LEAD-ACID BATTERY LESSONS

The author traces the history of the lead-acid battery with particular reference to traction applications where it is regularly discharged to about 80 percent of its capacity. He claims that little progress has been made on its design in the last 80 years, where the energy factor has remained at the ten watt-hours per pound of total weight. Improvements could be made to the bond of the paste to the grid, lowering the local action in the grid structure and investigating the behaviour of plastics in the plate structure. One of the initial problems with the starter battery was overcharging caused by the inability to cut-off charging current when fully charged. Once this problem had been solved this battery needs little topping-up - this would be a considerable improvement to transient batteries. The factors affecting the use of batteries to power delivery vans, milk floats and fork lifts are discussed. Replacement costs of batteries are so high at present that considerable benefit would be obtained from the development of a low cost replateable battery. (TRRL)