Lightweight Lead Acid Battery with High Power 2004-01-3208

The aircraft industry demands high power batteries for auxiliary power unit (APU) and engine start. The power demands for these applications are met lead acid battery, however, these batteries are bulky and heavy. One of the important criteria for selecting an aircraft battery is its weight. There is an acute need for a lead acid battery, which can supply the power and energy demands of the application but also be lightweight. In this paper we present the use of lead coated Aluminum (Al) grids which result in a lightweight lead acid battery. The battery with lead (Pb) coated Al grids are 15% lighter in weight when compared to conventional lead acid battery. The results on capacity, high rate and cycle life of batteries made from lead coated Al grids is presented and discussed in detail in this paper.