Lead Acid Battery

  1. I had first invested in a lead acid battery (Exide battery-Champion-Rs.4500, 15 Kg) in year 2012, mainly  to run the television when there is no current. With Sukam Inverter-150 Watt (-Rs.1500), it used to give me a power for half an hour. But I couldn't use it for longer time, as for jobs, I had to be away from house for many months. The battery got in the discharged condition. An electrician told me to wash it with hot water and salt and then fill it with dilute sulfuric acid (1250 concentration, price of 1 lit around Rs.20). But in mental confusion I couldn't work on his advice and  later in financial stress I sold it to a scrap buyer in Rs.700. 
  2. Later in year 2018, when Gods of wealth again became happy on me, then I again invested in the lead acid battery (Amaron Black-BL 900 LMF- 90 Ampere hour, Rs.5800), for running the Desktop computer system along with a UPS. But making it to work with the Squared wave Sukam inverter was not satisfying me.  In year 2020, with investment from my wife, I was able to purchase Microtek UPS SEBz 800 VA Pure Sine Wave Inverter (Rs.3353). Battery backup was near to an hour. After around 8 months the battery backup decreased a lot. On 15 September 2020, adding Battery vaccine Battery vaccine from Amazon, helped me to get a back up of 30-45 minutes.  I was adding distilled water in interval of 4-6 months, depending on the usage.
  3. On 22nd April 2021, I found the battery backup around 34 minutes, even after adding the distilled water. with continuous cycles of recharge and usage, the battery backup decreased to 25 minutes and then soon to 10 minutes. 
  4. Cell Reaction: Pb(s) + PbO 2(s) + 2H 2SO 4(aq) → 2PbSO 4(s) + 2H 2O(l) 
    https://www.concordia.ca/


  5. On 27th April 2022, I washed the battery with available Sodium chloride, little Sodium carbonate and water from the hand pump. Kindly note that adding NaCl to the battery releases Chlorine gas which is dangerous. Adding Na2Co3 releases Co2 gas which is safe. Then I felt that washing out the Sodium-sulfate from the battery will be necessary and so I did that. I had very less cash in hand so based on the situation I took risk and used the available resource. Sodium ions are good in removing sulfate from the lead plates. The reaction demands time, say 12 hours, but I gave just few hours. Hot water accelerates the reaction. 
  6. I added the available dilute sulfuric acid, around 750 ml, along with hand pump water around 5 Litres. The battery was not taking charge, but I connected it with the charger from the inverter. 
  7. I had connected the UPS directly to the output from the inverter. The inverter prefers charging of battery over the power supply to the UPS. Having an automatic stabilizer connected to the inverter and then the UPS connected to the stabilizer is good, and balances the power distribution, but my budget was lacking money to have the automatic stabilizer. 
  8. When the inverter was not able to charge the battery, it acted as an stabilizer for the UPS and thus gave it a better power supply.  
  9. On morning hours of 10th May 2021, to my surprise, the battery started taking charge. 
  10. But Success is far! Charging and "accumulation of charge to be released when required" are too different things. Just charging, is loss of energy and money. 
  11. Cycles of poverty and richness is part of our life. I got money to buy distilled water-5 liters@Rs.50 and Magnesium salt from internet, with home delivery-1 Kg-Rs.155-12 days. Through online education,  I had learnt about use of Epsom salt as electrolyte, in reviving the dead lead acid battery. 
  12. On 13th May 2021, when I found no proper charge accumulation in the battery, and just taking charge, I thought to change the electrolyte. 1 mole/liter of electrolyte was the suggested concentration. I prepared 5 Liters of the electrolyte, for which 5 Moles of MgSO4 came as 602 gms. Some suggested calculation was 708.75 gms, to be dissolved in a hot water. I dissolved 750 gms in 5 liters of hot water. After throwing out the content of the battery, I added the newly formed electrolyte. Optimum charging suggestion was 8 hours. 
  13. To charge a dead battery a Inverter has to do many hard work and for a long time. Weak inverters without exhaust fan, will not be able to tolerate and will burn. While strong inverter with exhaust fan can do the work. I felt that when the Inverter is taking more time to charge the battery, it indicates that there are more free Sulphate ions in the battery, which needs to be neutralized, preferably by Sodium carbonate. 
  14. On 16th May, I found the battery heated up and no improvement in the charge. I opened the battery with a Rs.2 Coin and added 25 gms of Na2CO3 (baking soda) in each cells (6 total cells) of the battery. There was good effervescence due to release of CO2 gas, some water loss was also for which I added some water with a funnel in the battery, and kept it for charge.
  15. On 17th, when I found no improvement in the battery's function, I thrown out the electrolyte and added hand pump water and kept it for charging. Charging is there, but no accumulation of charge.
  16. I am still optimistic for the revival , but to save electric wastage, I am removing the charging for some time. Strategy of staggered charging then the continuous, so as to prevent over heating of battery, getting of the inverter  in work stress, and wastage of electric current.
  17. Washing the battery with purchased distilled water is costly. So I haave collected some rain water to wash the battery and fill it with 2 liters of sulphuric acid (of 1250 concentration) and 2 litres of distilled water and allow it to recharge. 
  18. In November 2021, I have no budget for the Lead acid battery. 
  19. Around 60% of the Lead Acid battery is the Lead. Weight of a Lead acid battery is around 30 Kg. That is, I have 18 Kg of lead. MCX Price of Lead is around Rs.182/Kg. So If I get correct price for my Lead acid battery, it will be around Rs. 3,276/-. 
  20. Selling the battery to the near scrap shop will give just Rs.500-1500. 
  21. Lead acid batery can be good to harvest solar+/wind energies. Since I am plannning to harvest these energies, Holding the battery will be economical for me. 
  22. Most lithium-ion batteries are 95 percent efficient or more, meaning that 95 percent or more of the energy stored in a lithium-ion battery is actually able to be used. Conversely, lead acid batteries see efficiencies closer to 80 to 85 percent. So even if I purchase a low ampere hour (say 10-30 AH) Lithium ion battery for my office, it will be economically cheap and efficient then buying a new Lead acid battery. 
  23. New decisions will be based on the availabilty of cash and necessities. 

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