Discharge and Self-Discharge of a Lead–Acid Battery

Application ID: 9720


Lead-acid batteries are widely used as starting batteries for various traction applications such as cars and trucks and so forth. The reason for this is the fairly low cost in combination with the performance robustness for a broad range of operating conditions. However, one drawback of this battery type is that the inherent thermodynamics of the battery chemistry causes the battery to self-discharge over time.

This model simulates a lead-acid battery at high (1200 A) and low (3 A) discharge rates, and the long-term self discharge behavior with no applied external current (0 A).

This model example illustrates applications of this type that would nominally be built using the following products: