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One of the most significant developments in battery technology in recent years has been the development of high cold cranking amperes (CCA) batteries. Among the principal benefits of these units are:
* Lower vehicle weight and original cost since fewer batteries are required on a truck. Individually, high CCA batteries generally weigh five to 10 lbs. more than standard designs because they use more lead. They also cost more--about $15. But these negative factors are more than offset by the fact that only three--in some cases two--are required to instead of four conventional batteries.
* Units are available for cranking refrigeration units.
* On older tractors, they will help offset the compression loss of high mileage engines.
* They cause no adverse effects on other components in the starting or charging systems although thermal protection add-ons for starters are generally recommended.
The main drawback associated with the use of high CCA batteries is a reduction in Reserve Capacity (RC) since fewer batteries are usually used.
Robert Qualls, product manager for GNB Automotive Battery Div. defines the two main performance specs for batteries, CCA and RC:
* Cold Cranking Amperes (CCA): The current, measured in amperes, which a battery at 0degF can deliver for 30 seconds and maintain a voltage of 1.2 volts per cell or higher. Engine manufacturers specify CCA requirements for each make of engine. A fleet's specs for a battery's CCA should always be above this minimum requirement unless the vehicle always operates in a mild climate. It is recommended that replacement batteries with less CCA's than the original batteries not be used. As the engine accumulates hours and gets older, it may be harder to start. For this reason, it is perfectly permissible to use replacement batteries with higher CCA's.
* Reserve Capacity (RC) is the ability of a battery to sustain a minimum electrical load in the event of a charging system failure. It is measured as the number of minutes a new, fully charged battery can be discharged at 25 amperes at 80degF and maintain a minimum terminal voltage of 10.5 volts, (1.7 volts per cell). The RC requirement actually depends on the vocational application of the truck.
To spec the proper batteries, fleet managers must know what the...