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Last update:
31st January 2006
SmartZ - Information SmartZ is a recording battery impedance and voltage meter that is ideal for the operation and maintenance of lead-acid battery systems. The SmartZ is versatile and portable, and provides on-line measurement of battery voltage and impedance at the same time. Call or email for pricing and delivery. Adobe PDF brochure on the SmartZ. The SmartZ recording battery meter is suitable for measurement of impedance and voltage, particularly of battery cells and connections. The meter is portable, light, and compact, and can be either bench mounted, hand-held, or placed in a carry bag for hands-free operation. The meter has been designed especially to measure battery systems up to 48V nominal (ie. 2V, 6V, 12V, 24V & 48V). Individual cells or monoblocks can be measured, as well as the full string. Measurements can be made on batteries operating in a live system, whether on float, charge or discharge. The impedance measurement is also suitable for cell interconnections, bus bars and other low resistance circuits. |  |
The test leads employ kelvin probes to make accurate 4-point impedance measurements, as well as normal 2-point voltage measurements. The standard SmartZ test leads use alligator-type probes with one jaw being the voltage sense point and the other jaw being the current injection point. A large size of alligator-type probe is available for measuring large lead-acid battery terminals, even when substantial surface contamination or corrosion exists.
Operation of the meter is versatile, with three simple menu-driven configurations:
Measurements are read from the display, as well as stored in memory. Voltage and impedance readings are made simultaneously, within a duration of about 4 seconds. Each measurement is auto-ranging and auto-calibrating to achieve optimal full-scale accuracy and resolution. Voltages of either polarity are measured automatically. Readings can be analysed using exception testing against up-loadable thresholds, with test exceptions indicated on the display and by a beeper. Up to 1,200 time-stamped readings can be stored in internal memory. Battery string and other site identification is attached to groups of readings. Custom routines can be prepared for specific Operations & Maintenance activities. Data transfer is made using an RS-232C interface mounted on the rear panel.
The meter operates from internal rechargeable NiMH batteries - the meter does not draw any power from the battery under test. The meter has a power-on switch on the front panel, can take more than 600 measurements before a recharge is necessary, and will turn-off automatically.
The SmartZ is provided with a carry bag to allow hands-free operation. The carry-bag fits comfortably around the neck, and includes a front pocket for accessories. A carry-case is also provided to hold the meter, meter carry-bag, charger and two sets of test leads.
Measurement technique
Advanced techniques are used to simultaneously measure voltage (of either polarity) and impedance in live battery systems. The impedance measurement frequency is just below 500Hz, where battery impedance has about zero imaginary component for most utility and telco batteries. This impedance conductance meter does not load the battery cells, or change their DC voltage during measurement. A special lock-in detector circuit excludes any interfering signals such as rectifier ripple and noise, and EMI from local equipment like mobile/cellular basestations.
The wide range of measured impedance allows the meter to be used for a very wide range of cell and monoblock capacities. Maximum impedance full-scale is 50mOhm (20 Siemens), and smallest resolution is below 1uOhm (>1,000,000 Siemens).
Specifications
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Measurement (no polarity protection needed) (0.8mOhm to 100mOhm FS with SmartZ 200 model) Accuracy Resolution Data acquisition |
Indication Physical I/O Power Environmental |