BCI YEARBOOK - 2016

San Antonio, USA • May 1-3, 2016

Bringing the industry togetherwww.batteriesinternational.com

• The review: the year ahead, the year behind

• BCI deepens international presence

• Follow our full convention session analysis

• Squaring up to the lithium challenge

• California, the wild card for lead’s future

• Farewell Ann, we’ll miss you in retirement

& Special Pre-2016 Convention Report


BCI deepens international presence

• Follow our full convention session analysis

• Squaring up to the lithium challenge

• California, the wild card for lead’s future

• Farewell Ann, we’ll miss you in retirement

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CONTENTS

www.batteriesinternational.com Batteries International • BCI 2016 Yearbook • 1

Editorial 2

Welcome to San Antonio: the Alamo City 4

The BCI viewpoint: the international perspective 9

Find us! Power Mart flat plan for the exhibitors 12

Creating a united front to champion lead 17

Muddled thinking as California tries to come to terms with lead 18

The BCI story 21

The price of lead 22

Lithium in the recycling stream 24

The BCI innovation awards 25-52

Hammond 26

Advanced Battery Concepts 28

Black Diamond Structures 32

Glatfelter 34

Aqua Metals 38

Daramic 41

MAC/EnerSys 42

HighWater Innovations 44

Digatron 46

ALABC 48

Abertax 50

Gridtential 51

NorthStar 52

BCI member profile: Superior Battery 57

All the fun of the show 62

Farewell Ann, you’ll be mightily missed 64

Battery Council International’s 128th Convention and Power Mart Expo, looks yet again to be the hottest meeting

of the North American lead (and more) battery community this year. With an exciting agenda covering many

issues that urgently need to be discussed, and not forgetting the newly introduced innovation awards, the almost

600 delegates heading to San Antonio, Texas should find much to talk about.

BCI Yearbook & Special Pre-2016Convention Report

4

9

18

62

EDITORIAL

2 • Batteries International • BCI 2016 Yearbook www.batteriesinternational.com

This year’s BCI meetings come at an important juncture in the lead battery industry — the next big boom in battery sales is before us.

For the last couple of decades, a huge volume of new business has come from the emerging markets of the world. When 600 million Chinese joined the middle class, their aspiration to own a car became a reality. The same was true across huge swathes of Brazil, India, Russia, South Africa in fact economic boom matched battery sales one-for-one.

This time the next boom in battery sales is returning to the developed economies as utilities and investors look to shift their energy supply from oil and gas to renewables.

Already the price of solar is often cheaper, after being installed, than utility-generated electricity, at least at the residential level. And at the grid level, the same may soon be true.

And it’s here where affordable energy storage is needed — and needed badly. Storage to balance the electricity grid as it deals with intermittency and other issues and storage as a source of reserve power.

Moreover, this huge potential market could eclipse the automotive one in a matter of years. The trouble for the lead battery industry is that lithium is fast becoming the de facto standard. There was a logic for pursuing the idea that lithium, being lighter than lead, could have a role in electric vehicles.

But no such logic now, the industry needs to attack the idea that lithium is environmentally green — the fault is that the short-sighted media always confuse

new with better — when it can’t be recycled in any kind of cost-effective way.

Here is where the BCI and its convention comes into its own. This is where the industry should regather, rethink commercial strategies and fi ght back.

This year’s innovation award is one such bright point for talking about any fi ght back. In the opinion of this editor of the 18 entries, all were worth fl agging. But it was more than just that. At least fi ve of them had the potential to be game-changers for the industry — if not disruptive technologies in a larger sense — and which could take the industry boldly going into business areas that have yet to be opened up.

