Advanced battery systems - the end of the lead-acid battery?

For more than 100 years the lead-acid battery (LAB) has been a well-establi shed battery system, mostly used in the traditional battery market. However , during this time, advanced battery systems, such as Ni-MH, high-temperatu re systems (Na-S, Na-NiCl2) or Li-systems were under development. These new types are directed especially towards new applications such as electric ve hicles, battery energy storage or the 4C market (computer, camcorder, cordl ess phones, cordless tools). This paper discusses how the LAB may co-exist on the traditional and the new battery market in competition to the advance d battery systems. This discussion is based on such important battery param eters as safety, energy, power, costs and recycling, as well as on the impr ovement potentials of the LAB. This paper is focussed in detail on improvem ents in energy, power, user properties and corrosion. The influence of the average electron path in the active mass, the active mass thickness and the active mass structure on the battery energy are discussed. The influence o f active mass resistance and the cell connector resistance on the battery p ower are discussed in detail. Industrial solutions to overcome power constr aints are demonstrated by the TMF (thin metal foil) battery and bipolar bat teries. The advantages and disadvantages of both gel type and adsorbed glas s mat (AGM) type of valve regulated lead-acid (VRLA) batteries are explaine d. Problems related to the Pb/Pb-alloy corrosion in terms of open circuit c orrosion and in-situ corrosion measurements are discussed. Taking into acco unt its improvement potential, the LAB will continue to have a strong marke t position in the future, especially in the fields of stationary and automo tive applications.