IEEE Recommended Practice for

Sizing Nickel-Cadmium Batteries

for Stationary Applications

1. Overview

This recommended practice describes methods for defining the dc load and for sizing a nickel-cadmium
battery to supply that load. Some factors relating to cell selection are provided for consideration.

1.1 Scope

This recommended practice covers the sizing of nickel-cadmium batteries used in full float operation for
stationary applications. Installation, maintenance, qualification, testing procedures, and consideration of
battery types other than nickel-cadmium batteries are beyond the scope of this recommended practice.

Design of the dc system and sizing of the battery charger(s) are also beyond the scope of this recommended
practice.

1.2 Purpose

The purpose of this recommended practice is to provide a proven and standardized sizing technique for
nickel-cadmium batteries. This sizing method takes normal usage factors into account, and forms the basis
for reliable battery operation.

2. References

This standard shall be used in conjunction with the following publications:

IEEE Std 1106-1995, IEEE Recommended Practice for Installation, Maintenance, Testing, and Replacement
of Vented Nickel-Cadmium Batteries for Stationary Applications.1

IEEE Std 1184-1994, IEEE Guide for the Selection and Sizing of Batteries for Uninterruptible Power
Systems.

1
IEEE publications are available from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, 445 Hoes Lane, P.O. Box 1331, Piscataway,
NJ 08855-1331, USA (http://standards.ieee.org/).

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Std 1115-2000 IEEE RECOMMENDED PRACTICE FOR SIZING

3. Definitions

The following definitions apply specifically to this recommended practice. For terms not defined in this
clause, please refer to the documents listed in Clause 2.2

3.1 available capacity: The capacity for a given discharge time and end-of-discharge voltage that can be
withdrawn from a cell under the specific conditions of operation.

3.2 battery duty cycle: The loads a battery is expected to supply for specified time periods.

3.3 full float (constant potential) operation: Operation of a dc system with the battery, battery charger, and
load all connected in parallel and with the battery charger supplying the normal dc load plus any self-
discharge or charging current required by the battery. (The battery will deliver current only when the load
exceeds the charger output.)

3.4 period: An interval of time in the battery duty cycle during which the load is assumed to be constant for
purposes of cell sizing calculations.

3.5 rated capacity (nickel-cadmium cell): The capacity assigned to a nickel-cadmium cell by its manufac-
turer for a specific constant current discharge, with a given discharge time, at a specified electrolyte
temperature, to a given end-of-discharge voltage. The conditions used to establish rated capacity are based
on a constant current charge, in accordance with IEC 60623 (1990-03) [B2]3.

4. Defining loads

4.1 General considerations

The duty cycle imposed on the battery by any of the conditions described here will depend on the dc system
design and the requirements of the installation. The battery must supply the dc power requirement when the
following conditions occur:

a) The load on the dc system exceeds the maximum output of the battery charger.
b) The output of the battery charger is interrupted.
c) The ac power is lost [may result in a greater dc power demand than in item b) above].

The most severe of these conditions, in terms of battery load and duration, should be used to determine the
battery size for the installation.

4.2 Load classifications

The individual dc loads supplied by the battery during the duty cycle may be classified as continuous or
noncontinuous.

4.2.1 Continuous loads

Continuous loads are energized throughout the duty cycle. These loads are those normally carried by the
battery charger and those initiated at the inception of the duty cycle. Typical continuous loads are

2
Information on references can be found in Clause 2.
3
The numbers in brackets correspond to those of the bibliography in Annex D.

