Evaluation tools for batteries employed in outdoor cabinets. An experience of a Brazilian telecom company

This paper presents preliminary results of a research carried out on batteries located in outdoor cabinets used by TELEMAR-MG, Brazilian incumbent local exchange carrier. The research has been developed by CPqD and TELEMAR-MG on cabinets produced by three different manufacturers and placed in different regions of Minas Gerais State. Hence each manufacturer has had at least two cabinets tested, one in a cold weather region and the other in a warm weather region. Battery evaluation has been done by measuring internal resistance of its individual cells impedance and conductance and by performing capacity discharge tests that provide means for the analyses of the results to verify the relationship among the measures and the environmental conditions. The main goal of this research is to propose a procedure to evaluate the healthy state of the batteries in order to determine the need for their replacement.