Lead Acid batteries, and idea to increase capacity

Feb 21, 2010 6 Replies
R

I got this idea to increase the capacity of lead acid batteries and wonder if my idea would work.



Background: A newsgroup discussion where someone asked if a battery is charged, and the lead plates are removed, what happens to the energy since it can't be created or destroyed? They said the energy was in the electrolyte.



So, if that is true, could you take a lead acid battery, and have a relatively large tank of electrolyte to circulate through the battery as it charges and discharges? Would that increase the batteries amp-hour capacity significantly?



RogerN


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B

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acity

False for lead-acide batteries - most of the energy is stored in the oxidation state of the lead ions in the plates.

True for fuel cells.

Bill Sloman, Nijmegen

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T

Actually both plates and the electrolyte -- in a discharged lead-acid battery the sulfur in the electrolyte gets used up and deposited as lead sulfite on one of the plates (I can't remember which one). So _really_ all you need to do is replace the whole damn battery.

IIRC most fuel cells use a chemistry where the electrolyte doesn't change, and the material for the 'plates' (oxygen and hydrogen in the 'usual' fuel cell) comes from the fuel and the air.

www.wescottdesign.com
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F

No.

The energy storage is a function of both the oxidation/reduction states of the plates and the sulfuric acid concentration of the electrolyte.

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"Electricity is of two kinds, positive and negative. The difference is, I presume, that one comes a little more expensive, but is more durable; the other is a cheaper thing, but the moths get into it." (Stephen Leacock)
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R

Te energy is not stored in the electrolyte; open a chemistry book for details...

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is

Lead sulphate, not lead sulphide. The oxidation state of the sulphur doesn=B4t change at all. The energy content of the electrolyte does change with contration, bit it is more of side effect than a significant element in the energy budget.

Bill Sloman, Nijmegen

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