Immobilized electrolyte lead-acid battery technologies for the Telecommunications Industry

A program to test immobilized lead-acid battery technologies for the CEV (controlled environmental vault) application was devised and initiated by Bellcore using Argonne National Laboratory staff and facilities. The test program was structured to operate cells within environmental conditions likely to be encountered in CEVs and to continuously test for gas emissions. The discharge capacity of cells was also to be determined over the likely range of operation of the cells. Additional diagnostic work to understand the poor gas recombination and low capacity of some cells was included in the program, as well as tests designed to further characterize the cell's performance for the CEV application (coup-de-fouet, low-temperature rechargeability, etc.). Significant findings from the test program are presented. Although the test program revealed serious shortcomings with both existing technologies, it also showed methods of overcoming the problems of gassing and low capacity.<>