Applications of mathematical models in lead-acid battery design

Two mathematical models describing processes that occur in a lead-acid battery are presented. One model is used to evaluate the geometry of the current collecting grids for minimum ohmic losses; the other is useful for evaluating cell design parameters such as electrode paste specifications and separator characteristics. The formulation of the models is briefly discussed, and they are demonstrated with examples. The grid geometry model is used to compare a rectilinear grid pattern with an intricate pattern having nonrectilinear elements. The comparison is based on the initial voltage loss of the cell as predicted by the model. The cell chemistry model is used to examine the effects of the positive and negative plate thicknesses on the DIN (German test standard) runtime