The lead–acid battery is a type of first invented in 1859 by French physicist. It is the first type of rechargeable battery ever created. Compared to modern rechargeable batteries, lead–acid batteries have relatively low. Despite this, they are able to supply high. These features, along with their low cost, make them attractive for u.
French scientist Gaston Planté created the lead-acid battery in 1859. Planté's battery consisted of two lead plates submerged in a solution of sulfuric acid. When a current was passed through the plates, a chemical reaction occurred that produced an electrical charge.
What is a lead-acid battery?
The lead–acid battery is a type of rechargeable battery first invented in 1859 by French physicist Gaston Planté. It is the first type of rechargeable battery ever created. Compared to modern rechargeable batteries, lead–acid batteries have relatively low energy density. Despite this, they are able to supply high surge currents.
A typical lead–acid battery contains a mixture with varying concentrations of water and acid. Sulfuric acid has a higher density than water, which causes the acid formed at the plates during charging to flow downward and collect at the bottom of the battery.
From the 53th paragraph of Planté's book onwards, the electrochemical pretreatment to form the lead–acid secondary battery is outlined in detail. This most important step, which takes a long time, he termed 'formation' of the lead plates.
Why did a lead-acid battery come to the world 10 years too early?
The lead–acid battery came to the world 10 years too early because, at first, it had to be charged with Bunsen and Daniell cells. At the Breguet Company in 1873, Planté met the Belgian engineer Zénobe Théophile Gramme (1826–1901) who built direct-current generators (1869–71) that were based on Pacinotti's ring armature (1860).
The lead-acid battery continued to advance during the 20th century with improvements like the sealed lead-acid battery, which requires no maintenance and can be used in any orientation. The introduction of the alkaline battery was another important breakthrough that occurred in the 1950s.