Lithium-ion batteries will replace the lead acid battery in future
China’s environmental ministry ordered tight controls of lead acid battery units and recyclers following reports of poisoning incidents in Zhejiang and Guangdong provinces. Battery production accounts for about 70 percent of China’s domestic lead consumption, estimated at about 4.1 million tons in 2011. The industry has repeatedly been the subject of environmental concerns in recent years. So some R&D teams imagine that Lithium-ion batteries are likely to replace lead acid battery.
Alternatives to short lived, toxic lead acid traction batteries, with their indifferent performance, have been sought for over 100 years. Now both lithium-ion batteries and super capacitors are near to replacing lead acid traction batteries in the many traction applications where they are still used
Lead acid batteries are the favorites for light commercial vehicles, golf cars, surface boats, material handling vehicles such as forklifts, airport ground support equipment GSE, e-bikes and mobility vehicles for the disabled. Actually, these vehicles do not form a coherent group when it comes to their needs for traction energy storage. It is true that they are all tolerant of limited range. People still buy them even when their range is only 5-20 miles. However, the weight of the lead acid battery in a golf car, surface boat, GSE and large mobility vehicle keeps the centre of gravity low so they do not fall over: with land vehicles the weight can also assist grip on the road.
Physically, it will be possible to have drop in replacement lithium-ion batteries for mobility vehicles but they will then be unstable in most cases and a broader wheelbase or other stabilisation may be needed. The exceptions will be electric wheelchairs and those very lightweight folding or dismantling 3 and 4 wheel mobility scooters that fit in even small cars. The others will need redesign, say with a wider wheelbase or steel or, ironically, lead weighting. After all, the obese are often perched high on these mobile seats. Indeed standardised lead acid replacements have arrived. Market-leading lithium ion and lithium iron phosphate (LFP) product is rated at 24 volts 9.6 Ah, making it a replacement for buyers of lead-acid seeking a lighter, stronger, more robust solution allowing longer run times. It weighs 5.5 pounds (2.5kg) and the sales pitch points out that it does not contain expensive and hazardous heavy metals or dangerous chemicals typical of other chemistries, making it a more environmentally benign battery. Results show that, when used properly, the batteries charge faster and last three to five times longer than conventional batteries, and hold their charge even after being in storage for long periods of time.
If the burgeoning lithium-ion scene is not enough for the lead acid people to worry about they should consider super capacitors, referred to as ultra capacitors by those using them across electric batteries in buses. Super capacitors help with fast charge and discharge of lithium-ion batteries in particular but they have not stored enough energy per unit of volume or weight, or even stored it long enough, to impinge on traction batteries themselves.
However, supercapacitors have been rapidly improving. They tend to have no toxic materials or elements subject to price hikes such as the cobalt in most lithium-ion traction batteries used today and double the life of lithium-ion batteries and treble the life of lead acid battery is typical. Their previously rapid self discharge and poor energy density have been improving. Many new applications open up every step of the way such as mobile phone cameras with long distance flash.
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