Re: To Settle an Argument

Posted by Larry on August 28, 2000 at 13:15:17 from (208.24.179.202):

In Reply to: To Settle an Argument posted by Wardner on August 26, 2000 at 20:54:02:

Some of these post are right, some are wrong. Each lead acid cell will read 2.17 volts with no load. There is no such thing as a single cell 12V lead acid battery. Voltage is the push behind the flow of electrons and amperage is how many electrons. To get 12V of push, you need 6 cells. But, the current, or amperage, that a battery can produce is no greater that one of the single cells in a series connection. In a series connection (standard tractor batteries) you add 2.17 volts for each cell and current stays the same. In a parallel connection, (like using two batteries in a diesel truck), the voltage stays the same but current capacity doubles. Cells can be any size you want, I use some that weigh over 400 pounds for a 2V battery. Size determines the amperage, which is the amount of current that the battery will produce. So, your friend is correct. The current producing capacity of a battery when new is listed on the battery in amp-hours. All batteries deteriorate with time and the AH decreases. Running them down, then fast charging them accelerates this deteriation unless you have a deep-cycle battery which is designed with special baffling to hold the flakes of lead, example, boat batteries for trolling motors. When you charge a battery fast, the acid-water mix known as the electrolite, heats up along with the lead plates and they buckle. As they buckle, the lead flakes off and falls to the bottom. If these build up enough to short out the plates, you have a dead cell. For each dead cell the voltage under load drops about 2 volts which renders the battery useless under most conditions. If you accidently run a battery flat, don't recharge it by the vehicle's alternator or generator, but use a trickle charger. This prevents the boiling and heat build up. Each electrical device does a work. The energy required to do a specific job is measured in watts. The starter is most always the highest wattage device on any vehicle. They draw so much current, that the connection to them bypasses the amp-meter, which would peg and burn out if run through it. To determine the wattage, multiply the voltage across the device by the amperage it draws. If you know the wattage, divide it by the amperage to determine voltage or divide watts by voltage to determine the amperage. To do a specific work, such as turn over a tractor engine, if you double the voltage, you halve the current needed to turn the engine, thus you can use smaller wire and the devices get smaller in size and the connections are not as critical. This is why autos, ect. went to 12V. Placing 12 Volts on a 6V starter will double the current it normally draws, thus spinning the starter much harder and faster. The load always produces heat, thus if you crank it very long you will burn it up. Most 6V tractor starters will work well on a 12V system provided they are used in short bursts. Other equipment just won't take 12V, lights for example. On connections: Each connection acts as a resistor, or load. With enough bad connections the resistance gets so great that the current is reduced to a point that the starter or other load can't get the wattage to work. Example, corroded battery terminals. Since load always produces heat, feel the wires under load and you can find the bad connection. The cleaner the connection, the lower the resistance, less heat and better the conductivity to your starter or other load. Any electrical connection that heats up is a bad connection. Always grease battery terminals before you attach the cables, as this prevents the lead from oxidizing. Lead oxide is a resistor, thus dropping available current you can pull from the battery. Hope this helps.

Follow Ups:

• Re: Re: To Settle an Argument ben 07:23:26 08/29/00 (0)
• Re: Re: To Settle an Argument Wardner 19:34:34 08/28/00 (1)
  • Re: Re: Re: To Settle an Argument Larry 13:51:30 08/29/00 (0)

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