Lesson 2/Learning Event 1
CONSTRUCTION
Storage batteries used in automotive vehicles are the lead-acid type and are often referred to as wet-
cell batteries. They operate on the same principle as our lemon battery and the flashlight battery,
using an electrolyte and two unlike conductors to store electrical energy in chemical form. To
satisfy the high current and dependability requirements of automotive vehicles, the construction of
the lead-acid storage battery is complex. The parts of the battery are described below.
FIGURE 15. PLATE CONSTRUCTION.
The conductors that are immersed in electrolyte are two kinds of PLATES known as positive and
negative plates. Both the positive and negative plates have a grid framework made of a stiff lead
alloy for strength. The active material is applied to the grids in paste form and allowed to dry and
harden like cement, then it is put through a special forming process. When finished, the active
material of the positive plates is brown lead peroxide, the negative plates, gray spongy lead.
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