CONDUCTIVITY MODEL FOR LEAD-ACID-BATTERY ELECTRODES DISCHARGED AT LOW RATES

A computer program was developed to model the conductivity of lead/acid battery electrodes during low rate discharges. The program is used to estimate the capacity of electrodes when they are limited by conductivity. Computer generated data shows good agreement with experimental capacity data obtained from testing both positive and negative electrodes at low discharge rates. These electrodes had different amounts of a non-conductive filler, glass microspheres, added to the paste. The observed correlation between the model and the experimental data supports the theory that conductivity of the active material in the electrodes is the low rate, capacity-limiting mechanism for lead/acid batteries.