Complete information on AGV Battery Pack and its types:
AGV battery:
An automated guided vehicle, also known as an automatic guided vehicle (AGV), is a foldable automaton that navigates by following long lines or cables labeled on the floor, or by using radio signals, vision cameras, pieces of metal, or laser beams for navigation. Another name for this type of robot is an autonomous mobile robot (AMR).
Types of batteries AGV packs:
There are four types of AGV batteries used often across the globe, and these are:
Sealed GEL packs:
Batteries that use GEL cells are hermetically sealed, precisely as the AGV battery packs described before. That is the last point in which they are comparable. The sulfuric acid in a GEL battery turned into a jelly-like material with the help of silica, often known as sand.
If maintained in a charged condition while unused, the lifetime of a 12-volt Gel or AGM battery is up to six years. After five or six years at float voltage at an average ambient temperature of 25 ºC, the battery still maintains 80 percent of its initial capacity.
Advantages of sealed Gel:
- No upkeep or repair is required.
- Transportation by air, rail, or road is permitted since the commodities do not pose a danger.
- No gassing.
- Maintain its integrity across a broad temperature range.
Pure-lead AGV Battery Packs:
This battery has lead purity of 99.9 percent, the highest possible level. This high purity of battery adds to the expense of producing it in the refining process and contributes to the performance and lifespan. The pure-lead battery packs are a specialized subcategory of advanced AGV battery packs that use pure-lead thin plates than the more conventional lead-calcium plates.
If your AGV project needs opportunity charging, the pure-lead batteries are a solid alternative to investigate and should not be overlooked.
Advantages of pure-lead batteries
- They have an excellent battery life, clocking in at 1200 cycles with a depth drain of 60 percent.
- These batteries are hermetically sealed and have low levels of gas emissions.
- They need no upkeep whatsoever.
Lithium AGV battery pack:
A lithium-ion battery, often known as a Li-ion battery, is a kind of rechargeable battery made up of cells. During discharge, lithium ions flow from the negative electrode to the positive electrode via an electrolyte, and they migrate back while the battery is charging.
The (AGV) sector is increasingly adopting the usage of lithium batteries.
Lithium batteries are the finest choice for inductive AGV wireless charging. Batteries capable of receiving a large quantity of energy in rapid charging cycles are required for contactless charging technology to achieve around 95 percent efficiency.
Advantages of Lithium batteries:
- Longer cycle time.
- Deepest Depth of Discharge (DOD).
- Lithium battery’s Efficiency is higher.
- The lithium battery’s charge rate is faster.
- Higher Energy Density.
Flooded Lead-Acid (FLA):
Small AGV battery Packs don’t use FLA batteries kind of carts or small AGV taggers. AGVs only use FLAs (mainly LGVs) comparable with traditional forklifts or big toe tractors.
Advantages of FLA:
- They are the cheapest in the market.
- Well-proven reliability.
- Long deep discharge cycle life.
Why are AGV batteries better?
- The flooded lead-acid type is heavier and delivers outstanding electrical dependability but does not need maintenance.
- It has a low self-discharge and is resistant to low temperatures.
- In a short amount of time, the charge is complete.
- An AGV battery may charge up to five times quicker than a conventional flooded battery, which is one of the many benefits of this kind of battery.
Ways to improve the health of an AGV Battery Pack:
Ways to improve the health of AGV battery packs are as follow:
- Maintain frequent charging of your battery. It is of utmost importance to charge your battery at the earliest opportunity.
- Make use of intelligent chargers.
- Utilize charging that takes temperature into account.
- Make sure the float voltages you’re using are accurate.
- Make use of a temperature sensor for the alternator.
- Minimize voltage drop.
AGM and GEL batteries for AGVs:
Batteries of both the AGM and GEL kinds see extensive application in the AGV sector. They are either valve-regulated lead-acid batteries or Sealed Lead-Acid (SLA) batteries (VRLA batteries).
Regardless of the particular distinctions that exist between AGM batteries and GEL batteries, both types share the following characteristics:
- These batteries do not leak since they are hermetically sealed.
- These batteries have a “Deep-cycle” rating. It indicates that the battery drained to a level equal to or more than 80 percent (so when it only remains at 20 percent capacity in the battery).
- They have a low rate of internal discharge.
- They either produce little greenhouse gas emissions or none at all.
- They can be used and recharged in spaces with restricted airflow.
Battery timings of AGV Battery pack:
- GEL batteries may last up to 12-16 hours in small AGV tractors or under-cart AGVs, depending on how much power they use.
- In terms of battery working time and battery life, these values are a decent trade-off. In most cases, the GEL batteries can reach between 40 and 50 percent of their DOD.
- AGV battery packs need a less amount of battery power than human-driven vehicles.
How long does it take to recharge an AGV Battery?
It depends upon the condition you are facing. A minimum amount of time needed to recharge is around 5 hours. You will have a runtime of six hours using a Battery. It will take you two hours to charge until the battery is empty.
How long can an AGV battery sit?
They can be safely stored for up to a year before any inventory maintenance has to be conducted, provided that the batteries are in good condition. Battery life is close to 2000 cycles with a DOD of 40 percent. Indicates that you may recharge your GEL 2000 times, bringing it from 60% to 100% capacity each time.
Conclusion:
The AGV battery pack has a low self-discharge and is resistant to low temperatures, delivers outstanding electrical dependability but does not need maintenance, and in a short amount of time, the charge is complete. AGV battery packs are ideal for OEM and replacement battery applications.