Re: [EVDL] Forklift Battery Options?

[Bill Collins via EV]

If you go with replacement batteries that are significantly lighter than the 
original, keep in mind that the batteries are part of the balance equation that 
determines how much weight can be safely lifted and how high it can be lifted. 
You either need to add ballast to increase the weight or be careful not to use 
the forklift near it's limits.

A friend has a small walk behind forklift that originally used two 12v deep 
cycle batteries about the size of a golf cart battery. Right now, it's running 
on a pair of gel cell batteries from a mobility scooter. We're careful not to 
lift too much weight with it.

Bill
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Re: [EVDL] Forklift Battery Options?

[brucedp5 via EV]

Others have posted several good ideas that I am building on. This post would
be my approach. 
You mentioned your interest in learning EVs, so the following is also
applicable to a highway speed EV.
 
-1st ensure you have a way to charge the batteries, begin with the charger.
As posted, you need a 240VAC 30A source (I assume that is available in your
garage which is where the lift will be stowed& charged).

I found a charger that might be similar to yours, see:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/HOBART-BROTHER-BATTERY-CHARGER-MODEL-NO-1R12-550-/220766216900

If you want to contact the manufacturer, see:
http://www.hobartbrothers.com/contact-us.html


-Next work on knowing the status of the batteries:
 are they still usable (they just need charging and watering), or
 do they need replacing?

I suggest opening the battery case and measuring the cells to know their
health. As mentioned, take a look to see if each cell's plates are covered
with distilled water. You can charge them if the plates are covered, but do
not fill the cell to its fill ring level until after the charge cycle (if
you make the mistake of pre-watering them, and then charge the cell, the
electrolyte will expand in volume and over flow, spilling acid everywhere =
not good, prevent this).

In my former S-10 Blazer conversion EV with a new 132VDC pack of 22 6V
T125's that were allowed to rest for an hour after a full charge, each
battery would usually read ~6.4VDC (if this seems low or high then it might
have been my volt meter/DVM). That means if I could have measured each 2V
cell, they would have read 2.14VDC. In my College chemistry courses they
taught the potential of each cell should have been 2.2V, thus a 6.6V battery
(of 3 cells). But in practice, the static surface voltage always read lower
for me.

While you figure out how to get a charge on the bank of cells, you should
measure them to know what SOC (their health) before you put a charge on
them. Here is a table that gives the SOC voltages, see:
http://modernsurvivalblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/battery-state-of-charge.jpg

According to the above table, a fully charged 2V cell will read 2.12V . And
a fully charged 24V pack will read 25.46V  (you may want to also find out
how accurate your DVM is: does it read low or high?).

When you do charge your 24V pack of 2V cells, spend extra time to monitor
the charge cycle (baby it) so that you know/familiarize-yourself on how the
charger and your pack's SOC correlate (work together).

Years ago, Otmar showed his way of charging his Porsche EV's pack. He set
the dash mounted e-meter to read out like the pack (no mater what actual
voltage it was) was one 12V battery. Thus, he would only have to follow
standard wet cell voltages: 13.8VDC for a float voltage, 14 to 14.4V for a
finishing charge, etc.

I instead set my e-meter to read the actual voltage, and remember what each
voltage would be for my particular 132VDC pack. i.e.: when my pack reached
151VDC I knew it was 95+% charged (but the pack may not be balanced).
Pushing the charge longer to balance it would raise the pack voltage to
156VDC before the smart charger would shut off. An hour after the charge
cycle had completed, my 132VDC pack would settle down to a 141VDC reading.


If you find the 24V pack of 2V cells needs replacing, as posted, for an
hour's use, that is 1/8 the 400Ah capacity of those 2V cells (400+Ah * 1/8 =
) four 100 minute 6V batteries in series to give 24V would be a minimum
replacement pack configuration. 

Trojans are best but are costly
http://www.trojanbattery.com/pdf/datasheets/T105_Trojan_Data_Sheets.pdf

You should be able to find ~100 minute 6V golf/traction batteries for near
the prices shown at:
https://www.google.com/search?q=L16+6v+batteries=vw:l,p_ord:p=shop

You also mentioned keeping a charge on the pack so it would always be ready
for use. I suggest after use, you put the lift on a charge, afterward use
two 12V battery maintainers, see:
https://www.google.com/search?q=battery+maintainer=vw:l,p_ord:p=shop

I have been using one (12V 1A maintainer) similar to
http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/172241881686?lpid=82=ps_noapp=true
for over a year: it still works good. But a 12V 2+A maintainer would be
better. 
I would not just leave the lift on the large charger all the time (a waste
of power, and likely hard on the batteries: will dry them out).

