Replace the vent caps and give the battery a
freshening charge of 3 to 6 hours or by continuing
the charge until there is no increase in specific
gravity for three hydrometer readings taken at
one hour intervals.
CONTINUE CHARGING
AND MAKE FINAL ADJUSTMENT OF THE
ELECTROLYTE LEVEL TOWARD THE END
OF THE CHARGE.
Upon completion of the freshening charge,
the normal fully charged specific gravity should
be 1.245 to 1.255 at 77°F.
4. INSTALLING BATTERY (BLOCKING)
Negligence in properly blocking a battery in
the compartment is apt to permit shifting and
may cause damage. All trays should be securely
blocked, but care should be taken to avoid
overtight wedging. Clearance of about 1/8" should
be left between the blocking and the battery trays.
5. TERMINAL CONNECTIONS
Make original connections clean and tight.
Inspect terminal connections regularly and keep
them clean and tight.
6. VOLTAGE REGULATOR
The battery is only one part of a total system,
all of the parts of which are inter-related and
interdependent. The battery simply stores energy
in a chemical form for use when the generating
system is not running. It is not a source of power
but merely a reservoir. The battery supplies power
for starting but, as soon as the engine is running,
the generating system must replace the power
withdrawn from the battery.
Input from the generating system to the battery
is controlled by the voltage regulator. It is important
to make sure that the regulator is known to be in
satisfactory operating condition and adjusted to
the correct operating voltage.
If the voltage regulator is not in good operating
condition or is adjusted to an incorrect operating
voltage, the battery will not function satisfactorily
because the charge it receives will be insufficient
(undercharged) or excessive (overcharged). In
severe cases of bad regulation and overcharging,
failure can take place within a year. Overcharge
is indicated by faster water loss than normal.
A bad regulator or one set too low can cause
undercharge—a condition which will literally
starve the battery to death. In this case, more
power is drawn out of the battery than is replaced.
As a result, the battery gradually runs down until
it is so low that it fails completely. Undercharge
is indicated by decreasing electrolyte specific
gravities.
The correct operating or battery float voltage to
be set on the regulator is that which will maintain
the battery in a fully charged condition. This
correct setting depends on two factors—operating
temperature and locomotive work schedule. It is
recommended that voltage regulator adjustments
be made while the engine is at operating speeds.
Correct battery float voltage at different
environmental temperatures are as follows:
Float Voltage
Temperature
(Volts/Cell)
Greater than 80°F
2.25-2.30
50°F to 80°F
2.30-2.33
Less than 50°F
2.33-2.38
The effect of locomotive work schedule
on the correct float voltage is determined with
experience. If a battery is used for starting
very frequently, float voltages should be set
at the higher end of the range indicated at the
appropriate temperature; similarly, for infrequent
battery usage, float voltages should be set at the
lower end of the range.
7. VENTILATION
As explained in Section 2, gases produced
from a charging battery are explosive! Clean all
ventilating openings to remove any collection of
dirt or dust that might prevent the free circulation
of air.
8. WATER ADDITION
All lead acid batteries, in the course of normal
operation, generate hydrogen and oxygen from
water in the electrolyte.
Gassing or water consumption in a battery
is a function of float voltage and operating
temperature. Excessive water consumption
indicates the voltage regulator setting is too high
and should be reduced. Normally, it should not
be necessary to add water to the battery more
than once every 30-180 days in the summer and
once every 60-180 days in the winter.
If the gravity reading shows a continual
lowering, or consistently remains 10 to 20 points
below the fully charged gravity, the voltage
regulator is set too low for the locomotive’s work
schedule and it should be increased to allow