Lead-Acid Battery Formation Plant Temperature Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Traditional lead-acid battery formation plants lack uniform temperature control, resulting in non-uniform electrolyte levels and varying cooling conditions across batteries, leading to inconsistent charging outcomes.

Innovation Solution

A plant design incorporating a cold water reservoir and recirculation system within the tank, allowing for rapid temperature adjustments during different charging phases, and utilizing countercurrent recirculation to regulate water acidity and reduce coolant reliance, ensuring consistent battery charging.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Temperature

If traditional external water sources are used for tank filling, then the plant structure is simpler, but uniform temperature control across all batteries cannot be guaranteed

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetemperature uniformityVSAvoidplant structure
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The cold water reservoir is nested directly within the tank structure, with the reservoir positioned inside the tank volume. This integration allows the reservoir to occupy internal space rather than requiring separate external infrastructure, achieving uniform temperature control while minimizing structural complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The tank is segmented into functional zones: a cold water reservoir section and a battery immersion section. This segmentation allows independent temperature control of the cooling water supply while maintaining the overall tank structure, resolving the contradiction between temperature uniformity and structural simplicity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Productivity

If cold water reservoir is directly incorporated in the plant, then temperature regulation becomes rapid and uniform, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetemperature regulation speedVSAvoidplant structure
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The cold water reservoir is merged with the tank structure as an integrated component rather than a separate system. This combination enables rapid temperature regulation by eliminating external water supply delays while the merged structure minimizes the complexity increase to acceptable levels

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Loss of energy

If water circulation between reservoir and scrubber is used, then coolant dependency is reduced and costs decrease, but acidity control becomes more critical

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecoolant consumptionVSAvoidacidity control
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system establishes a feedback loop where water circulates between the reservoir and scrubber/evaporation tower, with the scrubber continuously monitoring and adjusting water acidity. This feedback mechanism maintains reliability by automatically correcting acidity variations while reducing external coolant dependency

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The scrubber/evaporation tower assembly performs self-service by continuously treating the circulation water to maintain proper acidity levels. This self-regulating system reduces coolant consumption while maintaining reliability through automatic acidity control rather than requiring external intervention

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This solution enables rapid and uniform temperature regulation, stabilizes negative plates during charging, and reduces overall costs by minimizing external coolant needs, resulting in batteries with optimal charge levels and reduced risk of plate degradation.

Implementation Method 1

the presence of the cold water reservoir, directly incorporated in the plant which includes the tank in which the batteries are immersed, has the advantage of allowing modification, in a rapid practically instantaneous way, of the temperature of the water inside said tank

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Implementation Method 2

use of countercurrent recirculation between the air extracted from the reservoir and the tank overflow water contribute to cooling the water in said reservoir

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCountercurrent heat exchange: Heat Exchanger

Implementation Method 3

regulate in continuous mode the acidity of the water circulating between the reservoir and the scrubber/evaporation tower assembly

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectEvaporation: Evaporation

Implementation Method 4

exploitation of the cooled condensate coming from the cited scrubber/evaporation tower assembly

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCondensation: Condensation

Data Source

PatentEP3226341B1Improved plant for the formation of lead-acid batteries and process for the formation of lead-acid batteries by means of said plant
Publication Date: 2019.08.21 O M IMPIANTI SRL
  • EP3226341B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3226341B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3226341B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A plant for the formation of lead-acid batteries, of the type comprising at least one tank (7) supported by a frame (8) and filled with water in which said batteries are immersed. According to the invention, this plant is provided with a system for control and regulation of the temperature of the water contained in said tank (7), thus bringing said batteries (1) to their correct temperature during the individual phases of their formation process. In relation to the traditional plants for the formation of lead-acid batteries, the plant of the invention offers the advantage of ensuring rapid regulation of the battery temperature, thus adapting it to the individual formation phases inside the tank.