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5th Jun 2023, 03:53 AM #1
Wanted: vented large Nickel Cadmium Cells
I'm looking for at least 5 large 625Ah or so Nickel Cadmium Cells. These have liquid electrolyte, not dry cells!
They are used in large stand- y power setups by telcos, hospitals and airports.
They are 1.2V nominal cell voltage, about the size of two car batteries on top of each other and heavy.
I have 5 of them and want to build a 12V battery.
Does anyone here have a good idea where to start looking, knocking on doors or have a contact in Telstra or !othe telcos?
Please post suggestions here or PM me.Cheers, Joe
retired - less energy, more time to contemplate projects and more shed time....
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5th Jun 2023, 08:53 AM #2Member: Blue and white apron brigade
- Join Date
- Feb 2006
- Location
- Perth
- Posts
- 7,183
In 2015 when the Mens shed had access to a close down hospital site we scored 24 of those cells and took them back to the shed but no one had any idea of what to do with them. In the end we gave them to a shed member who had a gold lease out the back of Kalgoorlie. He took them to his mining camp where he used them in a 24V setup as far as I know then are still going strong.
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5th Jun 2023, 11:53 AM #3Mechanical Butcher
- Join Date
- Oct 2004
- Location
- Southern Highlands NSW
- Posts
- 1,894
I met someone who used a 50 year old NiFe battery in his Land Rover - just for fun I think.
He seemed to know a lot about batteries, and told me that NiCd with liquid electrolyte can last 100 years.
That is, with occasional "rebuilding". I asked him what that entailed, and his reply was, "pour out the old electrolyte and replace it with new".
The electrolyte is a mix of two different alkalis, nothing exotic he said.
I don't have any experience of wet Nicads, but if the above is true it's surprising we don't hear more about them.
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5th Jun 2023, 06:46 PM #4Diamond Member
- Join Date
- Aug 2019
- Location
- Revesby - Sydney Australia
- Age
- 56
- Posts
- 1,185
Joe, I was in Telstra for 23 years (until 2019), and never saw NiCd used anywhere.
All exchanges had lead acid. Usually SLA.
Mostly strings of four 12V batteries, occasionally eight of 6V, very occasionally 24x2V cells.Nigel, from a cave FULL of unfinished projects and lost tools.
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6th Jun 2023, 10:10 PM #5Most Valued Member
- Join Date
- Apr 2012
- Location
- Healesville
- Posts
- 2,129
All prices are in AUSTRALIAN DOLLARS. https://www.ironcorebatteries.com.au/page2.php
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7th Jun 2023, 05:34 PM #6Most Valued Member
- Join Date
- Mar 2011
- Location
- Southern Flinders Ranges
- Posts
- 1,536
I installed a lot of NiCad working for the same Telco as Nigel, the whole of northern SA and NT was powered by them in the late 90’s early 2000’s
They all came from Saft Nife
They weren’t particularly good though, better off adjusting your regulator voltages and converting the system to Lead Acid chemistry if possible
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10th Jun 2023, 02:02 AM #7
Hi. Thanks for the info. I had heard that the Telstra used them, but like Nigel, I've never seen them used anywhere before. So maybe the info I got was from SA or NT.
What were they never particularly good at? And did they ever find out why?
Mine are Saft, Made in Australia.
Going to lead acid is way too expensive at 625Ah, especially when you consider that I would need 1300Ah capacity (50% usable capacity) to match my 625Ah NiCds (100% useable capacity)...Cheers, Joe
retired - less energy, more time to contemplate projects and more shed time....
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10th Jun 2023, 02:08 AM #8Cheers, Joe
retired - less energy, more time to contemplate projects and more shed time....
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10th Jun 2023, 02:12 AM #9
That person knew what he was talking about. The batteries in Voyager 2 are still working and are now 50 years in space....
Mine are guaranteed by Saft for 20 years. And "reconditioning" is in fact replacing the electrolyte after rinsing with deionised water. The surface of the cadmium electrode carbonises from dissolved C02 out of the atmosphere. That salt deposit is water soluable. Then the next 20+ years cycle starts....
The reason we don't hear about them is the cost. My 48V house battery (40 cells) would cost $72,000 to replace. It has the capacity of 3 Tesla batteries at $45,000.... The second reason is that cadmium is highly toxic and nobody will recycle it. Not a problem as long as you don't eat batteries, of course...Cheers, Joe
retired - less energy, more time to contemplate projects and more shed time....
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10th Jun 2023, 02:18 AM #10
The Kalgoorlie person hasn't got any spares that you could find out about? He would be using 20 of them for 24 V.... no idea how I would get them back here, except coming to get them (not out of the question, btw - I might come and visit you and BobL again too!)
At lease then I would only have to find ONE moreCheers, Joe
retired - less energy, more time to contemplate projects and more shed time....
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10th Jun 2023, 08:58 AM #11Member: Blue and white apron brigade
- Join Date
- Feb 2006
- Location
- Perth
- Posts
- 7,183
I haven't been attending that mens shed since about 2018 and don't recall seeing him there for the last few years before that.. I don't even remember the said members name. I will ask one of the ex supervisors when I next catch up with him at a monthly coffee meeting, currently I think he is in the UK watching cricket ATM.
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