Lead sulphate coating removal device, method, and system

Abstract

To provide a lead sulphate coating removal device which is low in power consumption and which gives no damage to an electrode of a lead storage battery.SOLUTION: A lead sulfate coating removal device which removes a lead sulfate coating generated on an electrode of the lead storage battery and which comprises: a generation unit which generates, on the basis of a signal extracted from the lead storage battery, a removal signal for the lead sulfate coating having a peak value of 550-750 mA, a pulse width of 5-100 nsec, and a frequency of 5-50 kHz; and a supply unit which supplies the removal signal generated by the generation unit to the electrode of the lead storage battery.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus, method, and system for removing lead sulfate film, and more particularly to an apparatus, method, and system for removing lead sulfate film that forms on the negative electrodes of lead-acid batteries. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a lead sulfate film removal device that aims to reduce the time required to remove lead sulfate film that forms on the positive and negative electrodes of a lead-acid battery while suppressing heat generation during the removal. This lead sulfate film removal device drives a switching circuit using a pulse waveform drive signal with a pulse width of 1.6 μsec (16,000 nsec) and a frequency of 20,000 Hz. When the switching circuit is turned on, a current of 500 mA is extracted from the battery (lead-acid battery) via resistor R1. When the switching circuit is turned off, the current extraction stops. When the switching circuit is turned off, a back electromotive force and a negative spike-like reverse current of 500 mA are supplied to the lead-acid battery. This current acts on the electrodes of the lead-acid battery, thereby removing the lead sulfate film that has deposited on the electrodes of the lead-acid battery. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-48886 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the lead sulfate film removal device disclosed in Patent Document 1 consumes relatively high power consumption, and reducing power consumption is essential to achieve the energy targets set out in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

[0005] Furthermore, the lead sulfate film removal device disclosed in Patent Document 1 supplies a relatively excessive or high amount or level of reverse current to the electrodes of a lead-acid battery, damaging the electrodes of the lead-acid battery. It would be counterproductive if the use of the lead sulfate film removal device disclosed in Patent Document 1 shortened the lifespan of the lead-acid battery.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method for removing lead sulfate film that consumes low power and does not damage the electrodes of a lead-acid battery.

[0007] Another object of the present invention is to provide a lead sulfate film removal system that can provide useful information to managers of devices equipped with lead-acid batteries, particularly when the managers are far from the batteries, if they can know the estimated replacement time for the batteries. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, the inventors of the present invention have conducted extensive research into a removal signal for removing lead sulfate films formed on the electrodes of a lead-acid battery. As a result, they have found that a relatively larger peak value, a relatively wider pulse width, and a relatively higher frequency contribute to the removal of lead sulfate films, while a relatively smaller peak value, a relatively narrower pulse width, and a relatively lower frequency contribute to lower power consumption. They have also found that by adjusting these in a balanced manner, it is possible to reduce the power consumption of a lead sulfate film removal device and to reduce damage to the electrodes of a lead-acid battery.

[0009] Specifically, in a lead sulfate film removal device for removing lead sulfate film formed on the electrodes of a lead-acid battery, a generator for generating a lead sulfate film removal signal based on the signal extracted from the lead-acid battery, the signal having a peak value of 550 mA to 750 mA, a pulse width of 5 nsec to 100 nsec, and a frequency of 5 kHz to 50 kHz; a supply unit that supplies the removal signal generated by the generation unit to an electrode of the lead-acid battery; Equipped with.

[0010] The present invention also provides a method for removing lead sulfate film formed on electrodes of a lead-acid battery, comprising the steps of: generating a lead sulfate film removal signal based on the signal extracted from the lead-acid battery, the signal having a peak value of 550 mA to 750 mA, a pulse width of 5 nsec to 100 nsec, and a frequency of 5 kHz to 50 kHz; applying the generated removal signal to an electrode of the lead-acid battery; Includes.

