Battery saving tips
Fluidwell lithium batteries have an exceptional operational and shelf life.
The F-Series has several smart power management functions to extend the life of the battery significantly, typically from 2 to 7 years.
When stored at approx. 20°C/70°F, the batteries have a shelf life of 10 to 12 years.
Follow these tips when you want to benefit from a long battery life:
Type of sensor
When there is no external power supply available, choose a sensor with low energy consumption. NPN and PNP sensors consume more energy than Coil (turbine meter) or reed input sensors.
Input frequency calculation
The flow rate is calculated by measuring the time between the pulses as set in the input frequency calculation. The higher you set the input frequency calculation, the more energy is consumed, the shorter the battery life-will be.
- The input frequency calculation can be set to max. 999 pulses (depending on the model).
- The more pulses, the more accurate the flow rate indication will be.
- For low frequency applications of less than 10Hz, set an input frequency calculation of 10 pulses or less.
- For high frequency applications of 1kHz or more, set an input frequency calculation of 50 pulses or more.
Display update frequency
The display update frequency influences the power consumption significantly! When the application does not require a fast display refresh rate, we advise to select a slow refresh rate or even disable the display refresh rate. Please understand that when disabled, NO information will be lost; every pulse will still be counted and the output signal will be generated in the normal way. All F-Series have this smart battery saving function that activates a “fast” display refresh rate of 8 times per second for 30 sec. when a button is pressed.
Example of Battery life with a coil pick-up:
- 1kHz and ‘FAST” update frequency: about 2 years.
- 1kHz and “1 sec” update frequency: about 5 years.
Disable analog output
When there is no external power supply or an analog output is not required, be sure to disable the analog output function. This will have a major influence on the battery life.
External power supply
When an external power supply or loop powered analog output is available, the battery will be disabled automatically to extend the battery life. It remains operational as a back-up power supply. A pulse output and/or Modbus communication also consume a substantial amount of energy. When these options are required, please install an external power supply when possible.
Shelf mode
With the battery mode "shelf" selected, the unit can be stored for several years; it will not process the sensor signal; the display is switched off but all settings and totals are stored. In this mode, power consumption is extremely low. To wake up the unit again, press the SELECT-key twice.
Low temperatures
Due to the battery chemistry, the available power will be less at low temperatures.
Battery transportation
Unlike large C- or D-Cell batteries, our 3xAA-Cell batteries can be transported (1 to power the product and 2 spare) within the current logistic processes according to IATA regulations in air cargo transport. They comply to UN3091 - PI969 / PI970 - Section II that requires a minimum of extra logistic handling besides the labelling and packing slip which declares that there are Lithium batteries of section II inside.