How Does A Substation Battery Charger System Work?

A substation battery charger ensures all the essential electrical systems in a substation continue to operate in the event of a power outage.  An absence of an electrical supply could result in damage to equipment and personnel. The DC system is the most important component of a high voltage industrial/utility substation.  It supplies the energy needed to manage the protective devices and high voltage components and allows electrical faults to be safely isolated.

Most high voltage substations house either a sealed or flooded cell battery bank.  In a normal functioning system, the batteries provide very little current.  A continuous load current maintains a constant charge on the battery. The battery charger provides a current if the charge exceeds the output capability.  A failing substation battery charger or if the charger trips is a good indication of whether the system is working effectively.

An average battery load profile can last for up to 8 hours with the options to adjust the duration to suit the requirements of the installation or application.  Installing the correct charging system is vital as it increases the service and the longevity of the battery system. Selecting the correct substation battery charger system requires consideration of key factors, such as environment, duty cycle and battery type. 

Acrabatt Substation Battery Charger System

The Acrabatt substation battery charger system is specifically designed to be used with any protection and control system.  It is part of a flexible range of substation battery charger systems that are easy to install, maintain and modify.  The DC output voltage ranges from 24v, 48v and 110v with DC output currents up to 400A. Each design can be extended to suit any number of applications from compact single or dual chargers, distribution and cell cabinets to charger and distribution cabinets with any number of battery cell and distribution outputs. Combinations depend on substation loads and applications.  

Acrabatt’s design is the result of significant market research relating to other similar products on the market. Conventional designs encounter the following issues; poor retrofit installation, complex to dismantle, time-consuming maintenance and modifications, difficult to access and costly to maintain.  The Acrabatt system addresses these issues by being adjustable, accessible, removable and flexible.

Each battery charger system is fitted with a multi-function alarm with a digital display which is easily programmable. By using additional add-on output modules, it can be integrated into any SCADA or monitoring system.

The 19” rack design cubicle includes the following attributes. A height adjustable gland plate simplifies new and retrofit installations making installation much quicker and cost-effective.  Removable side panels making modifications, maintenance and extensions easier. A flexible modular system allows cables to enter from the top, bottom front and rear. These improvements result in a system that is easy to install, maintain, update and is a cost effective solution.

All of the parts are ENA approved.

If you would like to find out more about the Acrabatt substation battery charger system contact us for more information.