FUTURE FOR LEAD-ACID BATTERIES? 1

[harrisj]

According to an email circulated round my company, there is none.

In Europe, lead-acid batteries will be banned some time over the next few years (except for some specific applications, eg military). The reason is the nastiness of lead and sulphuric acid. I don't disagree with the toxicity issues but I don't normally feel the urge to drink out of batteries. I believe that the lead issue extends to solder, which must be lead-free from 2010 onwards.

I find the whole issue difficult to comprehend because of the immense infrastructure that exists for automotive batteries, the excellent battery recycling methods available, and the lack of a viable replacement technology. Or is there one? What are battery manufacturers doing about it? Or have I been misinformed?


John

 

[Warpspeed]

I doubt it. Lead acid technology is cheap power, and that is the bottom line. Applications like electric fork lifts already have very large lead acid battery banks that cost many thousands of dollars to replace, even tens of thousands for the larger ones. A similar situation exists with UPS and emergency standby power.

Wet Nicad batteries have been competing with lead acid batteries for over twenty years in large stationary battery banks, but cost has limited the application to mostly government and military applications. I was involved with the installation of the largest Nicad battery system in the southern hemisphere (Sydney Opera House).

It is one thing to use very expensive battery technology in a camera or mobile phone. Quite another to suggest that a $900 car engine starting battery built from very exotic materials will be coming soon.

 

[blacktop]

I have constructed a mobility scooter for my own use. It needed 2 deep cycle 12 volt 60 namp. hr. batterys. Traction batterys cost twice as much as leisure batts. as used in rv. So I took a chance and purchased two leisure batts. These leisure batts have given excellent service over two years of hard use, 5 miles and more most days. What, then ,is so special about traction batts compared with the cheap leisure that I use?

 

[Warpspeed]

The most important feature of traction batteries is the mechanical strength of the internal structure. Lead plates are soft and heavy, especially very large lead plates. Traction batteries are commonly used in very heavy unsprung vehicles and the batteries can often be subjected to considerable mechanical shock (speed humps!).

Leisure batteries are of much lighter internal structure with a much higher exposed plate area per unit volume. This is ideal for a softly sprung private car, and where very high cranking current is required for short periods.

Traction batteries usually have a much longer life than leisure batteries, even if well maintained. The car battery that is o/k one day, then fails to start the car the next day is not all that uncommon. Usually something inside has warped, broken, shorted out, become detached, or whatever.

 

[evelrod]

The future of the lead/acid battery still looks pretty good to me. The bottom line is now, and always, $$$$$$$. As long as there is no equally cheap alternative it's going to be the primary choice in automotive applications. When you can go down to Auto Zone and pick up a 1000 amp H[sub]2[/sub] fuel cell for your Hondazuki or Mitsuyota for <$100...my bet is on the status quo!

Rod

 

[sreid]

To quote Mark Twain, "The rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated."