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  2. [Amel Yacht Owners] Battery Compartment Explosion

Re: [Amel Yacht Owners] Battery Compartment Explosion

Bill Kinney <greatketch@...>
 

It is easy to forget that batteries contain a HUGE amount of energy because we usually see it released a little at a time under careful control.  Being a bit paranoid about battery condition is a good thing, and Bill R’s description of what to do is a excellent approach.

Just for some round numbers, I put my engineering nerd hat on and sat down to calculate how much energy really is stored in a Amel battery bank.  I knew the number was going to be large, but the magnitude surprised me...

420 Amp-hours X 24 Volts = 10,080 Watt-hours

10,080 Watt-hours = 32,000,000 Joules

1 gram of TNT releases about 4000 joules when it explodes.

So one Amel battery bank contains as much energy as (very roughly) 8 kg of TNT!

Of course even a worst case battery scenario can't release all that energy anywhere near fast as detonating TNT, but still….

Respect the battery!

Bill Kinney
SM #160 Harmonie
Highlands, New Jersey



On Jun 26, 2016, at 12:39, 'Bill & Judy Rouse' yahoogroups@... [amelyachtowners] <amelyachtowners@...> wrote:


James,

Yes...according to the specs from the manufacturer. This test only returns a good or bad reading...red or green light. If you want more precise information there are digital testers that give you more info.

Bill
BeBe 387

On Sun, Jun 26, 2016 at 3:46 PM, Lokiyawl2 lokiyawl2@... [amelyachtowners] <amelyachtowners@...> wrote:
 

Bill,
  Your proactive battery testing to catch a bad battery before it fails sounds like a good idea to me.  With regards to the aforementioned tester detecting internal shorts is the instrument measuring the batteries internal resistance?  

James


Sent from Samsung Mobile



-------- Original message --------
From: "'Bill Judy Rouse' yahoogroups@... [amelyachtowners]" <amelyachtowners@...> 
Date: 06-26-2016 9:52 AM (GMT-04:00) 
To: amelyachtowners@... 
Subject: Re: [Amel Yacht Owners] Battery Compartment Explosion 


 

James,

Buy a digital battery tester like the one any battery supplier has and most automotive shops have that test and printout the status, testing volts, charge state, current CCA, and test for internal shorts.

Or if you don't need a printout, buy the Solar brand Chinese knock-off. That is what I have and I test all batteries about every 3 months. 

https://www.amazon.com/BA9-40-1200-Digital-Battery-System/dp/B00IZFNJ6Y

Bill Rouse
BeBe Amel 53 #387
Sent from my tablet
+1832-380-4970 USA Voice Mail

On Jun 26, 2016 8:43 AM, "Lokiyawl2 lokiyawl2@... [amelyachtowners]" <amelyachtowners@...> wrote:
 

Bill,
  How does one test for internal shorts by doing a load test?  Good information.
James


Sent from Samsung Mobile



-------- Original message --------
From: "'Bill Judy Rouse' yahoogroups@... [amelyachtowners]" <amelyachtowners@...> 
Date: 06-26-2016 9:31 AM (GMT-04:00) 
To: amelyachtowners@... 
Subject: Re: [Amel Yacht Owners] Battery Compartment Explosion 


 

Batteries, anchors, and other boat stuff that we all have firm options on...but for this posting I will stick to batteries. 

In my experience one person's experience with a single product, is only misleading and proves nothing, especially batteries where there are at least 10 variables in addition to make and model.

For instance, I met a British guy in Turkey at a marina who was changing out his batteries. He had 14 years on them. He bought these batteries when he bought his boat, which was a Beneteau coming out of charter in Greece. He sailed to Marmaris Turkey where he lived aboard for 14 years. At least once a year, he would unplug and motor somewhere for the day.

I think that regardless what brand battery you buy, the most you can hope for is 4 years, if you actually are cruising. 

BTW, the absolute worst brand that I bought was Varta  freedom style calcium batteries. I bought 13 in Greece. They started failing 3 months later with internal shorts. They failed one at a time. Had I not supervised them, I had about 8 opportunities for a major problem like Phantom's battery problem. Those 13 batteries were each discarded in 12 months. Johnson Controls UK, the company that manufactures Varta chose to do nothing, telling me to take up the issue with the Greek who also chose to do nothing. At the time that I bought Varta I was told that Varta bought the Delphi Battery plant in France where the original Amel batteries were made. My single experience shouldn't eliminate Varta from your choices, but it does for me. In my experience the best performing batteries have been the original Amel-installed Delphi Freedom batteries and the same battery made by the Delphi licensee in Istanbul, Turkey. Sadly, I do not believe those are available in Turkey anymore, and Delphi France is just a brand made by someone else since the GM liquidation of Delphi. 

Be sure to load test and test for shorts any new batteries when they are delivered. The battery supplier should do this while you watch and should give you a printout for each battery. Or buy the digital battery tester and do it yourself, as I do. Out of 12 delivered, I had 2 batteries fail the internal short test. 

Bill Rouse
BeBe Amel 53 #387
Sent from my tablet
+1832-380-4970 USA Voice Mail
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