Battery management: System features monitoring, communications

By Control Engineering Staff May 1, 2007

Columbus, OH— CellRX battery management system from Ametek Solidstate Controls (SCI) is compatible with virtually any industrial battery type and configuration, the company says, whether six or 275 cells. Both ac and dc UPS systems depend on battery power to support critical loads and keep processes running smoothly 24/7, says Ametek. Intended for power generation, petrochemical, chemical, offshore oil and gas, and other process control industry applications, the system reportedly lets users increase their battery system reliability by continuously monitoring such battery parameters as voltage, current, and temperature.

The system is part of the company’s P3Solutions package designed to ensure battery systems are available when needed. Software incorporated into CellRx enables trending of historical battery data so that users may make informed decisions about battery maintenance and possible replacement. Features include advanced communications capability for status monitoring, including alarms, and voltage and current parameters.

All models can be configured with RS 232 / 485 / Modbus, Ethernet communications packages, TCP/IP, or wireless or land telephone modem. Fiber optics facilitate noise-free connection between the controller and the concentrators that collect key battery data, promoting unimpeded information flow in real time. A float current monitor also may be added as an option to the standard system.

Download a data sheet.

—Edited by Jeanine Katzel , senior editor, Control Engineering Weekly News
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