This paper presents background information percent of the load at the end of the battery's life when it on capacity and qualification testing of lead batteries and only has 80 percent of its rated capacity. Then a margin is provides an analysis of the measurement of connector contact added for possible load growth during the life of the battery, resistance. Due to parallel resistive paths the measured and then a safety factor is frequently added onto that to resistance can be from 36 to 95 percent lower than the actual account for any errors in estimating the initial load resistance.requirements. Unless all these margins are built into the duty cycle itself, it is obvious that the performance test can INTRODUCTION easily be 50 percent more severe than the normal duty cycle without margins. The purpose of this presentation is to review the testing In the 1980 revision of IEEE Standard 450, a significant of large lead stationary batteries and to provide some simplification in the capacity testing procedures was made. background information. The two classes of testing to be Previously, there were two methods of correcting tests for discussed are maintenance testing, which applies to all the temperature. For tests of less than 60 minutes duration, the subject batteries in generating stations and substations, and test discharge current was adjusted for the initial battery qualification testing, which applies only to Class 1E batteries temperature with a factor that had to be obtained from the in nuclear power generating stations.manufacturer. For tests of 60 minutes duration or longer, the measured discharge time had to be corrected for the MAINTENANCE TESTING initial battery temperature. These correction factors were provided in the standard. However, these time-temperature Maintenance testing is covered in IEEE Standard 450-correction factors were different than the current-1980, "IEEE Recommended Practice for Maintenance, Testing temperature correction factors supplied in IEEE Standard