Battery construction

Graham_Wright

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Joined
30 Dec 2002
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Location
Gloucestershire
www.mastaclimba.com
Tight-fisted git that I am, I visited my local materials supplier (i.e. scrap yard) and espied three pallet loads of what looked like brand new batteries. I guessed that these had come from a local company who manufacture battery manufacturing plant (an ex customer of mine).

I bought eight for a fiver and asked the local battery shop to fill one (they were bought dry). This they did and, surprise surprise;- 13.5 volts. As they are huge (550 X 300 X 120), my heart swelled with glee!

Buying a carboy of battery acid, I filled two more. They both became somewhat hot (normal I think) but generated no output whatsoever. Not understanding battery chemistry, I tried charging them but could detect no input current.

With considerable trepidation and lots of protection, I opened one up to discover that the cells were not interconnected. Each cell though apparently accepted charge.

I can only surmise they these were part of a test run of the plant and the interconnections (lead weld?) had not been installed.

I have yet to investigate the rest of batch (non-destructively and before acid filling!).

As there are no identity markings or labels and being more or less completely ignorant of battery construction, I wonder if anybody can identify the type from my description?

The plates in each cell number 13, are about 2mm thick and the separators look like white fibrous material. My sense of self-preservation (and exhaustion of curiosity) will prevent my further destruction of the case.

But I am intrigued to know what sort of descriptive label would have been applied to these had they gone full term in manufacture.
 
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