[0011] Here, it was confirmed that good results were obtained when the pulse width and frequency conditions were within the above ranges and the peak value was set to 550 mA to 750 mA. Specifically, the amount of lead sulfate film removed from the negative terminal of the lead-acid battery exceeded the amount of lead sulfate film generated, and the lead sulfate film was effectively removed, while no damage to the lead-acid battery electrode was observed.

[0012] Similarly, it was confirmed that good results could be obtained when the frequency and peak value conditions were within the above ranges and the pulse width was set to 5 nsec to 100 nsec. In this case too, the amount of lead sulfate film removed exceeded the amount of lead sulfate film generated on the negative terminal of the lead-acid battery, and the lead sulfate film could be effectively removed, while no damage to the lead-acid battery electrode was observed.

[0013] Furthermore, it was confirmed that good results were also obtained when the pulse width and peak value conditions were within the above ranges and the frequency was set to 5 kHz to 50 kHz. In this case, too, the amount of lead sulfate film removed exceeded the amount of lead sulfate film generated on the negative terminal of the lead-acid battery, and the lead sulfate film was effectively removed, while no damage to the lead-acid battery electrode was observed.

[0014] Therefore, the present invention can provide a lead sulfate removal device that consumes low power and does not damage the electrodes of a lead-acid battery by optimizing the peak value, pulse width, and frequency of the removal signal.

[0015] Another secondary benefit of the lead sulfate film removal device of the present invention is its compact size. The dimensions of the device sold by the patentee of Patent Document 1 are approximately 11 cm x 5.5 cm x 2 cm (casing base), but this device has been miniaturized to approximately 6 cm x 3 cm x 1.5 cm.

[0016] Furthermore, the lead sulfate film removal device of the present invention has achieved a lead sulfate film removal device that is far superior to the problem of Patent Document 1 in terms of suppressing temperature rise, by reducing power consumption.

[0017] Furthermore, the lead sulfate coating removal system of the present invention comprises: the lead sulfate coating removal device; a measuring device for measuring the performance of a lead-acid battery connected to the lead sulfate film removal device; a transmitting device that transmits the measurement results measured by the measuring device; Equipped with.

[0018] The lead sulfate removal system of the present invention not only removes lead sulfate deposits that occur on lead-acid batteries of communication base stations used in mountainous areas, but also transmits measurement results to a manager in a remote location, for example, to use as a basis for determining when to replace the lead-acid batteries. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a partial functional circuit configuration of a lead sulfate film removal device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the measurement results of current values ​​measured in a state where the substrate positive terminal 100A and the substrate negative terminal 100B shown in FIG. 1 are connected to the positive terminal and the negative terminal of a lead-acid battery by connecting wires not shown. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing measurement results of voltage values ​​and the like before and after recovery by the lead sulfate film removal device 10 for a lead storage battery mounted on a vehicle or the like. [Explanation of symbols]

[0020] 10 Lead sulfate film removal equipment 100A PCB positive terminal 100B Board negative terminal 110 Power Supply Unit 120 Drive Resistor 130,140 Voltage dividing resistor 150 Switching Circuit 160 Signal generation unit 170 Pulse Driver Invention

[0021] Hereinafter, a lead sulfate film removal apparatus, method, and system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0022] 1 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a circuit of a lead sulfate film removal apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. The lead sulfate film removal apparatus 10 includes a substrate positive terminal 100A, a substrate negative terminal 100B, a power supply unit 110, a drive resistor 120, voltage dividing resistors 130 and 140, a switching circuit 150, a signal generating unit 160, and a pulse driver 170, which will be described below.

[0023] The board positive terminal 100A and the board negative terminal 100B are electrically connected to the positive and negative terminals of a lead-acid battery (not shown) via connection wires (not shown), respectively. The board positive terminal 100A is connected in parallel to the drive resistor 120, voltage dividing resistors 130 and 140, and the power supply unit 110.

