AGCMTCMT

1

• AG-CMT/CMT-
• Charge Management Technology Option (CMT) and
• Communications and Measurement Option (CMM) for
• 3 or 4 Battery Strings

Presentation date 2-2003 David Barany Product
Manager, Element Power and Communications Propriet
ary Information This information is the property
of Alpha Technologies
Patent Pending
2
Product Model name AG-CMM/CMT- What it is
Located at the battery string, can equally charge
each battery in that string balancing the
string almost regardless of their condition or
age and/or optionally measure and report the
voltages of the batteries in that string to the
power supply. Availability AG with CMT now, CMM
Q1/03

• Features
• Extends average battery life each battery gets
  the precise voltage required.
• Replace single batteries as they fail, not the
  entire string save both capital, labor and
  recycling costs.
• Spreads charge voltage equally across batteries
  batteries no longer need to be matched, labor
  saving.
• Maintains battery voltages as they age.
• Optional communications module tracks battery
  voltage, protects batteries against discharge
  damage. Low voltage shutdown can be triggered on
  the low voltage of an individual battery in the
  string, not the standard low voltage average of
  the whole string.

Patent Pending
Proprietary Information This information is the
property of Alpha Technologies
3

• Why use the AlphaGuard?
• In unbalanced strings
• Based upon actual system data, 30 to 50 of
  installed batteries in system would significantly
  benefit from an AlphaGuard.
• Areas of battery/string degradation found were
• Reduced battery life, due to over or
  undercharge.
• Degraded backup runtime. Batteries that were
  undercharged were found to have significantly
  reduced runtime.

Patent Pending
Proprietary Information This information is the
property of Alpha Technologies
4
Based upon actual system data, 30 to 50 of
installed batteries in system were over or
undercharged. Actual life and capacity were
reduced to as little as 20 to 40 of expected.
120.00
200 mV/Battery
30 to 50 of batteries in a typical system are
in the over or undercharged region
Shown is optimal charge voltage per battery
vs battery life expectancy. Batteries charge
voltage must be within the 200mV window of
optimal voltage to not significantly impact
battery capacity and life.
100.00
80.00
Battery Life\Capacity in
Optimal Area of Charge
60.00
40.00
Overcharged
Undercharged
20.00
0.00
Charge Voltage
Patent Pending
Proprietary Information This information is the
property of Alpha Technologies
5
The AlphaGuard will move the charge voltage for
all batteries to be within the optimal area of
charge maximizing battery life and capacity.
120.00
200 mV/Battery
100 of batteries in an AlphaGuard system are in
the optimal area of charge
All strings that are AlphaGuard
Protected benefit by having maximized life and
capacity.
100.00
80.00
Battery Life\Capacity in
Optimal Area of Charge
60.00
40.00
Overcharged
Undercharged
20.00
0.00
Charge Voltage
Patent Pending
Proprietary Information This information is the
property of Alpha Technologies
6
In unbalanced strings, early failures of
batteries will occur due to undercharging
(sulfation) or overcharging (excessive grid
corrosion). These early failures are difficult to
predict in unbalanced strings. Eventually, all
batteries will fail and need to be replaced.
100.00
80.00
Battery Failures in
Typical failure curve of unbalanced batteries
60.00
40.00
20.00
0.00
Time
Patent Pending
Proprietary Information This information is the
property of Alpha Technologies
7
In AlphaGuard protected strings, average life of
batteries are extended by eliminating early
failures of batteries due to under or
overcharging. Battery replacement can now be
reliably forecasted. Labor costs to service
batteries can now be controlled.
100.00
Typical failure curve of AlphaGuard protected
batteries
80.00
Battery Failures in
Typical failure curve of unbalanced batteries
60.00
40.00
20.00
0.00
Time
Patent Pending
Proprietary Information This information is the
property of Alpha Technologies
8
The delta between the two curves are monies
saved/not spent when the batteries are protected
by an AlphaGuard. The amount of monies saved is
based on a number of factors such as labor rate,
service frequency and cost of batteries.
100.00
Typical failure curve of AlphaGuard protected
batteries
80.00
Funds preserved due to AlphaGuard
Battery Failures in
Typical failure curve of unbalanced batteries
60.00

