A bipolar battery is made from conventional materials based on based on Lead

Acid battery chemistry. The two electrode materials are applied to either side of a
conductive substrate and oppose each other across a separator. Both electrodes, and the
separator in between them are nearly filled with Sulphuric acid.
BIPOLARBATTERIES

True bipolar plate:

A true bipolar plate contains a substrate which is electrically conducting

Quasi Lipolar plate:

The substrate has lead grids on either side of a substrate. These grids are
connected by electrically conducting wires.
The substrate requirements for a true Bipolar plate are summarized below.
1. Highly Conductive
2. Chemical insolubility in sulfuric acid and in the potential windows of both
electrodes
3. High oxygen and hydrogen over potentials in sulfuric acid
4. Inertness to the electrode reactions
5. Impervious to penetration of the acid electrolyte
6. Ease of manufacturing and cell to cell sealing
 A Bipolar battery

Schematic Bipolar Plate cell

 Bipolar substrate requirements:
1) Highly conductive
2) Chemically inert in H2SO4 solution and in the potential regions of LAB
electrodes
3) High over potentials for O2+ H2 evolution
4) Impervious to acid electrolyte
5) Ease of manufacture & sealing

Comparison of different substrate for SBP technology:

Sl.No Pb Quasi Composite

1 Receptivity ( - cm) 10-4 10 2

2 Substrate (mils) 15 20 15

3 Substrate area 430 225 130(light weight)

density mg/cm2

4 Failure mode Corrosion Corrosion None

5 Power w/kg - 330 510
6 Energy wh/kg - 38 50
 Though the Composite material has a clear advantage over the Pb sheet
in weight, it lacks in conductivity. But the battery performance is not extremely
sensitive to substrate resistively for
most of the applications.

Another advantage of the composite material is the flexibility in tailoring

the substrate to specific applications by suitable modification in resin, loading
level of conducting filler and thickness.

Page-3
 BIPOLAR RESEARCH AT

ABE Division of Johnson Controls Battery Group Inc.

Work on the development of bipolar LAB at Advanced Battery Engineering

Division of Johnson controls Battery Group. Inc. is proceeding at a fast rate. This
substrate for the bipolar plates is a conductive one that can withstand the rigours
of a lead acid system. The substrate provides electronic conduction between the
two active materials are on each side of the substrate without permitting ionic
conduction, in which case shorting of the cell would occur.

Though, the substrate as clear advantages over the lead sheet material in
weight it has a comparatively more resistivity for most applications. A power
density of 510 W/kg and an energy density of 50 W/kg have been reported.

Page-5
FLOW SHEET FOR HORIZON BATTERY MANUFACTURE
LEAD SLUGS WIRE CO-
EXTRUSION
FIBRE GLASS YARN MACHINE

WIRE MESH LOOM

WOVEN MESH GRIDS

PASTING MACHINE

CUTTING PLATES TO SIZE

ROBOTIC ASSEMBLY (CELLS)

ELECTROLYTE ADDITION

FORMATION & CONDITIONING

AUTOMATIC TESTING

READY FOR SHIPMENT

 BIPOLAR PLATES
Arias Research associates Inc. of the USA have developed and tested more than
200 sealed bipolar (SBP) lead-acid cells of 2 Ah capacity and batteries of 12V 35Ah
capacity built from these cells. Specific power in excess of 700 W/kg and specific
energy of 40 Wh/kg at the 2-hour rates has been realized for such a battery. A
performance projection of 90V EV battery pack has been made by these authors
indicating more than 40 Wh/kg at 2 hour rate of discharge. An important point
stressed is that the SBP battery outperforms all other state-of-art deep cycle EV
batteries and that the new battery is lees sensitive to the rate of discharge. This
battery is expected to provide a driving range midway between current lead-acid
battery and Na-S battery. the new battery offers a number of advantages over the
sodium-sulphur system:

1. Lower initial cost

2. Higher electrical efficiency (the lead acid battery) requires no replacement
energy for heat loss)
3. Most importantly, a practical “stand time” the lead-acid battery will not” freeze
up “ if left unattended for a few days, as will the other system.

Page-7
 HORIZON TECHNOLOGY
Key to the Horizon battery production is a patented process in which an
alloy of Pb+Sn is extruded into a high tensile strength glass filament producing a
small diameter wire that is woven into a light weight mesh type grid. These grids
are coated with a proprietary cure-less paste formulations & assembled into
electrodes/plates. Horizontal placement of these plates makes the Horizon battery
stronger and able to undergo a greater number of charge/discharge cycles than
other technologies.

The Horizon battery is designed a with high rate automatic production.

The complete production cycle from raw material to finished product-requires
about 8 hours compared to 7-10 days required for a conventional lead acid battery.