[0024] A portion of the current (signal extracted from the lead-acid battery) flowing through the board positive terminal 100A flows through the drive resistor 120 toward the pulse driver 170 located downstream. Another portion of the current flows through the voltage dividing resistor 130 of the voltage dividing resistors 130, 140 toward the signal generating unit 160. The remainder of the current flows toward the power supply unit 110.

[0025] The power supply unit 110 includes, for example, a relatively high-voltage front-stage power supply circuit and a relatively low-voltage rear-stage power supply circuit, which are connected in series. Therefore, the relatively high-voltage output voltage V H is indirectly applied to the signal generating unit 160 via the switching circuit 150, and the relatively low output voltage V L is directly applied to the signal generating unit 160. Of course, physically, one power supply circuit is divided to generate the output voltage V H and output voltage V L It may be configured to obtain the following.

[0026] The drive resistor 120 defines the value of the current flowing through the pulse driver 170. The resistance value of the drive resistor 120 may be determined according to the voltage value of the lead storage battery, the resistance values ​​of the voltage dividing resistors 130 and 140, and the input resistance value of the power supply unit 110, but when these are conditions described below, the resistance value can be set to about 10 Ω to 30 Ω (for example, about 15 Ω).

[0027] The voltage dividing resistors 130 and 140 define the value of the current that flows toward the signal generating unit 160. The resistance values ​​of the voltage dividing resistors 130 and 140 may be determined depending on the voltage of the lead storage battery, the resistance value of the drive resistor 120, and the input resistance value of the power supply unit 110, but the resistance value of the voltage dividing resistor 130 may be set to about 0 Ω to 20 kΩ (for example, approximately 0 Ω), and the resistance value of the voltage dividing resistor 140 may be set to about 100 Ω to 300 kΩ (approximately 200 kΩ).

[0028] In this example, the switching circuit 150 is realized by a transistor such as an FET, and performs a switching operation in accordance with an on / off signal (to be described later) output from the signal generating unit 160. When the switching circuit 150 is in the on state, the output voltage V H is applied to the signal generating unit 160, and when the switching circuit 150 is in the off state, the output voltage V H The application of is stopped.

[0029] The signal generating unit 160 generates an output voltage V H ,V L The signal generating unit 160 generates the on / off signal to be supplied to the switching circuit 150 based on the on / off signal V. The on / off signal is supplied to the switching circuit 150. The signal generating unit 160 also includes a constant current source output circuit, an oscillator, a frequency divider circuit, etc., and generates a voltage V H ,V L This control signal has a sawtooth waveform and serves as a gate current output to the gate of the pulse driver 170.

[0030] Here, the signal generating unit 160 operates under the following conditions, for example, so that the removal signal to be ultimately supplied to the electrodes of the lead-acid battery becomes a sawtooth pulse signal with a peak value of 550 mA to 750 mA, a pulse width of 5 nsec to 100 nsec, and a frequency of 5 kHz to 50 kHz.

[0031] That is, the output voltage V of the front-stage power supply circuit of the power supply unit 110 H to about 9.0V to 11.0V (for example, 10.0V), and the output voltage V L is about 5.0V to 6.0V (for example, 5.5V), the oscillation frequency of the oscillator of the signal generating unit 160 is about 1.0MHz to about 5.0MHz (for example, about 2.5MHz), and the frequency dividing circuit is configured, for example, with a divide-by-2 circuit and, for example, a synchronous divide-by-62 circuit, the former setting the frequency to about 0.6MHz to about 2.5MHz (for example, about 1.25MHz), and the latter setting the frequency to about 9.67kHz to about 40.32kHz (for example, about 20.16kHz). As a result, the voltage of the lead storage battery can generate a pulse signal with a pulse width of about 5nsec to about 100nsec depending on the frequency after frequency division.

[0032] This pulse signal is converted into a voltage V H ,V LWhen this voltage is supplied to a constant current source output circuit configured with PMOS transistors and a switch configured with NMOS, a sawtooth waveform control signal can be generated with a peak value of approximately 550 mA to approximately 750 mA, a pulse width of approximately 5 nsec to approximately 100 nsec, and a frequency of approximately 5 kHz to approximately 50 kHz.

