Main differences between lead acid battery vs lithium ion

A comparative analysis of lead acid battery vs lithium ion - which is better

A device that generates electrical energy by utilizing chemicals in a specific proportion and placed in a certain organization is called a battery. Since the mechanical revolution, batteries have been the industry’s backbone.

The battery’s relevance and utility cannot be overstated. Because, in today’s world, everything from a toy to a commercial bus is powered by a battery. Here you can learn about the electric skateboard battery and motorcycle battery of the most common application scenarios. Lithium-ion batteries were created with these requirements in mind. In this article, a comparative analysis of lead acid battery vs lithium ion is conducted which enhances the criteria of these two-battery selections that ultimately will grow the knowledge in business development.

What is a lead-acid battery

Lead-acid batteries belong to the older class of rechargeable batteries which were invented in 1859. Although, these batteries have the lowest Energy to weight and smallest energy to volume ratio these can provide higher current discharge performance, stable voltage characteristics, when it discharges, the electromotive force is relatively stable. These batteries are also classified as the secondary ones. The reversible chemical reactions occurred in the secondary cells.

Porous lead or spongy is employed at the negative electrode of the lead-acid battery while the positive electrode is made up of the lead oxide. An insulating material is inserted between the two electrodes that are electrically insulated but chemically is a permeable membrane and can differentiate the electrodes if there is any physical connection established in case of electrode thickness changes.

This shows the importance of a membrane that avoids electrolytes from short-circuiting. A reversible reaction strategy is employed for energy storage in lead-acid batteries.
What is a lead-acid battery

Which lead-acid battery is best

Sealed Lead Acid Batteries are regarded as the safest lead-acid batteries. These batteries are available in different formats. The principle of their manufacturing process, which include several plates and plate thickness determines its user application. These batteries tend not to sulfate or degrade as easily as wet cells and that is why these are regarded as the safest lead acid battery to use. There are two main versions of Sealed Lead Acid Batteries. one is Absorbed Glass Matt and another is Gel Cell.

What is a lithium ion battery

A class of rechargeable batteries is charged and discharged due to the movement of lithium ions between the anode and cathode and vice versa. This battery is also belonged to a secondary class of batteries because of its ability to charge and discharge reptation.
Performance:
High energy density makes it perfect for fetching a great performance from it. The performance of Lithium-ion phosphate batteries is described as.

Specific Energy Density

80 to 130 Wh/kg

Volumetric Energy Density

220 to 250 Wh/L

Specific Power Density

170mAh/g

Which lithium-ion battery is best

Lithium iron phosphate is a type of lithium-ion battery which is considered one of the best batteries of lithium-ion batteries. It employs phosphate and graphite’s carbon and cathode and anode respectively. They are thermally stable and their stability range is very good with a longer life cycle and improved electrochemical performance.

The nominal voltage values of these batteries are 3.2V that means by placing them in series in the combination of 4 will generate 12.8V overall. This is the prime reason which makes them acceptable to replace the lead-acid batteries with LFP batteries. Lithium lead-acid series products have low self-discharge rate and do not require maintenance, so 12v lithium ion battery is very popular.

For applications that require a huge amount of power, LFP batteries are the best and the favorite choice for these types of applications. A longer life cycle, safer operations, and durability are some of its prime features.

The normal rated life cycle of such kind of batteries are 4000 cycles or higher. In a comparison of lead-acid batteries, the discharge rate has minimal impact on the battery life cycle. A wide range of manufacturers rated their batteries with 80% depth discharge and some with 100% depth discharge. The employed material in such types of batteries makes them safer and stable due to its ability of low resistance. 

Lithium iron phosphate is a type of lithium-ion battery which is considered one of the best batteries of lithium-ion batteries

Applications of lead acid battery vs lithium ion

Both batteries are used in many devices and for commercial purposes. Both batteries are used in different devices for their different features. Here is a description of the application of both batteries which will brief you on where these batteries are used?

Applications of lead-acid battery

There are numerous applications for the use of lead-acid batteries. These batteries are used in extremely large battery systems used in load leveling by electrical utility companies and these are also used in hand tools which are relatively small batteries. The major areas of lead-acid battery applications are, starting, lighting, and ignition, these batteries are also used on an industrial scale including, traction and stationary applications.

Applications of lithium-ion battery

A lithium-ion battery is used in various devices and this battery is also used for commercial purposes. Here is a description of its applications which can give us information that where lithium-ion batteries are used. Li-ion battery application range is from the larger power devices to the smaller ones such as Laptops, cell phones, etc.
Most portable devices are employing lithium-ion batteries ranging from a laptop to the smallest available one e.g., watches, cameras, and flashlight.