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NICKEL-CADMIUM BATTERIES FOR STATIONARY APPLICATIONS Std 1115-2000

a) Lighting
b) Continuously operating motors
c) Converters (e.g., inverters)
d) Indicating lights
e) Continuously energized coils
f) Annunciator loads
g) Communication systems

4.2.2 Noncontinuous loads

Noncontinuous loads are energized only during a portion of the duty cycle. These loads may switch on at
any time within the duty cycle and may be on for a set length of time, be removed automatically or by
operator action, or continue to the end of the duty cycle. When several loads occur simultaneously within the
same short period of time and a discrete sequence cannot be established, the load should be assumed to be
the sum of all loads occurring within that period. If a discrete sequence can be established, the load for the
period should be assumed to be the maximum load at any instant. If a load lasts for less than one second, it is
normally considered to last for a full second. Typical noncontinuous loads are

a) Emergency pump motors

b) Critical ventilation system motors
c) Fire protection systems
d) Switchgear operations
e) Motor-driven valve operations
f) Isolating switch operations
g) Field flashing of generators
h) Motor starting currents
i) Inrush currents

4.2.3 Other considerations

The lists of typical loads appearing in 4.2.1 and 4.2.2 are not a full catalog of the dc loads at any particular
installation. Loads applied to the battery are normally typed as constant power, constant resistance, or
constant current. However, for sizing purposes, loads are treated as constant power or constant current. The
designer should review each system carefully to be sure all possible loads and their variations are included
(see Annex B).

4.3 Duty cycle diagram

A duty cycle diagram showing total load at any time during the cycle is an aid in the analysis of the duty
cycle. To prepare such a diagram, all loads, expressed as either power or current expected during the cycle,
are tabulated along with their anticipated inception and shutdown times. The total time span of the duty
cycle is determined by the requirements of the installation.

4.3.1 Known loads

Loads that have inception and shutdown times that are known are plotted on the duty cycle diagram as they
would occur. If the inception time is known, but the shutdown time is indefinite, it should be assumed that
the load will continue through the remainder of the duty cycle.

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Std 1115-2000 IEEE RECOMMENDED PRACTICE FOR SIZING

4.3.2 Random loads

Noncontinuous loads that occur at random should be shown at the most critical time of the duty cycle in
order to simulate the worst case load on the battery. To determine the most critical time, it is necessary to
size the battery without the random load(s) and to identify the section of the duty cycle that controls battery
size. Then the random load(s) should be superimposed on the end of that controlling section as shown in
Figure 1 (see also 6.4.4).

320
280
L7
240 L5
L2
200
AMPERES

180 L4

120

80 L6
L3
L7
40
L1

.08 30 60 90 120 150 179.4 180 1

min
MINUTES

Figure 1—Diagram of a duty cycle

4.3.3 Duty cycle example

Figure 1 is a diagram of a duty cycle made up of the following hypothetical loads expressed in amperes.
When the duty cycle includes both constant power and constant current loads, it is usually more convenient
to convert the power loads to current loads (see Annex B).

L1 40 A for 3 h—continuous load

L2 280 A for 5 s—starting current to load L3
L3 60 A from 5 s through the 120th minute
L4 100 A from the 30th min through the 120th minute
L5 80 A from the 30th min through the 60th minute
L6 load at the end of the duty cycle, with known sequence of:
40 A for the first 5 s
80 A for the next 10 s
30 A for the next 20 s
For simplicity, this can be conservatively considered to be an 80 A load for 35 s.
L7 100 A for 1 min—random load. This consists of four 25 A loads for 1 min that can occur at any
time within the duty cycle. Therefore, the assumption is that they all occur simultaneously.

This example is worked out in detail in Annex A. There it will be found that the first 120 min is the control-
ling section of the duty cycle. Therefore, the random load is located on the duty cycle so that the random
load ends at the end of the 120th minute. This is indicated by dashes.

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NICKEL-CADMIUM BATTERIES FOR STATIONARY APPLICATIONS Std 1115-2000

5. Cell selection

This section summarizes some factors that should be considered in selecting a cell type for a particular appli-
cation. Various cell designs have different charge, discharge, and aging characteristics. Refer to IEEE Std
1184-1994 or vendor literature for a discussion of cell characteristics.

5.1 Cell designs

All nickel-cadmium cells used in applications covered by this recommended practice are categorized by the
different plate thicknesses. Generally, cells with thin plates are used for loads requiring high-discharge
currents of short duration. Cells with thick plates are used for loads of long duration. Cells with medium
plate thickness are used for loads requiring combined performance. Any plate thickness can be utilized for
any of these load requirements, but generally the economics will determine the correct plate thickness to be
used.

