BATTERY MONITORING

As the sophistication of battery monitoring systems evolves, one

German company has taken things a step further. Its equalization
technology actively monitors and adjusts lead-acid batteries used in
UPS systems to make them perform better and last longer.
Wyn Jenkins reports.

Equalization
and the next
UPS revolution
Using battery monitoring systems to
assess the performance of batteries in
real-time is nothing new. In critical
backup scenarios such as UPS plat-
forms where battery failure can have
direct consequences, many companies
invest millions in implementing such
technologies.
Providers of this technology have
responded in what has been a growth
market with an increasingly sophisti-
cated armoury of techniques able to
better predict battery failure earlier
allowing the cells to be changed
and a systems integrity protected.
Such technology can even monitor
batteries performance remotely us-
ing an internet connection.
But one German company has de-
veloped a system that both warns
of a batterys impending failure and
makes real-time adjustments to its
performance to prevent failure and
extend its life.
The concept, known as equaliza-
tion, is a process by which the charg-
ing voltage of each individual accu-
mulator is automatically adjusted
electronically to ensure maximum
performance. This means that where
a string of battery cells is used, any
variable performance between the
cells is almost entirely extinguished.
The batteries last longer and also
performs for a consistent amount of
time.
The technology has been widely
used with lithium-ion batteries for
some time but it was first developed
as a commercial platform for lead-
acid batteries some seven years ago
by Generex, a UPS and battery moni-
toring specialist based in Hamburg,
Germany.
Following several years of trials
with customers, the technology is be-
ing adopted by some of the biggest
and most sophisticated users of UPS
systems while battery manufacturers
themselves are looking to work with
Generex directly.
Not widely known
Generex is arguably one of the most
advanced manufacturers of battery
monitoring equipment globally and
its patented Battery Management and
Care System (BACS) is widely used in
UPS systems. Because Generex only
sells its equipment through original
equipment manufacturers (OEMs),
which brand its technology as their
own, the name Generex is not widely
known among end users.
That is starting to change, however,
as end users have discovered the ben-
We want to set
a standard for
stationary battery
management and
make battery
management a part
of the IT management
products like UPS are
today. To create the
link between IT and
facility management
with our products
Frank Blettenberger, chief
executive of Generex

