The Benefits of Using Features Of Sealed Lead Acid Batteries

The answer is YES. Lead-acid is the oldest rechargeable battery in existence. Invented by the French physician Gaston Planté in , lead-acid was the first rechargeable battery for commercial use. 150 years later, we still have no cost-effective alternatives for cars, wheelchairs, scooters, golf carts and UPS systems. The lead-acid battery has retained a market share in applications where newer battery chemistries would either be too expensive.
Lead-acid does not lend itself to fast charging. Typical charge time is 8 to 16 hours. A periodic fully saturated charge is essential to prevent sulfation and the battery must always be stored in a charged state. Leaving the battery in a discharged condition causes sulfation and a recharge may not be possible.

Finding the ideal charge voltage limit is critical. A high voltage (above 2.40V/cell) produces good battery performance but shortens the service life due to grid corrosion on the positive plate. A low voltage limit is subject to sulfation on the negative plate. Leaving the battery on float charge for a prolonged time does not cause damage.

Lead-acid does not like deep cycling. A full discharge causes extra strain and each cycle robs the battery of some service life. This wear-down characteristic also applies to other battery chemistries in varying degrees. To prevent the battery from being stressed through repetitive deep discharge, a larger battery is recommended. Lead-acid is inexpensive but the operational costs can be higher than a nickel-based system if repetitive full cycles are required.

Depending on the depth of discharge and operating temperature, the sealed lead-acid provides 200 to 300 discharge/charge cycles. The primary reason for its relatively short cycle life is grid corrosion of the positive electrode, depletion of the active material and expansion of the positive plates. These changes are most prevalent at higher operating temperatures. Cycling does not prevent or reverse the trend.

The lead-acid battery has one of the lowest energy densities, making it unsuitable for portable devices. In addition, the performance at low temperatures is marginal. The self-discharge is about 40% per year, one of the best on rechargeable batteries. In comparison, nickel-cadmium self-discharges this amount in three months. The high lead content makes the lead-acid environmentally unfriendly.

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Plate thickness

The service life of a lead-acid battery can, in part, be measured by the thickness of the positive plates. The thicker the plates, the longer the life will be. During charging and discharging, the lead on the plates gets gradually eaten away and the sediment falls to the bottom. The weight of a battery is a good indication of the lead content and the life expectancy.

The plates of automotive starter batteries are about 0.040" (1mm) thick, while the typical golf cart battery will have plates that are between 0.07-0.11" (1.8- 2.8mm) thick. Forklift batteries may have plates that exceed 0.250" (6mm). Most industrial flooded deep-cycle batteries use lead-antimony plates. This improves the plate life but increases gassing and water loss.

Sealed lead-acid

During the mid s, researchers developed a maintenance-free lead-acid battery that can operate in any position. The liquid electrolyte is gelled into moistened separators and the enclosure is sealed. Safety valves allow venting during charge, discharge and atmospheric pressure changes.

Driven by different market needs, two lead-acid systems emerged: The small sealed lead-acid (SLA), also known under the brand name of Gelcell, and the larger Valve-regulated-lead-acid (VRLA). Both batteries are similar. Engineers may argue that the word 'sealed lead-acid' is a misnomer because no rechargeable battery can be totally sealed.

Unlike the flooded lead-acid battery, both SLA and VRLA are designed with a low over-voltage potential to prohibit the battery from reaching its gas-generating potential during charge because excess charging would cause gassing and water depletion. Consequently, these batteries can never be charged to their full potential. To reduce dry-out, sealed lead-acid batteries use lead-calcium instead of the lead-antimony.

The optimum operating temperature for the lead-acid battery is 25*C (77*F). Elevated temperature reduces longevity. As a guideline, every 8°C (15°F) rise in temperature cuts the battery life in half. A VRLA, which would last for 10 years at 25°C (77°F), would only be good for 5 years if operated at 33°C (92°F). The same battery would desist after 2½ years if kept at a constant desert temperature of 41°C (106°F).Figure 1: Sealed lead-acid battery

The sealed lead-acid battery is rated at a 5-hour (0.2) and 20-hour (0.05C) discharge. Longer discharge times produce higher capacity readings because of lower losses. The lead-acid performs well on high load currents.

Absorbed Glass Mat Batteries (AGM)

The AGM is a newer type sealed lead-acid that uses absorbed glass mats between the plates. It is sealed, maintenance-free and the plates are rigidly mounted to withstand extensive shock and vibration. Nearly all AGM batteries are recombinant, meaning they can recombine 99% of the oxygen and hydrogen. There is almost no water is loss.

The charging voltages are the same as for other lead-acid batteries. Even under severe overcharge conditions, hydrogen emission is below the 4% specified for aircraft and enclosed spaces. The low self-discharge of 1-3% per month allows long storage before recharging. The AGM costs twice that of the flooded version of the same capacity. Because of durability, German high performance cars use AGM batteries in favor of the flooded type.

Advantages

• Inexpensive and simple to manufacture.
• Mature, reliable and well-understood technology - when used correctly, lead-acid is durable and provides dependable service.
• The self-discharge is among the lowest of rechargeable battery systems.
• Capable of high discharge rates.

