News | January 6, 2000

ETI Implements New Battery Testing Procedure

The increasing reliance of companies on battery-enabled emergency and back-up power systems is yielding new and better testing methods.

ETI recently invested in new instruments and software from Alber Engineering—a company considered to be the battery industry's premiere company for microprocessor-based battery performance systems. ETI uses the Alber BCT-2000

• battery capacity test system
• micro-ohm meters
• digital hydrometers
• battery multi-meters
• battery analysis and report generation software.

ETI approaches battery services using three complimentary periodic inspection procedures:

• Verifying battery condition by performing an annual procedure to testing all recommended parameters.

• Performing a detailed visual inspection to identify anomalies in the battery system.

• Checking and adjusting the charging system to verify proper operation and optimize battery life.

These comprehensive inspections provide valuable information to prevent or identify potential failure in:

• cells
• connections
• racks
• charging systems.

ETI uses quarterly and monthly inspections to provide supplementary data to monitor shifts in battery condition.They collect data on-site using laptop computers allowing them to analyze the data and make corrective actions on the spot. They can also trend the collected data to predict problems before battery failure.

Why is this so important? According to Rob Hawlins, ETI's Supervisor of Battery Services in Houston, "Batteries are playing an increasingly important role in emergency power generation for our clients in critical industries from telecommunications, energy to petrochemical. In fact, today there are only a few companies that don't rely on batteries as their entire emergency power system back up, or on an interim basis until generators can start up."

Edited by: Jerry R. Borland, P.E.