Page 59 - North American Clean Energy July/August 2019 Issue

Battery Design
Bipolar lead battery test results demonstrate improved AGM battery lifecycle in the range of 3-4x, while also improving energy density by 40 percent. Several top global lead battery manufacturers are taking advantage of this newer technology.
Lead-Carbon Technologies
Advanced carbon technologies are substantially improving charge acceptance and cycle life in many applications. ere are several carbon suppliers that are improving battery performance without sacri cing on other
factors such as safety, reliability, sustainability, or costs. Specialized carbon materials improve durability and performance of batteries for hybrid and electric vehicles, and for grid-level electricity storage.
Lead Oxide Technologies
Lead battery manufacturers are the biggest consumers of lead, with di erent types of oxide to meet speci c product characteristics such as acid absorption, water absorption, and tamped density values related to the reactivity of the oxide.
Electrolytes
Since the invention of lead batteries, sulfuric acid has been the electrolyte used as the third active material, but this is one area where innovation can transform the lead battery for the 21st century. Electrochemical cyclometric tests have shown that replacing the sulfuric acid in lead batteries reduces parasitic reactions on both positive and negative electrodes, and may o er signi cant performance improvements on several critical lead battery performance parameters including water loss, charge/discharge resistance, and self discharge.
e lead battery technology innovations in bipolar battery design and materials - including carbons,
lead oxides, and electrolytes - has
the potential to improve lead battery performance in deep cycle stationary storage applications by 5 to 10x in the next few years as these technologies are realized in volume commercial products.
Lead batteries have proven their e ectiveness for 160 years because they get the job done simply and e ciently. Furthermore, this established and mature market is on the verge of real transformation. e future of the lead battery industry is as promising – and electrifying – as any of the newer technologies on the market.
Paul Bundschuh is CEO of Tydrolyte, which innovated an electrolyte solution for automotive and stationary storage
lead battery manufacturers. Tydrolyte’s chemistry replaces toxic sulfuric
acid in lead batteries for safe and sustainable energy storage.
Tydrolyte /// www.tydrolyte.com
Plug and play lithium ion battery
Iron Edison introduces its newest lithium battery for solar, the 4LiFe Lithium Ion Battery, which can be used as a direct replacement for lead acid batteries. e 4LiFe Battery is designed to simplify battery installation with its plug-and-play design. e 4LiFe battery can add battery to an existing solar installation, and can be used for a new o -grid or grid-tied solar system coupled with energy storage. ere
is a variety of sizes available, starting at 100Ah at 48V (4.8kWh), and
is also available in 200Ah 48V (9.6kWh), and 300Ah 48V (14.4kWh). e 4LiFe battery can operate in parallel from two to twenty units to achieve up to 6,000Ah at 48V equalling 288kWh of energy storage. e 4LiFe batteries come with an integrated battery management system, that allows the battery to charge and discharge at a super fast rate. Iron Edison's 4LiFe lithium battery utilizes safe Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) chemistry. e Iron Edison 4LiFe batteries can be used in commercial solar applications, residential solar with battery, boats, and RV's. e 4LiFe lithium batteries from Iron Edison are compatible with all inverters and charge controllers such as Schneider Electric, Outback Power, Magnum Energy, MidNite Solar, and SMA. is helps solar installers to save time hunting for compatible parts, giving them a faster and more convenient installation experience. From a practical perspective, the 4LiFe batteries are lightweight and can be easily moved around. is Iron Edison 4LiFe battery has an expected cycle life of 7500+ cycles at 80% DoD. e 4LiFe lithium battery also comes with a 10-year warranty, and lifetime technical support.
Iron Edison Battery Company
/// www.ironedison.com
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