| RSS Web Feed for Renewable Energy UK | REUK Shop | Bookmark Site | About Us  

Battery Desulfation



Battery Desulfation

Find out how to desulfate/desulphate and rejuvenate lead acid batteries

storage
Printer Friendly Version Print Article     

Battery sulfation takes place when a Lead Acid Battery discharges. The lead from the plates combines with the electrolyte (dilute sulphuric acid) to make lead sulfate. When the battery is recharged this process is reversed however, some of the lead sulphate will crystalise on the lead plates. The deeper the battery is discharged, the more the lead sulphate is likely to crystalise acting as an insulator and reducing the plate area in contact with electrolyte. Over time this build up of lead sulphate crystals will kill the battery.

The lead sulphate crystals are firmly attached to the lead plates and so it is not easy to remove them and recondition a battery. As more and more crystallisation occurs, the voltage required to shift the crystals also increases. But, if you were to put high voltage through the battery it would overheat and potentially explode. However it is possible using high voltage pulse conditioning to dissolve the lead sulphate back into the electolyte. By pulsing the high voltage, only the sulphate crystals are affected and the battery does not heat up.

Every lead acid battery has a resonant frequency if around 2 to 6 megahertz. If a pulse of sufficient energy electricity is sent into a lead acid battery, rhythmic beating of the plates will cause the crystalline deposits to be broken up and the sulphate returned to the electrolyte solution. This process can take a matter or weeks during which time the battery must be trickle charged (in parallel with the desulphator). Strangely the voltage measure across the battery terminals will drop as the desulphation takes place as the internal resistance of the cells is reduced by the clearing of the crystals on the lead plates.

The following PDF document contains plans, instructions for making a Lead Acid Battery Desulfator which has been made by tens of thousands of people.

Sulphation within a lead acid battery

Desulfator circuit

Desulphation will not return batteries with a shorted cell, or worn out plates back to their former glory, but it is a valuable tool for anyone depending on battery storage for power or who cannot afford to buy new batteries.

See also: Introduction to Battery Desulfation.

Article Last Modified: 11:25, 26th Mar 2008


Recommended Related Articles

People who read this article also enjoyed the following articles:

DIY 2kW Wind Turbine
Read about a home built 2kW wind turbine constructed from scrap
Article Last Modified: 08:46, 4th Oct 2007
wind | recycling

Solar Greenhouse Heat Sink
Find out how to make a solar powered heatsink for your greenhouse
Article Last Modified: 11:32, 24th Jun 2008
solar | general

Make a Simple Battery Status Monitor
Monitor battery status with this easy electric circuit project - no skill required!
Article Last Modified: 12:33, 16th Mar 2007
storage | electric circuit

Greenhouse Heatsink Connection Diagram
Putting together a solar powered greenhouse heatsink system
Article Last Modified: 13:18, 30th Jun 2008
solar | heating | general

Interconnecting Batteries for Battery Bank
Find out how best to connect batteries together into a battery bank
Article Last Modified: 13:53, 23rd Feb 2007
storage

Build a Concentrated Solar Water Heater
Plans for building a cheap advanced solar water heating system
Article Last Modified: 10:14, 12th Apr 2007
heating | solar | water

Deep Cycle Batteries For Sale
Buy a deep cycle battery for your solar or wind system
Article Last Modified: 13:18, 30th Jun 2008
storage | shopping

Lead Acid Batteries
Introduction to lead acid battery technology
Article Last Modified: 13:58, 23rd Feb 2007
storage

Permanent Magnet Generator
Build a wind or water power system with around a PM Generator
Article Last Modified: 17:33, 2nd Jan 2008
wind | hydro

Thermosyphon Solar Water Heating
Find out how a Thermosyphon Solar Water Heating System works
Article Last Modified: 12:10, 7th Jun 2008
heating | solar | water

© 2006-2008 REUK - All Rights Reserved
Page Last Updated on 3rd July 2008 at 01:32:13pm

Latest
Articles


Uniross Rechargeable Batteries and Chargers
Find out more about the Uniross range of rechargeable batteries and battery chargers
storage
13:32, 3rd Jul 2008

C and D sized Rechargeable Batteries
Find out where to buy true high capacity C and D sized cells
storage
13:27, 3rd Jul 2008

Can You Run Your Car On Biodiesel
Is your vehicle suitable for running on biodiesel?
biomass
16:40, 2nd Jul 2008

Simple Sump Pump Controller
Put together a sump pump controller with two float switches and NO electronics
water
16:02, 2nd Jul 2008

Sump Pump Control System
Put together a fully automatic system to reliably pump out the water collected in a sump pit
water
16:02, 2nd Jul 2008

Energy Efficient Driving
Find out how to drive your car most efficiently
transport
10:46, 1st Jul 2008

Hypermiling to Increase MPG
Use hypermiling techniques to reduce fuel consumption
transport
10:46, 1st Jul 2008

EcoBalls Laundry Kit
Find out more about using EcoBalls instead of detergent
water
13:18, 30th Jun 2008



REUK Shop

Popular Items


KILL A WATT
Plug in Mains Power and Energy Monitor
£19.99 each.
Energy Saving



EFERGY HOMECO2METER
efergy homeCO2meter wireless electricity monitor
£38.99 each.
Energy Saving



240V LED SPOTLIGHT BULB
240V LED GU10 bulb. 20 x 20,000mcd white LED 1 Watt bulb
£4.99 each.
Energy Efficient Lighting



RAINWATER DIVERTER KIT
Rainwater diverter kit for standard plastic 65mm square and 68mm round downpipes
£8.99 each.
Water Conservation



300 WATT POWER INVERTER
Convert 12V DC battery power into 230 AC to power portable televisions, computers, video recorders etc. 300 Watt power rating - peak power 600 Watts
£29.99 each.
Renewable Energy System Parts



12 VOLT 3 WATT SOLAR PANEL
Waterproof 12 Volt 3 Watt Solar Panel - 199 x 136mm with fitted leads (fiberglass and resin).
£19.99 each.
Solar Power



SUNGUARD SOLAR CONTROLLER
4.5 Amp at 12 Volt solar charge controller - fully encapsulated and weatherproofed
£22.79 each.
Solar Controllers