Battery Giant » Energizing Facts

Battery Giant to Continue Focus on Green Battery Recycling Efforts

evaadmin — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 19:07:13 +0000

Battery Giant Franchise, LLC announces its commitment to continue their focus on enhancing the company’s green battery recycling efforts in 2012, encouraging businesses and consumers to make green business and environmental sustainability a priority in the year ahead.

Sterling Heights, MI (PRWEB) January 05, 2012 — Entering its fourth year in business, Battery Giant Franchise, LLC announces its commitment to continue their focus on enhancing the company’s green battery recycling efforts in 2012. “Battery Giant is committed to grow the percent of batteries recycled in the appropriate ways through its strategic relationship with East Penn Manufacturing and partnering with franchisees that accept our green approach to the battery business as we expand our presence throughout the country,” states Greg Danziger, President of Battery Giant.

Currently through its eleven locations in five states and its affiliate company, Battery Giant recycles approximately one million pounds of lead through battery parts annually. The company also has a relationship with Call2Recycle, a program that recycles rechargeable batteries and cell phones throughout North America. The program provides collection boxes to Battery Giant store locations for drop off of old batteries, encouraging consumers and businesses to participate in green business and environmental sustainability efforts.

A core aspect and key objective to Battery Giant’s mission is their environmentally friendly battery recycling efforts. Batteries collected for recycling through the Call2Recycle program are delivered to the recycling facility. The facility recovers precious metals from the old batteries and new batteries and stainless steel products are developed. Cell phones are either refurbished and resold, or recycled. None of the recycled battery material ever sees a landfill. Battery Giant will continue to promote green battery recycling as one of their top priorities in the year ahead.

About Battery Giant
Headquartered in Sterling Heights, Michigan, the company currently operates eleven franchised retail locations in Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, Arizona, and Florida. They carry a wide range of replacement batteries and battery products, plus offer an energizing opportunity for franchise ownership in the ever- expanding battery market.
With a focus on the environment, Battery Giant helps consumers recycle their rechargeable batteries and old cell phones by conveniently offering free recycling at each of their franchise store locations. They are proud to provide their customers with the most innovative, efficient, and knowledgeable solutions available along with friendly customer service.

For more information about Battery Giant, battery recycling, green power solutions, or franchise opportunities visit their website at www.batterygiant.com, or contact Greg Danziger, President at 586-446-9502, ext. 243.

Servicing Your Power Wheels Riding Toys

Battery Giant — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 15:55:12 +0000

Each week, we get a number of calls from parents looking for a replacement battery or charger for their child’s Power Wheels riding toy. The first question we ask is, “How old is the toy?” Often the answer is that the toy was purchased at a garage sale, or was given to them by a family member or friend. There is a good reason why we ask this question. Back in 1998, a Federal recall was issued on all Mattel, Inc. Power Wheels riding toys housing the 12 volt red battery with white connector. It was discovered that the connection from the battery to the car was overheating, causing serious safety concerns for parents. Subsequently, the recall was issued on all riding toys with red batteries; however, the green or blue 6 volt batteries with white connectors did not fall under this recall.

As a result of this recall, Mattel, Inc. designated authorized Power Wheels service centers where store owners and employees are trained to retrofit the toy cars with tested and approved replacement connectors, plus perform any maintenance or warranty issues on the toys. When the riding toys are brought in for recall to one of the authorized service centers, the old style white connectors on the red 12 volt batteries are replaced with new style black connectors, along with the battery if needed. If you happen to purchase a used riding toy and it has the red battery with black connector, the recall work has already been done for you. If you already own or buy a riding toy with a green or blue battery, there is no known issue with safety and replacement batteries and chargers can be purchased.

Currently Battery Giant has several stores designated as Power Wheels authorized service centers for replacement connectors under the recall, with more stores planning to offer this service in the near future. Replacement batteries and chargers can also be purchased online or at any of our other Battery Giant store locations. Please call or visit Battery Giant, for all your toy car service needs, including recall and warranty issues, tune-ups, parts, and replacement batteries and chargers. Visit www.mattel.com to find an authorized service center near you. For more information about the 1998 recall, please visit http://service.mattel.com/us/recall.asp.

At Battery Giant we’re big on safety especially when it comes to our kids. Happy riding!

Now a bit about the nickel-metal hydride battery . . .

Battery Giant — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 15:05:56 +0000

The success of the nickel-metal hydride battery has been driven by its high energy density and the use of environmentally-friendly metals. The modern nickel-metal hydride battery, for instance, offers up to 40% higher energy density compared to the standard nickel-cadmium battery. There is potential for yet higher capacities, but not without some negative side effects.

The nickel-metal hydride battery is less durable than the nickel-cadmium battery, as cycling under heavy load and storage at high temperature reduces its service life. Nickel-metal hydride also suffers from high self-discharge, which is higher than that of nickel-cadmium.

Nickel-metal hydride has been replacing nickel-cadmium in markets such as wireless communications and mobile computing. Experts agree that nickel-metal hydride has greatly improved over the years, but limitations remain. Most shortcomings are native to the nickel-based technology and are shared with nickel-cadmium. It is widely accepted that nickel-metal hydride is an interim step to lithium-based battery technology.

For additional information, visit www.batterygiant.com

The Nickel-Cadmium Battery

Battery Giant — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 15:04:49 +0000

Last week we noted that the nickel-cadmium battery was the first rechargeable battery in small format and forms a standard against which other chemistries are commonly compared. Let’s now look at a summary of advantages and limitations of the nickel-cadmium battery.

Advantages

Fast and simple charge, even after prolonged storage
High number of charge/discharge cycles – and if properly maintained, nickel-cadmium provides over 1000 charge/discharge cycles
Good load performance – nickel-cadmium allows recharging at low temperatures
Long shelf life – five-year storage is possible. Some priming prior to use will be required.
Simple storage and transportation – most airfreight companies accept nickel-cadmium without special conditions
Good low temperature performance
Forgiving if abused – nickel-cadmium is one of the most rugged rechargeable batteries available
Economically priced – nickel-cadmium is lowest in terms of cost per cycle
Available in a wide range of sizes and performance options – most nickel-cadmium cells are cylindrical

Limitations

Relatively low energy density
Memory effect – nickel-cadmium must periodically be exercised (discharge/charge) to prevent memory
Relatively high self-discharge – needs recharging after storage

For additional information, visit www.batterygiant.com

So, what’s the best battery out there? It really depends . . .

Battery Giant — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 15:03:52 +0000

Below is a summary of the strength and limitations of today’s popular battery systems. Although energy density is paramount, other important attributes to batteries include service life, load characteristics, maintenance requirements, self-discharge costs and, of course, safety.

Nickel-cadmium – mature but has moderate energy density. Nickel-cadmium is used where long life, high discharge rate and extended temperature range is important. Main applications are two-way radios, biomedical equipment and power tools. Nickel-cadmium contains toxic metals.

Nickel-metal-hydride – has a higher energy density compared to nickel-cadmium at the expense of reduced cycle life. There are no toxic metals. Applications include mobile phones and laptop computers. NiMH is viewed as a steppingstone to lithium-based systems.

Lead-acid – most economical for larger power applications where weight is of little concern. Lead-acid is the preferred choice for hospital equipment, wheelchairs, emergency lighting and UPS systems. Lead acid is inexpensive and rugged. It serves a unique niche that would be hard to replace with other systems.

Lithium-ion – fastest growing battery system; offers high-energy density and low weight. Protection circuits are needed to limit voltage and current for safety reasons. Applications include notebook computers and cell phones. High current versions are available for power tools and medical devices.

It’s important to note that the nickel-cadmium battery is the first rechargeable battery in small format and forms a standard against which other chemistries are commonly compared. The trend is toward lithium-based systems.

For additional information, visit www.batterygiant.com

What is the best battery for medical devices?

Battery Giant — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 15:02:26 +0000

The heart defibrillator is one of the most energy-hungry portable medical devices around. This battery draws in excess of 10 amperes during preparation stages. Then, several shocks may be needed to get the patient’s heart going again. It’s very important that this battery be efficient and effective, as in some cases it could be the difference between life and death.

Most defibrillators are powered by nickel-cadmium batteries. Nickel-metal-hydride is also used but there is the concern of short service life. Sealed lead-acid batteries are often used to power defibrillators intended for standby mode. Although bulky and heavy, the lead-acid battery has a low self-discharge and can be kept in prolonged ready mode without the need to recharge. Lead-acid batteries perform well on high current spurts. During the rest periods the battery disperses the depleted acid concentrations back into the electrode plate. Lead-acid batteries would not be suitable for a sustained high load.

The medical industry is moving toward lithium-ion. The short but high current spurts needed for defibrillators are still a challenge. Paralleling the cells and adding current-limiting circuits that allow short spikes of high current will help overcome this hurdle.

Sometimes a battery can be the difference between life and death… so make sure it is charged.

For additional information, visit www.batterygiant.com

Field studies on battery exercise and recondition

Battery Giant — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 15:01:06 +0000

The importance of exercising and reconditioning your batteries is emphasized by a study carried out for the U.S. Navy by GTE Government Systems. To determine the percentage of batteries needing replacement in the first year of use, one group of batteries received charge only (no maintenance); another group was periodically exercised; and, a third group received recondition. The batteries studied were used for two-way radios on U.S. aircraft carriers.