[0033] The pulse driver 170 generates a removal signal in accordance with the control signal output from the signal generating unit 160. The pulse driver 170 can be realized by a transistor such as an FET. In this configuration, the removal signal theoretically has the same pulse width and frequency as the control signal. This removal signal is supplied to the lead-acid battery via the board positive terminal 110A and the board negative terminal 100B, and can remove the lead sulfate coating from the negative electrode of the lead-acid battery.

[0034] Figure 2 shows the current and voltage measurements taken when the board positive terminal 100A and board negative terminal 100B shown in Figure 1 were connected to the positive and negative terminals of a lead-acid battery via general-purpose brass connection wires 60 cm long and 1.4 mm wide. Therefore, each measurement result also includes the influence of the impedance of the connection wire. The total measurement results shown in Figure 2 represent the average of 10 measurements.

[0035] The measurement results shown in Fig. 2 are defined as follows: "Lead-acid battery voltage value" is the voltage value between the positive terminal and the negative terminal of the lead-acid battery. "Peak current value" is the current value flowing from the positive terminal of the lead-acid battery to the negative terminal of the lead-acid battery via the lead sulfate coating removal device 10.

[0036] The measurement results shown in the upper part of Figure 2 are for two 12V lead-acid batteries A and B. The measurement results shown in the lower part of Figure 2 are for two 24V lead-acid batteries C and D.

[0037] In both the measurement results shown in Figure 2 and the measurement results shown in Figure 3 described below, various measurements were taken on lead-acid batteries immediately after charging was completed, and conditions such as the ambient temperature were kept nearly identical, and factors that could affect the measurement results were eliminated as much as possible. Furthermore, the specifications of each element in the lead sulfate film removal device 10 were the values ​​given in parentheses in the explanation using Figure 1. For example, a value of approximately 15 Ω was used for the drive resistor 120.

[0038] The measurement results for lead-acid battery A were a "lead-acid battery voltage value" of 12.9V and a "peak current value" of 570mA. The measurement results for lead-acid battery B were a "lead-acid battery voltage value" of 13.9V and a "peak current value" of 600mA. The measurement results for lead-acid battery C were a "lead-acid battery voltage value" of 25.8V and a "peak current value" of 610mA. The measurement results for lead-acid battery D were a "lead-acid battery voltage value" of 27.8V and a "peak current value" of 660mA.

[0039] The measurement results shown in Fig. 2 show that the peak current is 570 mA to 660 mA by using an element with the specifications described with reference to Fig. 1. It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the value of the peak current can be easily controlled by changing the resistance value of either the drive resistor 120 or the voltage dividing resistors 130 and 140.

[0040] The inventors conducted tests at peak currents in the range of 550 mA to 750 mA and found that the amount of lead sulfate film removed exceeded the amount of lead sulfate film generated on the negative terminal of the lead-acid battery, and the lead sulfate film was effectively removed, while no damage to the lead-acid battery electrode was observed.

[0041] It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the pulse width and frequency of the pulse signal can be easily controlled by appropriately changing the specifications of the constant current source output circuit, oscillator, frequency divider circuit, etc. in the signal generating unit 160. When the frequency and peak value conditions were within the above ranges and the pulse width was 5 nsec to 100 nsec, and when the peak value and pulse width conditions were within the above ranges and the frequency was 5 kHz to 50 kHz, the amount of lead sulfate film removed exceeded the amount of lead sulfate film generated on the negative terminal of the lead-acid battery, and the lead sulfate film could be effectively removed, while no damage to the lead-acid battery electrode was observed.

[0042] 3 is a diagram showing measurement results of voltage values ​​of a lead-acid battery mounted on a vehicle or the like before and after recovery by the lead sulfate film removal device 10. These voltage values ​​were measured near the positive and negative terminals of the lead-acid battery, and the lead sulfate film removal device 10 used an element with the specifications described with reference to FIG.

