april2023 - 24

» A Vanair technician addresses
battery issues in cold weather.
Vanair
Dead and drained batteries
A growing number of fleets are now utilizing
supercapacitors. The modules can replace starting
batteries or be used alongside existing batteries for
powering hotel loads. Now available to fleets in the
U.S. and Canada through C8 Energy is the SkelStart
Engine Start Module from Skeleton Technologies.
" The supercapacitor is designed to take on the
duties of engine starting and is engineered to fit
in a similar dimensional envelope as a standard
commercial vehicle battery, " said Jean Labrie,
CEO of C8 Energy. " Replacing starter batteries
with supercapacitors makes sense because it cuts
down on roadside service calls, cold start problems,
improves driver comfort, and with a lifespan
of up to one million cycles they can theoretically
outlast the vehicles. "
The SkelStart Engine Start Module is designed
to crank a 27-liter engine with supercapacitor
technology that delivers 2,000 cold-cranking
amps. It also delivers that same starting power
whether the ambient temperature is as low as -40
degrees F (-40 degrees C) or as high as 149 degrees
F (65 degrees C).
" A supercapacitor is not hindered by
temperature, nor is its performance impacted
by extremes of cold or heat, " said Labrie. " One
SkelStart can put out three times the amperage
of an average lead-acid battery, and the high
amperage means less system-wide exposure
to the low voltage associated with depleted
lead-acid batteries. Low voltage delivered by
a struggling lead-acid battery can also cause
higher resistance on the battery cables, which
can result in starter burnouts. "
Also using supercapacitors for starting and
charging 12- and 24-volt batteries on heavy-duty
vehicles and a range of equipment during service
calls is the Cap*Start line from Vanair featuring
VSC (Vanair Super Capacitor) technology. Included
in the product line are the Vanair Cap*Start 3000Light
Plus Air Compressor and Cap*Start 3000
Hydraulic Driven machines.
Cap*Start models, in conjunction with a
» Clarios is constantly reevaluating their products
for improvement and monitoring real-time use.
Clarios
250-amp alternator, provide 3,000 amps of
engine-starting capability. The fast-recharging
VSC system can be ready to jumpstart another
vehicle or piece of equipment in seconds. The units
also feature user-friendly controls and a digital
display for reading diagnostics, as well as a weather-protected
enclosure, reverse polarity protection,
and open, closed, or low circuit safety.
24 Fleet Maintenance | April 2023
The need for good data
and skilled techs
Regardless of the technology being used to start
and power vehicles, the battery manufacturers
said that good data and skilled technicians can
be some of the best facilitators of fleet and industry-wide
improvements.
" Correctly identified root causes and the documentation
of them can lead to improved battery
designs, as well as better checklists and procedures, "
Gregory said. " At Odyssey we work with
OEMs and fleets to provide critical on-site investigations
for understanding root causes of common
issues and turning those findings into training
and improvements with a strong emphasis on
corrective action. "
Bania noted Clarios has an extensive benchmarking
and analysis program that helps
understand areas needing improvement for
next-generation products. " On a regular basis we
bring in and tear down our products, as well as
competitive products, " he explained further. " We
also couple this with our data collection activities
where we monitor various vehicles in real-time
to better understand application drive and duty
profiles. Fleets partner with us on these activities
and help with access to both batteries for teardown
and data collection. "
" Failure analysis is key for developing new
protections and features in battery packs to
respond to market demands and improve product
reliability, " MCE's Self said. " We welcome feedback
from customers as a part of our product development
process. To have the most intelligent batteries,
we must consider many use cases across many
applications and how our batteries will perform,
and often our customers provide insights that are
impossible to identify in a lab. "
april2023

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