Accelerated cycle life testing of lead-acid golf car batteries and the influence of separator type on battery life, energy consumption and operating cost

Abstract Commercial lead-acid golf car batteries containing five different separator materials were cycle life tested. An accelerated cycle life test was employed in which the battery temperature was allowed to rise as the batteries became less efficient in power utilization towards the end of life, and there was no rest period between charge and discharge during cycling. The effects of continuous cycling and separator type on battery performance were monitored throughout the test together with battery temperature, end of charge current, energy balances, and capacity. Cycle life test data through correlation with actual expected life in the field allowed calculations to be made to determine the relative effective operating cost of various battery types. The battery made with FLEX-SIL® rubber separators exhibited the best life and economics when compared with batteries containing ACE-SILC® rubber, polyethylene, cellulose (paper), and sintered PVC separators.