Battery Selection
2240 SRM 1
Figure 7. Electrical Terms
Battery Selection
NOTE:
The capacity of the battery can be found on
the lift truck’s Nameplate. See the Frame section or
Operating Manual for your lift truck for the loca-
tion of the Nameplate.
The battery needed to operate a period of 8 hours de-
pends on many conditions. Operations that require
the lift truck to go up ramps or require the use of ad-
ditional attachments increase the use of power from
the battery. Some work conditions require that more
than one battery must be used during a work period.
The number of 8-hour work periods per day is nor-
mally equal to the number of batteries needed. For
example, for three work periods, you need three bat-
teries. The capacity of the battery you need is found
as follows:
• The size of the lift truck and the attachments.
• The type of work. Heavy-duty operation or normal
operation for one 8-hour work period.
Lift trucks are available in various voltage ranges.
See Figure 8. The small "walkie" lift trucks are nor-
mally 12 or 24 volts. The larger sit-down rider lift
trucks are normally 24, 36, 48, 72, or 80 volts. The
number of cells in a lead-acid battery gives the bat-
tery voltage. See Figure 9. A fully charged cell has
a potential difference of approximately 2 volts. See
Figure 8. This potential difference does not change
with size of the cell.
Figure 8. Cell Voltage
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