Once the charger and pack are up and running, measure throughout a charge
cycle to know what it is doing. Being an old transformer type charger (like
my 30A Bycan was), it likely uses a rectified half-wave design. This means
the secondary winding of the transformer is center tapped and each (leg) end
feeds a power diode. In my Bycan, I put a switch to disable one leg (one of
the waves), to provide a half power setting. From a design perspective this
is considered hard on the transformer, but I never found it to over heat or
damage the transformer (my Bycan was a lower amperage charger though). It
did allow me to draw less 

Re: [EVDL] Forklift Battery Options?

[Lee Hart via EV]

Rush Dougherty via EV wrote:



BTW, do not despair if you see the fluid level below plate top or find the

behavior of the

battery weak upon first use.


It's been a while since I've used Flooded Lead Acid but I think you should
despair if the water is below the plates... that means that air has been able to
corrode the plates and they may be shorted out.

I'm sure Lee or someone with much more experience will correct me if I'm wrong.


It's bad to let them sit around with the plates exposed. For that 
matter, it's bad to let them sit around for many months anyway! They 
need to be kept charged, and with the electrolyte over the plates.


My guess is that these batteries have been neglected and sitting around 
a long time. That's not good for their health, though forklift batteries 
are tougher than most.


Iif the battery is good but just "out of shape", it will improve if you 
exercise it. (So do us humans).


--
Teaching children to program goes against the grain of modern education.
Just imagine the chaos if they learned to think logically, plan, create,
implement, test, and execute!
--
Lee Hart, 814 8th Ave N, Sartell MN 56377, www.sunrise-ev.com
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Re: [EVDL] Forklift Battery Options?

[Rush Dougherty via EV]

> BTW, do not despair if you see the fluid level below plate top or find the
behavior of the
> battery weak upon first use.

It's been a while since I've used Flooded Lead Acid but I think you should
despair if the water is below the plates... that means that air has been able to
corrode the plates and they may be shorted out.

I'm sure Lee or someone with much more experience will correct me if I'm wrong.

Rush Dougherty
Tucson AZ 85719




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Re: [EVDL] Forklift Battery Options?

[Lee Hart via EV]

paul dove via EV wrote:

You can have lead acid batteries tested at Auto Zone. You would have to remove 
them and take then there.


Possibly; but auto battery testers are often pretty feeble. They don't 
really measure amphour capacity or starting current, but try to guess at 
it with simpler tests.


Besides, the fork lift battery is likely to weigh half a ton! It would 
be easier to rig up some kind of load resistor (even if it's a coat 
hanger in a bucket of water), and use your own meter to test it.


--
Teaching children to program goes against the grain of modern education.
Just imagine the chaos if they learned to think logically, plan, create,
implement, test, and execute!
--
Lee Hart, 814 8th Ave N, Sartell MN 56377, www.sunrise-ev.com
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Re: [EVDL] Forklift Battery Options?

[EVDL Administrator via EV]

Before condemning the battery you should check a few things.  

First make sure the charger is actually charging it -- in particular, that 
it's delivering its rated current.

Then cycle the battery a few times (run it flat and recharge it).  Many 
times you can get back a surprising amount of capacity in an old battery 
just by giving it some exercise.  Batteris are like us -- if they don't use 
their muscles for a while, those muscles weaken and atrophy.

To find out what you really have, run a capacity test.  This will rule out 
excessive current draw from the lift itself.

Using a dummy load of 100 amps or so (see previous EVDL discussions about 
this in the archive), and monitoring the battery's voltage, measure how long 
it takes for the battery to fall to 21 volts WHILE LOADED.  From current and 
time, you can then calculate the battery's capacity in amp hours. 

Check the specific gravity of the electrolyte in each cell with a 
temperature compensated hydrometer.  A flat cell will measure 1.120 SG or 
less, and a fully charged one 1.265 or greater.  All the cells should be 
about the same SG.

