Lead/acid battery, characteristics

Abolhassani Monfared, N., Gharib, N., Moqtaderi, H., Hejabi, M., Amiri, M., Torabi, R, and Mosahebi, A. (2006). Prediction of state-of-charge effects on lead-acid battery characteristics using neural network parameter modifier. 

Trace quantities of arsenic are added to lead-antimony grid alloys used ia lead—acid batteries (18) (see Batteries, lead acid). The addition of arsenic permits the use of a lower antimony content, thus minimising the self-discharging characteristics of the batteries that result from higher antimony concentrations. No significant loss ia hardness and casting characteristics of the grid alloy is observed (19,20). 

It has been a long time since the invention of the lead-acid battery, but it still represents the most important secondary chemical power source—both in number of types and diversity of application. The lead-acid battery has maintained its leading role for so many decades due to its competitive electrical characteristics and price and due to its adaptability to new applications. It is manufactured in a variety of sizes and designs, ranging from less than 1 to over 10 000 A h.206... 

FIGURE 12.27 Cycle characteristics of seal-type lead-acid batteries (4 Ah) when graphitized VGCF-S are used as filler in the negative plate (discharge 0.75 A to 1.70 V/cell, charge 7.35 V (maximum 1.5 A)-6H). (From... 

The characteristic of the lead-acid battery is that both electrodes are based on the chemistry of lead. The discharge-charge process is known as the double sulfate reaction, with the positive and negative electrodes being the seats of a dissolving-precipitating (and not some kind of solid-state ion transport or film formation) mechanism of the lead sulfate. The cell, the electrode reactions and the cell reaction are ... 

Lead-acid batteries will continue to have, by far, the major share of the standby battery market, due to their outstanding specific-energy, life and cost characteristics. It is expected that there will be a significant growth of the standby battery market during the next few years. Most standby batteries already have the valve-regulated... 

The chemistry of these batteries is that of conventional lead-acid batteries. However, they have a unique characteristics. The oxygen generated on overcharge is recombined in the cell and there is no water loss. Indeed, oxygen reacts at the negative electrode ... 

Sealed lead-acid batteries are in both cylindrical and prismatic shapes. The cyclindrical ones (usually designed as SLA batteries) have excellent high-rate characteristics. Other than in portable devices, sealed batteries can be used in standby applications, e.g. telephone exchange stations, were they are kept in float charge. In this case too, oxygen recombination is possible. 

Although the hydrometallurgical process is more complicated than the thermal process, its principal virtue resides in the essential recovery of all of the materials in spent lead-acid batteries, including the plastic materials, and in the minimal generation of waste streams. As actufd data become available on the operational characteristics and the economics of full scale plants, it will be possible to make a meaningful assessment of this process and its merits relative to other processes for the recycling of lead-acid batteries. 

The lead—acid battery could be adequately evaluated only if compared to the other types of secondary power sources. A theoretical assessment can be made by comparing the electrical, energetic, power and economic parameters of the different sources of electricity, but the relative share of each battery chemistry in practical applications is the most objective evaluation criterion. Table 1.1 summarises the basic energy and power characteristics of six types of secondary power sources which are currently used most widely. Data from the studies of Wentzl [78] and Kohler [79] have been used. It can be seen that the lead—acid battery has inferior specific energy and power characteristics as compared to the other types of batteries. 

Table 4.2 presents a summary of the lead alloys most widely used for the production of various types of lead—acid batteries [5]. Lead—antimony and lead—calcium grid alloys have dominating positions in the battery industry. The basic characteristics of these two types of alloys and their effects on battery performance will be discussed further in this chapter. 

The reactions on the two types of electrodes of a lead—acid battery produce Pb ions which react with H2SO4 forming a PbS04 film on the surface of the active materials, thus passivating the electrodes. Hence, the performance characteristics of the battery are determined by the surface area of the active materials where the reactions proceed. 

As seen in Eigure 30.1, Tables 30.1 and 30.2, ECSCs occupy an intermediate position between electrolytic capacitors and batteries by energy density and power density. As compared to most battery types, ECSCs have lower energy density values, but these values are close in some cases. For example, the energy density values in hybrid supercapacitors of the C/Pb02 type are close to and, in some cases, even exceed the corresponding characteristics of lead-acid batteries (see Chapter 29). 

To date, lithium-ion battery is the gold standard for miniaturized power supply. However, it has potential safety issues, and it is neither carbon-neutral nor renewable. Almost all other miniaturized power supplies including hydrogen fuel cells, nuclear batteries, Ni-Cd batteries, and lead-acid batteries suffer from either safety or environmental issues. MFC is a potential substitute of miniaturized power supply, for its carbon-neutral, renewable, and environmentally friendly characteristics. By applying microfabrication and microfluidic techniques, the advantages of economical mass production and large surface-area-to-volume ratio will enable MFC, a potential candidate in the miniaturized power supply. 

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