Boldly going into ever newer business areas

Mike Halls • [email protected]

Publisher: Karen Hampton, [email protected], +44 7792 852 337

Editor: Michael Halls, [email protected], +44 7977 016 918

Assistant sales manager: Jade Beevor, [email protected], +44 1 243 782 275

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Subscriptions and admin manager: Claire Ronnie, [email protected]@batteriesinternational.com+44 1 243 782 275

Special reports editorWyn [email protected]

Staff reporters: Philip Moorcroft, William Aslan

Design and production: Antony Parselle, [email protected]+44 1 727 899 360

International advertising :[email protected]

The contents of this publication are protected

by copyright. No unauthorised translation or

reproduction is permitted. ISSN 1462-6322

© 2016 Mustard Seed Publishing,

UK company no: 5976361. Printed in the UK via

Thisismethod UK

Disclaimer: Although we believe in the accuracy and

completeness of the information contained in this

magazine, Mustard Seed Publishing makes no warran-

ties or representation about this. Nor should anything

contained within it should be construed as constituting

an offer to buy or sell securities, or constitute advice in

relation to the buying or selling of investments.

Visit our website to see how Hammond Group is driving innovation for PbA batteries.

www.hmndgroup.com/about/

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WELCOME TO SAN ANTONIO


Welcome to the ‘Alamo City’ — so called because its area code is 210. But it’s also known as the ‘Countdown City’ as its area code is 210, a name it shares with Orlando (area code 321).

Oddly enough it’s also nicknamed ‘The Big Apple’ — presumably because in the Lone Star State titchy little New York doesn’t count.

San Antonio is old by American standards. A Spanish expedition visited the spot on June 13 — Saint Antony’s day — in 1691, though nowadays it’s hard to spot anything of any great age. It’s also one of the fastest growing cities in the US.

But it’s heart is lovely. As you stroll along the San Antonio River that winds its way through the streets, it’s an endless contrast to the bustling atmosphere that sprawls the waterside.

The infamous culture of the Deep

South is unmistakable throughout this vibrant city. With its locally renowned restaurants offering some of the best Southern food, the endless celebrations that run throughout the year and 300 days of sunshine, San Antonio always has something happening.

It is also a party city that likes to stay up late. There is everything from relaxing bars and lounges offering some of the best wines from the vineyards of the Texas Hill Country to the animated clubs and live music venues to keep you entertained.

There is also a variety of shows to see in the charming theatres in the downtown area including the ‘San Antonio Stories’, a series of art plays representing the

culture and diversity in the area.But the fun doesn’t stop in the

evening. From the minute the sun rises, San

Antonio gets a new lease of life as the museums, galleries and theme parks reopen their doors to visitors. For those looking to escape the bustle of city life for the day, San Antonio has 14,300 acres of parkland and 114 miles of hiking and biking trails to keep you busy.

As one of the oldest Spanish colonised areas in Texas,

heritage is strong throughout the city. Visit the fi ve 18th century old Missions that line the river for a taste of history and learn more about

the unforgettable Battle of The Alamo. For the spirited, immerse yourself in the Fiesta, a parade held every April to honour the heroes of the Alamo. This energetic celebration will have you dancing till the

sun goes down. You will be saturated in the culture of this

dynamic city, making you feel like a local in no time.

BE A TRUE TEXAN COWBOY

Many ranches in this part of the world are still very much in use and taking a visit to one, like the Enchanted Springs Ranch, allows you to experience nature hikes or horseback riding, before enjoying a classic campfi re just like a true cowboy.

A famous pastime in the South; an evening learning how to line dance will make you feel right at home in the country. The 70,000 square foot Cowboy Dancehall in San Antonio has enough room for you to practise your moves and dance the night away, promising a memorable evening.

Soak up the atmosphere at a classic Rodeo Show. San Antonio is home to the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo. It has proudly hosted this award-winning event for years and gives visitors the chance to see livestock expositions and concert entertainment.

When someone mentions the South, an image of a cowboy on his horse may come to mind. The Texas Hill countryside surrounding San Antonio still has a strong cowboy culture that allows visitors to get the genuine Wild West experience. Here are a few ways to live like a cowboy during your stay.

GIVE COUNTRY WESTERN DANCING A GOVISIT A REAL LIFE CATTLE RANCH WATCH A RODEO

Delegates visiting San Antonio for the fi rst time will not be disappointed — whether it is a

taste of lively nightlife, adventurous days or authentic cowboy culture you are seeking.

