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  • Trans_Maro

    June 12, 2011 11:45 a.m. Trans_Maro Dork

    I thought that if you drain the electrolyte from a discharged lead-acid battery and refill with fresh electrolyte, it would be recharged or pretty close to it.

    Discharging lowers the specific gravity of the solution and recharging raises it. So the amount of acid in the solution changes.

    Finding a solution to the sulfate depostition in the lead-acid battery might be easier that the goo swapping.

    Perhaps I'm confused.

  • Salanis

    June 12, 2011 1:43 p.m. Salanis SuperDork

    No, the energy is stored in the lead plates. Initially, adding a current splits some of the water in the solution and the oxygen ions bond with one of the lead plates. It's a slightly different series of reactions both discharging and recharging, but the point is it's charged with the cathode plate is PbO^2.

    Plus, lead acid batteries store very little energy for size and weight.

  • Trans_Maro

    June 12, 2011 5:51 p.m. Trans_Maro Dork

    Ahhh..

    I've learned something today.

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