SAMPLE

ii

The Battery Builder’s Guide

by Phillip Hurleycopyright ©2008 Phillip Hurley

all rights reserved

illustrations and e-book design copyright ©2008 Good Idea Creative Services

all rights reserved

ISBN-10: 0-9710125-6-3

ISBN-13: 978-0-9710125-6-1

Wheelock Mountain Publications is an imprint of

Good Idea Creative Services Wheelock VT

USA

WHEELOCKMOUNTAIN Publications

SAMPLE

ii

Table of contents

Table of Contents links have been disabled for this sample e-book. Purchase the full version of The Battery Builder’s Guide

Table of Contents continued on the next page

How to use this e-book ..................iv

An INTRODUCTION to WORKING with BATTERIES

Safety Recommendations for Battery Builders

Protective equipment .....................4Rehearse for safety .......................5Safety for lead burning ..................7Mixing chemicals safely ..................7

An Introduction to Lead Acid Batteries

The chemistry of lead acid batteries ..12Charging ....................................13Types of lead acid batteries ..........14Hybrid batteries — the ultrabattery ...16Life cycle of pasted vs. solid plates ...19Alloys vs. solid lead for

battery plates ........................20

Battery ComponentsBattery case ...............................22Plates .......................................24Straps ........................................24Terminal posts and

intercell connectors ................25

DESIGNING BATTERIESBasic Battery Design

System voltage ...........................29Packaging the battery ..................29Amp-hour capacity .......................29Choosing plate type .....................30Electrolyte and specific gravity ......32Battery cases .............................33SAMPLE

iii

Table of contents

Table of Contents continued on the next page

Table of Contents links have been disabled for this sample e-book. Purchase the full version of The Battery Builder’s Guide

Estimating Cell and Battery Output

Cell Voltage ................................38Amp-hour capacity .......................38Design parameters and characteristics

of Plante plates ........................38Estimating output by weight of

sheet lead .............................39Solid plate output table ................40Design parameters and characteristics

of pasted plates .......................41Calculate amp-hour capacity

by volume .............................42Pasted plates output table ............43Calculate weight of active material ...44Calculate amp-hour capacity

by weight ..............................44

ElectrolyteMeasuring specific gravity ............45Desirable range of sulfuric acid

concentration .........................46Electrolyte preparation .................48Mixing electrolyte solution ............50Determining electrolyte volume......52Calculate the specific gravity range ...52Calculate the total weight of

electrolyte per cell ..................53Calculate the volume of

electrolyte per cell ..................53Specific Gravity Table A................54Specific Gravity Table B................56SAMPLE

iv

Table of contents

Table of Contents continued on the next page

Table of Contents links have been disabled for this sample e-book. Purchase the full version of The Battery Builder’s Guide

REBUILDING and RECYCLING BATTERIES

Reconditioning and Rebuilding Batteries

Reconditioning vs rebuilding ........59Assessing discarded batteries ......60Reconditioning ...........................61Battery reconditioning by charging ...62Water treatment ..........................64Rebuilding batteries .....................66Battery malfunctions ....................66

Recycling Battery PartsWhat battery parts can be reused

or recycled? ..........................72Recycling lead for battery building ...73Draining the electrolyte ................77Opening the battery case .............81The mechanical approach .............82Applying heat ..............................83Assess the condition of the lid .......83

Separating the groups of plates .....86Repairing case covers ..................90Processing negative plates

for reuse ...............................91

LEAD CASTINGTools for Melting and Casting Lead

Stoves for melting lead .................94Crucibles ....................................95Heat and splash protection ...........97Other miscellaneous useful tools ...98

Lead for Foundry WorkMelting new lead .........................99Melting salvaged lead ................ 101

Making Molds for Lead CastingMaking forms ............................ 105Mold platforms .......................... 108SAMPLE

v

Table of contents

Table of Contents continued on the next page

Table of Contents links have been disabled for this sample e-book. Purchase the full version of The Battery Builder’s Guide

Making molds for lead casting, continuedRelease agents ........................ 110Plaster of paris ......................... 111Mixing plaster ........................... 112Pouring the mold ....................... 113Removing the pattern and form ... 113Cleaning and curing the mold ...... 115

Pouring the LeadPractice pouring ........................ 118Using flux ................................. 119Casting straps without slots ........ 120Casting straps with slots ............ 121Aligning the mold ...................... 123Melt and pour ........................... 125

Finishing Castings

Casting Connectors and SealsConnecting rods ........................ 131Casting pocket nuts ................... 133Casting sploot seals .................. 137

