Sep 23, 2007 06:11 pm
NiFe batteries / how to cycle with 4024 / rebuild ?
I have a set of used NiFe batteries, 20 cells wired in series. The man I bought them from told me to use them hard to build capacity (memory effect ?). I should have about 200x the capacity I get out of them, which is less then when I put them in 4 years ago. Always keep the tops covered with water, and all cells test just about the same voltage.
What settings can I use on my Trace 4024 inverter to automatically run them dry, then let them charge back up again from wind & solar, then run them dry again..... I have had them set on sell, had the bulk volts set to 32 and float to 29. (I want to know if I need to set up the inverter differently, or if I got bad batteries and need new one's).
I went with NiFe as I know someone who's dad used a set back in the 20's, he collected them from a dusty basement and has been using them for over 5 years..... I like the idea of long life batteries, have the extra room, and and did not feel that the greater static discharge rate was a problem. I have a 1,000w Whisper on a 108' tower and a wopping 100w of solar, but am in the middle of building a rack to hold another 1,200 watts and plan to put in a second rack of 1,200 watts before the end of the year (US tax credit, there is no Missouri tax credit).
If the cells are bad, is there any way to rebuild NiFe cells ?
If not, what can anyone suggest ?
Thanks,
Robert Marsh