[0043] Furthermore, the measurement items may vary depending on the type of vehicle, etc., on which the lead sulfate film removal device 10 is installed (for example, the measurement result may show "specific gravity" or internal resistance). This is because the measurement items that can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of lead sulfate film removal may vary depending on the measurement target, or it may be difficult or impossible to obtain measurement results for a specific measurement item for the measurement target in the first place.

[0044] First, we will explain the lead-acid batteries installed in two forklifts a and b. These forklifts a and b are equipped with 24 2V lead-acid batteries, and the measurement results show the average of the measurement values ​​for each of the 24 lead-acid batteries.

[0045] The specific gravity values ​​of forklifts a and b were measured by sucking up the electrolyte with a hydrometer. The specific gravity value rises with charging and falls with discharging, but a benchmark of around 1.25 to 1.30 is considered to be the normal value, and the more lead sulfate adheres to the lead-acid battery electrodes, the lower the specific gravity value becomes.

[0046] The specific gravity deviation between forklifts a and b is the maximum minus the minimum specific gravity of the electrolyte. Therefore, the smaller this value, the smaller the variation in specific gravity between lead-acid batteries, meaning that the condition of the lead-acid batteries is better. A specific gravity deviation of approximately 0.04 is considered a benchmark.

[0047] First, let's consider the measurement results for forklift a. The voltage value was 2.16V before recovery, but after recovery it was 2.14V, showing no significant change. The specific gravity value was 1.01 before recovery, but after recovery it was 1.31, showing a significant improvement. The specific gravity value deviation was 1.25 before recovery, but after recovery it was 0.02, showing less variation.

[0048] Next, we will consider the measurement results for forklift b. The voltage value was 2.14V before recovery and remained at 2.14V after recovery, with no change observed. The specific gravity value was 1.30 before recovery and 1.29 after recovery, with no substantial change observed. The specific gravity value deviation was 0.03 before recovery and became 0.01 after recovery, indicating a decrease in variation.

[0049] To summarize the results of the study, the measurement results for forklift a showed a significant improvement in the specific gravity value and its deviation was also reduced, so it can be said that the use of the lead sulfate film removal device 10 was extremely effective in removing the lead sulfate film. On the other hand, the measurement results for forklift b showed a slight removal effect, in other words, it is estimated that there was not much lead sulfate attached to the negative electrode of the lead-acid battery of forklift b.

[0050] Next, we will explain the lead-acid batteries installed in two golf carts, c and d. These golf carts c and d are equipped with six 12V lead-acid batteries, and the measurement results show the average of the measurement values ​​for each of the six lead-acid batteries.

[0051] The internal resistance values ​​of golf carts c and d were measured based on the voltage drop between the open circuit voltage of the lead-acid battery and the load resistance. The internal resistance value increases as the lead-acid battery is used for a longer period of time, and the battery's capacity decreases proportionally. There is no absolute value for internal resistance that can be used as a benchmark, so the effectiveness of lead sulfate film removal can be evaluated based on the relative value.

[0052] The difference in resistance between golf carts c and d is calculated by subtracting the minimum internal resistance from the maximum internal resistance of the lead-acid batteries. Therefore, the smaller this difference, the smaller the variation in resistance between the lead-acid batteries, indicating that the condition of the lead-acid batteries is good.

[0053] First, let's consider the measurement results for golf cart c. The voltage value was 12.65V before recovery, but after recovery it was 12.51V, showing no significant change. The internal resistance value was 12.50 before recovery, but after recovery it was 6.14, showing a significant improvement. The resistance difference was 10.76mΩ before recovery, but after recovery it was 0.69mΩ, showing less variation.

[0054] Next, we will consider the measurement results for golf cart d. The voltage value was 11.85V before recovery, and after recovery it improved slightly to 12.72V. The internal resistance value was 8.78mΩ before recovery, and after recovery it improved to 6.10mΩ. The resistance difference was 1.47mΩ before recovery, and after recovery it improved to 1.35mΩ, showing a slight decrease in variation.

