Solar energy, one of the fastest-growing sources of energy, which makes lead acid battery also grows in a high speed. The solar market has doubled in its size according to the Solar Energy Industries Association. The increase in use of solar power results in the rise of a renewable technology named as lead acid solar battery. In lead acid solar batter industry, there are normal solar batteries, which is Flat plate batteries, and tubular batteries, which can store additional solar power for further use, be essentially a storage device that stores power and rechargeable, but do you know what a rechargeable battery and what are the differences between them? This passage will give you some details.
Usually rechargeable battery has two major components, which are electrolytes and electrodes. Electrodes are essentially 2 types of solid plates dipped inside an electrolyte which can be of a liquid or gel type. A chemical reaction takes place between the electrodes and electrolytes inside every battery which leads to the formation of DC current. This chemical reaction is reversible so that making the battery rechargeable.
Different combinations of these two components result in the make of different types of batteries. There are many types of rechargeable batteries depending upon their electrode and electrolyte material. For example: Lead acid, Nickel Cadmium (NiCd), Nickel metal hydride (NiMH) batteries, Lithium ion (Li-ion) and so on. The most common type of rechargeable battery is lead acid battery.
Lead acid battery has two electrodes, which is lead (Pb) and the other is lead dioxide (PbO2). What’s more, the electrolyte here is sulfuric acid. Without getting into the detail of their chemical reaction the important thing, for different applications here are two major types of lead acid battery and which make many people get pretty confusing frankly since there are so many nomenclatures out there. However, here is all you need to know that they are flat plate batteries and tubular batteries
Flat plate solar battery integrates a solar cell with battery power storage. Solar battery is as well as named as rechargeable battery. It has been developed specifically for use in photovoltaic systems. Besides, stand-alone systems use solar batteries for storage of energy produced by solar panels.
(LEOPARD flat plate solar battery)
Tubular battery is one type of lead acid battery and there are only small differences between flat plate and tubular batteries, which make a big impact on the lifespan of battery, efficiency weight and price. Instead of pasting gauntlets on the surface of the plate, tubular battery uses technology that the active material in polyester tubes called gauntlets and it is sealed so that it prevent corrosion or shedding. It makes the tubular battery long battery life.
(DYVINITY Tubular Battery)
Both tubular batteries and flat plate batteries are lead acid batteries but the difference here lies in their manufacturing. It is known that tubular battery and flat plate batteries have positive and negative plates. The difference is in the structure of these plates. In technical, the positive plate of the battery is the weaker plate resulting in the life of the battery essentially depends on the positive plate and the structure of positive plate is where the difference lies between tubular battery and flat plate batteries.
As the name suggests that a flat plate batteries both plates are the structure of ‘open flat’ plate. The lead oxide material is pasted on either side of the plate. The positive plate of tubular battery is a ‘tube’, which made of cloth and holds the electrode inside it. The negative plate remains the same flat structure.
The electrode type of tubular battery is negative plate and positive tube, whose life is 5 years. It has high efficiency so that there is less loss of current and has lesser electricity bills. Tubular battery often is stronger battery, which lasts longer, stores large amounts of energy and has longer using life. What’s more, maintenance is medium for tubular battery.
As for the flat plate batteries, whose electrode type is positive and negative. Its life is 3 years and has low efficiency as there is more wastage of current. Besides, maintenance is high for flat plate batteries.
The solar battery receives its energy from the sun or from some other light source through the use of photovoltaic. Usually, a solar-powered battery is implanted in an electronic device and not capable of being removed. The solar powered battery is usually capable of fully charging after just an hour or two of exposure to sunlight.
(Solar System)
For the tubular battery sake, it lasts longer for five to fifteen years under proper maintenance condition. It is more highly reliable compared to normal flat plate batteries. Besides, the spine of tubular battery is made using high pressure casting method. It makes sure long life even under heavy temperature and rough usage.
When we use and reuse tubular batteries and flat plate batteries, the material on their plates shed, falling to the bottom of the battery, which reduces the lifespan of the battery. While the tube of tubular battery helps to keep materials intact so that making its life longer.
Besides, another major difference is that flat plate batteries have thinner plate while tubular batteries have thicker plate, which are one of the major reasons why tubular batteries have more discharging cycles.
Lead acid is a new trend in energy market with social development. Tubular solar battery and flat plate batteries are common in solar battery, which have many differences. These two types of solar batteries have different advantages and disadvantages in a variety of fields. You can choose the one that you need according to your application.