Casting PlatesMethods for casting plates .......... 141Making a plate mold .................. 142Release agent .......................... 145Melting the lead ........................ 145Measuring lead for the melt ........ 146Level the stove .......................... 147Simple plate mold ...................... 153Finishing the casting .................. 154Casting plates without a mold ..... 155

WORKING with SHEET LEADTools for Working Sheet Lead

Smoothing sheet lead ................ 162Making the cuts ......................... 164

Making Plates from Lead SheetSmoothing the lead .................... 166Finishing the plates ................... 177SAMPLE

vi

Table of contents

Table of Contents continued on the next page

Table of Contents links have been disabled for this sample e-book. Purchase the full version of The Battery Builder’s Guide

Adding Plate TextureSurface treatment for Plante plates .. 178

Preparing Plates from the Burning Rack

Making Plate Grids from Sheet Lead

PASTED PLATESMixing and Applying Paste

Using a binder .......................... 186Mixing in the electrolyte ............. 187Paste formula and preparation ..... 188Safety procedures ..................... 189Set up the work area ................. 192Pasting container ...................... 192Prepare the grid plate ................ 193Measuring the ingredients ......... 193Prepare the dry ingredients ........ 195Adding wet ingredients ............... 196Pasting the plates ...................... 198Curing and drying the grids ........ 199

LEAD BURNINGPlate Burning Rack

Design and function ................... 202Side slider rims ......................... 205Combs ..................................... 205Leveling feet ............................. 208Tools ....................................... 210Materials .................................. 211

Tools for Lead BurningTorches .................................... 212Putty for lead burning................. 213Preparing surfaces for burning .... 214Cleaning the work pieces ........... 214Lead wire ................................. 216Post molds ............................... 216SAMPLE

vii

Table of contents

Table of Contents continued on the next page

Table of Contents links have been disabled for this sample e-book. Purchase the full version of The Battery Builder’s Guide

Burning Lugs onto PlatesBurning lugs ............................. 218Laying in a melt ........................ 223

Burning Plates into GroupsSet up components in the rack .... 224Prepare the components ............ 226Set up heat shield cloth .............. 227Set up the containment dam ....... 227Final check ............................... 230The burn .................................. 231

BATTERY ASSEMBLYPlate Separators

Materials used for separators ...... 236Separator shape ........................ 236Ribbing .................................... 237Mesh ....................................... 238Making sleeve separators ........... 239

Battery AssemblyAssemble the elements .............. 247Fit and install the elements ......... 249Install the cover ........................ 254Add the electrolyte .................... 257

CHARGING and FORMINGPlate Forming

Forming and charging basics ...... 259Designated vs. actual voltage ...... 259Forming for Plante plates ........... 259Forming cycles .......................... 260Discharging .............................. 261Initial charging for pasted plates .. 264SAMPLE

viii

Table of contents

Table of Contents links have been disabled for this sample e-book. Purchase the full version of The Battery Builder’s Guide

Equipment for Forming and Charging

Charging from the grid ............... 265Manual chargers ....................... 266Smart chargers ......................... 267Charging multiple batteries ......... 267Chargers for either grid or solar .. 268Solar chargers .......................... 269

Charging and Forming Procedure

Sequence for charging ............... 273Discharging sequence for forming

Plante type plates ................ 276Next cycle for forming ................ 277Final charge ............................. 277Safety during forming and charging.. 278Gassing ................................... 278Equalization charges.................. 279Electrolyte levels ....................... 280

Wiring and ConnectorsFormulas for working with batteries . 285Tests, performance characteristics

and statistics ...................... 286

APPENDIXResources

Safety clothing and equipment guidelines ............ 291

Compliance Codes .................... 292Safety equipment and clothing .... 293Material Data Safety Sheets ....... 293

Materials and ToolsResin codes ............................. 294

Other Titles of Interest ....... 301

Table of contentsTable of contents

SAMPLE

18

Purchase the full version of The Battery Builder’s Guide by Phillip Hurley

spongifying the lead on each plate, which enhanc-es the performance of the cell. The porous sponge plates of Plante’s experimental cell produced about 7.25 amp-hours per pound of lead and had an effi-ciency of about 72%. Plante continued experiment-ing and improving on his lead acid cell for the next twenty years. Although the Plante batteries worked very well, they were not viable as a commercial offer-ing because the process for forming the plates took a long time.

In 1881 Émile Alphonse Fauré developed a differ-

ent process for plate preparation and drastically reduced the time it took to make plates. Rather than forming the solid plates by the tedious process of charging and de-charging through many cycles over many days, Fauré filled grids with the appropriate chemical compounds so that the batteries could be put into service after one ini-tial charge. This made the manufacture of lead acid bat-teries an economical enterprise, as they could be mass produced at a fast rate.

