Battery Options for Standby Power

Future trends within the industry are considered, and recent developments in batteries are reviewed, including improved lead acid designs, sodium sulphur and advanced primary batteries. By the very nature of the reliability and long service life requirements, technological change and the introduction of new battery types is a slow process. Apart from certain emergency power systems that require particularly high discharge rates or are exposed to extremes of temperature, the market is almost wholly satisfied by lead-acid batteries of varying design. In reviewing their use, the regional preference for various battery designs is very apparent, with Britain favouring Plante cells for almost all applications, the United States preferring flat plate or more recently the Bell cell, and parts of Europe opting for tubular designs. The important characteristics of these batteries such as the electrical capability in terms of weight, volume and cost, together with the expected service life are compared.