The Advanced Lead Acid Battery Consortium announced on May 25 it had begun work with Crown Battery in a fundamental science project to examine positive plate samples at various states of charge in lead batteries.

The project, which also involves consulting firms AllPoints Consulting and Steele Consulting, will examine samples to provide data that should help understand the mechanism of lead oxide transformation in positive plates.

ALABC programme manager Boris Monahov said the results of the project could be useful for renewable energy storage applications such as solar and wind energy.

The techniques to be used in the project include X-ray diffraction, field emission SEM, micro and synchrotron imaging using X-ray fluorescence, electron microprobe, electron backscatter diffraction orientation determination and transmission electron microscopy.

The project team (pictured left to right): Ian Steele, Steele Consulting, consultant to the contract; David Boden, All Points Consulting, project coordinator; Michael Fraley, technical director of Crown and project supervisor; Samira Farahani, Crown Battery: Boris Monahov, ALABC program manager; Matt Govinsky, Crown Battery; Jayme Navarrete, Crown, project manager.

Separately, members and contractors of the ALABC will meet in Varna, Bulgaria, on June 11, and will follow that up with a technical workshop the day after.