Especially if you find some cells low in SG, try a long equalizing charging 
cycle.  To equalize, charge the battery until it seems full, then keep going 
at a current of 0.02C (rated amp hours expressed in amps / 50). There may be 
a setting for equalization on your charger.  Or you might be able to use two 
cheap 12 volt "trickle" chargers (this is about all such chargers are good 
for, BTW).

Monitor the on-charge voltage while equalizing.  Stop charging when it stops 
rising, and especially if it begins to fall.  A good 24v battery should be 
able to reach 30 volts or more.  Worn ones might not get past 28 or 29 
volts.  

Measure the voltage of each cell while they're still on charge.  The lower a 
cell is in this test, the weaker it is.  

You can confirm the cell level diagnosis by testing SG again.  Any cell that 
can't get past about 1.200 SG no matter how long you charge it is probably 
close to the end of its life.

If you have some good cells and some weak ones, you might contact an 
industrial battery supplier (not an auto parts store) and ask whether they 
have any compatible used cells they might be willing to sell you to replace 
the weakest ones.  

Good luck, keep us posted.

David Roden - Akron, Ohio, USA
EVDL Administrator

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Re: [EVDL] Forklift Battery Options?

[paul dove via EV]

You can have lead acid batteries tested at Auto Zone. You would have to remove 
them and take then there.

Sent from my iPhone

> On Jan 4, 2017, at 1:54 PM, Jack Wendel via EV  wrote:
> 
> I just purchased a used Yale order picker electric forklift for use on
> paved surfaces. I came with a large charger as well. I was told that the
> batteries will only hold a charge for about 15 minutes. So I have a few
> questions:
> 
> 1) What are my options for battery replacement? I was told that a
> replacement lead acid battery pack is "about $3000". I am wondering if
> there might be a better and cheaper option than to simply replace the
> battery pack with the same. Specifically I am wondering about using
> batteries similar to what I would use with an EV. I realize that I will
> likely have to add weight to offset the lighter and denser replacement
> batteries.
> 
> The current battery pack is an Exide Ironclad Deserthog. I think I saw the
> weight listed as 1100 lbs. I see a serial number but not a model number. If
> it helps, the Serial Number is RDD299815.
> 
> How would I go about assessing the condition of the existing battery pack?
> Is it possible to determine if only some of the cells are bad and
> economically replace only those bad cells?
> 
> 2) Charger. The charger is a Hobart model 1R12 - 550 that is a large box.
> The tag has the following data:
> 
> Specs: 5061C - 1
> No. Circuits: 1
> Battery type: LA
> Cells: 12
> AH: 451 - 550
> 
> AC input
> Volts: 208/240/480
> PH: 1
> Max Amps: 24/22/11
> Hz: 60
> 
> DC Output Per Circuit
> Volts: 24
> Max Amps: 115
> 
> Can I just add a 220 circuit to my existing breaker-box to use this
> charger?
> Can I use this charger to charge an EV when I finally build one?
> 
> Can I use this forklift/battery/charger to learn more about EVs? I don't
> really want to take the motor out and use it for an EV directly because I
> bought the forklift to use in moving stuff around the driveway. But, if I
> did, would this motor work for that?
> 
> Let me know if you need any additional information to provide answers.
> -- next part --
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Re: [EVDL] Forklift Battery Options?

[Bill Dube via EV]

I bought a forklift with a "bad" battery about 5 years ago. I'm still 
using the original "bad" battery.


Do exactly as Cor said:
 Charge it up, then measure the voltage on each cell, then fill each 
cell with distilled to the proper level, then run the forklift until the 
battery is dead,  recharge and repeat.
Do this about three or four times. I did and the "bad" battery came back 
to about 30% capacity. Fine for my use.


Typically, forklift batteries are treated _terribly_, and typically just 
need a few full cycles and then they work OK.


You _might_ find that you have a dead cell or extremely weak cell. If 
one, (or two,) cells just refuse to revive after a few cycles, you might 
have to strap across these bad cells. Your folklift won't miss one (or 
two) cells out of 18 total. Just be sure to discharge those cells 
_completely_ before you strap them across.


I give my forklift a small top up charge (maybe 20 amp-hrs) once per 
week and fill the water about twice per year.


