Lead Battery Case Horizontal Cell Orientation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional lead battery designs with vertical cell orientation suffer from acid stratification, reduced capacity and service life, complex cabling, and increased maintenance requirements, particularly due to the 2x3 compartment arrangement and thick sidewalls needed for absorbent glass mat compression.
Innovation Solution
A case system with a six-sided cuboid shape and horizontal cell orientation, featuring reduced exterior wall thickness and increased compartment volume, along with a cover wall with gas vents and terminal feedthroughs, simplifies production and installation, and reduces acid stratification and material costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If cells are arranged vertically with top-down lead orientation, then terminal access is simplified, but acid stratification occurs leading to decreased capacity and service life
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional vertical cell arrangement by implementing horizontal cell orientation with side-access terminals. Instead of leads extending top-down through the cell, terminals are now accessible from the side of the case, fundamentally reversing the traditional architecture to eliminate acid stratification while maintaining operational simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a vertical dimension arrangement (top-down leads) to a horizontal dimension arrangement (side-access terminals). This dimensional shift repositions the terminal access from the vertical axis to the horizontal axis, eliminating the gravitational stratification effect while preserving electrical connectivity
2Quantity of substance
If 2x3 compartment arrangement is used, then battery density is improved, but thick sidewalls are required for compression leading to increased material usage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a symmetric 2x3 compartment arrangement to an asymmetric single-row configuration. This asymmetric layout eliminates the need for multiple internal division planes, thereby reducing the total wall material required while maintaining effective compression of the absorbent glass mat through optimized single-directional force application
Solution Approach 2:
The patent resegments the battery compartments from a 2x3 grid into a single linear row arrangement. This segmentation strategy reduces the number of internal walls required from five division planes to just two end walls, significantly reducing material usage while preserving the six-compartment functionality
3Adaptability or versatility
If complex cabling arrangements are used to connect batteries in rack, then terminal flexibility is improved, but installation complexity and short circuit risk increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements universal side-access terminals that can be connected in straightforward linear sequences, making the same terminal configuration suitable for all battery connections in a rack. This universal design eliminates the need for complex, customized cabling arrangements while maintaining flexibility for series, parallel, or hybrid configurations
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 enhances battery capacity and service life by minimizing acid stratification, simplifies cabling and connection, and reduces material and manufacturing costs while maintaining effective compression of absorbent glass mats at elevated temperatures.
Implementation Method 1
the top down arrangement of the cell leads, due to the large vertical height of the cells, to stratification of the sulfuric acid
Implementation Method 2
designed with absorbent glass mats to have the acid in an absorbed state on glass fibers
Implementation Method 3
Gas pressure increases, when hydrogen and oxygen are produced through electrolysis
Implementation Method 4
hydrogen and oxygen are produced through electrolysis
Data Source
Figure 1a~1b
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
A case system for lead batteries is provided. The case system has an essentially six sided cuboid shape comprising two pairs of parallel sidewalls (110, 110', 111, 111') perpendicular to each other. Each pair of sidewalls defines two opposite surfaces of the essentially cuboid shape and further defines an interior volume inside the case system. The case system comprises a further pair of parallel sidewalls, each of them perpendicular to the sidewalls above and each with a surface area larger than that of any one of the surface areas of the above sidewalls. One of the sidewalls is arranged as a separate cover wall (106) for sealing the case system. At least one division plane is further comprised in the case system. The division plane divides said interior volume, such as to form a plurality of compartments (104), each for storing an electrical cell (105). All division planes are perpendicular to the cover wall (106). Further, an electrical cell, a lead battery and a lead battery layout comprising the above are shown. The case allows the positioning of the electrode plates horizontally.