Pb Acid Batteries

Batteries, capable of producing energy from nanowatt-hour to megawatt-hour, are considered as one of the most efficient ways of storing and stabilizing the electricity grid. Among the various battery chemistries available, lead-acid rechargeable batteries, with over 150 years' history, have been successfully employed for a wide variety of applications including portable, automotive, as well as industrial applications. Compared to primary (non-rechargeable) batteries that cannot be recharged, secondary (rechargeable) batteries such as lead-acid batteries have the ability to go through many charge-discharge cycles. In addition to the traditional flooded designs, valve-regulated lead-acid batteries, as proved to be a significant breakthrough, have been developed with the goal of lowering maintenance. Capable of long cycle life, lead-acid batteries have been developed in recent years aimed at increasing cycle life, specific power, and energy density to meet the demands of new applications. History, operating principles, basic components, as well as failure modes including degradation, corrosion, and sulfation of lead-acid battery are addressed in this chapter.