With charge only (charge-and-use), the annual percentage of battery failure was 45%. With exercise, the failure rate was reduced to 15%. By far the best results were achieved with recondition, where failure rate dropped to 5%.

The GTE report concluded that a battery analyzer featuring exercise and recondition functions costing $2,500 would return its investment in less than one month on battery savings alone.

So, to wrap up our segment on battery memory, exercise and reconditioning, here are a few simple guidelines:

Do not leave a nickel-based battery in a charger for more than a few days, even on trickle charge.
Exercise nickel-cadmium batteries every 1 to 2 months and nickel-metal-hydride batteries every 3 months. Running the battery down in the equipment may do this also.
Do not discharge the battery before each recharge. This puts undue stress on the battery.
Avoid getting the battery too hot during charge. The temperature should only rise for a short moment at full charge, then cool off.

For additional information, visit www.batterygiant.com

Exercise is important for your batteries

Battery Giant — Wed, 26 May 2010 14:59:48 +0000

It’s possible to prevent damaging memory from developing in your batteries. Crystalline formation, which causes battery memory in nickel-based batteries, is most pronounced if the battery is left in the charger for days, or if repeatedly recharged without a periodic full discharge. Since most of us do not use all of the energy in a battery before recharging it, a periodic discharge to one volt per cell is essential to prevent memory. This is known as “exercise.”

Nickel-cadmium batteries in regular use and on standby mode (sitting in a charger for operational readiness) should be exercised once per month. Between these monthly exercise cycles, no further service is needed. No scientific research is available on the optimal exercise requirements of nickel-metal-hydride batteries but based on the reduced crystalline buildup, applying a full discharge once every three months appears appropriate. Because of the shorter cycle life of the nickel-metal-hydride batteries compared to nickel-cadmium, over-exercising is not recommended.

So, yes, exercise is ALWAYS healthy – even for your batteries!

For additional infomation, visit www.batterygiant.com

Does your battery have memory?

Battery Giant — Mon, 17 May 2010 14:58:50 +0000

The term “memory” was originally derived from “cyclic memory”; meaning that a nickel-cadmium battery could remember how much energy was drawn on preceding discharges. On a longer than scheduled discharge, the voltage would rapidly drop and the battery would lose power. Improvements in battery technology have virtually eliminated this phenomenon.

The problem with nickel-cadmium batteries is not so much the cyclic memory but the effects of crystalline formation. The active cadmium material is present in finely divided crystals. In a good battery, these crystals remain small, obtaining maximum surface area. With memory, however, the crystals grow and conceal the active material from the electrolyte. In advanced stages, the sharp edges of the crystals may even penetrate the separator, causing high self-discharge or electrical short.

When introduced in the early 1990s, nickel-metal-hydride was promoted as being memory-free. Today, we know that this chemistry is also affected but to a lesser degree than nickel-cadmium. The nickel plate, a metal that is shared by both chemistries, is partly to blame. While nickel-metal-hydride has only the nickel plate to worry about, nickel-cadmium also includes the memory-prone cadmium plate. This is a non-scientific explanation why nickel-cadmium is affected more than nickel-metal-hydride.

So, as with our own memories, sometimes it is best not to remember – but to forget and move on!

For additional information, visit www.batterygiant.com

Who pays for the recycling of batteries?

Battery Giant — Mon, 10 May 2010 14:57:49 +0000

Current battery recycling methods require a high amount of energy. It takes six to ten times the amount of energy to reclaim metals from recycled batteries than it would through other means. So who pays for this Recycling? We do. Specifically, participating countries impose their own rules in making recycling feasible. Battery recyclers claim that if a steady stream of batteries, sorted by chemistry, were available at no charge, recycling would be profitable. This is not the case, however, so preparation and transportation add to the cost.

In North America, some recycling plants bill on weight. The rates vary according to chemistry. Systems that yield high metal retrieval rates from batteries are priced lower than those which produce less valuable metals.

Nickel-metal-hydride yields the best return. It produces enough nickel to pay for the process. The highest recycling fees apply to nickel-cadmium and lithium ion batteries because the demand for cadmium is low and lithium-ion contains little retrievable metal.

Not all countries base the cost of recycling on the battery chemistry; some put it on tonnage alone. The flat cost to recycle batteries is about $1,000 to $2,000 per ton. Europe hopes to achieve a cost per ton of $300. Ideally, this would include transportation; however, moving the goods is expected to double the overall cost. For this reason, Europe sets up several smaller processing locations in strategic geographic locations.

The bottom line is that significant subsidies are still required from manufacturers, agencies and governments to support battery recycling programs. This funding is in the form of a tax added to each manufactured cell.

For additional information, visit www.batterygiant.com