Bill D.


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Re: [EVDL] Forklift Battery Options?

[Jay Summet via EV]

Sure sounds like you have a 24 volt battery made up of 12 individual lead  acid 
cells.

I would suggest you check the voltage on each cell, if they are low then you 
have identified the ones that need work. 

If all of the individual cells behave about the same then your whole battery is 
probably just old and used up.
Jay

On January 4, 2017 6:37:33 PM EST, via EV  wrote:
>The "battery pack" is a steel box 13" wide, 21" tall and 37" deep.  It
>has what look like twelve 5 3/4" X 6 1/4" X 21" "batteries" connected
>together with heavy lead connectors. There's also a watering system
>connecting to each of the "batteries". I have no clue if each of these
>"batteries" is really 21" tall since they are in the steel box. All of
>these "batteries" are connected positive to negative. 
>
>Any idea where I can get info on testing the individual cells? I was
>told that an electrical engineer was considering buying the forklift to
>resell and he was going to test the cells before he agreed to buy the
>forklift. For his intent, he would obviously require a fully
>functioning battery pack. As you mentioned, I don't have that
>requirement. My main challenge will be keeping the thing charged
>between infrequent uses. Luckily the charger seems to be fully
>automatic so I think I can just leave the thing plugged in constantly
>between uses. 
>
>Regards, 
>
>Jack 
>
>> On Jan 4, 2017, at 5:13 PM, Lee Hart  wrote:
>> 
>> via EV wrote:
>>> I would be shocked if my duty cycle was ever more than an hour or
>two.
>> 
>> In that case, you don't really need a brand-new industrial-strength
>battery. They are built to work for 8 hours a day, day in and day out,
>for 10-20 years. But (as you know), they also cost thousands of
>dollars.
>> 
>> First, I would test the battery you've got. It might be weak, but
>usable. It might only have one bad cell (individual cells can be
>replaced in industrial batteries).
>> 
>> If it's too far gone to bother with, recycle it. 6v golf cart
>batteries are the most economical replacement. Since you have a 12v
>pack, you need at least two. However, they won't be happy delivering
>the high current you're likely to draw. So, I would use 4 or 6 of them
>(whatever fits mechanically). You will probably have to build a rack to
>stack them to fit in the space where the old battery sat. Wire the golf
>cart batteries in series pairs for 12v, then these pairs in parallel.
>> 
>> 4 or 6 golf cart batteries will also work better with the charger
>you've got, and will add enough weight so the lift won't be as likely
>to tip over with a heavy load.
>> 
>> -- 
>> Teaching children to program goes against the grain of modern
>education.
>> Just imagine the chaos if they learned to think logically, plan,
>create,
>> implement, test, and execute!
>> --
>> Lee Hart, 814 8th Ave N, Sartell MN 56377, www.sunrise-ev.com
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Re: [EVDL] Forklift Battery Options?

[Al Lumas via EV]

If you are in the SF Bay area you might call or visit Bobcat Battery 
210 San Jose Ave # 1, San Jose, CA 95125  (408) 295-7100.
They might have some used industrial grade batteries for your 
forklift that still have a few years life in them.

Al Lumas



At 11:54 AM 1/4/2017, Jack Wendel via EV wrote:

I just purchased a used Yale order picker electric forklift for use on
paved surfaces. I came with a large charger as well. I was told that the
batteries will only hold a charge for about 15 minutes. So I have a few
questions:

1) What are my options for battery replacement? I was told that a
replacement lead acid battery pack is "about $3000". I am wondering if
there might be a better and cheaper option than to simply replace the
battery pack with the same. Specifically I am wondering about using
batteries similar to what I would use with an EV. I realize that I will
likely have to add weight to offset the lighter and denser replacement
batteries.
  


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Re: [EVDL] Forklift Battery Options?

[Cor van de Water via EV]

Hi Jack,
So this is a 24 Volt battery, consisting of the 12 cells that you see,
each 2V and connected by the lead straps to each other.
And yes, the cells are really 21" tall.
Testing it is relatively simple since you can measure each cell
individually, in contrast to most Lead-Acid batteries.
All you need is a Voltmeter, firs measure each individual cell at rest
and write down the voltages. Then put it on charge and after a couple
hours while the charger is still on, measure again and write down the
voltages again.
Then disconnect the charger and start using the Forklift for as long as
you need. At the end, measure and write down the voltages again.
Any weak cells will have a larger voltage swing between the charging and
the after-use voltage.
Also, all charging voltages should be pretty much the same and
preferably the after-use ones also as close as possible.

