Gel batteries vs lead acid

[Duck]

(Spawned from Hammer's 20 thread)

My STAR car was the same way.
And the turd on wheels has 4 gel batteries under the passenger seat.

What's the advantages of gel batteries vs traditional (and cheaper) lead acid?

I didn't know they'd crept their way into trucks yet.

My only experience with them is with my dad's junk jap car and his Goldwing.

Gel is required in his Mazda Miata because it's located in the trunk. They don't want explosive gases in the trunk.

But other than not venting gases, they're junk IMO. First time they freeze, they're junk. Expensive junk.

 

[AK7]

Exactly don't need any more gas in the cab.

 

[mndriver]

Advantage of a gel or an AGM battery, is that you can flip them upside down and not leak acid

 

[Duck]

The advantages are because they're filled with gel they can handle more physical shocks and bumps without plates breaking off. This makes them better for off-road vehicles.

They don't vent toxic, flammable gases, making them suitable for indoor charging and being located inside the truck of a dinky little micro car.

Other than that I'm not aware of any other advantages.

I do know that if you run them down all the way just once, they're junk. But a lead acid can be recovered from a zero volt situation (with a little bit of capacity loss) if you force-feed it heavy amps (30-60a) for a minute to get a charge established, then switch to a 1.5 amp trickle charger for 2 days. I've done it twice.

Tried it with the one in my dad's Goldwing and although I got the green light on the charger, and it had 12.7 volts a few minutes after removing the charger, it was back down to single digits the next day. And that was with the battery on the workbench in the heated shop, not installed in the bike in the unheated side of the building.


I dunno...

I put a lead acid in my Goldwing when it needed one. I'd rather stick with what I know. Even though I have to hook up the little drain tube.

 

[Duck]

Advantage of a gel or an AGM battery, is that you can flip them upside down and not leak acid

So they're perfect for FedEx trucks.

 

[ironpony]

They handle "house loads" - stuff hooked up to your inverter, a lot better than lead acid batteries do.

 

[Duck]

They handle "house loads" - stuff hooked up to your inverter, a lot better than lead acid batteries do.

How so?

Can you discharge them deeper than a thin plate lead acid starting battery?

If you discharge them all the way, they're junk.

 

[mndriver]

How so?

Can you discharge them deeper than a thin plate lead acid starting battery?

If you discharge them all the way, they're junk.

Sam gel batteries are set up for house loads, some are set up for deep cycle and others are set up for starting.

Running a house load and running a deep cycle is not the same though

 

[ironpony]

How so?

Can you discharge them deeper than a thin plate lead acid starting battery?

If you discharge them all the way, they're junk.

Its the battery chemistry and physical construction that optimizes them for a different load profile.

 

[Duck]

Sam gel batteries are set up for house loads, summer set up for deep cycle and others are set up for starting.

Just like with regular batteries. Many thin plates vs fewer thick plates.

Thin plates are for kicking out a lot of amps for a short time for starter motors. Thick plates are for lower amp loads for a longer duration.

Running a house load and running a deep cycle is not the same though

How so?

 

[Duck]

Its the battery chemistry and physical construction that optimizes them for a different load profile.

Fancy way of saying you have no idea. It's just "science"

 

[mndriver]

I would run deep cycles on my trolling motor.

I will run a hybrid on my semi.

I would never put a deep cycle in the semi.

Deep cycle battery is designed to go to a much deeper discharge than a hybrid.

As well as a deep cycle is not good for you being used as a starter battery.

 

[Duck]

I would run deep cycles on my trolling motor.

I will run a hybrid on my semi.

I would never put a deep cycle in the semi.

Deep cycle battery is designed to go to a much deeper discharge than a hybrid.

As well as a deep cycle is not good for you being used as a starter battery.

All true, but what's the difference between a deep cycle and a house load? Just the depth of discharge? That would vary depending on how long your hired chimp runs the interior lights and the inverter and TV and everything before he starts the truck or APU.

 

[mndriver]

You're right

 

[Hammer166]

Standard lead acid, AGM, and gel batteries all use the same chemistry. Yes, the electrolytes are carried in vastly different ways, but the base chemical reaction is the same. The differing performance regimes are the result of differing physical structure.

 

[ironpony]

Standard lead acid, AGM, and gel batteries all use the same chemistry. Yes, the electrolytes are carried in vastly different ways, but the base chemical reaction is the same. The differing performance regimes are the result of differing physical structure.

You're right. Thought it was different because of the different open terminal voltage.

 

[Wore Out]

A rock quarry by the house has several quad axle dumps. They all have the batteries mounted under the seat and all have gel batteries.

 

[MJ1657]

A rock quarry by the house has several quad axle dumps. They all have the batteries mounted under the seat and all have gel batteries.

Lots of gm vehicles have regular lead acid batteries under the rear seat. Have for years.

 

[ironpony]

Standard lead acid, AGM, and gel batteries all use the same chemistry. Yes, the electrolytes are carried in vastly different ways, but the base chemical reaction is the same. The differing performance regimes are the result of differing physical structure.

There's a different open terminal voltage between the two - that's why I was assuming a different chemistry. That will affect the setting used on an APU to start it for battery charging.

 

[Hammer166]

There's a different open terminal voltage between the two - that's why I was assuming a different chemistry. That will affect the setting used on an APU to start it for battery charging.

Batteryuniversity.com is good source on reading material about all aspects of batteries.