Campbell Scientific PS200/CH200 12 V Charging Regulators - Manual (Page 11)

PS200/CH200 12 V Charging Regulators
Leaving a lead-acid battery in a discharged state for
prolonged periods of time results in the undesirable growth
of large sulfate crystals (sulfation) that are detrimental to
battery performance. CAUTION
VRLA batteries self-discharge at approximately 3% of rated capacity per
month at room temperature
1 . A 3% of rated capacity per month self-discharge
results in 100% discharge in approximately 33 months ( ≈ 3 years) for a battery
stored at room temperature. Self-discharge increasing with increasing storage
temperature.
Periodic recharging of stored batteries every few months is
recommended to prevent irreversible sulfation due to prolonged
time in a discharged state. NOTE
3. Quick Start
The PS200/CH200 modules are designed to handle extreme conditions and
have the ability to transmit charging, load, and battery voltage and current
information directly to a datalogger using special SDI-12 or RS-232 commands
and associated communication cables. Using datalogger programming the data
from the PS200/CH200 can be used to calculate a power budget for the entire
system and help to remotely pin point any power problems. These cables are
not required for normal operation and the modules are ready to use right out of
the box. The modules have been designed with mounting holes on one inch
centers for mounting to a standard Campbell Scientific enclosure back plate —
see the enclosure manual for mounting suggestions. See FIGURE 3-1 through
FIGURE 3-3 for typical enclosure installations using a PS200/CH200.
By default, the CH200 module is programmed with a battery capacity of zero
Amp-hours (Ah). This sets the charger to charge at a lower current rate. A
battery capacity must be configured into the CH200 to enable the more
aggressive two-step constant voltage charging scheme. See Section 6.1.2,
Settings Editor Tab, for making changes using Device Configuration Utility
and Appendix A.2, Change Battery Capacity, using the datalogger.
FIGURE 3-1 through FIGURE 3-3 show PS200/CH200
installations using a SDI-12 communication cable. A SDI-12
communication cable is not required for normal operation. NOTE
3