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Batteries operating in a partial state of charge (PSOC) environment may be affected by reduced charge acceptance, resulting in a gradual decrease in capacity.

Q&A with Fred Wehmeyer, VP of Engineering | American Battery

I am the senior vice president of engineering for the American Battery Manufacturing Company. I have worked in the rechargeable battery industry for 48 years and have extensive experience in FLA, AGM, GEL, NiCd, NiMH, Li-ion and Li-polymer rechargeable batteries. I have a bachelor of science degree in electrochemistry and have completed graduate work in engineering management and Six Sigma/Lean Engineering.

Flooded lead acid (FLA) batteries contain free liquid electrolyte, which will overflow if the battery is tilted more than ~45⁰. FLA batteries are available in deep-cycle and non-deep-cycle versions. The non-deep cycle version is used for SLI (engine start) applications and should not be used for deep cycle applications. Deep-cycle FLA batteries require regular water addition, while maintenance-free SLI batteries usually do not. The Absorbent Glass Mat (AGM) battery is a sealed valve regulated lead acid (VRLA) battery. 

Another type of sealed VRLA battery is a gel electrolyte (GEL) battery. VRLA batteries are inherently non-spillable and can be used in any geometric shape (except inverted). VRLA batteries do not need to be filled with water, and are usually sealed except for the one-way valve.

Lithium batteries are available in rechargeable (secondary) and non-rechargeable (primary) versions. Rechargeable lithium batteries are available in lithium ion, lithium metal and lithium polymer versions. The most popular is the lithium-ion battery, which has a variety of lithium chemical components to choose from. Some examples are lithium cobalt oxide, lithium nickel cobalt oxide, lithium manganese oxide, lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide, and lithium iron phosphate. 

FLA batteries have a higher energy density than AGM batteries, but AGM batteries have a higher power density. Therefore, AGM batteries often appear in applications that require high current discharge, such as engine starting or UPS systems. Since AGM batteries do not require water, they are often used in difficult or costly maintenance applications, such as on mountain tops. Because AGM batteries are sealed, they can be used in office environments, food or drug storage environments, or other clean room applications.

The acquisition cost per watt-hour of AGM batteries is high, but due to the need to maintain FLA batteries, operating costs are usually low.

US Battery's advanced AGM deep-cycle battery series has a longer cycle life and higher charge acceptance, in order to be closer to the performance of lithium-ion batteries. This is achieved through the use of thick positive plates, high-density positive active materials, advanced glass felt separator technology and advanced carbon technology.

Batteries operating in a partial state of charge (PSOC) environment may be affected by reduced charge acceptance, resulting in a gradual decrease in capacity. This is commonly referred to as a reduction in dynamic charge acceptance (DCA). Advanced carbon additives can be used in FLA batteries to improve DCA in enhanced flooded batteries (EFB) used to start/stop vehicles, and in AGM batteries to improve DCA.

US Battery's advanced AGM deep-cycle batteries have significant advantages in energy storage, including higher charge acceptance to accept higher charge rates to achieve faster charging. They also provide improved dynamic charge acceptance to resist the harmful effects of PSOC operations often encountered in solar, wind, and micro-hydroelectric energy storage applications.

As mentioned above, AGM batteries provide higher power density and are commonly used for engine starting, uninterruptible power supply systems, and high-power energy storage applications.

Because they are sealed, they can be used in offices, food and pharmaceutical storage, and clean room applications. They are also less likely to freeze in low-temperature applications such as refrigerated food and pharmaceutical storage.

In the United States and most developed countries, all lead batteries are 100% recyclable, and basically 100% recyclable. In addition, they are truly recyclable from cradle to cradle, that is, 100% of the recycled lead is used to make new lead batteries. This prevents hundreds of millions of pounds of lead from entering landfills and other hazardous waste streams.

In all 50 states of the United States, disposing of lead batteries in urban waste streams is a misdemeanor.

In addition, lead batteries are of great value in the recycling process, so they "pay for themselves" when recycling.

American Battery Manufacturing Company

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