© Siemens AG, 2009 17/18
6.3 Instructions for the Characteristic Field/Selection of the Battery Capacity
1. Determine the minimum permissible consumer voltage (e.g. 18 VDC or 20.4 VDC, according to the
consumer).
2. Determine the minimum required battery voltage as follows: An approximately 0.5V voltage drop in the
DC UPS module and the voltage drop in the lines to the consumers (e.g. 0.1V) must be added to the
minimum permissible consumer voltag e (e.g. 20.4 VDC) (re sults in a sum of 21V in this example).
3. On the ordinate (axis upwards, voltage axis), the minimum required battery voltage according to Item 2 is
entered and a horizontal line is drawn parallel to the abscissa (horizontal time axis) at this height (i.e., a
horizontal line is drawing here in this e x ample).
4. Vertical to the points of intersection of this horizontal line according to Item 3 with the discharge
characteristics 5C, 3C, 2C, 1C, etc., the backup time can be read from the time axis in regard to a non-
aged battery (in the example with 21V, the following results: 40sec at 5C; approx. 80sec at 3C; approx. 8
min. at 2C; approx. 25 min. at 1C; approx. 50min. at 0.6C; approx. 100min. at 0.4C; approx. 4 h at 0.2C;
approx 10 h at 0.1C).
5. The maximum backup time (duration until the battery voltage determined in Item 3 is reached) depends on
the "charging current in A : battery capacity in Ah = ... C in 1/h" ratio, in addition to the minimum required
battery voltage. For this reason, the times lying under the points of intersection for the various "...C" for a
non-aged battery are calculated. In order for the aging of the battery (reduction of the available maximum
backup time at the end of the battery service life to half of the maximum backup time of the unaged battery)
is also taken into consideration, the backup time required for the plant (e.g. 3.5 min) doubles (= 7 min),
and this value (here: 7 min) is entered on the ab scissa (horizontal time axis) of the characteristic field.
6. The next point of intersection lying to the right above this value (here: 7 min) between the horizontal line
parallel to the abscissa (according to item 3) and the respective discharging characteristic yields the value
sought "...C" (in the example here, the point of intersection of the horizontal line lies at 21V with a
discharge characteristic of 2C to the right above the value 7 min. at 8 min.; that is, at 2C, the backup time
amounts to 8 min at the beginning and still 4 min. at the end of the battery service life, which means that it
is slightly more than the necessary backup time of, for example, 3.5 min in the example).
7. "...C in 1/1 h" is the ratio "Charging current in A : battery capacity in Ah"; using the value "...C" determined
according to Item 5 ("2C" in the example above) and the charging current I to be buffered known for the
plant, the required battery capacity is determine d as follows:
Required battery capacity in Ah = charging Current in A : C in 1/h
Examples: 14A charging current, e.g. 2C, results in the required battery capacity = 14AA: 2CCx 1/h
= 7Ah battery module
6.4A charging current, e.g. 2C, results in the required battery capacity = 6.4A : 2C x 1/h
= 3.2Ah battery module
8. In case of high charging currents for long backup times, a required battery capacity may result that lies
above the 12Ah battery module; in this case, battery modules must be switched parallel and conducted to
the +Bat connection of the DC UPS module using a common Type FKS fuse (due to the overload
protection of the DC UPS module during battery operation.
9. Example: 12a charging current for 2 h at the minimum required battery voltage of 21v: according to Item 5,
the time doubles to 4 hours. The point of intersection of the 21V horizontal lies above the time of 4 hours
with "discharge characteristic 0.2C."
Required battery capacity = 12A : 0.2 x 1/h = 60Ah; five 12Ah battery modules must thus be switched
parallel.