Recently, lithium ion batteries are getting great attention for their use in electric vehicles which is also making an impact on the sustainability of the environment in a very positive way. Moreover, these batteries have their application range in power appliances also e.g., cordless drills, and saws.
lithium ion batteries are getting great attention for their use in electric vehicles

Main differences between lead acid battery vs lithium ion

Lithium-ion batteries and lead-acid batteries are two different batteries heaving their specific features. We can comparison of lead acid battery vs lithium ion in the area of weight, cost, durability, life cycle energy density, etc. This will give a lot of information about both batteries so that, we could decide which battery is best.

Size and weight

The weight of the lead acid battery vs lithium ion given as
Name Weight

Name

Weight

12V 100Ah lithium-ion battery

12.5kg

12V 200Ah lithium-ion battery

25kg

12V 100Ah lead acid battery

28kg

12V 200Ah lead acid battery

56kg

Energy density

The difference in energy density between lead acid battery vs lithium ion, Li-ion batteries have several advantages because lithium-ion batteries offer higher energy density which is the highest one in the battery technology being employed currently.

While on the other hand, the lead-acid battery has a low energy density of 50-70Wh/kg, although it has passed through many years of development. The weight energy density of lithium batteries is 3 to 5 times that of lead acid.

Charge and discharge rate

The self-discharge rate of lead acid battery vs lithium ion is given, Li-ion rechargeable batteries have a self-discharge rate commonly stated by manufacturers to be 3% per month, and charge and discharge efficiency rate per month is 80-90%. lead-acid battery self-discharge at a rate of approximately 4% a week. A battery with a 125-amp hour rating will self-discharge at a rate of approximately five amps per week.

Durability

The life cycle of lead acid battery vs lithium ion depends on the material of the battery and the manufacturing process of the manufacturer, as well as the method of use. When we talk about lead acid battery vs lithium ion, lithium iron phosphate batteries are known for their long lifespan, with 4,000 charge-discharge cycles, while lead-acid batteries have a lifespan of one-third that of lithium iron phosphate batteries.
lithium iron phosphate batteries are known for their long lifespan, with 4,000 charge-discharge cycles

Cost

The lead-acid batteries are cost-effective but shorter in size and proper maintenance is required while operating, so the price is cheaper. On the contrary lithium batteries are very costly, but their maintenance cost is much less and offers a longer lifespan which matches their high price. Compared with the price of lead acid battery vs lithium ion, lithium iron phosphate is more cost-effective.

Performance

It has been generally observed that lithium-ion batteries are at least 95% efficient, while lead-acid batteries offer about 80-85% efficiency. This is an important difference because it allows the battery to charge faster and more efficiently, which is related to how much energy the battery can store.

Maintenance

Maintenance in lead acid battery vs lithium ion, lead-acid batteries are cheaper, but at the same time, they are shorter in age and require the necessary care to operate properly need regular maintenance. Lithium batteries, on the other hand, are more expensive than lead-acid batteries, but they are no need to maintenance and have a longer shelf life.
Main differences between lead acid battery vs lithium ion

Which is better – lead acid battery vs lithium ion

In most cases, lithium-ion battery technology is superior to lead-acid because of its reliable performance. If we look at its price and maintenance, the lithium-ion battery seems to be expensive, but it is maintenance-free, its performance is better than lead-acid batteries overall and its average charge is also better than lead bars.

In terms of discharge, the performance of lithium-ion is way better than its counterpart (lead-acid). Comprehensive self-discharge rate and life, materials and other performance characteristics in lead acid battery vs lithium ion, lithium-ion batteries are more dominant.

Pros and cons of lithium ion battery

Pros:
●No maintenance is required, the watering process is not involved in this battery as compared to the acidic batteries.
●The material does not contain heavy metal materials, safe and environmentally friendly, non-toxic and harmless.
●It has a fast-charging process
●Its operational time is much higher
●Long cycle life(4000 cycle times)
●Low self-discharge (3% per month)
Cons:
●These batteries are very costly
●Poor low temperature performance
Which is better - lead acid battery vs lithium ion

Pros and cons of lead-acid battery

Pros
●This is a cheap battery.
●Stable and safe to use
●It has high power output capability
Cons:
●This battery is very heavy
●large sizes due to the lower power density
●Requires regular maintenance
●The electrolyte material is corrosive material is corrosive

Can I replace the lead-acid battery with lithium

Can you replace the lead-acid battery with lithium? Is a question which mostly asked when we compare lithium-ion batteries with a lead-acid battery, if we see it technically, the answer is yes! A lead-acid battery can be replaced with your lithium-ion.

But there are some important things that you must need to know first before making the replacement. Do not use the old lead-acid battery charger to charge the lithium battery. For safety, use the lithium-ion battery charger, otherwise it will cause damage to the battery or the charger.

Can I replace the lead-acid battery with lithium

Can you charge a lead-acid battery with a lithium charger

Lead-acid chargers cannot charge lithium-ion batteries, and similarly, lead-acid batteries cannot be charged with lithium battery charger. If you charge a lead-acid battery with a lithium charger, it will provide a constant voltage to the battery. But it can degrade cells beyond their normal functioning capacity and shorten battery life, so it’s not a good idea to try.

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