All manufacturing is conducted in a zero emission environment and by

highly automatic machines using state of art manufacturing techniques such as

1. CIM (Computer Integrated Manufacture)

2. IPM (Intelligent Processing of Materials)
3. IIPD (integrated production and Process Development)
4. TQM (Total quality management)

Page 9
 Extruding molten lead around a thin fiberglass thread forms lead wire,
the finished wire appears to be about 20 gauge and it is automatically wound on
large spools. You can pull, twist or tie it in knots, but the lead wire stays intact.
The fiberglass thread gives it plenty of strength. This wire is woven on to a large
loom into a continuous mesh with about ½ inch openings that is wound onto
spools. The mesh is fed off of the spool into a pasting machine and here is where
the confusion begins. The pasting machine applies negative paste on one side of
the mesh and positive paste on the other side with about ¾ of an inch of bare mesh
separating the two postings. After pasting, the mesh is cut across which now
leaves panels about 5 inches wide that have negative paste on one end and positive
on the other end. You now have a finished plate that is really two plates
connected by the wire mesh between them. This panel is wrapped in micro
fiberglass by an enveloping machine. Somewhere in the process, the plates have
been cured and are ready for assembly. These plates or panels are laid flat in a
case. The first one is laid with the negative side at the end of the case. The next
panel is laid overlapping the first so it’s negative end lies on top of the first plates
positive end. This process is repeated until there are six panels laid across the
bottom with a negative plate on one end and positive on the other end. You now
have a 12-volt battery.

Page 10
Think of it as 6 junctures or cells where a positive plate is parallel to a negative plate and the
connections between the cells is the wire mesh connecting the negative and positive plates.
There are no partitions. This stacking process is repeated until there are about ten layers of 6
panels. Plastic straps are placed around this assembly that keep the plates compressed at a
certain pressure level. At this point, all the negative wires are sticking out on one end and
the positive wires out the other end. A metal plate with a terminal is soldered to all the wires
on each end aqnd the entire assembly is placed container. A cover, the addition of acid, and
formation completes the process.
You are now looking at a 12V recombination battery with horizontal plates that
does not have a single weld except the soldered end plates and no partitions between the
cells.

These batteries can be completely recharged in one hour or to 50% in 8 minutes.

The life is 900 cycles. The battery weight is 27 kg for a 112 Ah capacity. The internal
resistance is less than 2 milli ohm.

12V 85 Ah Battery
Sp. Energy 45 – 50 Wh2/kg
Sp. Power 225 W/kg (@80 % DOD)
Life 310 – 600* Cycles (C/3 80% DOD)
600 DST Cycles (80% DOD)

* Projected pre-production design

Page 11
 Specific power Specific energy Life cycle
W/kg Wh/kg
ELSI Horizon 441 51.4 930

87.3 35.3 365

Sonnenschein

87.3 79.2 800

Na-S
175 54.7 386
Ni-MH
97 50 100
Ni-Fe
200 31 390
Conven. LA
172 55 1500
Ni-Cd

Page 12
 EV BATTERY TESTING
DYNAMIC STRESS TESTING (DST) RECIME
(VARIABLE POWER TESTING)
The battery is fully charged.
The 360 s DST profiles are repeated end-to end with no rest period between them.

Step No. Duration (seconds) Discharge Power (%)

1. 16 0
2. 28 -12.5
3. 12 -25
4. 8 +12.5
5. 16 0
6. 24 -12.5
7. 12 -25
8. 8 +12.5
9. 16 0
10. 24 -12.5
11. 12 -25
12. 8 +12.5
13. 16 0
14. 36 -12.5
15. 8 -100
16. 24 -62.5
17. 8 +25
18. 32 -25
19. 8 +50
20. 44 0
 Table
E V Example Application (2300lb automobile) (a)