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Welcome to The Alamo City


Josephine Street CaféOne of the most popular restaurants with visitors and locals alike, Josephine Street has been going strong for 35 years and offers a varied menu of delicious comfort food at an affordable price. It’s a classic Texas “Roadhouse”.

What to order: Steak, steak or steak

Biga on the banksOpened by famous chef Bruce Auden, Biga soon made it on to Esquire’s ‘Best Bars and Restaurants’ list. This highly regarded fi ne dining restaurant has attracted foodies from all over the world cementing its place as one of the best places to eat in San Antonio.

What to orderThe seasonal menu of four to fi ve dish special where you get a taste of everything on offer

The Fig TreeThe website states ‘San Antonio’s Finest Dining’ and if the testimonials are anything to go by then it’s true. It was turned into a restaurant after the family decided to share their beautiful home with the world. They now offer some classic San Antonio dishes with that fi ne dining twist.

What to orderBeef Wellington (Fig Tree style)

WHOOPS, COME BACK SOON AND SEE …

Formula 1 fan? San Antonio will be hosting the Formula 1 US Grand Prix 2016. The event is expected to attract 300,000 people to the area meaning a great atmosphere in the city, just make sure you book your stay early.

Dia de los Muertos (The Day of the Dead): This is a day where families come together to celebrate the lives of those they have lost and remember the happy memories. Locals will dress up as the dead in skeleton costumes and create decorations for altars created for the deceased.

It’s not as morbid as it sounds. It’s a celebration of life which everyone is welcome to take part in with

parades and parties from dusk till dawn.

Humana Rock ‘n’ Roll marathon: Strictly for the sportier, this event is for you. It’s a classic marathon race with a twist. Along the route of the marathon is a series of stages with bands playing live music to spur on the runners.

The marathon has you running past some of the most popular visitor attractions in San Antonio so you get the chance to do a bit of sight-seeing too.

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WELCOME TO SAN ANTONIO

Reasons to escape to the Texas Hill CountryThe rolling countryside of the Texas Hill Country makes it the perfect location for some popular sports including golf, rock climbing and hiking. The 8,600 acre Canyon State Natural Area is close by for beautiful views of Texas or if you’re looking to be more adventurous, one of Texan’s favourite summer sports is tubing. Enjoy fl owing down the Guadalupe River, appreciating the views from a different perspective.

The Hill Country’s vineyards are a must for wine connoisseurs. With different wine trails and tours to go on, spend an afternoon tasting some award-winning wines from over 30 different wineries

The Texas Hill Country has its own culture that is separate from San Antonio. Visit the vast number of antique shops in the area to fi nd some treasured items before grabbing some food in one of the many barbecue restaurants. There are also all

the ranches dotted through the country to visit for that true cowboy experience.

Nothing can beat a good American road trip and taking one to the Texas Hill Country will allow you to experience the different traditions, architecture and cuisine in the area. Travelling by car means you can visit more of the quaint towns established there and the array of churches that are a popular attraction throughout the countryside.

…GET A CULTURE OVERDOSEVISIT THE WINERIES … …TAKE A DRIVE

SAN ANTONIO CUISINE: HOW TO EAT LIKE A LOCAL

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THE VIEW FROM BCI


Mark Thorsby, executive vice director of BCI, says he looks back on 2015 as a sometimes hectic year but one with solid achievements, and most particu-larly in the way that relationships with other trade associations have widened and provided greater clout for BCI.

“It’s been a busy year in many ways for BCI. “Perhaps the most important item of business is the Strategic Alli-ance we’ve forged with other organi-zations,” says Thorsby. At the start of the year BCI, the International Lead Association, EUROBAT and the ABR, fi nalized a cooperation agreement.

”What this means in practice is that we exchange and collaborate on what we do so as to be more effective. Rather than each of us doing the same things, we can coordinate our efforts to minimize duplication of effort. It’s also a very friendly way of bringing us all together.”