www.batteriesinternational.com Batteries International Summer 2012 55

BATTERY MONITORING
The evidence
Several pieces of research have
been conducted into this field by
universities and the findings of
such projects back up Generexs
claims concerning the capability
of Equalization as a concept.
In a paper entitled Life Exten-
sion Through Charge Equaliza-
tion of Lead-Acid Batteries writ-
ten by academics Philip Krein
and Robert Balog from IEEE (the
University of Illinois) the research
looks to establish the extent to
which an equalization process can
extend the life of a battery used in
a string.
Batteries are nearly always used
in series combinations of multiple
cells, the report said. When a
series string of cells is charged as a
group, a single current is imposed
on all the cells.
However, if the voltages begin
to differ, the result is a charge
imbalance that can lead ultimately
to battery failure. In any useful
series battery charge process, some
type of charge balancing or
equalization must take place to
restore balance or at least prevent
it from growing.
They explain that this need for
equalization may be addressed
either by driving the charge to a
sufficient potential to assure some
degree of overcharge for all cells,
or with a separate higher-voltage
charging step intended to reach
the weakest cells.
They concluded: Modern
rechargeable battery cells of all
chemistries are specified by the
manufacturer for hundreds or
even thousands of cycles. Series
strings of cells in general do not
perform up to this level.
The only difference between
a single-cell and series-cell
applications is management
of individual cell voltages. In
principle, a perfect equalization
process would ensure that a series
string performs just like a single
cell over time.
The need for equalization of
VRLA batteries is clarified in
other ways. For example, in one
test, several strings of 12 lead-
acid batteries were cycled without
equalization. The cells were rated
for at least 400 cycles, but instead
the strings provided only 25 to 30
cycles before reaching end of life.
56 Batteries International Summer 2012
The charge profile did not provide
the overcharge time (which
largely involves equalization time)
specified by the manufacturer.
This report concludes:
Effective use of series strings
of battery cells requires cell by
cell state of charge matching
to maintain performance. In
general, state of charge matching
can be assured through precise
voltage matching, although the
matching must be excellent (10
mV in the case of lead-acid cells)
for success.
Equalization has a
dramatic effect on
the performance of
batteries and
extends the lifetime
of batteries used in
strings. The more
batteries in the
string, the higher
the positive effect
with an increase of
at least 30% seen
in most cases.
Conventional passive equal-
ization works for short series
strings (six cells, and perhaps
up to twelve), but puts stress
on strong cells and loses
effectiveness rapidly as the
series string becomes longer. If
equalization can be assured, it
provides substantial benefits
such as longer cycle life, fewer
failure modes, and simpler
maintenance.
These translate into major
cost savings for large scale
rechargeable battery applications.
The technology provides
perfect voltage matching without
any sensing or control, and is the
lowest-cost active equalization
method known. All results to date
indicate that it can successfully
deliver on the promises of
performance improvements under
equalization.
efits of equalization a concept sim-
ple in principle yet underpinned by
cutting edge science and technology.
It could mean substantial cost savings
for users of batteries especially in
the UPS world and represents a
fundamental shift in what customers
might expect of their battery moni-
toring system.
Frank Blettenberger, the techni-
cal director and owner of Generex,
which employs 32 people at its head-
quarters, says he believes the technol-
ogy will save users substantial sums
of money because it will allow them
to use racks of expensive batteries for
longer.
When we first developed this tech-
nology we saw it as a bit of a gim-
mick, says Blettenberger.
We wanted to illustrate that our
BMS had more to offer than com-
petitors. But we gradually realized its
value. Equalization has a dramatic ef-
fect on the performance of batteries
and extends the lifetime of batteries
used in strings. The more batteries in
the string, the higher the positive ef-
fect with an increase of at least 30%
seen in most cases.
Real-time testing
Seven years ago, as a kind of real-time
trial, Generex installed this technology
on 3,000 batteries worth some 2 mil-
lion used by one of the worlds biggest
suppliers of enterprise software appli-
cations.
The batteries used by this company
in this scenario would traditionally
be replaced after five years well
short of their design life the dura-
tion recommended by manufacturers
because of the problems caused by
creating a string of many cells.
The experiment is still running af-
ter seven years and there is still no
technological reason to replace them.
They may eventually make a judge-
ment call and replace them but the
difference this technology has made
Generex has
developed a system
that both warns of a
batterys impending
failure and makes
real-time adjustments
to its performance to
prevent failure and
extend its life.
www.batteriesinternational.com
 BATTERY MONITORING
is incredible, says Blettenberger.
Generex has recently signed an ex-
clusive and potentially ground-
breaking agreement with a
multinational industrial battery man-
ufacturer which is also a market lead-
er in the supply of UPS products. The
deal will mean the manufacturers
batteries will be sold with the battery
monitoring system built by Generex
as standard.
The agreement is believed to be the
first cooperation where an IT special-
ist such as Generex has cooperated
with a battery maker towards devel-
oping a smart battery of this type.
It represents a shift in emphasis for
the companys long-term corporate
strategy towards becoming a supplier
of battery systems instead of stand-
alone batteries.

North America targeted

Second, it has also used the technol-
ogy as springboard from which it will
target the US market. Spearheading
the assault will be Alan Denny who
has joined as the companys interna-
tional business development manager.
Denny has more than 30 years expe-
rience in the electronics and IT indus-
tries including in the UPS and battery
monitoring fields.
He was previously chief executive
of PK Electronics Europe for four
years and the head of NDSL, a lead-
ing market player in the accumula-
tor monitoring systems. He was also
more recently the business develop-
ment manager for the battery moni-
toring group at LEM.
Generex has also recently won regula-
tory approval to manufacture its BACS
system in the US and Canada an im-
portant green light for the company. It
has also issued permission for its prod-
ucts to be made and sold by third parties
Denny: battery and IT veteran brought in to target international business
in Brazil and China under licence. to make battery management a part
With global expansion at the fore- of the IT management products like
front of its strategy now, Blettenberg- UPS are today, he says. We want to
er believes its BACS product and the create the link between IT and facility
equalization technology it contains management with our products.
can revolutionize the battery moni- Ultimately, we know that if we
toring industry. And long term, he continue to produce cutting-edge sys-
wants Generex to help such technol- tems and technology, customers will
ogy become a mainstream addition to come to see their value and want to
any IT infrastructure. use them.
We want to set a standard for sta-
tionary battery management and want
With global expansion at the forefront of its
strategy now, Blettenberger believes its BACS
product and the equalization technology it
contains can revolutionize the battery
monitoring industry.