[0055] To summarize the results of the study, the measurement results for golf cart c showed a significant improvement in the internal resistance value and the resistance difference, so it can be said that the use of the lead sulfate film removal device 10 was extremely effective in removing salt films. On the other hand, the measurement results for golf cart d showed a slight removal effect, but in other words, it is estimated that there was not much lead sulfate attached to the negative electrode of the lead-acid battery of golf cart d.

[0056] Next, we will explain the open-type lead-acid batteries installed in two cars e and f. These cars are equipped with one 12V lead-acid battery, so the measurement results are not the "average" of the measurements of multiple lead-acid batteries as explained above, but the measurement value of that lead-acid battery itself.

[0057] The CCA (Cold Cranking Ampere) value for automobiles e and f is a performance standard that indicates the ability of a lead-acid battery to start the engine. The CCA standard value varies depending on the manufacturer and type of lead-acid battery, so there is no absolute value that can be used as a benchmark. The effectiveness of lead sulfate film removal can be evaluated based on the relative magnitude of the value.

[0058] The internal resistance values ​​of automobiles e and f are the same as those described for golf carts c and d. Therefore, it can be said that the smaller the internal resistance value, the higher the effectiveness of removing lead sulfate coating.

[0059] First, let's consider the measurement results for car e. The voltage value was 12.61V before recovery, but after recovery it was 12.72V, showing no significant change. The CCA value was 171 before recovery, but after recovery it was 297, showing a significant improvement. The internal resistance value was 14.35mΩ before recovery, but after recovery it was 8.28mΩ, showing a significant improvement.

[0060] Let's consider the measurement results for car f. The voltage value was 12.19V before recovery, but after recovery it was 12.39V, showing no significant change. The CCA value was 402 before recovery, but after recovery it was 458, showing an improvement. The internal resistance value was 7.65mΩ before recovery, but after recovery it was 6.32mΩ, showing an improvement.

[0061] To summarize the results of the study, the measurement results for vehicle e showed that the CCA value and internal resistance value were significantly improved, and it can be said that the use of the lead sulfate film removal device 10 was extremely effective in removing salt films. On the other hand, the measurement results for vehicle f showed a significant removal effect, but in relation to vehicle e, it is estimated that there was not much lead sulfate attached to the negative electrode of the lead-acid battery of vehicle f.

[0062] Next, we will explain the sealed lead-acid batteries installed in the two disaster prevention radios g and h. Like the cars e and f, these disaster prevention radios g and h are also equipped with a single 12V lead-acid battery, so the measurements recorded are for that lead-acid battery itself, rather than the average of the measurements for multiple lead-acid batteries.

[0063] The internal resistance values ​​of disaster prevention radios g and h are the same as those explained for golf carts c and d. Therefore, it can be said that the smaller the internal resistance value, the greater the effectiveness of removing lead sulfate coating.

[0064] Let's consider the measurement results of Disaster Prevention Radio G. The voltage value was 13.46V before recovery, and after recovery it was 13.44V, showing no significant change. The internal resistance value was 9.26mΩ before recovery, and after recovery it was 8.54mΩ, showing an improvement. The nominal value of the internal resistance value of Disaster Prevention Radio G was 8.55mΩ, which means it had recovered to the same condition as when it was new.

[0065] Let's consider the measurement results for Disaster Prevention Radio H. The voltage value was 13.56V before recovery, but after recovery it was 13.47V, showing no significant change. The internal resistance value was 9.31mΩ before recovery, but after recovery it was 8.55mΩ, showing an improvement. The nominal value of the internal resistance value for Disaster Prevention Radio G was 8.55mΩ, which means it had recovered to the same condition as when it was new.

[0066] To summarize the results of the study, the measurement results of disaster prevention radios g and h showed that the internal resistance values ​​of both improved, and it can be said that the use of the lead sulfate coating removal device 10 was highly effective in removing the salt coating.

