battery, you can continue to use it freely in any conditions. But the effectiveness of the system in a position on its side is sharply reduced, and turning it over is generally prohibited. However, gel-type models have undeniable advantages, which include:
- Possibility of repeated charge-discharge cycle.
- No need for initial charging after purchase.
- Preservation of capacitive characteristics during discharge to zero level.
- Maximum starting current.
- Minimal loss of capacity during long periods of inactivity. For comparison, acid models quickly lose their working life if they are not used for their intended purpose.
- Extended service life.
We recommend: Characteristics of a gel battery for a motorcycle
Partial or complete damage to the body of such a battery will not affect its performance in any way, so there will simply be no need to carry out complex repairs. By comparison, when using lead models, a problem such as electrolyte leakage often occurs. In gel ones, the latter is not in a liquid state, so any leakage is completely excluded.
Modern analogs are not only high-tech, but also the safest. Their service life can reach 10 years, although this most likely applies to the most expensive models.
Reanimation of a serviceable scooter battery
#1 Reanimation of a serviceable scooter battery
Post by Sylver » 15 Apr 2015, 09:36
Shamelessly torn: Dmitry. Website sammoto.boom.ru
Perhaps you have heard more than once that batteries cannot be restored? Complete nonsense and nonsense! This means that hands don’t grow there! I personally restored several dead batteries, and they worked for several more seasons! Don't give money to greedy sellers at car flea markets, don't buy Chinese crap - it may last less than your old brand battery if reconditioned correctly! So, let's begin. We have a dead or almost dead battery on our hands. We will need some materials and tools:
1) Fresh electrolyte (nominal + preferably increased density) 2) Distilled water. 3) Electrolyte density meter (hydrometer). Small. On a large one, you do not pump electrolyte from the entire battery. 4) A charger capable of providing low (0.05-0.4A) charging currents. I used the simplest homemade device - a power supply from a tape recorder, a tester as an ampere and voltmeter, plus a block of powerful resistors to regulate the charging current. 5) Desulfating additive to the electrolyte. I used the Russian additive “Dream”, produced by “NTK KULON”, St. Petersburg, conversion). 6) A small enema (sorry, I need it!) and a pipette for pouring purposes.
First, let's define possible malfunctions:
1) Sulfation of the plates - the battery capacity drops almost to zero. 2) Destruction of carbon plates - when charging, the electrolyte turns black. 3) Short circuit of the plates - the electrolyte in one of the sections of the battery boils away, the section heats up. (A difficult case, but sometimes not hopeless) 4) A frozen battery - swollen sides, the electrolyte immediately boils when charging (numerous short circuits of the plates) - nothing can be done to help here, amen, God rest his soul!
Let's start from the end of the list. (item 3) When shorting the plates, under no circumstances try to charge it! We begin rinsing with distilled water. Don’t be afraid to turn over and shake the battery, it won’t get any worse. Rinse it until the coal crumbs stop washing out (I hope this moment comes, otherwise stop this masochism). When washing, the shorting of the plates is often eliminated, and we move from point (3) to point (2). After washing and shaking out any debris from the bowels of the battery, we proceed to point (1), namely, eliminating salt deposits on the battery plates. Follow the additive instructions. My experience may differ from what you read in the instructions. Next I do this:
How to extend battery life
The natural desire of every motorist who buys a fairly expensive GEL battery is to increase its service life. They really want the battery to last as long as the manufacturer claims.
To do this, you must adhere to several rules:
- ensure operating conditions that comply with battery requirements;
- do not install the battery in the car if the temperature drops below -45 degrees Celsius;
- monitor the condition of the battery, clean it from external contaminants;
- check the condition of the terminals and clean them if necessary;
- try to avoid deep discharge;
- when charging, use modern chargers with automatic control;
- if a complete discharge has occurred, charge not 10, but 5% of the nominal capacity;
- When living in the city, place the battery on a charger once a season.
The rules seem simple and basic. But for some reason, most motorists do not comply with them.
It is important to understand that city driving, which consists of short trips and long stops, does not allow the battery charge to be compensated by the operation of the generator. Energy consumption in this case is equal to or higher than the charge received from the generator. Gradually this leads to a deep discharge and the inability to start the engine.