Characteristics Std LAB (b) Na – S( c ) ARL SBLA

Battery Wt. (lbs)(d) 660 660 660

Battery Volume (ft3) 5 7 4

Battery cap.(kWh C/2) 7 24 13

Battery. Pack price ($) (e) 1200 3600 1300

Ave.Avail.Power (HP)f 50 60 200

0-60 mph Time (s) (g) 17 13 7

Rng at 60 mph (Mls) (h) 54 185 100

% of LA Commuters (i) 80% 901% 92%

a) Example: Cocconi Honda CRX
b) Example: Sonnenschein SLA EV battery
c) Example: ABB Na-S data
d) All battery weights fixed at 300 kg (660 lbs); analysis
assumes necessary battery packaging and system voltage
e) Estimate: Based on mid-term price goals for Na-S
and SBLA
f) Electrical HP available from battery at 50% DOD,
10s 2/3 OCV
g) Approximate: Assumes 90 kW propulsion system for
example (Cocconi) EV
h) Based on 130 Wh/mile for example EV=26 W/kg
battery load
i) % of Los Angeies Commuters who could drive back
and forth to work each day on a single battery charge,
and discharging the battery to only 80% DOD.
Page 15
THIN METAL FILM TECHNOLOGY (BOLDER
TECHNOLOGIES)
A technology known as Thin Metal Film (TMF)
Technology has been developed at Bolder Technologies, USA,
The design procedures 16-19 times increase in the ratio of plate
surface area material, and a 20-80 time decrease in both the
length of the electron flow when compared with conventional
flooded and sealed LAB. The basic element of the present
development consists of a thin (0.076mm) layer of active mass
placed on both sides of a solid 0.05mm lead foil. With a thin
strip of uncoated foil along one edge. The uncoated area forms
the contact to the cell terminal. This technology gives excellent
cycle life of over 300 deep discharges and over 15000 shallow
discharges. Because of this enormous increase in surface area,
these batteries can deliver very high currents of upto 100C
(Table2).

Page 16
 Table 2
Rate of Discharge obtained Percentage of Capacity

Ni-MH Bolder TMF Gates Ni-CD Ovonic

C/5 110 100 100

1C 100 100 90

5C 100 95 20

10C 88 80 -

15C 80 60 -

20C 75 40 -

30C 70 - -

40C 55 - -

80C 35 - -

100C 30 - -

Page 18
 The thin metal (TMFTM) battery is an innovative-patented VRLA design that
is optimized for very high power applications. Bolder Technologies Corporation
initially developed it for application in the power fool market but its
unprecedented power capability has made it a strong candidate for a number of
other applications.
Table 1
TMF TM 1.2 Ah cell performance summary (1.7 V Cut-off, room temperature)
Disch. Duration(s) W/cell W kg-1 WL-1
12 190 2235 6394
15 176 2071 5923
20 160 1882 5384
60 66 776 2221
90 52 612 1750
120 40 471 1346
180 29 341 976
300 21 247 707
360 17 200 572
792 8 94 269
4200 2 24 67

Page 19
Johnson Controls has licensed the TMFTM technology for a variety of those
applications that include automotive/truck starting and portions of the small-
engine start market.

A cross sectional schematic of the TMFTM cell is providing in fig. The

TMFTM battery utilizes a spiral wound design and thin-plate construction that
parallels that of a capacitor. The design is optimized for high power through the
use of extremely thin plates with very high surface area, and a unique termination
design that minimizes resistance. The active-material thickness is only 0.2 mm.
This results in a very short current path through the active material to the current-
collector and a very short diffusion path through the thin active-material layer. The
termination design allows the entire edge of each plate to contact the cast-on
termination puck. The result is a cell resistance of only 2 m for the 1.2 Ah cell
can a power capability that is an order of magnitude higher than that of
conventional VRLA designs. The design is optimized for very high discharge
rates, particularly discharges at the 1 min rate of higher.

Johnson Controls has performed a variety of laboratory and field tests

with 1.2 Ah cells to evaluate the TMFTM performance characteristics. Table 1
outlines the power capability of a 1.2 Ah TMFTM cell over a range of constant-
power discharge rates.

Page 20
 The most dramatic demonstration of performance to date has been the field
test of a 12V, 2.4 Ah pack of TMFTM cells that has been performing as the starting
battery in a passenger vehicle (3.0 litre engine) in the Milwaukee, WI area for over
seven months. The vehicle has accumulated over 31000 km during the test period.
The 1.1 kg TMFTM pack directly replaced a conventional Group 65650 CCA SLI
battery weighing almost 20 times more with no adjustment made to the vehicle
charging system. For the first six weeks of the field test, the TMFTM battery was the
sole battery in the vehicle. Cranking capability was demonstrated repeatedly at
ambient temperatures as low as –290C after six weeks on test, a small VRLA BCL
Group U2 battery was added as a reserve battery, with the TMFTM battery continuing
to perform the stating function for the vehicle.
Of course, in auto-start applications the battery must support both the
start and reserve functions. Due to its optimization for high power, the TMFTM
design is not well suited for low-rate, reserve-type discharges. As in the Johnson
Controls field test, the TMFTM battery can be coupled with a small conventional,
flooded or AGM, lead/acid battery to form a dual battery system that supports
both the start and reserve functions. The dual battery system maintains a dramatic
weight and volume advantage over conventional automotive battery designs.

Page 21
 Table 2 compares the performance and characteristic of a dual battery
system designed to replace a group 65 SLI battery. In addition, segregation of the
two batteries with their specific functions facilitates further battery improvements.
For example, advanced deep-discharge VRLA batteries. And eventually even
emerging rechargeable lithium batteries, could ultimately become the reserve
battery the dual battery system.

