CONSTRUCTIONAL DIAGRAM OF LEAD ACID BATTERY

Hydrometer

High Rate Discharge Cell Tester

Exp. No: 02

Page No:

Date:

DISMANTLING AND ASSEMBLING OF A DISCHARGED LEAD ACID BATTERY

Aim:

To dismantle the discharged lead acid battery.

To prepare electrolyte.
To reassemble the battery.

Materials Required:
Sl No

Tools/Materials

Qty

Lead Acid Battery ( 12v,6Ah)

1 No

Combination Plier

1 No

Hacksaw

1 No

Hydrometer

1 No

Jar (1 ltr. Capacity)

1 No

Distilled water

New Cell connectors

As required

New positive plates ,negative

plates and separators
Sulphuric acid (Concentrated)

As required

1 Bottle

As required

Theory:
A cell which is used repeatedly for producing electrical energy after charging it is
called a secondary cell. In secondary cell the chemical action occurring in the electrolyte
can be reversed. Actually it does not produce electrical energy but it merely accumulates
the energy and hence it is also known as accumulator. Lead Acid Cell is a commonly used
secondary cell.
Parts of lead acid Battery
a) Container : The container is made of hard rubber which accommodates plates, separators,
electrolyte etc. in it.
b) Plates (electrodes): The active material of positive plate (Anode) of the cell is lead peroxide
(PbO2) and that of negative plate (cathode) is spongy lead (Pb). The plates are made up of lead
grid (mesh) plates and the spaces of the plates are packed with paste of active materials. The
positive plates are so arranged that they are in between the negative plates. So the number of the
negative plates is always one greater than that of positive plates.

c) Electrolyte : Dilute sulphuric acid (Dil.H2SO4) is used as the electrolyte. Usually the proportion
of acid and water is 1: 3.
d) Separators : These are used to prevent electrical contact between positive and negative plates.
Separators are placed in between the plates and the electrolyte should be able to pass through the
separators. They are made up of perforated rubber, specially treated wood, celluloid etc.
e) Cell cover: It is made up of hard rubber and is seated to cover the cell. They prevent spitting of
acid.
f) Vent plugs :It is provided on the cell cover so that the gases formed during chemical reaction is
escaped through this. It is also used for pouring distilled water and acid whenever necessary. The
specific gravity of the electrolyte inside the cell can be measured through this vent hole using hydro
meter.
g) Plate connector: They are made up of pure lead. Positive and negative plates are welded
separately with it forming positive group and negative group terminals. An extension from each
connecting bar forms the terminal pole.
h) Cell connector :One cell is connected to the next by a cell connector to form a battery.
I) sealing compound:It is used to form an acid tight joint between the cover and the container.
j) Ribs and mud houseThere is space provided at the bottom of the plates to collect the deposits of
the chemical reaction. This arrangement is called mud house. Mud house is formed between two
ribs at the bottom of the container.

Steps for construction of Battery

The battery manufacturing process involves the following steps
1. Casting the positive and negative grids.
2. Applying the active material (pasting) on the grids.
3. Covering the positive plate with micro porous separators.
4. Combining the positive and negative plates.
5. Arrange the plate sets and form the plate blocks.
6. Forming cells and filling the electrolyte.
7. Finalizing battery (carrying out initial charging (forming), testing, closing vent plugs,
cleaning and sticking labels.

Procedure:

1. Remove the caps of vent plug.

2. Remove the connecters by cutting them.
3. Chisel out the covers of the battery.
4. Remove the assembled discharged plates from the battery.
5. Remove Separators between positive and negative plates.
6. Take new sets of positive and negative plates and connect them by means of post
straps (of lead) to common terminals.
7. After assembling the plates, insert the separators in each gap.
8. Clean the container for resting of plates.
9. Place the assembled plates in the container keeping the lead terminal with their
positive and negative projecting alternatively.
10. Mould connecters by using commercial lead.
11. Melt the insulating material ie. Bituminous compound and fill in top position of the
battery. Mould cell covers.
12. Place the battery covers at the proper places and fill the gaps by insulating
materials.
13. Fix the connectors to every set of positive and negative electrodes.
14. Fill distilled water of the required quantity in the glass jar. Add concentrated
sulphuric acid drop by drop to the water in the ratio 1:3 and stir with a glass rod
simultaneously. Allow it to cool to enough time. Measure the specific gravity with a
hydrometer.

Precautions

1. Top up the electrolyte to the marked level in the cells with distilled water.
2. Do not add water to acid while preparing electrolyte. But add acid drop by drop to
water
Result:
Dismantled the discharged lead acid battery and prepared electrolyte and also reassembled the
battery.