Lead accumulator
Some electrochemical cells are rechargeable – the electrode reactions are reversible and the process can be repeated many times. Such cells can be used to store electricity. The most common type of heavy duty rechargeable cell is the familiar lead-acid accumulator(‘car battery’) found in most combustion-engined vehicles.
A simple lead-acid cell consisting of strips of lead and an electrolyte of dilute sulfuric acid is constructed and charged for different lengths of time. The cell is then discharged through a light bulb and the time the bulb remains lit measured.
Plotting a graph of this time against the charging time shows the relationship between the electrical energy put into the cell and the energy released.
Working of Lead Acid Battery
The storage battery or secondary battery is such battery where electrical energy can be stored as chemical energy and this chemical energy is then converted to electrical energy as when required. The conversion of electrical energy into chemical energy by applying external electrical source is known as charging of battery .
Whereas conversion of chemical energy into electrical energy for supplying the external load is known as discharging of secondary battery . During charging of battery , current is passed through it which causes some chemical changes inside the battery . This chemical changes absorb energy during their formation.
