Deep cycle battery
Encyclopedia
A deep-cycle battery is a lead-acid battery
designed to be regularly deeply discharged using most of its capacity. In contrast, starter batteries (e.g. most automotive batteries) are designed to deliver short, high-current bursts for cranking the engine, thus frequently discharged of only a very small part of their capacity. While a deep-cycle battery can be used as a starting battery, the lower "cranking amps" imply that an oversized battery may be required.
A deep-cycle battery is designed to discharge between 50% and 80% depending on the manufacturer and construction of the battery. Although these batteries can be cycled down to 20% charge, the best lifespan vs cost method is to keep the average cycle at about 50% discharge, as there is a direct correlation between depth of discharge on the battery and the number of charge and discharge cycles it can perform.
than starting batteries. The thicker battery plates resist corrosion through extended charge and discharge cycles
.
Industry wide, there is a 97% rate of recovery on all lead acid batteries sold in the United States, resulting in a virtually closed manufacturing cycle.
Lead-acid battery
Lead–acid batteries, invented in 1859 by French physicist Gaston Planté, are the oldest type of rechargeable battery. Despite having a very low energy-to-weight ratio and a low energy-to-volume ratio, their ability to supply high surge currents means that the cells maintain a relatively large...
designed to be regularly deeply discharged using most of its capacity. In contrast, starter batteries (e.g. most automotive batteries) are designed to deliver short, high-current bursts for cranking the engine, thus frequently discharged of only a very small part of their capacity. While a deep-cycle battery can be used as a starting battery, the lower "cranking amps" imply that an oversized battery may be required.
A deep-cycle battery is designed to discharge between 50% and 80% depending on the manufacturer and construction of the battery. Although these batteries can be cycled down to 20% charge, the best lifespan vs cost method is to keep the average cycle at about 50% discharge, as there is a direct correlation between depth of discharge on the battery and the number of charge and discharge cycles it can perform.
Structure
The structural difference between deep cycle batteries and cranking batteries resides in the lead battery plates. Deep cycle battery plates have thicker active plates, with higher-density active paste material, and thicker separators. Alloys used for the plates in a deep cycle battery may contain more antimonyAntimony
Antimony is a toxic chemical element with the symbol Sb and an atomic number of 51. A lustrous grey metalloid, it is found in nature mainly as the sulfide mineral stibnite...
than starting batteries. The thicker battery plates resist corrosion through extended charge and discharge cycles
Charge cycle
A charge cycle is the process of charging a rechargeable battery and discharging it as required into a load. The term is typically used to specify a battery's expected life, as the number of charge cycles affects life more than the mere passage of time...
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Applications
- Cathodic protectionCathodic protectionCathodic protection is a technique used to control the corrosion of a metal surface by making it the cathode of an electrochemical cell. The simplest method to apply CP is by connecting the metal to be protected with another more easily corroded "sacrificial metal" to act as the anode of the...
- Industrial electrically-propelled forklifts and floor sweepers
- Motorized wheelchairMotorized wheelchairA motorized wheelchair, powerchair, electric wheelchair or electric-powered wheelchair is a wheelchair that is propelled by means of an electric motor rather than manual power...
s - Off-grid energy storage systems for solar powerSolar powerSolar energy, radiant light and heat from the sun, has been harnessed by humans since ancient times using a range of ever-evolving technologies. Solar radiation, along with secondary solar-powered resources such as wind and wave power, hydroelectricity and biomass, account for most of the available...
or wind powerWind powerWind power is the conversion of wind energy into a useful form of energy, such as using wind turbines to make electricity, windmills for mechanical power, windpumps for water pumping or drainage, or sails to propel ships....
, especially in small installations for a single building - Power for instruments or equipment at remote sites
- Recreational vehicles
- Traction batteries to propel vehicles, such as golf carts, and other highway electric vehicleElectric vehicleAn electric vehicle , also referred to as an electric drive vehicle, uses one or more electric motors or traction motors for propulsion...
s - Traffic signals
- Trolling motorTrolling motorthumb|250px|A 12 volt electric trolling motor mounted on a 8 foot [[inflatable boat]]A trolling motor is a marine propulsion system consisting of a self-contained unit that includes an electric motor, propeller and controls, and is affixed to an angler's boat, either at the bow or stern...
s for recreational fishing boats - Uninterruptible power supplyUninterruptible power supplyAn uninterruptible power supply, also uninterruptible power source, UPS or battery/flywheel backup, is an electrical apparatus that provides emergency power to a load when the input power source, typically mains power, fails...
- audio equipmentAudio equipmentA piece of audio equipment is any device designed principally to reproduce, record or process sound. This includes microphones, radio receivers, AV receivers, CD players, tape recorders, amplifiers, mixing consoles, effects units and loudspeakers....
Flooding
Flooded batteries will decompose some water from the electrolyte during charging, so regular maintenance of flooded batteries requires inspection of electrolyte level and addition of water. Major modes of failure of deep-cycle batteries are loss of the active material due to shedding of the plates, and corrosion of the internal grid that supports active material. The capacity of a deep cycle battery is usually limited by electrolyte capacity and not by the plate mass, to improve life expectancy.Recycling
The vast majority of deep cycle batteries on the market today are lead acid batteries. Lead acid batteries are recycled at a rate of 98% by volume, 99.5% by weight. The plastic cases, lead plates, sulfuric acid, solder, and other metals are 100% recovered for reuse. Only one portion of a battery is not recyclable: the paper separators that wrap the plates. Due to the acid bath the paper sits in, the fiber length is reduced so far that it can not be rewoven.Industry wide, there is a 97% rate of recovery on all lead acid batteries sold in the United States, resulting in a virtually closed manufacturing cycle.
See also
- DesulfationDesulfationDesulfation is the process of reversing the process of sulfation that occurs to a lead-acid battery over time. Desulfation restores, at least partially, the ability of the battery to hold a charge over the life of the battery originally caused by sulfation). Sulfation is the formation of large...
- Electric vehicle batteryElectric vehicle batteryAn electric vehicle battery or traction battery is a rechargeable battery used for propulsion of battery electric vehicles...
- Gel battery
- VRLA batteryVRLA batteryA VRLA battery is a type of low-maintenance lead–acid rechargeable battery. Because of their construction, VRLA batteries do not require regular addition of water to the cells....