How much hydrogen does a battery emit?
A charging system that is functioning perfectly will emit only small amounts of hydrogen. For example, specifications from the Johnson Control line of batteries shows that when a floating charge is maintained, 4 – 10 cc/hour/battery of hydrogen is released. When a higher charge is used for equalization, 10 – 20 cc/hour/battery can be expected depending on the size of the battery. In a shelter that contained 30 of these batteries charging at the higher rate, the hourly accumulation of hydrogen would be 600 cc/hour or .021 cubic feet per hour. At this rate it would take 8 days for a 100 cubic foot shelter to reach the LEL danger zone if the space was sealed airtight. But at this low rate of hydrogen generation, the hydrogen will typically diffuse and leak out without reaching critical levels, as long as the shelter is not truly airtight or has any kind of functional ventilation system. While a normally charging battery poses little danger, a much more critical situation can occur when th
