Flowmeter is tough enough for battery electrolyte

Citation

(2003), "Flowmeter is tough enough for battery electrolyte", Anti-Corrosion Methods and Materials, Vol. 50 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/acmm.2003.12850ead.004

Flowmeter is tough enough for battery electrolyte

Flowmeter is tough enough for battery electrolyte

Keywords: Flowmeters, Electrolytes

The problem of how to precisely measure highly corrosive electrolyte acid used to fill battery cells has been overcome using one of the world's most accurate flowmeters that also offers outstanding resistance to abrasion and corrosion – Krohne's Profiflux IFS 5000.

French-based company Saft, the market leader in Europe for the fabrication of rechargeable batteries for special applications in the automation, defence and aerospace industry, has been so impressed by the durability and accuracy of Krohne's Profiflux IFS 5000 in its production process that it is considering installing more meters in similar applications.

Saft required a flowmeter for its production plant in Bordeaux that could measure between 30 and 300 cm³ of electrolyte, used to provide ionic conductivity between the positive and negative electrodes within each battery cell, with an accuracy of ±2 cm³.

Saft has installed several Profiflux IFS 5000's with a diameter of 2.5 mm and an IFC 090F convertor as part of its automated battery production process. The flowmeter generates pulses that are sent to a PLC, and when the desired volume of electrolyte is reached, the PLC closes the valves of the filling machine. Electrolyte is a highly corrosive acid, and any leakage could be extremely hazardous, therefore Saft wanted a liner that guaranteed corrosion resistance. Krohne's Profiflux IFS 5000 provided the perfect solution with its fused aluminium oxide measuring tube and Cermet electrodes, which are totally resistant to aggressive acids.

Vital to the battery production process is the accuracy of the electrolyte batching measurement.

The flow-optimising shape of the Profiflux tube assures an accuracy of within 0.1 per cent of the measured volume, while the smooth surface of the measuring tube also removes the risk of clogging.

Due to the limited space available in the location for Saft's filling equipment, the flowmeter had to be compact to avoid problems and minimise installation costs.The Profiflux IFS 5000 has a small footprint which means installation is not a problem.

The Profiflux IFS 5000 provides outstanding accuracy and repeatability and, with its tightly sealed electronic components, it is also extremely robust with excellent efficiency in harsh operating conditions.