Automotive Electrical & Electronics Concepts

<p>Even after well over 100 years of development and much promising research into other<br/>techniques of energy storage the lead-acid battery is still the best choice for motor vehicle use.<br/>This is particularly so when cost and energy density are taken into account. Incremental changes<br/>over the years have made the sealed and maintenance-free battery now in common use very<br/>reliable and long lasting. This may not always appear to be the case to some end-users but note<br/>that quality is often related to the price the customer pays. Many bottom-of-the-range cheap<br/>batteries with a 12 month guarantee will last for 13 months! The basic construction of a<br/>nominal 12 V leadacid battery consists of six cells connected in series. Each cell producing<br/>about 2 V is housed in an individual compartment within a polypropylene or similar case.</p>