The Automobile Storage Battery Part 16

3. Rough commutator. This will cause the brushes to chatter, be noisy and spark. Caused many times by allowing copper to acc.u.mulate on the bottom of the brushes.

4. Insufficient pressure on brushes, resulting in sparking. This may be due to brushes wearing down to the point where the brush lead screw rests on the brush holder.

5. Dirt and grease acc.u.mulating between the brush and brush holder causing brush to stick; brush must always move freely in the holder.

6. Brush holder may have come loose, causing it to slip back, relieving brush press-Lire.

7. Brush spring may have become loosened, releasing the tension.

8. Watch commutator carefully and keep it in the best of condition.

There will not be excessive heating without sparking. Excessive sparking may raise the temperature so high as to cause throwing of solder. You can avoid all this by taking proper care of the commutator.

C. Ammeters on Panels Read Reverse: This is caused by improperly connecting up batteries, which has reversed the polarity of the generator. This generally does no harm, since in most cases the batteries will automatically reverse the polarity of the generator.

Generally the condition may be remedied by stopping the machine, reversing the batteries and starting the machine again. If this is unsuccessful raise the brushes on the machine. Connect five or six batteries in series in the correct way to one panel, while the machine is not in operation. Turn on the panel switch. When the machine is started, it will then build up in the right direction. If it does not do so, repeat the above, using a larger number of batteries.

D. Machine Refuses to Start. If there is a humming noise when you try to start the motor, and the outfit does not start, one of the fuses needs replacing. The outfit will hum only on two or three phase current. Never leave the power turned on with any of the fuses out.

Constant-Potential Charging

In the Constant-Potential system of battery charging, the charging voltage is adjusted to about 7.5, and is held constant throughout the charge. With this system a discharged battery receives a heavy current when it is put on charge. This current gradually decreases as the battery charges, due to the increasing battery voltage, which opposes, or "bucks" the charging voltage, and reduces the voltage which is effective in sending current through the batteries. Such a charge is called "tapering" charge because the charging current gradually decreases, or "tapers" off.

The principle of a "tapering" charge is, of course, that a discharged battery may safely be charged at a higher rate than one which is only partly discharged, because there is more lead sulphate in the discharged battery which the action of the current changes back to active material. As the battery charges, the amount of lead sulphate decreases and since there is less sulphate for the current to act upon, the charging rate should be reduced gradually. If this is not done, excessive ga.s.sing will occur, resulting in active material being blown from the grids.

A battery which has been badly sulphated, is of course, in a discharged condition, but is not, of course, able to absorb a heavy charging rate, and in handling such batteries on a constant potential system, care must be taken that the charging rate is low. Another precaution to be observed in all constant potential charging is to watch the temperature of batteries while they are drawing a heavy charging current. A battery which ga.s.ses soon after it is put oil charge, and while still in a discharged condition, should be taken off the line, or the charging line voltage reduced. With constant potential charging, as with constant current charging, the two things to watch are temperature and ga.s.sing. Any charging rate which does not cause an excessive temperature or early ga.s.sing is safe, and conversely any charging rate which causes an excessive battery temperature, or causes ga.s.sing while the battery is still less than three-fourths charged, is too high.

[Fig. 48]

Fig. 48. Hobart Bros. Co. 3 K. W. Constant Potential Motor-Generator Charging Set

The Constant-Potential Charging Set manufactured by the Hobart Bros.

Co., consists of a 3 K.W. generator rated at 7.5 volts, and 400 amperes. This generator is direct connected to a 5 H.P. motor, both machines being mounted oil the same base plate. Figure 48 shows this outfit. Note that for the charging line there are three bus-bars to which the batteries are connected. Twelve volt batteries are connected across the two outside bus-bars, while six volt batteries are connected between the center bus-bar and one of the outer ones.

The Tungar Rectifier

[Fig. 49 Tungar rectifier bulb]

All rectifiers using oil are operated on the principle that current can pa.s.s through them in one direction only, due to the great resistance offered to the flow of current in the opposite direction.

It is, of course, not necessary to use mercury vapor for the arc. Some rectifiers operate on another principle. Examples of such rectifiers are the Tungar made by the General Electric Co., and the Reetigon, made by the Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Co. The Tungar Rectifier is used extensively and will therefore be described in detail.

The essential parts of a Tungar Rectifier are: A bulb, transformer, reactance, and the enclosing case and equipment.

The bulb is the most important of these parts, since it does the rectifying. It is a sort of check valve that permits current to flow through the charging circuit in one direction only. In appearance the bulb, see Figure 49, resembles somewhat an ordinary incandescent bulb.

In the bulb is a short tungsten filament wound in the form of a tight spiral, and supported between two lead-in wires. Close to the filament is a graphite disk which serves as one of the electrodes. Figure 50 shows the operating principle of the Tungar. "B" is the bulb, containing the filament "F" and the graphite electrode "A." To serve as a rectifier the bulb filament "F" must be heated, this being done by the transformer "T." The battery is connected as shown, the positive terminal directly to one side of the alternating current supply, and the negative terminal to the graphite electrode "A."

