Mounting the ES17-12 sideways orientation

[SuperBK]

Searched around and couldn't find anything about this. Can the ES17-12 battery be mounted laying on its side? Can it be charged while laying on its side? I seem to remember reading somewhere about the battery orientation last year, but can't find any documentation on it now.
Thanks,
Brian K

[Richard Wallace]

Originally Posted by SuperBK

Searched around and couldn't find anything about this. Can the ES17-12 battery be mounted laying on its side?

Spend a few more minutes looking next time. This was answered last Saturday on the FIRST Forums Q&A system, and that forum (not this one) should be the first place you check for questions about the rules.

Look here.

[DonRotolo]

Also can be charged in any position

[Joel J]

He may have been wondering if it is safe to, rather than if it is legal to..

[BandChick]

It is safe to. No worries. Our team mounted our battery underneath the arm mechanism in 2005, and it worked just fine. There was nothing hazardous about it. =)

[Mike Betts]

Originally Posted by Don Rotolo

Also can be charged in any position

Don,

I would not charge a SLA in anything other than the upright position. Even though it is a sealed unit, there exist vents at the top of the battery. Any material (example: acid gel) which plugs the vents will be forced out by the hydrogen gas produced during charging. These vents are designed for gas only. A plugged vent could produce a rather violent rupture when charging.

And if you don't agree with my analysis there is this from the 2007 manual:

3.14.3 Pit and Competition Safety

Battery Safety: (Sealed Acid Lead)

Charge in an open, well-ventilated area. Do not charge near an
open flame or near equipment that may produce sparks. Do not
use smoking materials in the battery charging area. Charge in an
upright position. It is not safe to charge the SAL battery in an
inverted position.

Regards,

Mike

[SuperBK]

Thanks, I knew it must be mentioned somewhere. I didn't think to look in section 3, I looked in the robot section and even the manufacturers website. I will make sure we remove the battery to charge it.
Brian

[Al Skierkiewicz]

I agree with Mike on this one, it is best to charge the battery in an upright position. It can be used in any orientation but I would avoid the upside down for the same reason as charging. As always, keep the terminals insulated at all times.

[vivek16]

yeah you wouldnt want to kill someone or worse fry your electrical system!

[Barry Craig]

That's weird, I though the batteries contained a gel, so charging and operation shouldn't be dangerous (unless you have the terminals touching), since it is sealed.

[Al Skierkiewicz]

Barry,
Even gell is subject to the law of gravity. In both charging and discharging some gas is formed within the electrolyte. The extent of the gas (the pressure) will determine the operation of the vents. If there happens to be gell in front of the vent, then some may be forced out under this pressure. The vent design does not allow this to be forced out of the battery case but with less electrolyte you have a reduced cell capacity. In all but the most extreme cases this is not going to happen, but teams are advised to charge the battery in the upright position so that they can maintain battery health for as long as possible. None of us want to lose a match because our partners battery ran down.