40.00
20.00
0.00
Time
Patent Pending
Proprietary Information This information is the
property of Alpha Technologies
9

• In AlphaGuard balanced strings
• Maximizing battery life
• Battery life becomes very predicable.
  Replacement costs can now be easily
  forecasted/budgeted.
• Early battery failure due to over/undercharging
  is eliminated.
• Labor and truck roll costs minimized. No need to
  service the 30 to 50 of poorly charged
  batteries typically found in a non-AlphaGuard
  system.

Patent Pending
Proprietary Information This information is the
property of Alpha Technologies
10

• In AlphaGuard balanced strings
• Because of the improvement in average battery
  life, Alpha Technologies is now offering with the
  sale of an AlphaGuard
• Extension of battery warranty of 165/180GXL-3
  from 3 to 4 years.
• Extension of battery warranty of 165/180GXL-4
  from 4 to 5 years.
• Applicable to new, complete power station
  purchases only.

Patent Pending
Proprietary Information This information is the
property of Alpha Technologies
11

• In AlphaGuard balanced strings
• Maximizing battery runtime
• Battery runtime significantly reduced in
  non-AlphaGuard systems due to undercharged
  batteries. If capacity is reduced to 80, a
  planned runtime of 4 hours will be reduced to 3.2
  hours.
• Using the AlphaGuard, battery runtime becomes
  predictable. The system operator can reliably
  forecast system backup run times.
• Example A new, out-of-box 3 battery string of
  180GXLs provides 199 minutes at 8 Amps. Due to
  under/overcharging, 75 reduction in capacity
  of these batteries reduces runtime to 149
  minutes. If the operator uses the AlphaGuard on
  these batteries, the full runtime capacity of
  199 minutes is reached.
• Note Runtime capacity is also impacted by age
  and is predictable.

Patent Pending
Proprietary Information This information is the
property of Alpha Technologies
12

• Should batteries fail
• Some batteries will still fail for other reasons
  (mfring, physical damage, other). In this case,
  the AlphaGuard allows operators to swap-out only
  the one bad battery, not the entire string.
• Eliminates unnecessary labor to change out
  perfectly good batteries.
• Keeps good batteries in the field. Battery value
  is preserved.
• No warehouse battery matching/storage required.

Patent Pending
Proprietary Information This information is the
property of Alpha Technologies
13

• Product Description
• The AlphaGuard is contained in a small plastic
  enclosure that installs directly on top of one of
  the batteries in the string. No special mounting
  required. A short service cable connects the
  AlphaGuard to each of the batteries in the
  string. Both 36VDC (3 battery) and 48VDC (4
  battery) versions are available. One AlphaGuard
  is required per battery string.

Patent Pending
Proprietary Information This information is the
property of Alpha Technologies
14
The AlphaGuard can have one or both of the
following modules CMT Charge Management
Technology This module performs the electrical
compensation for differences in batteries in one
string. CMM Communications and Measurement
This module reports the measurements made at the
battery string and reports them to a
communications card in the power supply. Up to
eight AlphaGuards with CMM modules can be
daisy-chained together, allowing up to six
battery strings (24 batteries) to be monitored in
one power location. Each AlphaGuard in the chain
must have a different address, each address is
selectable via a rotary selector switch
accessible on the faceplate of the
AlphaGuard. AlphaGuards ordered with only one of
the modules can have the other module added in
the field or be returned to Alpha for upgrade.
Patent Pending
Proprietary Information This information is the
property of Alpha Technologies
15

• Installation is easy and largely foolproof
• The AlphaGuard cannot be damaged by connecting it
  incorrectly.
• Each connection is individually internally
  protected.
• If the Wiring OK LED is not lit, then the
  wiring harness is mis-wired or the AlphaGuard has
  otherwise failed.
• If the LED doesnt light, its not right!

