Innovative valve-regulated battery designs rekindle excitement in lead/acid battery technology

Recent innovative approaches to the extension of valve-regulated lead/acid (VRLA) technology have led to the development of several unique products that possess performance attributes not previously achieved in lead/acid technologies, namely: (i) starting, lighting, ignition (SLI) VRLA batteries; (ii) StackPack(TM) foil batteries, and (iii) spiral-wound Thin Metal Film (TMF(TM)) batteries. The VRLA automotive product has been demonstrated to be capable of improving on the durability of conventional flooded designs in extreme high-temperature climate and extreme drive-cycle operating conditions. In uninterruptible power supply (CPS) applications, the StackPack(TM) battery, at a 15-min discharge rate has delivered 23.3 Wh kg(-1) and 1090 Wh l(-1) as compared with 16.0 Wh kg(-1) and 595 Wh l(-1) for traditional designs. TMF(TM) prototypes have exhibited power capability of an order of magnitude higher than conventional VRLA designs and have been utilized successfully in a vehicle for seven months and over 31 000 km (19 200 miles). (C) 1997 Published by Elsevier Science S.A.