CHAMPION TECHNOLOGY VS. GEL TECHNOLOGY.
Advantages of Champion* Technology
| • More reliable operation and longer battery life Because Champion* technology does not require a drying out of the electrolyte to support recombination, the compressed absorbed glass mat separator always keeps the electrolyte in intimate contact with the entire surface of the electrode plates. • Increased productivity and sustainable capacity throughout the battery's life Champion" batteries are designed to function horizontally. Horizontal cell placement distributes the electrolyte more evenly and assures uniform depth of discharge. |
• Longer run-time during the most demanding applications No additives are introduced to the electrolyte so there is no increase in electrical resistance. This also allows for faster charging. • No special ventilation is required in the charging area Champion"" batteries do not vent any substantial hydrogen gas and operate at 100% recombination efficiency. • Longer service life Champion positive grids are made of GNB Technologiespatented MFX alloy. The MFX alloy has superb characteristics for deep discharge cycling and longer service life of the battery. |
Disadvantages of Gel Technology
| • Less suitable for heavy duty applications Fumed Silica, which is added to the electrolyte to gel the electrolyte, is an insulator that increases the battery's internal resistance and makes gel cells less suitable for high and deep discharge rate applications. Therefore, gel cells are only effective in low discharge rate applications. • Longer recharge time and less run-time Gelled electrolyte reduces the ionic mobility and thus reduces the rate at which the discharge and recharge reactions occur. This causes gelled batteries to operate at lower voltages at equivalent discharge rates and to provide less capacity per positive plate, weight and volume. In other words, they have lower AH capacity available for the same size battery versus Champion. • Shorter service life Without the patented MFX alloy, gel cells must use other alloys that do not achieve the MFX alloy's deep cycling and long life characteristics. |
• Decrease rim-time and shorter battery life The uncontrolled cracking necessary to support recombination in a gel cell is done through water loss. Along with the cracking of the electrolyte comes electrolyte shrinkage. The gelled electrolyte shrinks away from the plates causing decreased capacity and shorter cycle life. • Lower battery utilization and lower productivity Gel cells must be operated in the upright position versus a horizontal design. The upright position can promote reduced performance due to the battery's active material not being fully utilized. • Adequate ventilation necessary in the battery charging area Early in their life, gel cells can vent the same amount of gas as flooded electrolyte batteries. |
How Lead Acid Batteries Work
| There are basically two types of valve regulated lead acid (VRLA) sealed batteries, the Champion's absorbed electrolyte or Absolyte"" technology and gel technology. To clearly understand the differences between Champion* and Gel, it is important to understand some basics of how a lead acid battery works. During recharge, oxygen gas is generated at the positive plate and hydrogen gas is generated at the negative plate. In conventional "flooded" electrolyte batteries these gases freely bubble to the top of the battery and are vented to the outside. For the battery to continue to store electricity, this vented hydrogen and oxygen gas must be replaced. By adding water (Had] to the battery the vented hydrogen (Hs) and oxygen (0s] are replaced. |
VRLA batteries are made possible by what's called "electrolyte immobilization" and "oxygen recombination." In VRLA batteries, electrolyte immobilization describes how the liquid electrolyte in traditional lead acid batteries is held in place to allow the hydrogen and oxygen gas molecules to freely circulate throughout the battery. Without electrolyte immobilization the gases would simply float to the top of the battery and vent. Oxygen recombination means the oxygen gas generated at the positive plate travels through void areas in the immobilized electrolyte to the negative plate. Once the oxygen reaches the negative plate it then reacts with the lead on the negative plate. This reaction consumes the oxygen gas and prevents the formation of hydrogen gas. This "oxygen recombination" is the reason that VRLA batteries do not require watering. |
Not: All Sealed Maintenance Free Batteries Are The Same
| As mentioned previously, there are two methods used to immobilize the electrolyte in a VRLA battery: the Champion's absorbed electrolyte or Absolyte® technology and gel technology. The Champion battery incorporates porous glass mat separators that act like sponges to absorb the electrolyte. In gel batteries, fumed silica is added to the electrolyte which turns the electrolyte into a substance similar to gelatin. These batteries are commonly referred to as "gel cells." It is important to note that both Champion and gel batteries are still lead acid batteries. Gel batteries, however, have fumed silica added to the acid to solidify and thus immobilize the electrolyte. Champions absorb the liquid electrolyte in the pores of the separator mat without any additives. |
An important aspect of the immobilized electrolyte is its void volume. Champion's absorbed glass matting allows a consistent 5% void where the oxygen can be transferred to the negative plate for the oxygen recombination reaction. In a gel cell, the void volume necessary for oxygen recombination is created in the beginning phase of the battery's life by uncontrolled cracking that occurs after enough hydrogen and oxygen (water) has been lost through gassing. Essentially, the early part of a gel battery's life is spent functioning as a conventional flooded battery. It is not until gel batteries heat up and dry out enough to force uncontrolled cracking of the gel, that the void volume necessary for oxygen recombination is created. |