Battery Watering Status System

An apparatus for refilling multiple, individual batteries with a fluid comprising;

• a nozzle having an operative state allowing flow of the fluid through the nozzle and an inoperative state in which flow does not pass through the nozzle;
• a nozzle fitting attachable to a hose supplying the fluid for refilling the battery;
• a nozzle outlet for delivering fluid to the battery;
• a flow meter with fluid passing through the flow meter also passing through the nozzle, the flow meter outputting data indicative of the cumulative flow through the flow meter and into the each individual battery during the nozzle operative state;
• and
• a communication interface for sending a signal corresponding to the total amount of fluid passing through the flow detector during the operative state of the nozzle and into each individual battery to a data record of multiple instances in which each of the multiple batteries is filled with fluid.

A system for monitoring and intermittently watering a fleet of multiple batteries one at a time, each battery of the fleet including a plurality of individual battery cells each of which may require replenishment of possibly different amounts of water, individual batteries being equipped with a battery single point watering subassembly attachable to the individual batteries, the battery watering subassembly comprising a plurality of valves positionable in battery cell vent openings, individual valves being shiftable between an open position to allow fluid to enter a battery cell and a closed position when the fluid level in the individual battery cell reaches a prescribed level;

• a single input opening on a single fluid input fill tube communicating with branch tubes leading to individual valves so that fluid is introduced through the single input fill tube to the branch tubes and the individual valves only through the single fluid input opening, fluid flow through the fill tube and the branch tubes ceasing after all valves in communication with the conduits close;
• the system comprising;
• a direct fill link attached to a water supply hose and being shiftable between an open and a closed state by a person, water flowing through when the system is in an operative state and the nozzle is open wherein water does not flow through the direct fill link when the system is in an inoperative state or when the direct fill link is in a closed state allowing the fluid to pass through the direct fill link in a controlled manner, the direct fill link being attachable to a hose supplying fluid for refilling the individual batteries when in the operative state sequentially and one at a time;
• a direct fill link outlet for delivering water to the input feed tube of individual batteries when placed in communication with the input feed tube on each individual battery;
• a flow meter mounted on the direct fill link and in fluid communication with the fluid dispensing member for determining the cumulative flow through the direct fill link to fill all of the cells of each individual battery;
• a flow meter data output member for outputting the cumulative amount of fluid passing through the flow meter and the direct fill link during the operative state;
• a communication interface for providing data corresponding to the total amount of fluid passing through the flow meter to a data record of multiple instances in which each individual battery if refilled;
• an interactive database with which the communication interface is communicable for storing the dae/time and amount of water added to each individual battery, and distinct indicia on individual batteries being detectable by the system to identify each battery to the database.

A method of monitoring and refilling a fleet of liquid electrolyte batteries each equipped with fill tubes and watering valves mounted on the battery and delivering water to all cells in the battery, the fill tubes comprising a single input fill tube and branch fill tubes leading from the input fill tube to the watering valves in the cells, comprising the steps of:

• 1) intermittently connecting a fluid dispensing member. attached to a water supply hose to the single input fill tube of a single point watering system on individual batteries, one at a time;
• 2) shifting the fluid dispensing member to an operative state in which water is injected through the single input fill tube until all of the cells are filled;
• 3) measuring the cumulative flow rate of water passing through the fluid dispensing member on a flow meter mounted on the fluid dispensing member during the operative state:
• 4) outputting, from the flow meter, the cumulative flow volume required to fill all of the cells on the battery to which the fluid dispensing member is communicable;
• and
• 5) communicating the cumulative flow data to an interactive external database storing information for the battery being filled and other batteries in the fleet:
• 6) repeating steps 1-5 for other batteries in the fleet.