Most battery rooms with vented lead acid batteries present big challenges for battery monitoring equipment. Well maintained vented/flooded batteries will last for 20+ years, but battery monitoring equipment not specifically designed for the corrosive environment will not last, and will become an ongoing maintenance concern, if not a waste of money.

Without mentioning any products or brand names, the picture above shows a “well” installed battery monitoring system. The wiring and clips appear to be OK. However, the main unit has ventilation slots that expose its circuit board to the acid gas environment. An option would be to install the main unit to the other side of the wall, on which it is mounted, but that creates many other inconveniences.

In contrast, BatteryDAQ Sentry BMS models, for battery room installations, are completely sealed using IP-65/NEMA-4 grade enclosures to keep acid and moisture out of the box. Everything (measurement cable/plug, Ethernet cable/plug, wireless modem if applicable) is protected with qualified interconnection systems. This design works so well due to the use of advanced wavelet measurement technology. Unlike our competitors, Sentry does not need a high current discharge, in order to measure internal resistance and connection resistance. This integral technological advantage allows the heart of the BMS to be safely enclosed within the NEMA box, without the need for ventilation.

Other manufacturers utilize modular systems. The same design problem also exists because they also have ventilation slots in each module. Because the module is installed on the top or side of the batteries, they are susceptible and vulnerable to acid invasion and destined for failure. It is inevitable that some (if not all) modules in a string will no longer function/blink after a few short months, not to mention the expected 20 years.

It is also well known, and accepted, that connection resistance monitoring is critical for measuring state-of-health. Any BMS lacking this feature is most likely not worth installing at all.

Contact us if you are interested to view more pictures and videos showing how bad an improper equipment installation can become, or to learn more about how BatteryDAQ systems overcome inherent environmental concerns.