[0067] The lead sulfate film removal apparatus 10 described above can also be used as a lead sulfate film removal system, including a measuring device that measures the performance of the lead-acid battery to which the lead sulfate film removal apparatus 10 is connected and a transmitting device that transmits the measurement results measured by the measuring device.

[0068] Typical examples of measurement targets that indicate the performance of a lead-acid battery measured by the measuring device include the peak voltage and peak current shown in Figure 2, and the internal resistance value shown in Figure 3. Furthermore, since the internal resistance value is easily affected by temperature, the ambient temperature can also be included so that evaluation can take temperature into consideration. Therefore, the measuring device may be equipped with sensors that measure several of these.

[0069] The measurement results transmitted by the transmitting device may be transmitted to several possible recipients, such as the manager of the electrical equipment equipped with a lead-acid battery and / or the manager of the lead sulfate removal system of this embodiment. The measurement results may be transmitted directly to these individuals, or may be transmitted to a cloud server (not shown) and then indirectly transmitted from the cloud server to these individuals. One possible transmission technique is to use a communication standard such as LPWA (Low Power Wide Area), and one possible transmission medium is wireless or optical fiber. The transmission frequency may be, for example, once a month, but is not limited to these.

[0070] The lead sulfate film removal system of this embodiment not only removes lead sulfate film that occurs on lead-acid batteries of communication base stations used in mountainous areas, but also enables a manager in a remote location to obtain measurement results that can be used as a basis for determining when to replace the lead-acid batteries.

[0071] In the above, in this embodiment, the case of removing lead sulfate coatings attached to the negative electrodes of a lead-acid battery has been described as an example. However, some lead-acid batteries are composed of multiple cells, and in such cases, it is also possible to remove lead sulfate coatings attached to the negative electrodes of each of those cells.

Claims

1. a power supply unit that uses a lead-acid battery as a power supply and generates a first output voltage of 9.0V to 11.0V and a second output voltage of 5.0V to 6.0V; a signal generating unit that generates control signals having frequencies of 0.6 MHz to 2.5 MHz and 9.67 kHz to 40.32 kHz based on the first and second output voltages generated by the power supply unit; a pulse driver for generating a removal signal for removing lead sulfate coating based on the control signal generated by the signal generating unit; A lead sulfate coating removal device comprising:

2. a switching circuit provided between the power supply unit and the signal generating unit, the signal generating unit receives the first output voltage via the switching circuit, and generates an on / off signal that controls a switching operation of the switching circuit based on the first output voltage and the second output voltage; When the switching circuit is in an ON state, the first output voltage is applied to the signal generating unit, and when the switching circuit is in an OFF state, application of the first output voltage to the signal generating unit is stopped.

2. The lead sulfate coating removal device according to claim 1.

3. a voltage dividing resistor that defines a value of a current based on the lead-acid battery that flows toward the signal generating unit; 2. The lead sulfate coating removal device according to claim 1.

4. a drive resistor that determines the value of a current flowing through the pulse driver; a resistance value of the drive resistor is determined in accordance with at least a voltage value of the lead-acid battery and an input resistance value of the power supply unit; 2. The lead sulfate coating removal device according to claim 1.

5. The removal signal has a peak value of 550 mA to 750 mA, a pulse width of 5 nsec to 100 nsec, and a frequency of 5 kHz to 50 kHz.

2. The lead sulfate coating removal device according to claim 1.

6. generating a first output voltage of 9.0V to 11.0V and a second output voltage of 5.0V to 6.0V using a lead-acid battery as a power source; generating control signals having frequencies ranging from 0.6 MHz to 2.5 MHz and from 9.67 kHz to 40.32 kHz based on the first and second output voltages; generating a removal signal for removing the lead sulfate coating based on the control signal; A method for removing lead sulfate coating, comprising:

7. a lead sulfate coating removal device according to claim 1; a measuring device for measuring the performance of a lead-acid battery connected to the lead sulfate film removal device; a transmitting device that transmits the measurement results measured by the measuring device; A lead sulfate coating removal system comprising:

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