To understand the action which takes place, a.s.sume an instant when line wire C is positive. The current then flows through the battery, through the rheostat and to the graphite electrode. The current then flows through the are to the filament and to the negative side of the line, as indicated by the arrows.

During the next half cycle when line wire D is positive, and C is negative, current tends to flow through the bulb from the filament to the graphite, but as the resistance offered to the flow of current in this direction is very high, no current will flow through the bulb and consequently none through the battery.

[Fig. 50 Ill.u.s.tration of Tungar "half-wave" rectifier]

[Fig. 51 Ill.u.s.tration of Tungar "full-wave" rectifier]

The rectifier shown in Figure 50 is a "half-wave" rectifier. That is, only one-half of each alternating current wave pa.s.ses through it to the battery. If two bulbs are used, as shown ill Figure 51, each half of the alternating current wave is used in charging the battery. To trace the current through this rectifier a.s.sume an instant when line wire C is positive. Current will then flow to the graphite electrode of tube A, through the secondary winding of the transformer S to the center tap, through the rheostat, to the positive battery terminal, through the battery to the center of the primary transformer winding P, and through part of the primary winding to D. When D is positive, current will flow through tube B from the graphite electrode to the filament, to the center of transformer winding S, through the rheostat and battery to the center of transformer winding P, and through part of this winding to line wire C. In the actual rectifiers the rheostat shown in Figures 50 and 51 are not used, regulation being obtained entirely by means of other windings.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that if the alternating current supply should fail, the batteries cannot discharge into the line, because in order to do so, they would have to heat up the filament and send current through the bulb from the filament to the graphite electrode. This the batteries cannot do, because the connections are such that the battery cannot send a current through the complete filament circuit and because, even if the batteries could heat the filament they could not send a current from the filament to the graphite, since current cannot flow in this direction.

As soon as the alternating line is made alive again, the batteries will automatically start charging again. For these reasons night charging with the Tungar is entirely feasible, and no attendant is required to watch the batteries during the night. The Tungar Rectifier is made in the following sizes:

A. Two Ampere Rectifier

Catalogue No. 195529

[Fig. 52. The Two Ampere Tungar Rectifier]

[Fig. 53 Internal wiring of the two ampere tungar rectifier]

This is the smallest Tungar made. Figure 52 shows the complete rectifier. Figure 53 shows the internal wiring. This Tungar will charge a 6 volt battery at two amperes, a 12 volt battery at one ampere and eight cells at 0.75 ampere. It is suitable for charging a lighting battery, or for a quick charge of a motorcycle or ignition battery. It will also give a fairly good charge over night to a starting battery. Another use for this rectifier is to connect it to a run-down starting battery to prevent it from freezing over night. Of course, a battery should not be allowed to run down during cold weather, but if by chance a battery does run down, this Tungar will prevent it from freezing during the night.

The two ampere Tungar is, of course, more suitable for the car owner than for a garage or service station. It is also very suitable for charging one Radio "A" battery. The two ampere Tungar is normally made for operation on a sixty cycle circuit, at 115 volts. It may also be obtained for operation on 25-30, 40-50, and 125-133 cycles alternating supply line. See table on Page 130.

B. The One Battery Rectifier

Catalogue No. 219865

[Fig. 54. The One Battery Tungar Rectifier]

This Tungar will charge a 6 volt battery at five amperes, or a 12 volt battery at three amperes. Figure 54 shows this Tungar, with part of the casing cut away to show the internal parts.

To take care of variations in the voltage of the alternating current supply from 100 to 130, a set of connections is provided which are numbered 105, 115, and 125. For most supply voltages, the 115 volt tap is used, for lower voltage the 105 volt tap is used, and for higher voltage the 125 volt tap is used. This Tungar is designed for 60 cycle circuits, but on special order it may be obtained for operation on other frequencies.

This Tungar is most suitable for a car owner, is satisfactory for charging a radio "A" battery, and a six volt starting and lighting battery at one time.

C. The Two Battery Rectifier

Catalogue No. 195530

[Fig. 55. The Two Battery Tungar Rectifier]

This Tungar is shown in Figure 55, with part of the casing cut away to show the internal parts. It was formerly sold to the car owner, but the one battery Tungar is now recommended for the use of the car owner. The two-battery Tungar is therefore recommended for the very small service station, or for department stores for taking care of one or two batteries. The four battery Tungar, which is the next one described, is recommended in preference to the two-battery outfit where there is the slightest possibility of having more than two batteries to charge at one time.

The two-battery rectifier will charge two 6-volt batteries, or one 12-volt battery at six amperes, or one 18-volt battery at three amperes. It has a double-pole fuse block mounted on the auto transformer core, which has one fuse plug only. Figure 55 shows the fuse plug in the position for charging a 6-volt battery. When it is desired to charge a 12-volt battery or an 18-volt battery, the fuse is removed from the first receptacle and is screwed into the second receptacle.

[Fig. 56. The Four Battery Tungar Rectifier Complete]

The two-battery rectifier is designed to operate on a 115-volt, 60-cycle line, but oil special order may be obtained for operation on 25-30, 40-50, and 125-133 cycle lines.

D. The Four Battery Tungar