April 2020

VRLA Since the invention of the lead acid battery, there has scarcely been any noteworthy upgrades in design. That being said, in the mid-1970s the progression was made to the ‘maintenance-free’ or ‘sealed’ lead acid battery. Yet, calling the batteries sealed strictly isn't accurate as, irrespective of terminology, maintenance-free or sealed batteries still include safety vent valves that release internal pressure in overcharging or cell failure situations. Precisely for this reason, they are also referred to as valve regulated lead A s far back as 1859, the lead acid battery has proven to be an integral component in almost every type of automotive vehicle including hybrid and electric. Even though hybrid and electric vehicles make use of lithium-ion and nickel-metal hydride batteries to store energy and propel the vehicle, the reliable 12-volt battery is still utilised to power the vehicle's 12-volt electrical system. Consisting of no moving parts whatsoever inside, the 12-volt lead 56 AFTERMARKET APRIL 2020 TECHNICAL www.aftermarketonline.net 12-VOLT BATTERY TECHNOLOGY Above: Fig 1: 1, Galvanic cell. 2, Positive lead dioxide coated plate. 3, Negative lead plate. 4, Grid. 5, Separator. 6, Lead plate Here, Autodata takes a look at 12-volt battery technology and the future strategies being explored acid battery encompasses six galvanic cells, individually capable of holding 2.1 volts. Each cell incorporates a positive lead dioxide coated plate and a negative lead plate, divided by a grid as well as an insulating material called a separator. The entire structure is encapsulated in a hard-plastic container filled with a liquid solution known as an electrolyte made up of sulphuric acid and water. After a charge greater than 2.1 volts is applied to each cell, a chemical reaction inside the battery is triggered, creating electrical energy ready for use.