VRLA battery system reliability and proactive maintenance

Nowadays VRLA (valve regulated lead acid) battery is the main energy storage device selected for the telecommunication power supply system. Low maintenance is the primary advantage of VRLA battery over traditional VLA (vented or flooded lead acid) battery, while the main disadvantage is a somewhat shorter lifetime, Compared to the VLA battery. Further more, the actual service life is almost much shorter than the design life. So VRLA battery has reliability limitation to a certain extent. Reliable and safe VRLA battery system won't happen without proactive maintenance. This paper analyses the causes of premature failure of VRLA battery and describes the methods to extend the lifetime of VRLA battery, so that to increase the reliability and safety of VRLA battery system.