These connections are present only if the CMM is
used.
Patent Pending
Proprietary Information This information is the
property of Alpha Technologies
16
Product Specifications Valid Model
Numbers AG-CMT-3 AlphaGuard with CMT only, 3
batteries or 36VDC AG-CMT-4 AlphaGuard with CMT
only, 4 batteries or 48VDC AG-CMM-3 AlphaGuard
with CMM only, 3 batteries or 36VDC AG-CMM-4
AlphaGuard with CMM only, 4 batteries or
48VDC AG-CMM/CMT-3 AlphaGuard with both CMM and
CMT, 3 batteries or 36VDC AG-CMM/CMT-4
AlphaGuard with both CMM and CMT, 4 batteries or
48VDC Configuration One AlphaGuard is required
per battery string. Service Location Directly
on top of any battery in the string. Warranty F
ive years.
Patent Pending
Proprietary Information This information is the
property of Alpha Technologies
17

• Product Specifications (cont.)
• Cabling
• For 36VDC systems 4 conductor battery cable,
  2.5 feet long
• For 48VDC systems 5 conductor battery cable,
  2.5 feet long
• AlphaGuard with CMM RS-485 data cable, 6 foot
  nominal
• Mechanical
• Housing Material High impact corrosion
  resistant plastic
• Dimensions 1.5H x 6W x 7D
• Weight 20 oz
• General Electrical
• Batteries Individual 12 Volts DC nominal
  batteries configured into 36 or 48VDC strings
• Circuit Protection Self-resetting fuse,
  reverse polarity protected
• Environmental -40 to 55C, 5 to 95 humidity
• Quiescent Current Draw 1mA maximum (current
  consumed by AlphaGuard after low voltage total
  shutdown)

Patent Pending
Proprietary Information This information is the
property of Alpha Technologies
18

• Product Specifications (cont.)
• CMT Specifics
• Charge Management is effective during float
  period of charge
• Maximum Current of Charge Management 2 Amps at
  25 degrees C
• Quality of Final Balance /- 60mV max between
  any two batteries
• Charging Efficiency 80 to 90
• CMM Specifics
• Communication to XM2 AlphaBus (RS-485) to XM2
  Communications card
• Maximum Number of CMMs Interconnected 6, each
  string has a different selected address
• Voltage Sense Resolution /-100mV
• Low Voltage Cutoff, End of Discharge
• With CMM connected to XM2 Comms card
  determined by the lowest per cell voltage of
  any battery in the string. Programmable 1.80
  to 1.65 Volts per cell.
• Without CMM determined by the average per cell
  voltage of the entire string of 1.75 Volts per
  cell.
• Note Volts per cell calculated as single
  battery voltage divided by 6.

Patent Pending
Proprietary Information This information is the
property of Alpha Technologies
19

• AlphaGuard with Charge Management Technology
  (CMT) BENEFITS
• Increased Battery Life
• Increase battery life by maintaining all
  batteries in the string fully charged, while
  today some batteries are undercharged and others
  are overcharged.
• Reduced Battery Maintenance and Replacement Costs
• The CMT balances the charge voltage across the
  batteries, ensuring that every battery in a
  string whether old or new is fully charged.
  Individual batteries in a string can be replaced
  as required allowing batteries to be left in
  system until they are at the end of their useful
  life. This stops the wasteful and costly practice
  of disposing of batteries that have years of
  useful life left because one battery in a string
  fails or replacing batteries based on scheduled
  maintenance program.
• Increased Battery Runtime
• Enable the battery string to maintain its
  capacity over life. The capacity of the string
  can become limited by a weak battery. Keeping
  the weak battery fully charged, and keeping all
  batteries from being over or undercharged, will
  limit the capacity degradation due to a weak
  battery.