A solid plate, with scoring to increase surface area.

A pasted Fauré plate

An Introduction to Lead Acid Batteries

SAMPLE

25

Purchase the full version of The Battery Builder’s Guide by Phillip Hurley

Terminal posts for external connections

Internal intercell connections

Terminal posts and intercell connectors

Terminal posts are the visible lead posts that you see on batteries. The number of terminal posts on a bat-tery can vary. Most consumer batter-ies have two: one positive and the other negative. Most individual bat-tery cells within a case are

connected in series (positive to negative) to add voltage. The cells are connected via intercell connectors which can either be external or internal.

An Introduction to Lead Acid Batteries

SAMPLE

34

Purchase the full version of The Battery Builder’s Guide by Phillip Hurley

New vented flip-top caps for a recycled case lid

Case covers need to fit well and be sealed, and have ports with caps for fill-ing and venting. If you make your own covers, recycled caps can be used, which can save you some fabrication work. Or, you can purchase new caps like the flip-top vented caps shown in the photo.

Case covers can be sealed with Viton® caulk and then epoxied to retain the cover to the case. If heat is used for sealing or unsealing, here are the melting points for some commonly used materials:

Polypropylene — 320°F p

High density polyethylene — 248°F to 266°F p

Low density polyethylene — 221°F to 239°F p

Polyvinyl chloride — 413°F p

Basic Battery Design

SAMPLE

78

Purchase the full version of The Battery Builder’s Guide by Phillip Hurley

When everything is ready and in pplace, unscrew the caps from the battery cover and place the caps in a plastic container for cleaning.

Next, twist off the terminals with pa pair pliers. Terminals are easily removed in this manner. Place the terminals in a receptacle for cleaning and melting.

Recycling Battery Parts

SAMPLE

84

Purchase the full version of The Battery Builder’s Guide by Phillip Hurley

Removing the battery elements

Once the lid is off the case, remove the elements from the battery. If they have intercell connections, the elements will be attached to each other through the cell wells. To get the elements out of the cells you need to cut the intercell connecting rods. I usually use a thin chisel to bend the strap attachments away from the cell walls so that I can get at the connecting rods with the chisel. Then, hammer the chisel gently to sever the connecting rod between the intercell connectors. However you can do it, each element needs to be disconnected from the others so that you can remove it from the cell well.

Once the intercell connectors are cut, pull each element from the case. In some batteries the plates will have expanded so much that they become tightly retained in the case.

To test for removal, grab both of the group straps and pull straight upward. If they do not budge you may need pliers to grab the group straps. If the case tends to move upward as you pull the plates, you can use your feet to hold it in place while you lift the element.

Recycling Battery Parts

SAMPLE

175

Purchase the full version of The Battery Builder’s Guide by Phillip Hurley

The scribe lines are deepened with the linoleum knife, being careful not to stray from the scribe line. The linoleum knife deepens the cuts quite well if you work slowly.

The fanout knife is used to finish the cuts.

Making Plates from Lead Sheet

SAMPLE

231

Purchase the full version of The Battery Builder’s Guide by Phillip Hurley

The burn

Burning the lugs to the strap is pretty straightfor-ward. Start by melting the protruding lug tops down to the surface of the strap and then melt the lugs and strap together in one continuous melt. If you need to add lead to voids or to even out the surface you can do so with the welding wire while burning.

Burning Plates into Groups

SAMPLE

251

Purchase the full version of The Battery Builder’s Guide by Phillip Hurley

Adjust and align the holes in the intercell connectors with the holes in the cell walls and slip the threaded lead rods through the connec-tors and cell wall.

Test the pocket nuts on the threaded rods to see if the connection is tight. If they are a bit

loose, add a thin lead connecting seal over the threads (see page 137). Press the seals onto the threads. Be careful not to drop the seals into the cell well, otherwise you will have to remove the element and retrieve the lost seal.

Battery Assembly

SAMPLE

301

Other e-book titles available from

Wheelock Mountain Publications:

Build Your Own Solar Panel by Phillip Hurley

Solar II by Phillip Hurley

Build a Solar Hydrogen Fuel Cell System by Phillip Hurley

Solar Supercapacitor Applications by Phillip Hurley

Practical Hydrogen Systems by Phillip Hurley

Build Your Own Fuel Cells by Phillip Hurley

Solar Hydrogen Chronicles edited by Walt Pyle

Tesla: the Lost Inventions by George Trinkaus

Tesla Coil by George Trinkaus

Radio Tesla by George Trinkaus

Wheelock Mountain Publications is an imprint of

Good Idea Creative Services 324 Minister Hill Road

Wheelock VT 05851

SAMPLE