The fi rst instance of this happened early in the new year when talk emerged that the Californian govern-ment was thinking of subjecting lead batteries to review under the state’s new “green chemistry” law, a bit simi-lar to the European Union measure, known as REACH.

“Because of our collaboration with the ILA and EUROBAT we were com-pletely ahead of the curve in dealing with the issues,” says Thorsby. “We were able to immediately adapt the European arguments over the safe and responsible use of lead to the Califor-nian situation, making a powerful ar-gument at the onset of the larger con-versations. We still face a substantial challenge, but are well positioned to respond.”

Moreover the Strategic Alliance has set itself a challenging workload in its efforts to redress the growing me-dia assumption that lithium batteries will automatically replace lead batter-ies, without the intellectual basis for

International dimension now clearly a force for change and consolidation

Batteries International spoke to Mark Thorsby ahead of the convention to review what’s been a busy year for the council — and one of sub-stantial achievement.

“Because of our collaboration with the ILA and EUROBAT we were completely ahead of the curve …we were able to immediately adapt the European arguments over the safe and responsible use of lead to the Californian situation, making a powerful argument at the onset of the larger conversations.”

This year’s BCI convention is already looking like a success. With over 500 delegates registered before the fi nal deadline, as the BCI Yearbook went to press, it is clearly one of the largest events in recent years.

“It’s not just about being North America’s most important or biggest event, though scale is important,” says Mark Thorsby, executive vice director of BCI. “It’s about being the most relevant — and in recent years

we’ve shown this to be a fact.”Thorsby reckons that the energy

climate landscape is changing in ways that the lead community can benefi t. “For the last couple of years, we’ve seen the massive worries about the lack of energy supply disappear but at the same time those previous worries have engendered a greater sense of responsibility — the new mood is one of energy stewardship and with that it’s corollary, energy storage.”

POWER. INNOVATION. OPPORTUNITY

THE VIEW FROM BCI


reaching this conclusion.Thorsby is also forging closer ties

with the Canadian Battery Association which met in Toronto, 10 days before the BCI meetings began.

Electronic advancementAlthough this has clearly been one of the major achievements over the year, BCI has also been busy in on a vari-ety of other fronts. One large labour fi nally fi nished has been the shift of BCI’s entire DataBook — which con-tains a complete catalogue of every as-pect of the lead battery product world in North America — think sales, type, distribution, manufacturer, supplier, distributor, even voltages — to an on-line product.

“We’ve been moving from paper to on-line for some time,” says Thorsby. “Now we’re fully there. We want peo-ple to see how easy their search can be so we’ve made some attractive offers — this year people can test drive the product for not just our standard 20 years but the full 75 years.”

Also electronically has been a huge revamp of the BCI website. “It’s been more than a cosmetic face lift, “says Thorsby. “We’ve looked at the whole of what we provide and put it up there for members to see how useful it can be for their needs”

Blood lead levelsSome of the other areas that the BCI has been involved in — and which will continue throughout this year — may not trigger loud splashes in the media but are clearly benefi cial for the North American lead battery industry.

One signifi cant victory — at least in gaining the high ground in any debate over the subject — is the BCI”s leader-ship in tackling blood levels of lead of US employees.

“By the end of this year we’ve com-mitted ourselves to being 100% below 30μg/dl in blood levels,” says Thorsby. “And we’re almost there. At present 99.1% of battery employees are under the level and we just need to get the remaining 150 or so industry work-ers — who are between 30μg/dl and 38μg/dl to achieve the target.”

This is a considerable achievement for BCI and its members in going above and beyond the present legisla-tion. (And also a landmark shift from where blood levels were 20 years ago.)

“The eventual target will probably be zero levels of lead in the blood,” says Thorsby. “That seems to be the eventual government position on this. Irrespective of whether this makes

sense our line is that we want to be a leader in setting standards — and set-ting across the world too.”

