Batteries are the heart and soul of a substation. They are also perhaps the most easily overlooked and misunderstood piece of equipment within a substation, according to Tony Picagli, principal electric system maintenance engineer at The United Illuminating Co. in New Haven, Connecticut.

Picagli will present “Substation Battery Bank Maintenance and Testing” at the Finepoint Circuit Breaker Test and Maintenance Training Conference on Wednesday, Oct. 7. His work at UI concentrates on circuit breakers of all classes, gas insulated substations and standby battery systems.

“Without a properly maintained, tested and operating dc system, personnel safety and proper protective equipment operation is compromised, and system reliability is placed at risk,” Picagli said.

With today’s reduced budgets, lean staffing and increased regulatory requirements, developing and implementing programs to keep battery installations operating optimally, with minimum effort are more important than ever. These same workplace environments require that battery bank life be extended for as long as practical. Replacement must take place “just-in-time” to save resources and budgets, but without jeopardizing safety and system integrity, according to Picagli.

The session will touch on battery bank installation requirements, maintenance and testing techniques and data evaluation, with the primary focus on flooded (FLA) and valve-regulated (VRLA) lead acid batteries. The presentation will begin with a short introduction to battery construction and theory and will also cover IEEE Standards, NETA Acceptance and Maintenance Standards, manufacturer’s recommendations and UI’s replacement, testing and evaluation.

“The intent of the presentation will be to provide participants with a better understanding of battery bank operation and the overall importance of standby battery systems,” Picagli said.

Picagli is active on several Doble Engineering client committees, the IEEE Standards Association and has been an IEEE member for over 30 years. He earned both his BSEE and MBA at The University of New Haven and is a registered professional engineer in the state of Connecticut.