Could a battery man-agement system improve the life of a lead–acid battery?

Implementation of battery man-agement systems, a key component of every LIB system, could improve lead–acid battery operation, efficiency, and cycle life. Perhaps the best prospect for the unuti-lized potential of lead–acid batteries is elec-tric grid storage, for which the future market is estimated to be on the order of trillions of dollars.

What type of battery is a lead-acid battery?

Lead–acid batteries exist in a large variety of designs and sizes. There are vented or valve regulated batteries. Products are ranging from small sealed batteries with about 5 Ah (e.g., used for motor cycles) to large vented industrial battery systems for traction purposes with up to 500 Ah.

Are lead-acid batteries safe?

As low-cost and safe aqueous battery systems, lead-acid batteries have carved out a dominant position for a long time since 1859 and still occupy more than half of the global battery market [3, 4]. However, traditional lead-acid batteries usually suffer from low energy density, limited lifespan, and toxicity of lead [5, 6].

What are the technical challenges facing lead–acid batteries?

The technical challenges facing lead–acid batteries are a consequence of the complex interplay of electrochemical and chemical processes that occur at multiple length scales. Atomic-scale insight into the processes that are taking place at electrodes will provide the path toward increased efficiency, lifetime, and capacity of lead–acid batteries.

How much energy does a lead-acid battery provide?

From a theoretical perspective, the lead–acid battery system can provide energy of 83.472 Ah kg −1 comprised of 4.46 g PbO 2, 3.86 g Pb and 3.66 g of H 2 SO 4 per Ah. Therefore, in principle, we only need 11.98 g of active‐material to deliver 1 Ah of energy .

Why is atomic physics important for lead-acid batteries?

Because such mor-phological evolution is integral to lead–acid battery operation, discovering its governing principles at the atomic scale may open ex-citing new directions in science in the areas of materials design, surface electrochemistry, high-precision synthesis, and dynamic man-agement of energy materials at electrochemi-cal interfaces.