|
Electric EZGO Electric EZ GO Marathon, Medalist, TXT and RXV. |
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
06-17-2012, 07:33 AM | #11 |
Respect the Cart
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Rocky Mount, Virginia
Posts: 2,190
|
Re: New Batteries and Cables
Sonic is on the money. I used to work in an environment where we transmitted 100 kHz at about 25 kV. Research showed that due to the skin effect the best conductor was copper plumbing pipe. Solid copper was a waste of time and money as the power was just transmitted along the skin.
I also wonder at the accuracy of the hostile atmosphere of the battery bay. Gassing batteries give of hydrogen which is lighter than air and dissipates readily. As long as your cables are thick enough and well made and as long as you protect your battery terminals and connections with sealant or Vaseline I would bet that your auto store cables are going to be fine. Dave |
Today | |
Sponsored Links
__________________
This advertising will not be shown in this way to registered members. Register your free account today and become a member on Buggies Gone Wild Golf Cart Forum |
|
06-17-2012, 09:36 PM | #12 |
Gone Wild
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Panama City, FL
Posts: 1,408
|
Re: New Batteries and Cables
I would at some point like to build a rig for measuring and comparing different cables & constructions techniques. Unfortunately, due to the high currents involved, quantifying the performance of one battery cable vs another is rather difficult (aka: expensive) task with off-the-shelf instruments. It would certainly be interesting to see the difference "Auto Store Cables" vs "Welding Cable" or Crimp vs Solder actually makes in real quantifiable numbers!
-sj |
06-17-2012, 10:58 PM | #13 | ||
Gone Wild
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Central Florida
Posts: 2,757
|
Re: New Batteries and Cables
Quote:
Quote:
Maybe I am off my rocker, but as a mechanic that works on these things daily, I much prefer to work with something that is highly flexible and has the best protection I can provide. |
||
06-18-2012, 05:20 AM | #14 | |
Gone Mad
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Buford, GA
Posts: 8,988
|
Re: New Batteries and Cables
Quote:
|
|
06-18-2012, 05:25 AM | #15 | |
Gone Mad
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Buford, GA
Posts: 8,988
|
Re: New Batteries and Cables
Quote:
|
|
06-18-2012, 06:48 AM | #16 | |
Techno-Nerd
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: West Virginia
Posts: 19,654
|
Re: New Batteries and Cables
Quote:
I know electrolysis of water produces both hydrogen and oxygen in gaseous form, and I suspect hydrogen sulfide is also out-gassed since free sulfate ions and free hydrogen ions are present on the negative plates while a battery is being charged. I don't remember enough about chemistry to spell out the exact formulas for the subsequent actions and reactions, but the trapped air in the battery compartment must be both explosive and corrosive as evidenced by reports of battery explosions and the need to apply a protectorate to exposed copper and lead to keep them from turning green and yellow. Granted, the battery compartment in most carts is fairly well ventilated, but during the gassing phase, I'm pretty sure the atmosphere above the batteries is a pretty wicked brew. ------------------- Other than flexibility, I don't believe it makes much difference on carts what the strand count is as long as the jacket material is impervious to oil, water and acid and the lugs are hermetically sealed. The same is true about whether solder or crimp is better for the lugs. If done properly with lugs that can be hermetically sealed, both ways will work. Of course, the 2Ga cables on my cart are the welding type with a 600+ strand count and silver soldered lugs. |
|
06-18-2012, 06:49 AM | #17 |
Respect the Cart
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Rocky Mount, Virginia
Posts: 2,190
|
Re: New Batteries and Cables
If the battery compartment isn't a hostile environment, why would you need to coat the terminals?
