What exactly are accumulators?

[Geeks On Hugs]

It seems to have something to do with batteries...does it increase the size of the batteries or how fast they charge or something else?

[The cursed Jäger]

They increase the battery capacity e.g. they last longer before being depleted.

[Jaginun]

Capacity, I don't think it changes the rate of charging from the diesel engines

[Geeks On Hugs]

OK, thanks!

I had thought that's what it was but was not sure why they didn't just call it battery capacity instead of accumulators. Accumulators made me think of how fast it accumulates the charge but I guess I was overthinking it.

[j.brown]

Accumulators are energy storage devices. So electrical batteries and the storage tank on an air compressor are both accumulators

[kimdownunder]

Another name for Batteries! The upgrade just gives you more efficient batteries, or maybe more of them, or both.

[Ax4711]

Lead-acid accumulators, same tech as most car batteries to this day.

[Kornstalx]

Originally posted by Ax4711:

Lead-acid accumulators, same tech as most car batteries to this day.

Those things were not only behemoths, there's a bazillon of them.
Here's a pic of a few accumulators from the type XXI museum ship in Bremerhaven:

https://i.imgur.com/9mgV32o.jpeg

[kandnil]

j brown is spot on. Nowadays, a battery is coomonly thought of as an energy storage unit, most common being the non-rechargable battery, while an accumulator, in this context, is understood to be a rechargable battery,

Technically though, an accumulator can be one cell or multiple cells while a battery is multiple cells built to work as one unit. The 1 cell AA battery is a bit of a misnomer but it's here to stay so there's that, Think of a drum battery or a gun battery. You're not getting 1 drum or 1 gun but multiple so for these boats, both battery and accumulator make sense.

[Geeks On Hugs]

Originally posted by j.brown:

Accumulators are energy storage devices. So electrical batteries and the storage tank on an air compressor are both accumulators

I see. Thanks for the clarification!

[Geeks On Hugs]

Originally posted by kandnil:

Technically though, an accumulator can be one cell or multiple cells while a battery is multiple cells built to work as one unit. The 1 cell AA battery is a bit of a misnomer but it's here to stay so there's that, Think of a drum battery or a gun battery. You're not getting 1 drum or 1 gun but multiple so for these boats, both battery and accumulator make sense.

Ah, interesting. Never thought of what the term battery was in reference to. Thanks!

[s0d0]

Originally posted by Kornstalx:

Originally posted by Ax4711:

Lead-acid accumulators, same tech as most car batteries to this day.

Those things were not only behemoths, there's a bazillon of them.
Here's a pic of a few accumulators from the type XXI museum ship in Bremerhaven:

https://i.imgur.com/9mgV32o.jpeg

It is pretty insane that these boats were basically stuffed with 2/3 of batteries and 1/3 for the rest.
Reminds me of the 3t electric SUVs you can get these days.

[wntu4]

'Accumulator' is a poor choice of terminology for a battery as it is more properly understood to apply to a part of the hydraulic system that smoothes out pulses in the system caused by the pump and to provide a reservoir in case of leaks...and all systems leak.