For the moment — given that Cali-fornia is pushing the bar ever lower — BCI is ahead of the game in terms of lead levels for battery staff in US requirements and also internationally.

However, there are continuing rever-berations from the Exide waste dis-posal scandal in Vernon, California. “A host of new and irrational threats have emerged from the media cover-age of the Exide scandal,” says Thors-by. “And a host of other Californian initiatives are exploiting the fact.”

State governor Jerry Brown is pro-posing that $176 million be put aside for a clean-up of the soil near the bat-tery recycling plant. Draft legislation — voted on after the Yearbook goes to press — is talking of imposing a $15 recycling fee on all lead batteries sold in the state. “We are actively arguing this and making headway,” says Thorsby.

Safety with better labellingThe issue of labelling so that lithium batteries don’t get into the lead acid

battery recycling stream seems nearer resolution. “But the process itself is a slow one. We have the IEC in Europe and the SAE here in the States going through the approval process, which’ll probably take another year to be fi nal-ized,” Thorsby says.

“But our concern here is that this isn’t a complete solution — we have no way of ensuring compliance with Asian manufacturers, for example.”

As part of the Strategic Alliance’s ef-forts an information leafl et has been sent to battery collectors, handlers and sorters across North America and Eu-rope, highlighting the serious risk of fi re and explosions if lead and lithium is mixed.”

And next year — what does Thorsby see?

“I’m increasingly positive about the future of our industry,” he says. “For the longest time the media has given the impression that lead was some-thing dirty and becoming irrelevant to everything from the automotive busi-ness to energy storage at the megawatt level but now clearly that tide is turn-ing.”

There are continuing reverberations from the Exide waste disposal scandal in Vernon, California and a host of new and often irrational threats to the lead battery industry have emerged from the media coverage of the scandal. A host of other Californian green initiatives are exploiting the situation for political gains

The BCI can point to other minor changes in US rules over the past year. Some of the rules around the handling of batteries make little sense but have been enshrined in state or national law.

This year the BCI helped change the Arizona law which established a ceiling of $15 on the deposit battery buyers were required to pay if they do not return a used battery at the point of sale. The “deposit in lieu of trade” requirement of course is meant to encourage recycling, but capping

the available amount is counter-productive. There are now only a handful of US states that continue to set deposit caps.

Also the US Department of Transportation has fi nally reversed a ruling whereby the delivery of new batteries and the pick up of old ones had to take place on separate carriers. The move, probably created to help the scrap metal industry gain competitive advantage against the distributors’ network, was just ineffi cient.

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For a limited time* we are slashing the price of a subscription and giving you the chance to take part in one of the most exciting years in the battery and energy industry.

Don’t be the only one who doesn’t know what’s going on!

Time to debunk thelithium mythsCase study: growing your business in the teeth of a recession

Excitement: NAATBaat picks Kentucky for HQ

Lead acid fights back

Issue 72

Spring 2009

Why cutting edge lead technology could knockout next generation batteries

Bringing the industry togetheral.co

cid finngnggg

yk

hehee iinindndustry togriesinternationa

Issue 73

Summer 2009

Bringing the industry together

www.batteriesinternational.com

Life after GM, Chrysler

collapse: it ain’t so bad

Separating flywheel

hype from substance

Thrills and spills: Obama

announces loans, grants

UPS: time

to see the

bigger

picturep

ck

ho

Issue 76 Spring/Summer 2010


Can this separator outsmart the lithium

nail penetration test?

The EV conundrum: time to make the

numbers stand up

Tributes as BCI's Moe Desmarais moves on

Molten salt batteries show potential again

Optimism unbounded:AABC Orlando reviewand exhibition special

Exide’s Cheeseman: ‘confident we can reinvent lead acid’

Ba eriesInternational

Putting the va-va-voom into customer service

North American supplier profiles

S

erati

heom

ericeric

Bringing the industry togetherw

Year t

challe

Phoenix from the flames: how Firefly Energy was salvagedTime to

energy, boxes

China motive boom powers on, demand to send lead prices higher

Issue 78 Winter 2010/2011

Ba eriesInternational

The first whiff of danger

What rare earth shortages will mthe batt

sl

Issue 79

Spring 2011

Ba eriesInternationalIssue 79

Spring 2011Internaernanaaaanan ttional

Esoteric expertise:

the unusual skills

of mold makers

Engineers for the

next generation —

the great brain drain

Energy storage for the

future: full charge in

two minutes

Be there or be square!

