BATTERY FAILURES/ FACTORS AFFECTING BATTERY LIFE:-

Battery failures can be classified as Overcharging, Cycling, Sulphation, and

internal short circuits. There are other failures which result from causes outside the battery like
improper voltage regulator adjustment, defective generator, loose battery mountings, battery
terminal corrosion etc.
1. OVERCHARGING:-
a. If a battery is subjected to prolonged period of charging to restore it to its full charge
condition, excessive heat will be produced, which will cause the positive plates to
expand and warp.
b. The swelling of positive plates takes place because the free oxygen continues to enter
the positive plates even after complete conversion of lead sulphate into active material.
c. This free oxygen starts attacking the plate grid and gradually converts it into lead
peroxide. Since lead peroxide needs more space than lead, the plates expand and push
upward, raising the cell covers.
d. Overcharging also affects the negative plates of the battery. The negative plates
become hard and dense.
2. CYCLING FAILURE:-
a. This type of failure is considered to be a normal type of failure because during the
course of the normal life of a battery, it is being repeatedly charged and discharged.
b. The active material of the negative plates contracts and expands during the discharge-
recharge cycle.
c. This makes it to loosen and then wash out the plates.
d. In case of cycling failure, the positive plate active material becomes soft, muddy and
brown in colour.
e. It may become so soft that it will start shedding some of its material due to gassing.
f. This material will fall at the bottom of the cell and will ultimately bridge
over and produce a short circuit path between the positive and negative plates.
3. SULPHATION FAILURE:-
a. During battery discharge , the active materials in the negative and positive plates get
converted into lead sulphate.
b. If the battery is recharged without allowing it to stand in this condition, the lead
sulphate will get reconverted into active materials without any difficulty.
c. On the other hand, if the battery is allowed to stand in a discharged condition for a longer
period, the lead sulphate will become hard, which shall resist reconversion.
d. During this process, the negative plates become grayish white whereas the positive
plates tend to become milky white.
e. In addition the plates tend to expand and break the grid.
f. Ultimately a sulphated battery may be so badly damaged that it will have to be replaced.
4. INTERNAL SHORT-CIRCUITS:-
a. Internal short-circuits result from the bridging over of the material across the negative
and positive plates which has been shed from them.
b. The short-circuits may also result because of the failure of a separator.
c. Internal short-circuits can be detected by observing orange colored spots on the plates or
the separators.
d. These orange colored spots are due to the heat produced from short-circuits forming an
orange colored lead compound.