Another way to verify cells is to take a few drops of the electrolyte
inside and measure its density (preferably after a good long charge) to
verify that the acid in all cells is of equal strength. The density also
tells you the State of Charge during operation, but it is a bit of a
bother to measure it regularly for all 12 cells, the voltmeter is
easier.

BTW, do not despair if you see the fluid level below plate top or find
the behavior of the battery weak upon first use.
Just fill distilled water until the top is just covered, then fully
charge the battery, then top each cell up to the fill mark with
distilled water, then use the battery a couple times and it might come
back to normal operation from being weak. Capacity may still be limited,
though there are Forklift battery maintenance companies that can give
you options on reconditioning the batteries.

Alternative is to replace the current battery with sets of 4 (not 2!)
series connected Golf Cart batteries. Depending on how much current the
Forklift draws, you may need 2 or more of those strings in parallel to
handle the load. (So, 4+4 or 4+4+4).

For the charger, you need at least 240V 30A outlet, similar to what a
Dryer or Stove would have.
Success!

Cor van de Water 
Chief Scientist 
Proxim Wireless 
  
office +1 408 383 7626Skype: cor_van_de_water 
XoIP   +31 87 784 1130private: cvandewater.info 

http://www.proxim.com

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-Original Message-
From: EV [mailto:ev-boun...@lists.evdl.org] On Behalf Of via EV
Sent: Wednesday, January 04, 2017 3:38 PM
To: Lee Hart
Cc: Electric Vehicle Discussion List
Subject: Re: [EVDL] Forklift Battery Options?

The "battery pack" is a steel box 13" wide, 21" tall and 37" deep.  It
has what look like twelve 5 3/4" X 6 1/4" X 21" "batteries" connected
together with heavy lead connectors. There's also a watering system
connecting to each of the "batteries". I have no clue if each of these
"batteries" is really 21" tall since they are in the steel box. All of
these "batteries" are connected positive to negative. 

Any idea where I can get info on testing the individual cells? I was
told that an electrical engineer was considering buying the forklift to
resell and he was going to test the cells before he agreed to buy the
forklift. For his intent, he would obviously require a fully functioning
battery pack. As you mentioned, I don't have that requirement. My main
challenge will be keeping the thing charged between infrequent uses.
Luckily the charger seems to be fully automatic so I think I can just
leave the thing plugged in constantly between uses. 

Regards, 

Jack 

> On Jan 4, 2017, at 5:13 PM, Lee Hart <leeah...@earthlink.net> wrote:
> 
> via EV wrote:
>> I would be shocked if my duty cycle was ever more than an hour or
two.
> 
> In that case, you don't really need a brand-new industrial-strength
battery. They are built to work for 8 hours a day, day in and day out,
for 10-20 years. But (as you know), they also cost thousands of dollars.
> 
> First, I would test the battery you've got. It might be weak, but
usable. It might only have one bad cell (individual cells can be
replaced in industrial batteries).
> 
> If it's too far gone to bother with, recycle it. 6v golf cart
batteries are the most economical replacement. Since you have a 12v
pack, you need at least two. However, they won't be happy delivering the
high current you're likely to draw. So, I would use 4 or 6 of them
(whatever fits mechanically). You will probably have to build a rack to
stack them to fit in the space where the old battery sat. Wire the golf
cart batteries in series pairs for 12v, then these pa

Re: [EVDL] Forklift Battery Options?

[via EV]

The "battery pack" is a steel box 13" wide, 21" tall and 37" deep.  It has what 
look like twelve 5 3/4" X 6 1/4" X 21" "batteries" connected together with 
heavy lead connectors. There's also a watering system connecting to each of the 
"batteries". I have no clue if each of these "batteries" is really 21" tall 
since they are in the steel box. All of these "batteries" are connected 
positive to negative. 