See our new expanded

events section

Task forces meet

in battle to set

common standards

A life on the road:

recollections of a

travelling batteryman

Bob Galyen,

Magna e-Car

and the future

of testing


FANCY

A B

OSSANOVA

BOYS

?

Page

29

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Bringing the industry towww.batteriesinternatio

r aheadad survey: the hohopes and engeses of 2011

enix from the s: hoow Fireflywas ssalvaged

o chharge for noot for theit comes in

When the tough: thetimes of A

China mopowers osend lea

Why Dedeserveachieve

will meean to tery inddustry Task force

in battle

common

The CEO interview

Srivastava and Leclanché’s bid for world dominanceThe new titans of lead

Ecoult’s UltraBattery take

lithium on — head to head


www.batteriesinternstry togetherrnational.com

THE LAST WORD: TALES FROM THE DARK SIDE

Issue 95

Spring 2015

Jeanne Burbank’s legacy

Battery pioneer whose lead

insights are still with usCapacitors come of age

Will supercaps be the next

miracle ingredient ‘x’?

Picking the new industry leaderLead squares up to

lithium for large scaleenergy storage

Esoteric experti

e unusual skills

or be squ

ew expa

ction

es meeto set

n stand

SIDE

lhose leadth us

agenext

ngtrarer lra

Liquid power The next generation of flow batteries is starting to emergeIsland microgrids

Replacing costly diesel for renewables and batteries

Bringing the industry togetherwww.batteriesinterntry togethernational.com

HE LAST WORD: TA

LES FROM THE DARK SIDE

Issue 96 Summer 2015

Fondly remembered Electrochemist genius Al Salkind passed away in JuneProfile: Lampe-Önnerud Mixing innovation, ability and commercialization

Nickel: still an important cog in the energy storage gameNew uses for an established chemistry

BCI POWER MART TRADE FAIR 2016 FLOORPLAN


Inbatec Gmbh

Stand 321

Inbatec is the world leader in formation systems with acid recirculation technology with over 250 systems in operation worldwide. Our formation modules are reliable and proven and are used by many lead-acid battery manufacturers around the world.

Your benefi ts

• Closed formation system allows complying with MAC values and environmental regulations

• Precise acid gravity and temperature control results in very uniform cell-to-cell voltage

• Shorter formation time means higher productivity, less space requirement and lower work in progress/inventory

• Self-contained and independent modules — to be supplied only with concentrated acid, demineralised water, compressed air, electrical power

• Whole acid management is done inside the module

• Production capacity grows step-by-step

The Inbatec formation process combines uniform and repeatable quality with high productivity and environmental compatibility. The Inbatec modules —the benchmark for lead acid battery formation.

Contact detailsInbatec GmbH, Konrad-Adenauer-Ring 40. 58135 Hagen , Germany Tel.: +49 (0)2331 39650-0 E-Mail: [email protected] Fax: +49 (0)2331 39650-29 Web: www.inbatec.de

Bitrode Corporation

Stand 221

BITRODE CORPORATION, a Sovema Company, is a leading manufacturer of battery charging and testing equipment with over 50 years of industry experience. By partnering with customers to integrate their unique requirements into each product, Bitrode is consistently able to meet the changing needs of a sophisticated market.

The fi rm offers an extensive product line of formation and laboratory test equipment, user-friendly software and manufacturing automation tools appropriate to all battery applications and chemistries.

The fi rm’s manufacturing and engineering facility is based in St. Louis, Missouri, USA with sales and support offi ces in North America, Europe and Asia. In addition, Bitrode cultivates relationships with industry sales and supply networks around the globe, providing all customers with timely and knowledgeable service.

