Soluble Content AGM Separators for VRLA Battery Acid Fill
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional absorbent glass mat (AGM) separators in VRLA batteries face challenges with slow acid filling due to reduced porosity after compression, leading to increased production costs, reduced battery capacity, and potential sulfation of negative plates, which affects battery performance and cycle life.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating soluble content such as fibers, flakes, or particles into the AGM separators that dissolve upon contact with water or acid, creating additional pores and enhancing porosity, allowing for faster acid filling and improved wettability without compromising compression integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If AGM separators are compressed to maintain structural integrity and prevent plate shedding, then mechanical strength is improved, but porosity is reduced leading to slow acid filling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates soluble content (such as water-soluble polymers or salts) into the AGM separator during manufacturing, before compression. This preliminary action ensures that when the separator is later exposed to acid during battery operation, the soluble content dissolves to create additional pores, thereby resolving the contradiction between maintaining compression for strength and ensuring sufficient porosity for fast acid filling.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical-chemical parameters of the separator by introducing soluble content that transforms from solid to dissolved state upon acid exposure. This parameter change dynamically adjusts the porosity of the compressed separator, allowing it to maintain high mechanical strength in compressed form while rapidly increasing porosity when acid is introduced, thus improving acid filling speed without sacrificing structural integrity.
2Volume of moving object
If AGM separators are compressed to reduce thickness and improve battery compactness, then volume is reduced, but porosity decreases leading to reduced battery capacity
Solution Approach 1:
The soluble content is pre-incorporated into the AGM separator structure during manufacturing, before compression and before battery assembly. This preliminary incorporation allows the separator to maintain low thickness and high compactness while containing the potential for porosity enhancement that will be activated later upon acid exposure, thus resolving the contradiction between reduced volume and maintained electrolyte capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs parameter changes where the soluble content transforms upon acid exposure, dynamically increasing the effective porosity and electrolyte-holding capacity of the compressed separator. This allows the battery to achieve compact volume through compression while the soluble content's transformation ensures sufficient electrolyte capacity is maintained or enhanced during operation.
3Reliability
If AGM separators use traditional insoluble materials to ensure chemical stability, then reliability is improved, but acid filling time is extended due to reduced porosity after compression
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite AGM separator structure combining traditional insoluble glass fibers (providing chemical stability and structural integrity) with soluble content materials (such as water-soluble polymers or salts). This composite approach allows the separator to maintain high chemical stability from the insoluble base while the soluble component dissolves upon acid exposure to create additional pores, thereby reducing acid filling time without sacrificing reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces parameter changes by incorporating materials that undergo solubility transformation upon acid exposure. The soluble content transitions from a solid state (maintaining structural integrity during compression) to a dissolved state (creating additional pores for fast acid filling). This parameter change resolves the contradiction between maintaining chemical stability through insoluble materials and reducing acid filling time through enhanced porosity.
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 approach significantly reduces acid fill time, enhances battery capacity, and extends cycle life by ensuring efficient electrolyte distribution and preventing sulfation, while maintaining the structural integrity of the battery.
Implementation Method 1
Incorporating soluble content such as fibers, flakes, or particles into the AGM separators that dissolve upon contact with water or acid, creating additional pores and enhancing porosity
Implementation Method 2
The absorbent glass mat, which may be either woven or nonwoven, both holds the electrolyte and functions as a separator
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
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Figure 5~6
AI summary
Disclosed herein are soluble content absorbent glass mats or AGM separators for VRLA, AGM, or VRLA AGM batteries. Such glass mats may be prepared from insoluble glass fibers blended with soluble content materials. Upon exposure to a suitable solvent, the dissolving or solvating of the soluble content produces voids within the glass mat. The voids enhance the absorption of the solvent within the glass mat. The soluble content may be acid-soluble glass fibers or microfibers.