Any idea where I can get info on testing the individual cells? I was told that 
an electrical engineer was considering buying the forklift to resell and he was 
going to test the cells before he agreed to buy the forklift. For his intent, 
he would obviously require a fully functioning battery pack. As you mentioned, 
I don't have that requirement. My main challenge will be keeping the thing 
charged between infrequent uses. Luckily the charger seems to be fully 
automatic so I think I can just leave the thing plugged in constantly between 
uses. 

Regards, 

Jack 

> On Jan 4, 2017, at 5:13 PM, Lee Hart  wrote:
> 
> via EV wrote:
>> I would be shocked if my duty cycle was ever more than an hour or two.
> 
> In that case, you don't really need a brand-new industrial-strength battery. 
> They are built to work for 8 hours a day, day in and day out, for 10-20 
> years. But (as you know), they also cost thousands of dollars.
> 
> First, I would test the battery you've got. It might be weak, but usable. It 
> might only have one bad cell (individual cells can be replaced in industrial 
> batteries).
> 
> If it's too far gone to bother with, recycle it. 6v golf cart batteries are 
> the most economical replacement. Since you have a 12v pack, you need at least 
> two. However, they won't be happy delivering the high current you're likely 
> to draw. So, I would use 4 or 6 of them (whatever fits mechanically). You 
> will probably have to build a rack to stack them to fit in the space where 
> the old battery sat. Wire the golf cart batteries in series pairs for 12v, 
> then these pairs in parallel.
> 
> 4 or 6 golf cart batteries will also work better with the charger you've got, 
> and will add enough weight so the lift won't be as likely to tip over with a 
> heavy load.
> 
> -- 
> Teaching children to program goes against the grain of modern education.
> Just imagine the chaos if they learned to think logically, plan, create,
> implement, test, and execute!
> --
> Lee Hart, 814 8th Ave N, Sartell MN 56377, www.sunrise-ev.com
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Re: [EVDL] Forklift Battery Options?

[Lee Hart via EV]

via EV wrote:

I would be shocked if my duty cycle was ever more than an hour or two.


In that case, you don't really need a brand-new industrial-strength 
battery. They are built to work for 8 hours a day, day in and day out, 
for 10-20 years. But (as you know), they also cost thousands of dollars.


First, I would test the battery you've got. It might be weak, but 
usable. It might only have one bad cell (individual cells can be 
replaced in industrial batteries).


If it's too far gone to bother with, recycle it. 6v golf cart batteries 
are the most economical replacement. Since you have a 12v pack, you need 
at least two. However, they won't be happy delivering the high current 
you're likely to draw. So, I would use 4 or 6 of them (whatever fits 
mechanically). You will probably have to build a rack to stack them to 
fit in the space where the old battery sat. Wire the golf cart batteries 
in series pairs for 12v, then these pairs in parallel.


4 or 6 golf cart batteries will also work better with the charger you've 
got, and will add enough weight so the lift won't be as likely to tip 
over with a heavy load.


--
Teaching children to program goes against the grain of modern education.
Just imagine the chaos if they learned to think logically, plan, create,
implement, test, and execute!
--
Lee Hart, 814 8th Ave N, Sartell MN 56377, www.sunrise-ev.com
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Re: [EVDL] Forklift Battery Options?

[63urban via EV]

What is your duty cycle required for the jobs you plan to do?  The new oem 
batteries are meant to last an 8 hr shift.  If you only need about an hr at a 
time you might be able to find much cheaper options. 
Nick


Sent from my Bell Samsung device over Canada's largest network.

 Original message 
From: Jack Wendel via EV  
Date: 2017-01-04  2:54 PM  (GMT-05:00) 
To: EVDL Administrator , Electric Vehicle Discussion List 
 
Subject: [EVDL] Forklift Battery Options? 

I just purchased a used Yale order picker electric forklift for use on
paved surfaces. I came with a large charger as well. I was told that the
batteries will only hold a charge for about 15 minutes. So I have a few
questions:

1) What are my options for battery replacement? I was told that a
replacement lead acid battery pack is "about $3000". I am wondering if
there might be a better and cheaper option than to simply replace the
battery pack with the same. Specifically I am wondering about using
batteries similar to what I would use with an EV. I realize that I will
likely have to add weight to offset the lighter and denser replacement
batteries.

