Concorde To Stop Producing Flooded Batteries, Will Expand Sealed Battery Production

Distributors of Concorde batteries recently received a surprising letter explaining the rationale behind its decision to halt the manufacturing of its CB battery product line. Concorde manufactures “RG Series” batteries which are valve-regulated lead acid (VRLA) batteries, also known as sealed recombinant batteries. VRLAs have become widely accepted in aviation. The CB battery is from Concorde’s flooded lead acid battery product line. With Concorde’s announcement of its planned discontinuation of its sealed CB battery line by July 1, 2013, this leaves Teledyne Gill Battery Products as the only mainstream producer left for FAA PMA-approved flooded lead acid batteries in North America.

Concorde listed several reasons why it will stop production of its CB series. First, because sealed batteries have become so widely popular, the CB batteries sales had dropped to one percent of Concorde’s business. To some extent, one may say that the success of the RG sealed battery for Concorde has killed its CB cousin. Since the CB flooded batteries have become so small in sales, this reduction in volume has driven the cost of producing these batteries to an uneconomical scale. Concorde felt it no longer made sense to continue producing the CB battery, when it believes its sealed RG battery is better. Concorde has put together some informational sheets for anyone to access, covering several points which discuss topics including the longevity of sealed versus flooded batteries. Concorde states that it is a myth that flooded batteries last longer than sealed batteries. Concorde also goes on to state that it is a myth that flooded batteries will outlast sealed batteries if left unused for any length of time. Although I understand that Concorde is an expert in this field, personal experience as an A&P and as a parts distributor have taught me that these are not 100 percent case-closed myths. There are many variables in flight operations and airframe-specific issues that must be taken into account when determining the right battery for your circumstance.

There was one item which is mentioned in several places in the Concorde literature and which I personally feel needs to have more attention. Concorde states that when a flooded lead acid battery discharges, it produces sulfates on the battery plates. They also go on to state that both types of batteries (flooded and sealed) can develop sulfating on their plates if the batteries are continually undercharged. All battery manufactures will readily admit that battery sulfating is a legitimate issue. Plate sulfating is a serious problem that greatly degrades an aircraft battery’s ability to store an effective charge. There are many A&Ps and aircraft owners who are using automotive battery chargers that have been in the barn for 30 years. This is dangerous and just plain wrong. The newer VRLA sealed batteries require more precise charging with longer charging times. Many of these automotive chargers, such as the Deltran Battery Tender and Super Smart, are harmful enough for Concorde to have issued a service alert in 2010 to state that these chargers were unsafe and unapproved for servicing its batteries. The Deltran chargers, although cheap, could damage batteries by overcharging them significantly enough to create a thermal runaway. One battery charger that I personally use and sell is the Battery Minder series of chargers. Battery Minder produces some approved aviation-specific chargers that can be used to charge Gill, Concorde and Hawker batteries. I like these chargers because they were specifically engineered to desulfate aircraft batteries. I have learned that the smaller Battery Minder chargers do well on the 12v and smaller 24v batteries. I have discovered that if you want to desulfate a large Concorde RG series 24v battery, or a large Gill 7000/700 series battery, you need to use the larger yellow Battery Minder. Although it costs more than its smaller siblings, it is the only charger that could routinely revive a larger VLRA-style battery.

The final myth that the Concorde literature mentions is that flooded batteries are cheaper. DOMs need to evaluate total cost before acquiring a part. The “cost” of a part is not just the purchase price of the part itself, but also includes the cost of freight, time lost (sometimes called an opportunity cost) and labor involved. Concorde mentions that all sealed RG batteries are serviced at the factory with both a high rate charge and a capacity test. In other words, when you pick up your battery from your distributor, your sealed battery should be ready to go. I encourage my customers to check the battery anyway, just to be sure. A flooded battery leaves the factory “inactivated” as the electrolyte is stored in a separate container. Technically speaking, a dry lead acid battery could sit on a shelf for 20 years and be perfectly fine. Until the electrolyte is added to the flooded battery and charged by a technician, it is technically just a dry battery.