Cells designed for use in full float operation are either vented or fitted with low-pressure valves. Hermeti-
cally sealed cells of the type used in portable appliances are not suitable for operation with constant potential
chargers (see 6.3).

5.2 Selection Factors

The following factors should be considered in the selection of the cell type:

a) Physical characteristics such as dimension and weight of the cells, container material, intercell
connectors, and terminals
b) Planned life of the installation and expected life of the cell
c) Frequency and depth of discharge
d) Ambient temperature
e) Charging characteristics
f) Maintenance requirements
g) Ventilation requirements
h) Shock and vibration

The battery manufacturers should be contacted for detailed cell design and performance characteristics to
allow proper selection and sizing of a battery for a specific application.

6. Determining battery size

Several basic factors govern the size (number of cells and rated capacity) of the battery. Included are the
maximum system voltage, the minimum system voltage, the duty cycle, correction factors, and design
margin. Since a battery string is usually composed of a number of identical cells connected in series, the
voltage of the battery is the voltage of a cell multiplied by the number of cells in series. The ampere-hour
capacity of a battery string is the same as the ampere-hour capacity of a single cell.

If cells of sufficiently large capacity are not available, then two or more strings, of equal number of series-
connected cells, may be connected in parallel to obtain the necessary capacity. The ampere hour capacity of
such a battery is the sum of the ampere-hour capacities of the strings. The manufacturer should be consulted
for any limitation on paralleling.

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Std 1115-2000 IEEE RECOMMENDED PRACTICE FOR SIZING

Operating conditions can change the available capacity of the battery. For example:

a) The available capacity decreases as its temperature decreases.

b) The available capacity decreases as the discharge rate increases.
c) The minimum specified cell voltage at any time during the battery discharge cycle limits the avail-
able capacity.
d) The charging method can affect the available capacity.

6.1 Number of cells

The maximum and minimum allowable system voltages determine the number of cells in the battery. It has
been common practice to use 9–10, 18–20, 36–40, 92–100, or 184–200 cells for system voltages of 12, 24,
48, 125, or 250 V, respectively. In some cases, it may be desirable to vary from this practice to match the
battery more closely to system voltage limitations. It should be noted that the use of the widest possible
voltage window, within the confines of individual load requirements, will result in the most economical
battery. Furthermore, the use of the largest number of cells allows the lowest minimum cell voltage and,
therefore, the smallest size cell for the duty cycle. Subclause A.1 illustrates the application of the following
techniques.

6.1.1 Calculation of number of cells and minimum cell voltage

When the battery voltage is not allowed to exceed a given maximum system voltage, the number of cells will
be limited by the manufacturer’s recommended cell voltage required for satisfactory charging. That is,

Maximum allowable system voltage

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- = Number of cells
Cell voltage required for satisfactory charging

The minimum battery voltage equals the minimum system voltage plus any voltage drop between the battery
terminals and the load. The minimum battery voltage is then used to calculate the allowable minimum cell
voltage

Minimum battery voltage

------------------------------------------------------------- = Minimum cell voltage
Number of cells

6.1.2 Charging time as limiting factor

The time available to charge the battery can affect both the number of cells and the cell size. The time
required for a charge decreases as the charging voltage per cell increases, assuming that the charging equip-
ment can supply the high current necessary early in the recharge cycle. If the maximum charging voltage is
limited, it is necessary to select the number of cells that can be charged in the time available. This, in turn,
may require using a larger cell than would otherwise have been necessary. Limits are supplied by the battery
manufacturer for charging current and voltage.

6.1.3 Rounding off

If the results of calculations shown in 6.1.1 indicate a need for a fractional cell, round that result off to the
nearest whole number of cells. The minimum cell voltage and charge voltage should then be recalculated
and verified for adequacy of operation.

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