The fi rm’s focus on quality and commitment to providing superior technical support drives them to be the best full-service manufacturer of formation charging and test equipment for both large and small cell markets.

Contact details: +1 636 343 [email protected]

OMI-NBE

Stand 206

OMI-NBE is a company specialized in the production and installation of formation and charging systems for any type of lead-acid batteries.

We can take care of your batteries coming from the assembly, starting from the acid and water preparation, fi lling and forming them with our water cooling systems or with the acid recirculation formation system, test and prepare your high quality batteries for the shipment to your fi nal client and user.

Our focus is to give our customers the maximum effi ciency and fl exibility, an increase in production and productivity, a better quality of the products and a reduction of the costs.

Our solutions for your business:

• Acid recirculation formation• Advanced water bath formation• Filling process for fl ooded & AGM• Finishing & dispatching equipment • Acid preparation, storage & recovery• Tubular plates fi lling, slurry preparation• Auxiliary equipment

Contact details: Email: [email protected]: www.omi-nbe.comTel. & Fax: +39 0363 901 9811

Farmer Mold & Machine Works

Stand 218

Family owned and operated since 1938, Farmer Mold & Machine Works specializes in the design and manufacturing of any type of machinery, including battery assembly equipment, parts casting equipment, and plant automation and process engineering.

Further, if you need something that’s not already in our current product line, Farmer can work with you to create custom machinery for your specifi c applications — whether a new technology or refi ning an existing process.

Our portfolio of machinery not only sets the standard within the industry but is ever-growing. Plus, Farmer provides sales and support for acid dilution systems, plate curing ovens, and semi- and fully automated material handling equipment to several industries worldwide.

Our highly interactive and innovative approach to automated machine, tool and die, and mold design follows precise safety standards and utilizes the best materials to produce top-of-the-line machines and equipment that are built to last in 24/7 environments.

Contact details: Jim Gilmour+1 [email protected]

WIRTZ Manufacturing

Stand 401

The WIRTZ group of companies provides global

solutions to the world-wide battery manufacturing

industry.

With state-of-the-art equipment designed and

developed by; WIRTZ (gravity-cast, continuously-

cast and rolled, punched grid and plate production);

OXMASTER (ball-mill and barton oxide production

systems, and paste mixing equipment); LEKO

(semi-automatic and high speed fully-automatic

battery assembly lines); CONBRO (battery filling and

formation plants); and BATTERYRECYCLING (turnkey

battery breaking lead and plastic recycling systems,

including paste desulphurisation).

At BCI, WIRTZ will demonstrate their commitment

to automatically control, and continuously improve

critical process variables, in order to ensure that their

resulting battery products are of the highest QUALITY,

DURABILITY and PERFORMANCE.

Contact details: WIRTZ Manufacturing Company Inc..

1105 Twenty-Fourth Street

Port Huron, Michigan 48061-5006

USA

Tel: +1 810 987 7600

Email; [email protected]

Go to www.batteriesinternational.com • click on subscriptions for your free trial





Batteries International

Batteries International has been serving the energy storage and battery industry for almost 25 years and has come to be regarded as the defi nitive source of unbiased news reporting, taking an authoritative stance on all aspects of the business. Batteries International’s editorial team has a reputation for fairness, integrity and impartiality — it’s in the business of trying to serve the $30 billion energy storage industry rather than simply work it for its own good.

The batteries business is in a state of fl ux. All the previous certainties are being challenged. Geographically, manufacturing has moved away from its traditional base in North America and Europe. The work horse of the industry — the lead acid battery — is increasingly being threatened by rapidly developing chemistries funded by governments trying to fi nd out where they can domestic industries a new competitive edge.

In this environment there are business opportunities — as well as dangers — galore. Keeping abreast of this rapidly changing world is a must, which makes Batteries International’s fair-minded reporting compulsory reading for the energy storage executive.

Batteries International is provided by independent publisher Mustard Seed Publishing.

