Lead Acid Battery: A Reliable Energy Storage Solution for Many Industries

Lead Acid Battery

A lead acid battery works on a simple principle of reversible lead reactions. It consists of lead plates submerged in an electrolyte of diluted sulfuric acid. During charging, lead sulfate on the plates is converted to lead and lead dioxide. The sulfate ions dissolve in the electrolyte. During discharging, the reverse reaction takes place with lead and lead dioxide converting back to lead sulfate and releasing electrons. This movement of electrons between the plates through an external circuit is what produces electricity.

Usage in Industries

Due to their reliable performance, rechargeable battery find widespread use across many industries for power backup and energy storage applications. They serve as the energy storage of choice for motor vehicles, telecom towers, solar home systems, and large industrial plants. Their tolerance for abuse and deep discharge cycles make them suitable even for off-grid renewable energy integration. Some key industrial usages are:

Automotive - Lead Acid Battery are extensively used as starter batteries in cars, trucks, buses, and other vehicles. Their heavy-duty design provides the high current needed for engine starting. Car batteries also power accessories when the engine is off.

Telecommunications - Uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems based on rechargeable battery provide backup power to telecom towers and mobile network sites. Their deep discharge capacity ensures network stability even during power outages.

Energy - Off-grid solar, wind, and hybrid power systems leverage rechargeable battery for electricity storage. Their cycling flexibility suits the fluctuating generation from renewable sources. Many developing nations rely on solar home systems with rechargeable battery for basic energy access.

Marine - Ships, boats, submarines, and other marine vehicles install rechargeable battery for engine starting and to power navigation equipment, communications, radar, etc. Flooded and recombinant sealing technologies make them suitable for marine use.

Industrial - Rechargeable battery feature widely across manufacturing facilities, infra projects, hospitals, data centers for emergency lighting, annunciation systems and other backup power applications. Their cost effectiveness makes them an industrial standard.

Design Variations of Lead Acid Battery

To suit diverse application requirements, rechargeable battery are available in multiple design types with performance variations:

Flooded Battery - Conventional design with plates freely immersed in liquid electrolyte provides high performance but needs maintenance. Mostly used in vehicles.

Valve Regulated Lead Acid (VRLA) - Recombinant or Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) sealing methods prevent electrolyte spillage, making them maintenance-free. Used in telecom, UPS, solar, and general industrial backup.

Tubular Gel Battery - Plates rolled into a cylindrical shape with immobilized gelled electrolyte provide extra vibration and shock resistance. Often used in UPS, off-grid power and railway applications.

Deep Cycle Battery - Specifically designed with thick-plate electrodes for repeated deep discharge cycles up to 50%. Common in off-grid solar and electrical vehicles.

Starting-Lighting-Ignition (SLI) Battery - Thin-plate construction gives high cranking power needed for engine starting but lacks deep discharge performance. Mainly used in automobile starter function.

There are also flooded batteries, tubular batteries, and other specialized variants catering to particular application requirements. Manufacturers offer these in varied voltage and capacity combinations.

Manufacturing Process

The manufacturing process of rechargeable battery primarily involves the production of leady oxide or active material, grid pasting, assembly, formation and final quality tests.

In the leady oxide production, lead bullion is purified and then oxidized to form lead oxide powder. Simultaneously, lead grids are fabricated by casting strips of pure lead, punching into required grid shapes and curing.

Then in paste mixing, the active lead oxide material is blended with water and other additives to form thick paste, which is then applied onto the grids by automatic pasting machines. The formed plates go through a drying process.

In assembly, the prepared positive and negative grid plates are arranged alternately into a plastic case and sulfuric acid electrolyte is added. The initial charge or formation process converts the pasted material into active lead sulfate plates ready for use.

Finally, tests are conducted to ensure battery performance meets industry specifications before packaging and shipping to customers. Strict quality controls are maintained throughout manufacturing.

With global demand for industrial power rising, lead acid battery can safely provide economical energy storage through their inherently recyclable and sustainable sealed designs. Their well-established supply chain and long service life make them ideal for mainstream industrial applications.

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