7 FEBRUARY 2023 WorldWide Drilling Resource® Beware of Conditions by Britt Storkson Owner, P2FlowLLC Lots of things come with conditions. Wikipedia defines the word “conditional” as: “Subject to one or more conditions or requirements being met; made or granted on certain terms.” Take the typical battery, for example. Batteries are notoriously temperature sensitive - some types more than others. Cold weather can greatly reduce battery performance because the chemical reaction inside the battery which produces the electricity is temperature-dependent and slows down. To counter this effect, if said battery will be expected to perform in cold weather, the battery must be derated. Derating means oversizing the battery capacity (or any equipment for that matter) to compensate for the losses experienced in cold weather, or other factors. When the battery manufacturer advertises the battery will deliver one amp-hour, it’s almost always under ideal conditions because it makes the numbers look good. For example, most lead-acid batteries are rated at 80ºF (26ºC) because they perform best at that temperature. One amp hour means the battery will deliver one amp of current over one hour of time. While the current delivery (amperage) stays constant in this example, what changes is the battery voltage. The typical 12-volt lead-acid battery has a usable voltage range of 12.6 volts when fully charged, to 10.5 volts when fully discharged (dead battery). This is defined by the battery manufacturer as there is no industry standard. For example, a Trojan brand lead-acid battery will only have about 50% of (energy) capacity at 0ºF (18ºC) compared to about 100% at 80ºF (26ºC). It’s not a defective product. It’s just what the battery chemistry is physically capable of producing. All batteries have similar reductions of energy output at lower temperatures with some battery chemistries performing better than others, but still much reduced from full capacity. A Forbes article by Jennifer Leigh Parker summed it up pretty well. She wrote that the words “weather,” “temperature,” and “freezing” do not appear anywhere on the Tesla electric car Model 3 Long Range AWD car sticker. Rather, the tiny print on the bottom right corner of the sticker reads: “Actual results will vary for many reasons, including driving conditions and how you drive and maintain your vehicle.” Gee, was that written by a corporate lawyer? It might as well say: “We bear no responsibility for anything that happens, ever - especially not mucking up your weekend road trip to Vermont.” (Tesla did not respond to requests for comment.) Remember: The large print giveth and the fine print taketh away. So when someone pitches a new product to you, remember to ask about performance conditions: environmental, maintenance, longevity. What may on the surface look like a great product, may in fact be a total money pit when all of the conditions are factored in. Britt michele@ worldwidedrillingresource.com
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