1 Rechargeable Batteries : How They Works

Today, Batteries takes an important role in

our lives, the most important devices that
we use day by day use batteries (i.e. Cell
Phone, Lap-Tops,Our Cars etc). Many people
don't know about batteries and how they
works, it's important to know at least some
tips about batteries. Batteries may be
classified into two broad categories, primary
batteries, which are not rechargeable, and
secondary batteries, which are rechargeable.
Secondary batteries are also referred to as storage batteries. They too, may be
classified into two broad categories. The first is SLI (starting, lighting, and ignition)
batteries and the second is industrial batteries. SLI batteries include those used in
automobiles, trucks, farm equipment, small internal- combustion generators,
pleasure boats, etc. These batteries provide power for cranking (i.e., cars) and/or
loads such as lights, controllers, and small motors (e.g., for a bilge pump). Industrial
batteries include motive power (e.g., fork lifts and aircraft tugs), railcar, locomotive,
electric vehicle, missile, submarine, stationary, etc.

Selecting Batteries
Selecting batteries requires an evaluation of the
application and factors that could affect it. The
user has to make decisions on which battery
technology to use as well as the plate type and
cell design. The two commonly used
technologies are lead-acid (nominal 2.0 Vdc per
cell) and nickel-cadmium (nominal 1.2 Vdc per
cell) Both lead-acid and nickel-cadmium
batteries are available in vented and valve-
regulated designs. Nickel-cadmium batteries are
also available in sealed designs. The
valveregulated lead-acid (VRLA) battery
immobilizes the electrolyte in the cell. This is accomplished by absorbing the
electrolyte in a fine glass mat used as a separator in the cell or by adding a gelling
agent to the cell that causes the electrolyte to become a thixotropic gel, which has the

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 2 Rechargeable Batteries : How They Works

consistency and feel of white petroleum jelly. The absorbed

glass mat VRLA designs are sometimes referred to as AGM
cells. When selecting a cell an important consideration could be
the plate type and, in the case of lead-acid cells, the plate alloy.
Various positive plate types are available for leadacid cells.
These include Plant, modified Plant, pasted (also known as flat
or Faur) and tubular in rectangular plates and flat in round
plates. All negative plates for lead-acid cells are the flat type.
Nickel-cadmium plates include the pocket, fiber, and the
sintered plastic bonded types.Vented lead-acid cells are
available in long-duration, general-purpose, and highperformance designs. Similarly,
nickel-cadmium cells are available in L, M, and H designs. Valve-regulated cell
designs have no classification of design types; however, absorbed glass mat VRLAs
are typically high-performance cells due to their thin plates, high-density electrolyte,
and low-resistance separator. Gelled electrolyte VRLA cells could be classified as
general purpose. Long-duration cells are normally applied in telecommunications,
while general-purpose cells are used in substation, generating station, and industrial
control. High-performance cells are used with UPS systems, although some battery
manufacturers are promoting their use in switchgear tripping applications.

Discharge and end Voltages in Lead-Acid Batteries

The standard end-of-discharge voltage used
for lead-acid cells is 1.75 volts per cell
(Vpc) in North America. In other parts of
the world, 1.80 or 1.81 Vpc is frequently
used. These end voltages typically apply to
cells rated at discharge rates equal to or
greater than 1 h. The use of these end
voltages ensures that the potential for
damaging a lead-acid battery due to
overdischarge (i.e., caused by
overexpansion of the cell’s plates) is
minimized. For discharge rates less than 1 h, a lower end voltage may be used without
causing any damage to the cell’s plates. For example, high-performance lead-acid
cells rated at the 15-min rate may use 1.67, 1.64, or 1.60 Vpc as an end voltage;
however, 1.67 Vpc is becoming the industry standard.The standard end-of-discharge

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 3 Rechargeable Batteries : How They Works

voltage used for nickel-cadmium cells is 1.0 Vpc, although 1.14 Vpc is sometimes
used in North America. Nickel-cadmium cells may be overdischarged without any
negative effects to the cell. The standard for cell temperature is 25C in North
America, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand. In other parts of the world, 20C is used.
The ratings for lead-acid cells include the density of the electrolyte, since the
electrolyte enters into the chemical reactions of the cell. Changing the nominal full-
charge electrolyte density will change the performance of the cell. In North America,
the standard for electrolyte density for vented cells is 1215 6 10 kg/m3 when
measured at 25C; however, the standard for UPS cells is becoming 1250 6 10 kg/m3
at 25C. In other parts of the world, the standard electrolyte density for vented cells is
1230 or 1240, 65 or 610 kg/m3 at 20C (25C in Japan, Australia, and New Zealand).
VRLA cells throughout the world use nominal electrolyte densities of 1260 to 1310,
with those below 1280 typically used in gelled-electrolyte cells. If you want to learn
more about batteries and how to create your own battery bussines take a look Here:
Battery Reconditioning Guide

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