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Cyclic and Standby batteries – Do you know the difference?

Using the right battery for the right application is vital to ensure your battery performs correctly.

But do you know whether your application requires a cyclic or standby battery

Cyclic and Standby batteries – what’s the difference?

Cyclic and Standby batteries

In Cyclic charge and discharge applications, Valve Regulated Lead Acid or VRLA batteries are often pushed to their limits.

If the wrong battery is specified, for example a General Purpose model such as the Yuasa NP range, the results can be poor performance and a short cycle life.

Yuasa offer 2 complimentary ranges of batteries specifically designed cyclic use. These are the well-proven NPC range, and the more recent addition of the REC range.

The REC range has capacities available down to 10Ah, and the NPC range has capacities available up to 100Ah, giving an eleven-battery range to suit most applications.

Available capacities are:
REC10-12             12.0V/10.0Ah
REC14-12             12.0V/14.0Ah
REC22-12             12.0V/22.0Ah
NPC24-12            12.0V/24.0Ah
REC26-12             12.0V/26.0Ah
REC36-12             12.0V/36.0Ah
NPC38-12            12.0V/38.0Ah
REC50-12             12.0V/50.0Ah
NPC65-12            12.0V/65.0Ah
REC80-12             12.0V/80.0Ah
NPC100-12          12.0V/100.0Ah

According to Yuasa, a cyclic application is defined as:-

A CYCLIC application is one where a battery is discharged and charged on a regular and/or planned basis.
Yuasa consider a CYCLIC application to be where a battery…
  • Is regularly (more than twice a month) subjected to charge times of <72 hours between discharges.
  • Is regularly (more than twice a month) discharged to any depth of discharge.
  • Following first use is subjected to periods longer than 1 month without charge in any 6 month period.
  • Following first use is left in a partial state of discharge for >1 week.

Similarly, Yuasa define a Standby application as:-

A float STANDBY application is one where a battery is maintained, using a float charge voltage, in a 100% state of charge ready to support an attached load immediately should the mains supply fail.

The float charge voltage ensures the correct current flow to compensate for any self-discharge characteristic.  A typical application for an industrial battery system would be an Uninterruptable Power Supply (UPS).

Yuasa consider a float STANDBY application to be where a battery has no more discharges than is indicated on table below

DOD ² Allowable Discharges per Year (average)
0.1 – 10% 16-18
OR
11- 30% 10-12
OR
31- 100% 2-3

And also meets the following criteria:-

  • Is expected to have prolonged periods of float charge
  • , > 3months, between discharges on average and at least 72 hours recharge between planned consecutive discharges (unless the battery you are using has repeat duty sizing for reduced charging times).
  • Is expected to spend >99.9% of its life on float charge.
  • Is never left in partially discharged condition.

Depth of Discharge (DOD). 100% Discharge in regards to this document should be considered to be end of calculated autonomy period at any given load.

A 10% discharge would be a discharge time of 10% of the calculated autonomy at a given load.

Euro Energy are battery experts and have distributed Yuasa VRLA batteries for more than 30 years.

If you would like to discuss your application with our Technical team, or get competitive pricing, please call us on 0116 2340567 or email info@euroenergy.co.uk