It's a valid question and the answer is that every time you connect two dissimilar metals one will become an anode and the other a cathode. When you pass a current through them, the anode will corrode. Corrosion needs oxygen so if you coat the anode with lithium grease or Vaseline or a propriety spray you will eliminate the oxygen and ergo the corrosion. As a slight aside this is why in the 50's auto manufacturers switched to a negative ground system to stop the car body and chassis being one large anode. Dave |
06-18-2012, 07:16 AM | #18 | |
Techno-Nerd
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: West Virginia
Posts: 19,654
|
Re: New Batteries and Cables
Quote:
Otherwise, why do both the lead battery posts and the copper lugs corrode on both positive and negative battery terminals (The copper would be anodes of the dissimilar metal junction on the negative battery posts and the lead would be the anodes on the positive battery posts.) Also, cart battery trays are eaten away by something and there is no current flowing through them. (Unless somebody is using a grounded frame for accessories. ) |
|
06-18-2012, 07:50 AM | #19 |
Respect the Cart
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Rocky Mount, Virginia
Posts: 2,190
|
Re: New Batteries and Cables
First two caveats.
I am here just for the academic distraction. If proved wrong then that's great because I have learned something new. I am not about to argue, but I might disagree. Secondly, sometimes I troll through the sparky section just for fun during an otherwise boring moment. Whenever I see an answer from JohnnieB I always stop and take notice for here I have discovered well written and intelligent replies, so once again no arguments here. I think the answer to Otherwise, why do both the lead battery posts and the copper lugs corrode on both positive and negative battery terminals is that there is dissimilar metal in each terminal i.e. the lead post, whatever the lug is made from and the bolt holding it together so each terminal has its own little anode and cathode. I scoured the four corners of the internet (ok the first three pages of Google) but could find no reference to batteries giving off anything other than H and O. Here is a typical quote from an RV article. In the worst case (ie. a seriously overcharging battery beyond 70% of full charge) produces about 0.2 litre of hydrogen and 0.1 litre of oxygen for every watt/hour of charge. Keeping to a safe 2% concentration requires about 10 litres of air per watt/hour - or 2.5 litres per watt/hour to stay below a borderline 4%. A 12 volt 100 amp/hr battery charging at a runaway 35 amps accepts about 14.4 volts X 35 amps/hour - approximately 500 watt/hr. It will produce about 100 litres of hydrogen/hour - requiring 5,000 litres of air/hour to dilute to 2%- or 1250 litres of air/hour to dilute to 4%. I would respectfully suggest that corroded battery bays are most likely due to sloppy maintenance. If a battery is overfilled the electrolyte will expand during charging and it will overflow. I suspect that this 35% solution of sulfuric acid will do two things. It will mix with the dirt and dust on the top of the battery, providing a current leak path between the terminals thus shortening the battery life. It will dribble down into the battery tray where it will do what acids do best. Keeping oxygen away from your battery terminals and washing your batteries (and consequently you battery bay) with baking soda will make a world of difference. Dave |
06-18-2012, 09:03 AM | #20 |
Techno-Nerd
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: West Virginia
Posts: 19,654
|
Re: New Batteries and Cables
Dave,
First of all, thanks for the kind words. I do try to be clear, concise and factual in my statements and answers and I also try to differentiate between what I know to be true and what I think may be true. Of course, what I think to be true is sometimes proven wrong, and I learn something new. The color of the corrosion I get on my cable lugs and battery posts tells me it is sulfates and/or sulfides of copper and lead, so the lugs and posts are being exposed to sulfur ions. The most likely source for these ions is the sulfuric acid in the electrolyte and the lead sulfate on the plates, but how exactly the sulfur ions get from point A to point B is unknown to me. I'm fairly conscientious about not overfilling my batteries, but the baking soda mixture I use to clean them always foams when I spray it on, so there is an acid present. Source unknown. However it gets there, baking soda and a scrub brush, a good rinsing followed by a protectorate of some kind is definitely the way to go. John |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Forum | |||
New batteries, new cables, | Electric EZGO | |||
New Batteries and cables, now issues. | Electric Club Car | |||
Replace cables from batteries to motor? | Electric EZGO | |||
Cables batteries etc | Electric EZGO | |||
86 Yamaha Electric New Batteries New Cables Still won't GO! | Electric Yamaha |