Accuverkoop Hefra

• The primary cell
• The secundary cell
• The Planté plate
• The pasted plate
• The tubular plate
• Historical context
• Lead antimony batteries
• Low antimony batteries
• Calcium batteries
• Hybride batteries
• Recombination
• VRLA vs AGM en GEL
• Gel batteries
• AGM batteries
• TPPL (thin plate pure lead)
• Battery type & application

Lead-acid batteries can be subdivided into groups by applied technology, such as Flooded, AGM an Gel and others that have been mentioned on these pages. Looking at the field of application is another way of categorizing batteries. Applications can be divided into three main categories and batteries are manufactured with these categories in mind. Each Category will have one or more battery technologies that are most suitable, plus a few cross-overs which will offer an alternative in less demanding applications.

1. Starter batteries. For starting combustion engines batteries have to release a lot of cranking power during a very limited period of time. Lots of relatively thin plates are the key to this, because they provide a large active surface for the electrochemical reaction to take place.
2. Deep cycle batteries. Whereas the explosive discharge of a starter battery takes place at the surface, the electrochemical reaction during deep discharge goes on at a slower rate, but deep into the active mass until most of it is exhausted, notably at the positive plate. The charging and discharging of a positive plate involves lead sulphate is converted into lead dioxide and back again, Since lead sulphate and lead dioxide have different molar volumes, a deep cycle battery is subject to a considerable change in volume during each cycle. It is no surprise that shedding of active mass is the main cause of failure of deep cycle batteries. The grids must therefore be strong, offering firm support to the active mass – which is why tubular batteries are so popular in this field: the active mass can’t go anywhere!
3. Standby batteries at the other hand are rarely overworked. They are waiting for an accident to happen and are designed to do so, under float charge, for a period of 5 or 10 years up to 25 years for a very expensive Planté battery. The design life of these batteries is for obvious reasons not expressed in cycles, but in years.