The current battery pack is an Exide Ironclad Deserthog. I think I saw the
weight listed as 1100 lbs. I see a serial number but not a model number. If
it helps, the Serial Number is RDD299815.

How would I go about assessing the condition of the existing battery pack?
Is it possible to determine if only some of the cells are bad and
economically replace only those bad cells?

2) Charger. The charger is a Hobart model 1R12 - 550 that is a large box.
The tag has the following data:

Specs: 5061C - 1
No. Circuits: 1
Battery type: LA
Cells: 12
AH: 451 - 550

AC input
Volts: 208/240/480
PH: 1
Max Amps: 24/22/11
Hz: 60

DC Output Per Circuit
Volts: 24
Max Amps: 115

Can I just add a 220 circuit to my existing breaker-box to use this
charger?
Can I use this charger to charge an EV when I finally build one?

Can I use this forklift/battery/charger to learn more about EVs? I don't
really want to take the motor out and use it for an EV directly because I
bought the forklift to use in moving stuff around the driveway. But, if I
did, would this motor work for that?

Let me know if you need any additional information to provide answers.
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Re: [EVDL] Forklift Battery Options?

[Jay Summet via EV]

I just noticed something else to note...



2) Charger. The charger is a Hobart model 1R12 - 550 that is a large box.
The tag has the following data:

Specs: 5061C - 1
No. Circuits: 1
Battery type: LA
Cells: 12
AH: 451 - 550


This charger is listing the AH of the battery it expects to charge. 
(451-550). If you used 2x golf cart batteries they would have around 200 
AH. I suspect that the charger will shut down based upon voltage levels, 
and not total power, so you should be OK charging a lower capacity 
battery with it, but the first time you use it you will need to keep an 
eye on the voltage levels of the battery and make sure the charger shuts 
off at the appropriate time.



DC Output Per Circuit
Volts: 24



Max Amps: 115


This could be a problem for charging a golf cart battery. Typically wet 
cell lead acid batteries are supposed to be charged at 10-25% of their 
amp hour rating.  You would need a 460 AH rated battery for a 115 amp 
charge current to not be charging them faster than recommended.


[This matches well with the 451-550 Ah specs on the charger...]


You will have to determine if the charging rate can be turned down to 
less than 115 amps (or supercharge your batteries very fast, and 
possibly damage them...)


I suspect golf cart batteries could handle being charged at 115 amps 
from 0-80%, but that high of a charge rate could damage them in the 
80-100% part of the charging cycle.



Jay

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Re: [EVDL] Forklift Battery Options?

[Jay Summet via EV]

On 01/04/2017 02:54 PM, Jack Wendel via EV wrote:

I just purchased a used Yale order picker electric forklift

1) What are my options for battery replacement?


It sounds like you could use 4x 6 volt golf cart batteries (if they 
would physically fit) or 2x 12 volt deep cycle / solar storage / RV 
batteries (if they would fit).




2) Charger. The charger is a Hobart model 1R12 - 550 that is a large box.
The tag has the following data:

Specs: 5061C - 1
No. Circuits: 1
Battery type: LA
Cells: 12
AH: 451 - 550

AC input
Volts: 208/240/480
PH: 1
Max Amps: 24/22/11
Hz: 60

DC Output Per Circuit
Volts: 24
Max Amps: 115

Can I just add a 220 circuit to my existing breaker-box to use this
charger?


Yes, it would need to be a 30 amp circuit at 240 volts.  Check your 
charger carefully to make sure it is configured for 240 volt operation 
and not 480 volt operation before you plug it in.



Can I use this charger to charge an EV when I finally build one?


Probably not, unless it only has a 24 volt battery pack. This charger is 
configured for a 12 cell lead acid battery (4x 6 volt, 2x 12 volt, or 1x 
24 volt battery).





Can I use this forklift/battery/charger to learn more about EVs?

Yes, you have yourself an EV (forklift) now!




I don't
really want to take the motor out and use it for an EV directly because I
bought the forklift to use in moving stuff around the driveway. But, if I
did, would this motor work for that?


I suspect it would not work well unless you had a very small EV 
(scooter, motorcycle, riding mower, etc...). Because the charger is a 24 
volt charger, I suspect the battery and motor are also 24 volt systems. 
I don't know how many amps the motor is rated, but that low voltage 
probably limits your total output power.


Jay

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