BACS Generation 1 installation 2004-2007 running on Oer- BACS Generation 2 installation 2008-2010 running on
likon batteries Hoppecke batteries

www.batteriesinternational.com Batteries International Summer 2012 57

BATTERY MONITORING

How equalization works

In a typical UPS battery installation there will typically Unpredictable battery failures are no longer possible
be many accumulators connected in series to achieve when using this technology, says Blettenberger. There
a high voltage in the string. This increase in string can be no dry-out, gassing or sulfation because, as long
voltage also means an increase in the number of as the charger is set correctly, BACS keeps the batteries
accumulators required. It is not unusual to have 800V at 100% charge level. BACS can also show immediately
or more within a string of accumulators with the if the battery maker has delivered products out of one
equivalent number of batteries/cells. batch.
The more accumulators used, however, the more other
pieces of equipment such as cables and connectors are
used. These, combined with greater distances between
accumulators, leads to higher and lower potential
within different parts of the battery string. The more
resistive materials used, the longer the cabling, the
more the impedances differ within the accumulators
and the more the charging levels are different.
Given that not all accumulators are equal, within a
string of this type their individual accumulators/cells
will never get the correct amount of charge they need
to prevent sulfation and dry out as well as premature
aging and failure.
For years, this dynamic was accepted. There was
no technical solution and so UPS makers simply
recommended replacing accumulators earlier than BACS viewer screen shows the status of all batteries
after a discharge.
their designed lifetime to reduce the risk of battery
failures. Nowadays it is commonly accepted that in a
UPS application the lifetime of a 12V battery is just
50%-60% of its design life.
Some customers did not feel comfortable simply
changing the batteries more often. It still did not
gurantee no failure and a high string voltage UPS
cannot tolerate a missing accumulator the complete
system collapses at a single point of failure.
This lead to the widespread use of battery monitoring
systems in the industry the type of technology
produced by Generex. But while most systems monitor
batteries in a number of ways to show why they
might fail (voltage differences, rising impedance etc)
none can also regulate the system, constantly making
adjustements to avoid failure in the first place.
That was the case until, in 2004, Generex first Viewer screen shows the voltage of 64 batteries before
and after a discharge and how equalizing corrects the
implemented equalization technology into BACS voltages on every single battery to stay within the cor-
which itself pulls together two decades of constant rect charging level.
development in this field by the company. The BACS
system is arguably one of the most sophisticated on the
market. It also allows users to remotely monitor the
performance of batteries through a range of bespoke
software systems designed by Generex.
The equalization technology incorporated into the
BACS system harmonizes the voltages between different
batteries used in a string to within a very small window
of only 0.01V, regardless of interconnections or their
location. It keeps the accumulator at full charge and
within the stated manufacturing float voltages.
The constant regulation of batteries in their optimal
voltage window is the basis of why BACS can make
batteries reach their design life when operating in a
string application, says Blettenberger. Even minor
voltage differences are unacceptable to us.
Differences between the quality of individual
batteries are also compensated through equalization.
A weaker battery is now no longer ruining the others Status screen of the BACS seen through an internet
browser. Shows the actual values for voltage, tempera-
in the string. This saves time and money since a ture, impedance and equalizing power required to keep
replacement is not needed, he says. the cell at the optimal level.

58 Batteries International Summer 2012 www.batteriesinternational.com