Preliminary results of an ILZRO-sponsored field-data collection and analysis to determine relationships between service conditions and reliability of VRLA batteries in stationary applications

The International Lead and Zinc Research Organization (ILZRO), in cooperation with Sandia National Laboratories, has initiated a multi-phase project to characterize relationships between VRLA technologies, service conditions, and failure modes; establish the degree of correlation between specific operating procedures and premature capacity loss (PCL); identify operating procedures that mitigate PCL; identify best-fits between the operating requirements of specific applications and the capabilities of specific VRLA technologies; and recommend combinations of battery design, manufacturing processes, and operating conditions that enhance VRLA performance and reliability. In the first phase of this project, Energetics Incorporated is identifying manufacturers and users of VRLA batteries for stationary applications; conducting a confidential and anonymous survey of battery manufacturers and users regarding service conditions of specific applications and performance records for specific VRLA technologies; constructing a database of the service histories; and analyzing the data to determine trends in performance for particular technologies in specific service conditions. ILZRO plans to make the final report of the analysis and a version of the database available to ILZRO members, participants in the survey, and participants in a follow-on workshop for stakeholders in VRLA reliability. This paper presents the actual surveys distributed to manufacturers and end-users; discusses the analytic approach; reviews the preliminary results of the survey analysis; and provides a preview of the functionality of the database being constructed.