Change CountryPower Solutions Press Kit Battery 101
Johnson Controls is the world’s leading manufacturer and recycler of lead-acid batteries, producing more than 120 million annually. Our commitment to world-class technology and manufacturing excellence is reflected in our global brands, including OPTIMA, VARTA, LTH and Heliar, as well as through the private labels and automotive customers we supply. We are the leading independent provider of hybrid battery systems that make vehicles more energy efficient and contribute to a cleaner environment.
Battery Basics
Battery ClassificationWhat is a battery?
A battery is an electrochemical device that stores and delivers energy. Energy is chemically stored in the battery and when the terminals of the battery are connected through a resistive load, electrical energy passes through the circuit.
Lead-acid Batteries
Automotive lead-acid batteries are commonly referred to as SLI (Starting, Lighting, Ignition) batteries, which are generally 12 volts (12V) and are rechargeable. These batteries supply power to the starter and ignition system to start the engine, and supply power to internal clocks and computers that require constant power, even when the car is not running. Lead-acid batteries also supply extra power necessary when the vehicle’s electrical load exceeds the supply from the charging system (alternator) and acts as a voltage stabilizer in the electrical system, evening out voltage spikes and preventing them from damaging other components in the electrical system.
Anatomy of a Lead-acid Battery
A 12V lead-acid battery contains six separate cells at two volts each. The cells are connected in series by welding connections through the cell partitions. Each cell contains an element or book that consists of stacked positive and negative plates. The battery is then filled with liquid electrolyte, a dilute solution of sulfuric acid and water, or as it is commonly called, battery acid.
Batteries are made of five basic components:
• Positive plates
• Negative plates
• Separators – usually a micro-porous polyethylene synthetic material
• Polypropylene container
• Liquid electrolyte
Plates are comprised of two parts – the grid and the paste, both made of lead. The paste is soft and is the active material that chemically stores the energy. The grid provides a skeletal framework for paste adherence. Grids are made of lead alloys that resist corrosion and conduct electricity to and from the plate.
Positive and negative plates are stacked in an alternating fashion, with separators between the plates to prevent electrical shorting and to enable battery acid to flow back and forth. Both the positive and negative plates are connected at the top by a cast-on-strap that is welded to the plates. When a battery goes from a charged state to a discharged state, it is called battery cycling. During discharge, energy is released from the battery as is demanded by the electrical system. The battery is recharged with energy generated by the alternator.
The Johnson Controls Grid AdvantageGroup Size
Battery Council Industry (BCI) specifies standard battery sizes and configurations by group size. This includes standard overall size – length, width and height of the battery – and standard terminal type and position.
Cold Cranking Amps (CCA)
This industry rating measures the power a battery has available to start a vehicle’s engine at zero degrees Fahrenheit. For a 12V SLI battery, BCI defines CCA as the amount of current (number of amperes) a lead-acid battery at zero degrees Fahrenheit can deliver for 30 seconds while maintaining at least 7.2 volts.
Reserve Capacity (RC)
A battery’s RC represents the length of time a battery can maintain a vehicle’s electrical needs in the event of a charging system failure (alternator failure). BCI defines RC for a 12V SLI battery as the amount of time (in minutes) that a battery can deliver 25 amps at 80 degrees Fahrenheit while maintaining terminal voltage of at least 10.5 volts.
The positive grid is typically the life-limiting component of a lead-acid battery, making alloy selection and design critical to the endurance of the battery. There are several different grid designs in use today, including Expanded Technology, Bookmold/Cast and Johnson Controls’ patented PowerFrame™ technology.
Johnson Controls’ Battery Compliance Testing, Monitoring and QualityPowerFrame Technology
Johnson Controls’ PowerFrame is the ultimate progression in positive grid technology. PowerFrame alloy utilizes increased amounts of tin as the key to corrosion resistance and reduced calcium and silver, which can weaken the material. Bookmold grids use high levels of silver to create a molten alloy that produces large grains, increasing corrosion. PowerFrame takes advantage of a wrought lead strip without disturbing the structure, resulting in dimensional control that exceeds both cast and expanded processes.
PowerFrame is a cleaner, safer and more environmentally sound process that decreases human exposure to unpleasant conditions and lowers lead-in-air/blood lead levels. The continuous process reduces variability, which is in line with our Six Sigma Initiative, and reduces the number of defective batteries under warranty. Johnson Controls is the only advanced storage applications provider to use this technology in battery production.
Our batteries also meet and exceed CCA and RC ratings in part due to our Solidium™ Strap Alloy, a low porosity alloy that provides better plate-to-strap fusion and increased inter-cell weld integrity.
Johnson Controls enforces continuous testing of its batteries to ensure performance and quality of its products. We use internal tests and competitive tests used in the battery industry to evaluate our processes and products. We test approximately 20 batteries at each plant per week and 6,000 batteries per year to ensure consistency among plants.
Johnson Controls Internal Tests
• Electrical compliance results and methods
• Warranty results and methods
Competitive Battery Industry Tests
• Competitive design analysis
• Independent testing at Joe Badger labs (JBI)
• Fleet testing results
• Independent studies of used batteries
Johnson Controls’ goal is to consistently manufacture batteries that meet or exceed its advertised ratings. We monitor battery quality through continuous electrical testing to statistically estimate the percentage of a product line that is expected to meet or exceed ratings. This is known as statistical compliance and is the preferred method to monitor quality at Johnson Controls. We apply statistical compliance standards for all customers and all aftermarket products.
The advantage of statistical compliance is that inconsistent manufacturing is reflected and therefore can be isolated and repaired. This facilitates identification and response to root issues before divisional compliance levels are significantly impacted. It also ensures visibility of processes, allowing action to be taken on issues associated with specific designs.
Fleet testing enables Johnson Controls to test its batteries in real world applications, especially with relation to temperature and mileage. We install, maintain, tear down and analyze test fleet batteries used in taxi cab fleets in Nevada, Florida and Arizona. We created a differentiated southern line of batteries to perform at high levels in these extreme conditions, outlasting the competition by nearly 27 percent. Our Northern design lasted
78 percent longer than competing products.
Johnson Controls also tests its lead-acid batteries in Europe, in extreme cold at temperatures typically reaching minus 18 degrees Celsius. Batteries are subjected to this rigorous testing for at least 24 hours, where temperatures can drop as low as minus 29 degrees Celsius. In the extreme cold-weather lab, conditions are meant to quantify better performance by using tests more intense than real-world usage. This provides a consistent evaluation for automakers to compare different makes, different suppliers, and different designs by the same supplier, and ultimately help Johnson Controls develop a better battery.
► Download Page as PDF
Rebecca Fitzgerald
Global Communications Director
414.524.2945
Rebecca_K_Fitzgerald_AT_jci_com
