Lead–acid battery fundamentals

The essential reactions at the heart of the lead–acid cell have not altered during the century and a half since the system was conceived. As the applications for which lead–acid batteries have been employed have become progressively more demanding in terms of energy stored, power to be supplied and service-life, a series of life-limiting functions have been encountered and then overcome. The characteristic properties and performance of the battery technology, together with the failure modes and their remedies, are described in this chapter.