The Runaway Review
Join Product Manager, JJ Hocken, as he reviews batteries and discusses the advantages and disadvantages of various chemistries impacting the UPS industry.
C&D Pure Lead Max Battery
Pure lead batteries are emerging as a standout choice for UPS applications, especially in cities where lithium-ion cannot be used (New York or Chicago, for example).
When compared to most VRLA counterparts, this pure lead battery chemistry delivers proven reliability, faster recharge times, and superior performance in demanding environments.
In this edition of The Runaway Review, we’ll discuss Mitsubishi Electric’s latest battery offering: C&D Technologies’ Pure Lead Max.
Next Gen Pure Lead Battery Technology
The Pure Lead Max is a UPS battery that demands the market’s attention. This next generation pure lead battery technology combines many known innovations into one battery design.
Radial Grid Design
First patented in the 1960s and 70s, with early adoption of batteries in the 1980s, radial grid design offers advantages in current distribution, corrosion resistance, and overall battery performance.
Front Access Terminals
💡 The first front access terminal batteries were originally used in the telecommunication industry and introduced to the data center industry in the early 2000’s.
This innovation allows for easier and faster installation. C&D’s patented Pure Lead Max battery leverages true front access terminals to further improve power efficiency.
Pure Lead Paste
💡 The term “Pure Lead” is sometimes misunderstood. The first batteries were developed in the 1970s by the Gates Rubber Corporation and patented as Cyclon battery technology—which was later acquired by Enersys.
Today, when we discuss pure lead, we mean 99.97% – 99.999% pure lead, and many different battery manufacturers have their own patented paste.
A pure lead battery can use traditional plate grids, but it does not have to be TPPL (thin plate pure lead) technology.
It is the purity of the paste and the process by which the plates are manufactured that makes this pure lead battery technology truly innovative.
Most true pure lead batteries are made in a highly automated manufacturing facility to reduce contamination and increase the purity of the lead.
Catalyst Recombination Technology
💡 The first proposed principle of gas recombination within a battery was introduced by Thomas Edison in 1912. Many attempts were made through the decades, but it was not until the early 1970s when the first fully functional recombinant lead-acid sealed battery was introduced to the market. In 1988, C&D Technologies commercialized a new patented recombination catalyst design into VRLA batteries.
A catalyst recombines exact quantities of reactant amounts of hydrogen and oxygen gas, converting them into water vapor, which then condenses and replenishes the cells.
Typically, a catalyst is a noble metal placed in a porous ceramic housing, which allows free gas movement but minimizes liquid contact.
Next Gen Pure Lead Battery Advantages
Combining optimized radial grid design, patented pure lead paste, improved catalyst technology, and true front access terminals, the C&D Technologies Pure Lead Max battery optimizes:
- Design Life = 16 Years
- Warranty = 8 Years
- Power Efficiency = Up to 1600 Watts / Cell @ +77F (+25C), 1.67evpc, 5 min rate
- Maintenance = 38% reduction in maintenance, based on recommended maintenance
- TCO = Only 1 replacement needed for a 15-year life based on warranty length
The TCO above takes two industry leading batteries and sets them against the C&D Pure Lead Max in a fair system analysis of Qty. (1) UPS system 750kVA with battery cabinets.
As you can see from the above graph, C&D Pure Lead Max (green) gives you a better overall TCO than traditional pure lead. It sits between traditional pure lead and lithium-ion.
The result is a powerful battery that is a smart choice for data centers that may not want/need lithium-ion batteries but desire a longer lasting and TCO-optimized backup option for their systems.
The Pure Lead Max is a step ahead of the other pure lead batteries on the market, creating a new generation of backup battery technology.
Summary
The C&D Pure Lead Max battery is an innovative battery using trusted, yet dynamic technologies proven over time for traditional mission-critical UPS use cases.
Over a 15-year period, the TCO is very favorable compared to other pure lead batteries due to the longer design life and warranty period.
Mitsubishi Electric verified the C&D Pure Lead Max battery in testing – and it not only met, but exceeded, all testing requirements.
The Pure Lead Max battery is available for Mitsubishi Electric’s UPS product line – from the 1100B (10-80kVA) up to the 9900D (1200-2000kVA). It is also available in a larger cabinet with an 800A breaker for a power-packed design to be used with our larger UPS modules.
Wondering if Pure Lead Max is right for you?
Edited by Matt Slippy, Marketing Specialist & Nicole Kristof, Senior Marketing Specialist
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