Development of on-line monitoring system for Valve Regulated Lead Acid (VRLA) battery

Valve Regulated Lead Acid (VRLA) batteries have been used as backup powers supply since 1994 in almost every sector of the Indian Telecom. Such an excessive usage of VRLA batteries necessitates that a reliable telecommunications power supply is maintained. Since the Valve Regulated Lead-Acid battery is effectively sealed in that it is not possible to examine the battery internally. Therefore any test method relies on monitoring at the battery terminals. The maintenance regime must monitor the operating environment of the battery system as the correct environment will ensure that the maximum reliable operating life is achieved. Telecom standby power systems being installed or modernized today primarily use VRLA batteries, and their use in applications where flooded batteries could not be used, has been accompanied by reports of VRLA batteries not meeting customer expectations in the areas of reliability and service life. Thus taking into account all the aforementioned agendas, and understanding the desire need of the hour, an effort has been made to design a monitoring system for continuous on-line charging level of voltage monitoring of VRLA Batteries.