Ideally, a motorist should travel out of town, onto the highway, and drive non-stop for 80-150 km every 2-3 months. This is useful not only for replenishing the charge of any battery, including a gel battery, but also for the engine, fuel system, etc.
Extreme method: cyclic “running” of a gel battery
Some car enthusiasts ask how to restore a gel battery with high voltage and whether it can be done at all. This method has always existed. But if you decide to use it right away, you need to keep in mind that it will either work or it won’t. However, with great desire and caution, you can try.
The first charging cycles are usually carried out with high voltage, the minimum is 30 V, and when the battery “swings” and begins to consume current, the voltage is gradually reduced to the traditional 14 V. The battery should be discharged gently between cycles, using a light bulb with a power of 5-10 W will be quite enough.
After such a “buildup”, you can charge the battery in the usual mode, with a current equal to 10% of its rated capacity, measured in ampere-hours (Ah). For example, if a battery has a capacity of 70 Ah with an output voltage of 12 V, 7 A is the current with which it needs to be charged.
Posts 8
1 Topic by Jonni 2010-04-10 20:18:30
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Topic: How to reanimate a acid scooter battery?
After winter hibernation, two-wheeled friends have battery problems. Often the owners themselves are to blame for the death of the battery, because... Everyone knows that in the winter the battery needs to be removed, fully charged, preferably stored in a warm room and checked the charge level once a month and recharged if necessary. I had a problem with my scooter in the first winter. I did everything right, removed it, but in the middle of winter the charge dropped and I decided to recharge it with a car charger, put it on charge and since then the battery has died. It refused to hold a charge, but of course the scooter started up and drove, all the lights worked, during a long trip the battery was recharged, but after half an hour of parking it died again. Why did this happen? When charging, any battery should be charged with a current of no more than 10% of its capacity, i.e. the standard capacity of a car battery is 55 A/h, it turns out that when charging the battery, a car charger produces 5.5 Amperes, and the capacity of a scooter battery is 4 A/h, which means it needs to be charged no more than 0.4 Amperes, so It turned out that the car charger ruined my scooter battery. I dug around in the Internet, found some information on restoring the battery, and decided to get confused. Here's what I did:
I took a dead battery (by the way, it’s an acid battery), opened all the caps, poured out the acid, poured distilled water into it, chatted (just not too much), poured it out and so on several times, then took it and poured the acid in (at the level in each jar). Next, I needed to charge the battery, but all my attempts to find the kind of charger I needed were unsuccessful. I found on the Internet that you can take a 12-volt power supply from an old player, it just produces about 0.5 Amperes. Luck smiled at me, I found such a power supply that I had left since the time of default
Using a tester, I figured out which wire was “plus” and which was “minus” and made fastenings to the terminals.
We put the battery on charge and leave it to charge for at least 10-12 hours
You can periodically check the charge with a tester
After charging, we connect some powerful power source to the battery, I used a car low beam lamp, and completely discharge the battery (the first three cycles, my battery was discharged in 10-15 minutes, then longer and longer) and so we spend about 10-15 -three cycles of full charging and full discharging (but under no circumstances leave the battery in a completely discharged state for a long time). After this procedure, my battery came back to life and holds a charge for about a month, so it’s already been four years. For me this was relevant because... The scooter has an anti-theft alarm; with the battery not working, it was unsettling to leave the scooter on the street for a long time. Well, it seems like I told you everything, probably this method can be applied to a car battery, but there it is. I found all the information on this method of restoring a scooter battery on the Internet.
ps: the maintenance-free (according to the seller, silicone) battery could not be restored in this way.
Source
general description
Currently, gel batteries are widely distributed in various retail outlets, where they offer a wide range of spare parts for various vehicles.
However, many people still do not know what the device is, how it works and what benefits it has. The fact is that externally the battery is not much different from its close cousins that run on acid. For many years, old wet batteries have been in great demand. We are talking about acid models. However, as modern batteries developed, humanity began to actively abandon old, not entirely environmentally friendly systems, giving preference to improved modern developments.
Initially, such devices were developed exclusively for military transport, including aviation, where conventional batteries could not perform their task because they constantly overheated and lost capacity. As a result, they quickly failed and were no longer suitable for further use. Soon new inventions appeared on the market - gel analogues , which quickly occupied a leadership niche and began to gain popularity.
