Fibrous Mat Battery Separator for Acid Stratification and Shedding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Enhanced flooded lead acid batteries face challenges such as acid stratification, increased internal resistance, and reduced cycle life due to antimony poisoning and active material shedding, which affect their performance and longevity, especially in start/stop applications.
Innovation Solution
A porous membrane separator with a fibrous mat and ribbed structure is used, incorporating performance-enhancing additives and coatings, increased porosity, and higher silanol group silica to improve retention of active material and reduce electrical resistance, thereby preventing acid stratification and shedding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional separators are used in enhanced flooded lead acid batteries, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but acid stratification occurs and cycle life decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The separator is constructed as a composite material combining a microporous polyolefin base layer with a fibrous mat layer containing silica particles and performance-enhancing additives. This composite structure prevents acid stratification and active material shedding while maintaining manufacturing feasibility, thereby extending cycle life without excessive complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The separator incorporates localized functional zones: the fibrous mat layer with high silanol group silica is positioned at specific locations to enhance active material retention, while performance-enhancing additives are concentrated in regions where acid stratification is most problematic. This targeted approach improves reliability without uniformly increasing complexity throughout the entire separator
2Power
If separator porosity is increased to reduce internal resistance, then cold cranking amps improve, but mechanical strength decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The separator utilizes a microporous polyolefin base layer with optimized porosity to reduce internal resistance and improve cold cranking amps. The porous structure allows efficient ion transport while the polyolefin matrix maintains adequate mechanical strength through its three-dimensional network
Solution Approach 2:
The fibrous mat layer is incorporated as a reinforcement component in the composite separator structure. This mat layer provides mechanical strength to compensate for the reduced strength caused by increased porosity in the microporous base layer, enabling the separator to simultaneously achieve high cold cranking amps and sufficient mechanical integrity
3Reliability
If performance-enhancing additives and coatings are applied to the separator, then active material retention improves, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The separator incorporates performance-enhancing additives and high silanol group silica in optimized concentrations within the fibrous mat layer. These parameter optimizations improve active material retention through enhanced surface properties and chemical interactions, while the standardized incorporation process maintains manufacturing ease
Solution Approach 2:
The performance-enhancing additives and silica are integrated into the fibrous mat layer during the composite manufacturing process rather than applied as separate post-processing steps. This consolidation into a single composite structure improves active material retention while avoiding additional manufacturing complexity that would arise from multi-step coating or treatment processes
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
The solution effectively reduces acid stratification, increases cold cranking amps, and enhances battery life by maintaining active material retention and lowering internal resistance, improving the overall performance of enhanced flooded lead acid batteries.
Implementation Method 1
higher silanol group silica to improve retention of active material
Implementation Method 2
reducing electrical resistance
Implementation Method 3
preventing acid stratification
Implementation Method 4
porous membrane separator with a fibrous mat
Data Source
AI summary
In at least one embodiment, a separator is provided with a fibrous mat for retaining the active material on an electrode of a lead-acid battery. New or improved mats, separators, batteries, methods, and/or systems are also disclosed, shown, claimed, and/or provided. For example, in at least one possibly preferred embodiment, a composite separator is provided with a fibrous mat for retaining the active material on an electrode of a lead-acid battery. In at least one possibly particularly preferred embodiment, a PE membrane separator is provided with at least one fibrous mat for retaining the active material on an electrode of a lead-acid battery. In accordance with at least certain embodiments, aspects and/or objects, the present invention, application, or disclosure may provide solutions, new products, improved products, new methods, and/or improved methods, and/or may address issues, needs, and/or problems of PAM shedding, NAM shedding, electrode distortion, active material shedding, active material loss, and/or physical separation, electrode effectiveness, battery performance, battery life, and/or cycle life, and/or may provide new battery separators, new battery technology, and/or new battery methods and/or systems that address the challenges arising from current lead acid batteries or battery systems, especially new battery separators, new battery technology, and/or new battery methods and/or systems adapted to prevent or impede the shedding of active material from the electrodes, preferably or particularly in enhanced flooded lead acid batteries, PSoC batteries, ISS batteries, ESS batteries, and/or the like.