There is one big cost savings issue that I am surprised was left out of the Concorde literature. Legally, you could ship a sealed VLRA battery overnight express anywhere on the planet, and it would not require a hazardous handling. You simply state “sealed non-spillable” battery on the manifest and you’re good. On the other hand, shipping a dry battery overnight is permissible, but shipping the electrolyte overnight is not. That is hazardous. Avoiding HAZMAT fees and being able to address your battery needs with one shipment is a cost savings to consider seriously.

Concorde mentions two other reasons why it believes the RG series is better than the old flooded CB. First, sealed batteries have internal plates that are more tightly packed together than flooded batteries. The ability to keep plates closer enables the internall resistance to be reduced greatly. Since the manufacturer can get more plates closer together in a sealed battery as opposed to the flooded style, this gives the VLRA batteries significantly more power. As DOMs are aware, the flying community seems to have this ongoing desire to cram more electronics and accessories than were originally designed into an aging aircraft. More power from your battery is always welcome.

My goal when writing D.O.M. articles is to help you think of safety and affordability when it comes to parts issues. As you can see from Concorde’s announcement, it intends to focus more on expanding VLRA sealed batteries in the future. Teledyne Gill manufactures several sealed batteries as well, and will also most likely be expanding its offerings of both 12v and 24v batteries in the future. Because of this continued expanded use of sealed batteries in the field, there is a large issue that has plagued Part 135 operators and larger air charter outfits. I routinely talk to turbine operators who tell me that they cannot get two years from a large sealed battery. Some operators are just routinely changing them out on a 24-month schedule. This happens because of a scenario that I have heard repeatedly. A customer takes his King Air 350 for maintenance at a third-party facility. During inspection, the operator is told that his battery will not pass the capacitance test. Since the maintenance facility must follow the component maintenance manual, it is just doing a quick capacitance test to see if it passes or not. When the battery doesn’t pass, the shop insists that since it failed, the owner must drop $2,000 to purchase a new battery.

The pilot of the King Air says, “Wait a minute, this battery is 14 months old. The aircraft has been operating just fine.” The shop insists the battery does not meet the capacitance test, and so the battery is changed. The battery gets sent in for warranty evaluation, and after the manufacturer receives the unit and charges it according to written established procedures; it finds out that there was absolutely nothing wrong with the battery. I have seen this scenario play out with both manufacturers. The reason this happened is twofold.

First, in order to properly charge and service the newer sealed VLRA batteries, repair stations and maintenance facilities need to understand that servicing these batteries can be a long, multi-day process. Second, maintenance facilities need to invest in the correct charging equipment. Some oldtimers think they can simply put a 24v auto charger on a battery to service it. Times have changed and batteries have become a more highly-tuned performance component for an aircraft.

To illustrate a point, I have a customer who had a Concorde RG-series battery in his Cheyenne. After the plane had sat for an extended length of time, the battery was evaluated to only have a 48-percent charge. It was determined that the battery was suffering from sulfating due to lack of use. We used a Battery Minder model 28252 with an Elcon connector. After three days in the desulfating cycle, we were able to resurrect the battery to a nearly fully-charged state. My advice is that anytime you take an aircraft down for any type of serious maintenance, it would be wise to allocate some time to thoroughly charge or desulfate your VLRA battery. Many operators are working with their local FAA representative to install charging quick connects in their aircraft, enabling them to plug in an approved charger to keep the aircraft battery charger on a desulfate or charge cycle, depending on what is needed.

Concorde and Gill both make some fine sealed batteries. You will optimize both your investment and your lifespan from these batteries if you monitor their health actively and maintain a full charge on these units vigilantly. 

Norman Chance is president and CEO of Chance Aviation, an international aircraft parts distributor headquartered in Indianapolis. He has a degree in aircraft maintenance from Vincennes University and a degree in aeronautics from Embry-Riddle University. He holds an FAA A&P certificate.