Division of the start and reserve functions in a dual battery system also
opens the door to a variety of other system advantages in addition to reduced
weight and volume. Since the TMFTM start battery is decoupled from the reserve
loads, encountered for example when a vehicle dome light is left on or ‘key-off’
loads are supported during an extended vehicle at and period. Furthermore, the
TMFTM start battery is sufficiently small to be removed readily from the engine
compartment and relocated, for example in a wheel-well adjacent to the starter.
The primary factor that have discouraged remote relocation of an automotive
battery to the vehicle trunk area or passenger area have been the cost of the
cabling and shielding needed to support the high current portion of the automotive
battery function. By relocating the small TMFTM start battery in close proximity to
the engine compartment, it becomes mach more practical to relocate the low-
current draw reserve battery in the rear of the vehicle.

Page 22
 Table 2
TMFTM dual battery Vs conventional automotive battery.

TMFTM dual Conventional

BCI group 65

TMFTM battery
Weight (kg) 2.6
Cranking power at 29C (kW) 5
Capacity (Ah at C/20) 5
Volume (L) 1.2

Reserve battery
Weight (kg) 11
Capacity (Ah at C/20) 40
Volume (L) 5.8

Combined batteries
Weight (kg) 14 22
Cranking power at 29 c (kW) >6 4.7
Capacity (Ah at C/20) 45 78
Volume (L) 7 11.2

Page 23
Since temperature is the most significant contributor to battery life (with every 9 degree C
decrease in temperature resulting roughly in a doubling of battery life), the logistics options
enabled by a TMFTM dual battery system could have significant battery-life implications. As a
final example, vehicle fuel delivery systems can be designed to operate using the reserve battery,
so that they do not see the large voltage variations encountered during vehicle start with a
conventional automotive battery.

Perhaps the best match for the performance characteristics of the TMFTM battery is the
small engine start application.
\The lawn and garden tractor start application, as an example, is one that can benefit directly form
the high power capability provided by TMFTM without imposing significant reserve capacity
demands, thus allowing the tractor to operate with the TMFTM battery as the sole battery.

Although the demonstrated high power performance of the TMFTM

Battery is extremely promising; there are also challenges that require attention. Although a 5
Ah TMFTM battery can readily provide the high
Crank currents needed for automotive start applications. Its delivery of those high currents is
limited in duration to 10-15s. This time is more than sufficient for a start, but it does not meet the
SAE and BCI cold-crank test 30s or DIN 150s criteria.

Page 24
Thus, acceptance of the TMFTM dual battery technology in the auto-start
application will require acceptance of a change in cold-crank rating
convention in addition to the challenges associated with integrating the
dual battery system vehicle. Work continues to be focused toward
demonstrating and improving battery life, high temperature performance,
charge sensitivity and stand-loss characteristics. Based on Johnson
Controls proprietary battery design and optimization model and test
results to date, Johnson Controls is very confident that design
optimizations and improvements can be made in this emerging technology
that will enable it to fulfill its tremendous potential in a broad array of
commercial applications.

Page 25
Optima Hybrid EV batteries

6V, 15Ah capacity batteries are valve regulated sealed batteries

with thin plate spiral lead acid type. 6V 15Ah prototype battery was
developed patterned after optimas 12V/ 52Ah (Yellow type battery).

1. The coulombic efficiency of the Optima HEV battery is higher than

the efficiency obtainable from thick plate batteries.
2. The coulombic efficiency was 90% or greater at 100% charge return
for most charge rates over the range of charge replacement.
3. The energy efficiency declines more than the coulombic efficiency as
the charge rate increases. This is due to polarization effects.
The pressure behavior was correlated to voltage behavior, and showed the
same kind of peaks at low charge rates as the voltage.
Pressure peaks at low charge rates were attributed to gassing and
Subsequent recombination.
6. Venting observed at 12V and higher charge rates did not prevent the
battery form being fully charged.

Page 28
 OPTIMA BATTERIES
800 U 800 S 850/6
PERFORMANCE
Voltage 12 12 6
CCA 800 800 850
Reserve Capacity 120 min. 120 min. 56 Ah
Capacity (C/20 rate) 56 Ah 56 Ah 56Ah
DIMENSIONS
Length 9 15/16” 9 15/16” 9 29/32”
Width 6 7/8” 6 ¾” 3 3/8”
Height 7 13/16” 7 13/16” 7 13/16”
Weight 39.5 lbs. 39.0 lbs. 20.0 lbs.
Type Post/terminal Dual SAE & GM SAE Post SAE Post

BCI group 34 34 N/A

Page 29