(3) Modes of Failure

These flashcards cover key concepts related to battery function, maintenance, and deterioration processes.

What is Shedding?

Shedding is the process where material is loosened and shed from battery plates due to various factors, including the sloshing of electrolyte, gassing during overcharge, and the repeated expansion and contraction of material during charging and discharging. This weakening of the bond between the material and plate grids can lead to battery failure from material buildup shorting out plates or losing so much material that the battery capacity cannot reach a usable voltage.

What is Sulfation?

Sulfation is the crystallization of sulfate from a discharged battery state. This process reduces the battery's capacity and risks puncturing plates or seperators, causing a short circuit, and can ultimately causing its failure. Gel cell and AGM batteries experience a slower rate of sulfation.

What are Deep Discharges?

Deep discharges are discharges that cause more stress on battery plates, which leads to increased shedding and potential battery failure.

What is Overcharging?

Overcharging is a situation where excess charge leads to gassing and the drying out of battery plates, which is particularly detrimental in gel cell and AGM batteries.

What are Tubular Plates?

Tubular plates are battery plates designed to trap shedded material, thereby reducing incidents of shorting within the battery.

What is the Aging Process?

The aging process is the gradual deterioration of a battery's capacity and performance over time, primarily due to factors like material shedding and sulfation.

What is Battery Capacity Failure?

Battery capacity refers to the maximum amount of energy a battery can store or deliver. Battery capacity failure occurs when this capacity is diminished, often caused by processes such as shedding and sulfation.

What is Galvanic Activity?

Galvanic activity is a form of corrosion that can deteriorate the plate grids of batteries, thereby negatively affecting their longevity.

What Are The Different Modes Of Failure?

Different Modes of failure in a battery consist of Thermal Runaway, Extreme Temperatures, Overcharging and OverDischarging, Physical Damage, Shedding, Sulfation, Internal Short Circuits, Aging, Grid Corrosion, and Drying due to Gassing