Are Lead-Acid Batteries Still Relevant?
Lead-acid batteries are the oldest rechargeable battery technology. French physician Gaston Plante invented the lead-acid battery in 1859. Lead-acid batteries were the first rechargeable battery for commercial use. After 150 years, there is no cost-effective alternative for scooters, cars, wheelchairs, golf carts, and UPS systems. Lead-acid batteries keep their market share when newer technologies and battery chemistries are much too expensive.
Lead-acid batteries do not charge quickly. The normal charge time is approximately 8 to 16 hours. Periodic fully saturated charges prevent sulfation and essential. These batteries should be stored in a charged state. A lead-acid battery in discharge condition causes sulfation. Sulfation may not allow the battery to recharge again.
It’s important to find the ideal charge voltage limit of a lead-acid battery. In fact, it’s critical. A high voltage [+2.40V/cell] produces better battery performance, but shortens battery service life. This is because of grid corrosion on the positive plate. Low voltage limits cause sulfation on the negative plate. If you leave the battery on float charge for extended amounts of time, this does not cause battery damage.
Deep cycling is not good for lead-acid batteries. Full discharge causes more strain to the battery. Every cycle robs service life from the battery. Experts recommend a larger battery to prevent battery stress caused by repetitive deep
discharge. Lead-acid operational costs can be higher than nickel-based battery systems if repeat full cycles are necessary.
Sealed lead-acid batteries provide 200-300 discharge/charge cycles. Of course, this is dependent on depth discharge, and operating temperature. These batteries have a relatively short life cycle mainly because of grid corrosion of the positive electrode, active material deletion, and positive plate expansion. Higher operating temperatures make these changes more prevalent. Cycling the battery does not reverse or prevent this trend.
Lead-acid battery systems have one of the lowest energy densities of all the battery systems. This makes them unfit for portable devices. Battery performance is marginal at best in lower temperatures and their high lead count makes the
battery environmentally unfriendly. The plus side is that these batteries self-discharge at a rate of 40% a year. This is one of the best of rechargeable battery systems. Nickel-cadmium batteries discharge around 40% in three months.
Manufacturers measure lead acid battery service life in part by the thickness of the battery’s positive plates. Typically, the thicker the plates the longer the battery’s life will be. The lead on the plates eventually gets eaten away and its sediment falls to the battery’s bottom. This occurs during charging and discharging. A simple rule of thumb is to pay attention to the battery’s weight. A battery’s weight is a good indicator of its lead content and life expectancy.
Auto starter battery plates are approximately 0.040” [1mm] thick. A standard golf cart battery have plates between 0.07-0.11” [1.8-2.8mm] thick. A typical forklift battery have plates over 0.250” [6mm]. Battery makers use lead-antimony plates in most of the industrial flooded deep-cycle batteries. Lead-antimony plates improve plate life, but increase water loss and gassing.
Lead acid battery systems aren’t going anywhere soon. They are still a solid solution after all these years!
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