Forklift Battery Smoking? Essential Steps for Safe Handling

In modern logistics, warehousing, and industrial production, electric forklifts, thanks to their environmentally friendly and efficient performance, have become a valuable aid in material handling. The battery, the "heart" of an electric forklift, is crucial for its proper operation. However, during use, electric forklift batteries can occasionally emit smoke, potentially impacting production schedules and even posing a safety hazard. When this occurs, it's crucial to remain calm, quickly analyze the cause, and address it. Below, we'll detail common causes of electric forklift battery smoke and address its potential consequences.

Electric Forklift Battery Basics

Electric forklifts are primarily powered by batteries. As a member of the battery family, batteries are unique in their ability to store electrical energy in the form of chemical energy and convert it back into electrical energy when needed, providing a continuous source of power for the forklift.

Important Note: Electric forklift batteries should never be stored horizontally. Batteries typically contain 22-285 dilute sulfuric acid as an electrolyte. When stored upright, the electrolyte completely submerges the electrode plates, leaving some space to ensure the proper chemical reactions within the battery. However, if the battery is stored horizontally, some of the electrode plates are exposed to air, significantly impacting battery performance and shortening its lifespan. Furthermore, most batteries have an inspection hole or vent on the top that allows for ventilation. Placing the battery horizontally can easily cause electrolyte leakage, further damaging the battery.

Analysis of Battery Smoke Causes

01  Abnormal Gassing During Charging

If the battery starts gassing prematurely, or even produces excessive amounts of gas, during charging, it's likely due to sulfation of the battery plates. Plate sulfation alters the chemical reaction mechanism within the battery, accelerating gas production and causing abnormal gassing. In severe cases, this can lead to smoke.

02  No Gassing After Charging

If the battery shows no signs of gassing after charging, it's most likely a short circuit. A short circuit causes the current to bypass the normal chemical reaction path, preventing the battery from producing gas properly, which in turn affects its performance and lifespan.

03  Insufficient Gassing at the End of Charging

If the battery is experiencing no or minimal gassing at the end of charging, there are two possible reasons: 1. The charging current is too low to fully drive the chemical reaction within the battery, resulting in low gas production; 2. The battery is not fully charged, and the chemical reaction has not yet reached its expected level.

04  Gassing during storage or discharge

Battery gassing during storage or discharge is primarily caused by discharging the battery without proper rest after charging. Furthermore, impurities in the electrolyte interfere with the normal chemical reactions within the battery, leading to abnormal gas production.

How to Handle Battery Smoke and Related Abnormalities

01 Abnormal Gassing During Charging:

For abnormal gassing caused by plate sulfation, use specialized desulfurization equipment to repair the battery and restore normal plate activity. If the battery is found to be lacking gassing after charging due to an internal short circuit, stop charging immediately, carefully identify the short circuit point, and repair the problem before recharging. If gassing is insufficient at the end of charging, adjust the charging current appropriately to ensure the battery is fully charged.

02 Dealing with Gassing During Storage or Discharge:

For gassing caused by discharging the battery without resting after charging, or by impurities in the electrolyte, allow the battery to rest for approximately one hour to allow the internal chemical reactions to stabilize before discharging. If the problem persists, replace the electrolyte promptly to ensure a clean environment for the internal chemical reactions.

03 Identifying and Addressing Other Battery Abnormalities:

When the battery is fully charged, use the load voltage measurement method to monitor the voltage drop across the individual cells and the entire battery pack. If the voltage drop fluctuates significantly, there may be a problem with the individual cells, requiring repair or replacement. If the entire battery pack experiences excessively high temperatures during use, this is a typical sign of plate sulfation, indicating increased internal resistance and a rapid temperature rise during discharge. In this case, the battery requires maintenance and, if necessary, replacement. If individual cells or the entire pack exhibits rapid bubbling, smoking, or heating during charging, this indicates that the individual cells or the entire pack are nearing the end of their service life and should be replaced promptly.

Establishing a regular maintenance program and promptly eliminating aging batteries ensures continued stable and efficient operation of your forklift. If you require forklift parts, please contact us!