What are the fundamental principles of a traction battery or forklift battery?
A lead acid battery stores electrical power in chemical form, and consists of two or more cells. Each cell comprises two dissimilar compounds of lead, immersed in dilute sulphuric acid. In its fully charged state, the active material of the positive plate is lead dioxide, and that of the negative plate, porous or spongy lead. A lead acid battery is a “secondary battery” in that it can be discharged and recharged a number of times before reaching the end of its life. This is because the chemical reaction which takes place in a lead acid battery is reversible. (Primary batteries, such as zinc/manganese dioxide batteries widely used in torches, radios etc. cannot be recharged and have to be discarded once discharged). When a cell is discharged, the sulphuric acid reacts with the active materials on the positive and negative plates. From the reaction on the spongy lead of the negative plate, electrons are liberated, whilst electrons are absorbed by the reaction on the lead dioxide on the p
