CAR BATTERIES

A car battery is a type of battery that supplies electrical energy to the car. It was invented in 1859 by the French physicist Gaston Plante. Although it has changed in terms of construction, the battery we use in cars today is made of series-connected 2-volt cells, each of which is exactly like Gaston Plante's cell.

It can be starter, supplying electricity to the starter, lights and ignition system of the engine, or traction - used as the main source of energy in the electric car.

Car batteries are most often lead-acid batteries providing a voltage of 12 V (more precisely 12.6 V). For this purpose, they contain six cells connected in series, each of which has a nominal voltage of 2 to 2.1 V. Like other batteries of this type, it is made of electrodes containing lead and lead dioxide. These plates are immersed in an electrolyte composed of approximately 35% sulfuric acid and 65% distilled water. As a result of the ongoing electrochemical reaction, chemical energy is converted into electrical energy. As the battery discharges, the electrode material reacts with the acid from the electrolyte, turning into lead sulfate in both cases. When the battery is charged, the reverse reaction occurs. The lead sulfate is converted into lead and lead dioxide respectively, restoring the electrodes to their original state.

Since lead dioxide and lead sulfate are crystalline porous substances, they are placed in a metal grid for better mechanical resistance. Different substances - calcium, cadmium or strontium - are added to the electrode material to change the density, hardness or porosity. This allows for easier production of the electrodes.

Charging and discharging

During loading or standing over time, the battery discharges (or self-discharges) as a result of an electrochemical reaction, in which lead and lead dioxide are consumed and lead sulfate is produced (so-called sulphation). The lead sulfate formed is in the form of fine white crystals with a very large surface area. If left in a diluted state for a long time or in a very deep dilution, the crystals grow together and form larger crystals with a much smaller surface area. In this case, the battery loses much of its capacity because only a portion of the large crystals can be converted back to lead/lead dioxide. Due to the reduced surface area, the maximum current that can be supplied when starting the car is also significantly reduced.

To prevent this from happening, unused batteries must be periodically charged with a charger. During normal operation of the alternator (generator) in the car, the energy spent when starting the engine is restored and the battery is fully charged. The exception is cases of short trips, especially when using many electrical consumers (air conditioner and fan, lighting, etc.) - the battery may not be fully charged.

Several methods are used to charge a discharged battery. The most sparing of them is called continuous charging. The others are slow and fast charging, the latter being the most harmful to the battery. The charging voltage must be lower than about 14.4 V, otherwise hydrogen and oxygen are formed in the battery due to the electrolysis of water.

Charging (as well as discharging) depends on a number of factors such as: the initial state, to what final state it discharges, age, capacity, load, temperature, etc. For a fully charged battery, the theoretical maximum run time is obtained by dividing the capacity in ampere-hours (A·h or Ah) by the current flowing in amperes (A). For example, a new battery with a capacity of 72 Ah at a load of 10 A should last 7.2 hours until fully discharged. In practice, the amount of energy available for use is limited to a fraction of the theoretical capacity depending on the battery type, technological features, nature of the charge-discharge cycle and life expectancy requirements. For example, a continuous discharge of up to 50% of capacity for a traction lead-acid battery, while for a starter battery this is highly inadvisable.

As the battery ages, its capacity decreases due to partial sulphation of the electrodes. At low temperatures, the maximum current that can flow is very low and not enough to start the car.

The battery is the heart of the car, its life force. Regular inspection is essential as the good ones

driving habits can prolong

battery life and prevent vehicle damage.

We know this and have already taken care of the "healthy state" of your car!