The life expectancy of a VRLA battery depends on its design and how it is used. Three factors affect the lifetime: temperature, cycle life, and discharge depth.
Temperature: The rated capacity of the battery is based on a narrow temperature range. When the battery is exposed to temperatures outside this range, the service life will be shortened.
Cycle life: This is the number of charge and discharge cycles of the battery. The more times and deeper the discharge, the shorter the battery life.
Depth of Discharge (DOD) : This is the percentage of the battery that has been discharged relative to the battery capacity. When the battery is fully discharged or exceeds the recommended maximum DOD, the battery life will be shortened.
Long life batteries are considered a hybrid of deep cycle and high rate batteries with the added advantage of enhanced floating life. Deep cycle batteries provide continuous power output for long periods of time and can withstand repeated charge/discharge cycles of up to 80% DOD.
The high-rate battery can provide high power in a short time of 50% DOD, with a service life of 14-16 years.
Floating charge mode, also known as standby mode, maintains the battery in a charged state by maintaining a constant voltage over a long period of time at a voltage level sufficient to offset the self-discharge. The longer floating life allows long-life batteries to be used in high-rate,
heavy-duty applications such as uninterruptible power supplies, telecommunications, and Marine environments.