Patent Pending
Proprietary Information This information is the
property of Alpha Technologies
20

• AlphaGuard with CMT and Communications option
  (CMM/CMT) BENEFITS
• Prevent Battery Damage because of a Deep
  Discharge Event.
• Communicate individual battery voltages to the
  power supply for use in determining End Of
  Discharge (EOD) for the string. Weak batteries in
  a string have lower voltages than the strong
  batteries. The CMM option allows the operator to
  stop battery discharge based on an individual
  battery voltage, not the string voltage,
  preventing the potential for loss of capacity to
  an individual battery (making the weak battery
  weaker). The EOD is user programmable,
  adjustable range is from 1.80 to 1.65 Volts per
  cell.
•  
• Improved Battery Status Monitoring
• Measurement is made at the battery, not at the
  power supply through a long battery harness. This
  results in communicating more accurate individual
  battery voltages to the power supply for
  forwarding through status monitoring. More
  accurate voltages better battery care.
  Communicate accurate alarm conditions associated
  with mismatched battery voltages.
• Simplified Wire Kits
• Simplified system wire-kits because connection
  from power supply to the AlphaGuard with CMM
  option is made through RS-485 cabling which is
  essentially a telephone cable not the
  traditional bulky multi-conductor battery harness.

Patent Pending
Proprietary Information This information is the
property of Alpha Technologies
21

• System Benefits
• An AlphaGuard
• protects the systems investment in power,
• reduces labor cost
• while at the same time increases system
  reliability.

ALPHAGUARD BENEFITS
Patent Pending
Proprietary Information This information is the
property of Alpha Technologies
22
Bulk charge ends, float cycle begins
Bulk charge begins
Charge Chart without CMT During bulk charge, the
differential between individual battery voltages
are minimal. During float charge, the individual
differences that each battery has produces a
voltage differential from lowest to highest
voltage battery of over 1 Volt. Result - over or
under charge of each battery, significantly
reducing a batterys life.
Patent Pending
Proprietary Information This information is the
property of Alpha Technologies
23
Charge Chart with CMT This chart shows two
batteries that were overcharged and two batteries
that were discharged in one string. The CMT
achieves a quality of final balance of less
than /- 60mV between any two batteries, ensuring
that all batteries, regardless of condition or
age, are charged to the correct voltage.
Patent Pending
Proprietary Information This information is the
property of Alpha Technologies
24
Discharge Chart Showing EOD with CMM- Comms
Measurement This chart shows that the inverter
has shut down on an individual battery voltage
rather than the total string voltage. This
10.5VDC end of discharge (EOD) shutdown stops any
battery from going below the low voltage damage
point. If the shutdown was string based
(EOD42VDC), the higher capacity batteries would
allow the low batteries to go below the low
voltage damage point, severely reducing the life
of the lower capacity battery.
Patent Pending
Proprietary Information This information is the
property of Alpha Technologies
25

• Charging Basics
• In a battery string, charging is performed
  serially. The batteries are connected in a serial
  string and most positive and negative terminals
  are connected to the charger/power supply.
  Ideally, the impedance of the batteries is
  identical, distributing voltage equally across
  each battery, similarly to a serial string of
  identical value resistors.

Patent Pending
Proprietary Information This information is the
property of Alpha Technologies
26

• Charging Basics
• In reality however, each battery has a different
  impedance and will therefore get a higher or
  lower voltage than other elements (batteries) in
  the string. Even if batteries are initially
  matched, individual batteries will age
  differently resulting in the eventual unequal
  distribution of voltages in the string. Early
  failure and replacement of only one battery in
  the string will certainly cause damaging voltages
  to exist in the string. For example, one
  batterys low impedance and voltage will cause
  the the other three batteries to share the
  voltage differential, causing these batteries to
  be overcharged or undercharged, both conditions
  which degrade the battery.

Patent Pending
Proprietary Information This information is the
property of Alpha Technologies