Limitations

• Low energy density - poor weight-to-energy ratio limits use to stationary and wheeled applications.
• Cannot be stored in a discharged condition - the cell voltage should never drop below 2.10V.
• Allows only a limited number of full discharge cycles - well suited for standby applications that require only occasional deep discharges.
• lead content and electrolyte make the battery environmentally unfriendly.
• Transportation restrictions on flooded lead acid - there are environmental concerns regarding spillage.
• Thermal runaway can occur if improperly charged.
  

Whether you&#;re a vehicle owner or a shop owner, a car battery is something you&#;re familiar with. Most people know that it has a positive and a negative post and it&#;s 12-volt, but the composition is often misunderstood. For sealed lead acid batteries, or SLA batteries, that&#;s especially true. They&#;re confused for their cousin, the flooded lead acid battery and erroneously dissociated with absorbent glass mat (AGM) batteries.

Drivers, mechanics, and shop owners alike can benefit from understanding 12-volt SLA battery technology. Not only will it help with today&#;s vehicle servicing, but many EVs also use this type of lead-acid battery. These are the features and benefits you can see with SLA vs flooded lead acid batteries.

What is a Sealed Lead Acid Battery?

Sealed lead acid batteries are very similar to other lead acid varieties but with some small yet important differences. Their construction includes:

• A polypropylene resin case that contains all the other components
• Negative plate packs covered in lead material
• Positive plates containing lead oxide
• Separators to keep the negative and positive plates isolated
• Electrolyte material suspended in a liquid or gel
• A valve to vent excess pressure

The term &#;sealed&#; is an important one for this type of battery. Rather than vent the gases from inside the battery during use, SLA batteries use a recombination process that hitches the oxygen and hydrogen molecules back together, returning them to a liquid state. The top of the battery case is sealed to prevent the electrolyte from spilling or venting out. However, there is a vent that releases pressure should it be too great.

Features of An SLA Battery

Like any product, different types of batteries have characteristics that are unique to that type. The more advanced usually has advantages in performance, and you&#;ll find that to be the case for SLA batteries over flooded varieties. 

Maintenance Free

An SLA battery is touted as maintenance free since the risk of spills is essentially nil. Flooded car batteries can&#;t claim the same thing since the gases that vent release into the atmosphere and can&#;t be recovered, meaning that the electrolyte will eventually need to be topped up or the battery won&#;t be any good anymore.

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AGM batteries also fall into this category. The electrolyte is suspended in a fiberglass mat between the lead plates so it won&#;t spill. They&#;re even more durable and can be oriented on their side where flooded cell batteries must always be positioned with the vents on top.

Lower Cost Than Li-ion Options

SLA batteries are a step up in price from basic flooded lead acid batteries, but not so much that it&#;s unaffordable for most people. And while lithium-ion batteries that are respected as more powerful, lighter, and safer, stepping up to li-ion increases the cost several times, not just by a few dollars. And for almost all applications, SLA batteries will far exceed the demand that the user puts on it.

For example, a $150 SLA battery can be found in many EV models to power electronics. If a li-ion battery were used in its place, the performance difference would be indistinguishable but the cost could be $800 or more.

Long Service Life

The average flooded battery lasts between three and five years for most automotive applications before it needs to be replaced. Depending on the manufacturer, SLA batteries can range as high as 12 years in service, though the average is closer to five years. That&#;s with normal use, and any SLA battery that&#;s allowed to fully discharge will suffer loss of capacity as a result, just like flooded ones.

AGM batteries and li-ion options have a longer life expectancy of six years or higher, but that comes at a cost. For the average commuter who owns a vehicle for an average of six years or so, the benefit to installing an AGM or li-ion battery in their vehicle won&#;t pay off.

Built Tough

Since an SLA battery doesn&#;t always have to be installed vertically, it&#;s even more important that it can withstand harsh conditions. Almost all automotive batteries are assembled inside a rugged polypropylene resin case that is resistant to impact, vibration, heat, and corrosive materials, but the fact that SLA batteries are sealed and can be used in equipment and vehicles that experience these conditions frequently makes that aspect even more crucial.

For instance, a pickup truck running people up and down a logging road can&#;t chance the electrolyte spillage that&#;s possible with flooded lead acid batteries. But an SLA battery, particularly an AGM battery, can take the abuse without any effect at all.

Why It&#;s Important to Know

For vehicle owners and fleet managers, it&#;s easy to choose a replacement battery based on cost alone, especially when the expense isn&#;t expected. However, the battery you choose can affect how you can use your vehicle, the maintenance it needs, and when it&#;ll need to be replaced again. If you aren&#;t aware that a flooded battery needs the electrolyte level checked and topped up, the battery could die prematurely and adding another unexpected cost, not to mention the frustration it comes with. That can mean costly downtime for a fleet vehicle, for instance.

And for shop owners and mechanics, understanding the workings and benefits of an SLA battery versus lower options (flooded) and higher choices (AGM and li-ion) can help boost your sales rate when a battery is needed. By explaining the benefits that come with SLA batteries, you can install a better battery for a customer without scaring them away with the exorbitant cost of the high-end options.

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