Page 531 - Battery Reference Book

Sealed lead-acid batteries 50/19

309 370 432 494 555 617 679 741 802 864 926 988 1050 1111 1173 1235 1315 1435 2152
237 283 331 378 425 473 520 568 614 662 709 757 804 851 899 946 1007 1099 1648
175 209 245 280 314 349 384 419 454 489 524 559 594 629 664 699 713 778 1166
321 386 450 514 578 643 707 771 835 900 964 1028 1092 1157 1221 1285 1369 1493 2240
248 299 343 398 447 498 547 597 646 697 746 796 845 896 945 995 1060 1156 1734
186 223 260 297 334 372 409 446 483 520 557 594 631 669 706 743 758 827 1241
63 75 85 101 113 126 139 151 164 176 189 202 214 227 239 252 268 293 439
21 25 29 34 38 42 46 50 54 59 63 67 71 76 80 84 89 97 146

24.3 28.5 32.9 37.1 41.3 45.6 49.6 53.8 57.9 62.4 66.7 71.1 75.3 79.5 83.7 88.0 101.4 109.8 160.3
4.3 5.2 6.1 6.8 7.7 8.9 9.5 10.4 11.3 12.3 13.2 13.8 14.7 15.7 16.6 17.5 19.5 21.3 32.2
3.4 4.1 4.8 5.4 6.1 7.0 7.5 8.2 8.9 9.6 10.3 10.9 11.6 12.3 13.0 13.7 15.3 16.7 25.2

122 138 154 112 187 203 219 235 251 267 283 298 314 330 346 362 222 233 337
186 186 186 188 188 188 188 188 188 188 188 188 188 188 188 188 253 253 256
526 526 526 526 526 526 526 526 526 526 526 526 526 526 526 526 707 707 707
580 580 580 580 580 580 580 580 580 580 580 580 580 580 580 580 770 770 770
125 190 190 190 190 190 190 190 190 190 190 190 190 190 190 190 260 260 260

The plate locking device, together with the polypropy- 50.4 Sealed lead-acid batteries
lene container’s specially strengthened walls, ensures
that every TIR battery will meet arduous on-vehicle As this type of battery is a relative newcomer, products
vibration conditions. This combination means that each available from the major suppliers are reviewed below.
cell’s assembly is rigidly clamped in all directions to There are two categories of sealed lead-acid
the container and lid. The battery vibrates as a whole, cell. These are the non-recombining type, such as
without over-stressing the intercell connectors, where those manufactured by Sonnenschein and Crompton-
a fracture would cause premature battery failure. Parkinson Ltd, and the fully recombining types, as
In the Exide range of low-maintenance bus bat- manufactured by the General Electric Company and
teries, low maintenance means 100000 miles or 12 the Gates Rubber Company. The fully recombining
months between routine topping up of electrolyte. Bat- types are also produced in the UK under licence
tery design is such that battery topping up can be by Chloride Gates Energy Ltd under the trade name
carried out as required, i.e. the batteries are not perma- Cyclon.
nently sealed. These bus batteries are fitted with double
duty separators. This type of separation is ideal where 50.4.1 Sonnenschein
some dischargekharge cycling of batteries takes place,
such as on public service vehicles. A dischargekharge The lead-acid batteries referred to in Table 50.22 are
regimen of operation can loosen the active material some from the ‘Dryfit’ range supplied by Accumu-
in the battery’s plates. With lordinary single separa- latorenfabrik Sonnenschein, West Germany, although
tion this active material will so’on fall to the bottom of no doubt in many respects the comparisons will hold
the cell, reducing capacity and shortening active life. good for sealed lead-acid batteries produced by other
With double separation a glass wool sheet is added suppliers.
to the conventional separator, which binds the active The Dryfit battery has several design features, which
material in the plates into a tight cell assembly and pre- contribute to its no-maintenance characteristic and its
vents premature shedding of the active material. These ability not to require overcharging to maintain full
design features lead to good starting performance and capacity. In fact, no water needs to be added to these
prolonged active life. batteries during their entire life. If, because of improper