Contact details:10 Temple Bar Business Park, Strettington, West Sussex, PO18 0TUUnited KingdomTel: +44 7792 852 337www.batteriesinternational.comEmail: [email protected]

ENTEK

Stand 209

For more than 30 years, ENTEK has been an innovator and leading global designer and producer of microporous battery separators for lead-acid and lithium batteries. Our separators are used in lead-acid batteries for automobiles, golf carts and industrial applications, lithium-ion rechargeable and disposable lithium batteries.

We are a trusted supplier to leading battery makers in the Asia-Pacifi c, Europe, and the Americas, and headquartered in Lebanon, Oregon USA, with facilities in the UK and Asia. ENTEK was founded on the principle of being ‘the best supplier to our customers and the best customer to our suppliers’ and our focus on customer service has been key to our success.

Our capacity, technical fi eld support, quality systems, logistics teams and local warehousing ensure our customers enjoy on-time and in-full reliability of supply. We continuously invest to grow with our customers and offer the product customization our customers rely on for their success.

Contact detailsCarri MoffattTel: +1 541 259 3901 x 7174www.entek.com

Eagle Oxide

Stand 411

Eagle Oxide Services is a leader in the development, design and service of lead and lead oxide systems throughout the world. Their staff has real world oxide production experience that is used to create the best oxide manufacturing equipment on the market.

With hundreds of systems installed in 25+ countries ranging from Ball Mills, Barton Reactors, Litharge and Red Lead Systems to Hammer Mills, lead melt pots, pneumatic and mechanical material conveying, Eagle will fulfi ll your manufacturing requirements from the simplest of needs to the most complex challenges.

We are proud to announce that Eagle Oxide has received the JCI Shanghai China Outstanding Supplier Award.

Contact details: EAGLE Oxide Services, 5605 West 74th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46278 USATel: +1 (317) 290-8485Fax: +1 (317) 290-8766Email: [email protected]

Sovema SpA

Stand 303

Founded in 1969, SOVEMA is one of the most signifi cant and diversifi ed battery equipment manufacturers in the world, able to supply individual equipment for specifi c processing operations, as well as complete lines for the entire production cycle, using an integrated technological approach starting from the study of factory and departmental lay-out, through to product know-how and plant commissioning by specialized staff.

In 2008 SOVEMA acquired BITRODE CORPORATION, the world’s most respected supplier of electric power conversions systems for EV/HEV battery testing, as well as production and test systems used in the manufacturing of batteries; in 2011 SOVEMA set up “SOLITH” a new branch for Lithium-Ion battery machines development in Bologna.

SOVEMA is implementing its equipment range more and more, as to improve its market leadership and serve any kind of energy storage manufacturers.

Contact details: Tel: +39 045 633 5711Web: www.sovema.itEmail: [email protected]

MAC Engineering

Stand 219

MAC Engineering has supplied the lead acid battery industry with high quality downstream battery making equipment since 1965.

We offer complete systems for feeding, pasting, fl ash drying and stacking any continuous or gravity cast plate making technology.

From motorcycle and automotive batteries, to industrial and traction, we have equipment to handle any size of battery production.

New equipment solutions are now available for punched grids. MAC also offers fi nishing line equipment for automated Cast on Strap, acid fi lling, leak testing, heat sealing and more.

Contact us today for more information on what we can do for you.

Contact details: Doug BornasTel: +1 269-925-3295E-mail: [email protected]

Hammond Group

Stand 325

Hammond Expanders is the world’s leading developer and producer of pre-blended expanders for SLI/engine starting, valve regulated, motive power, standby power, hybrid/electric vehicle and solar/wind power applications.

With locations in the USA, UK and Malaysia, Hammond Expanders has the ability to supply your battery company no matter where you may be located.

Our expanders are custom packaged to provide you with the easiest introduction to your paste mix per a one bag per batch ratio.

They are the most technically innovative and reliable available on the market; with decades of expander formulation and experience under our belt, rest assured that you are getting the highest quality product available.Also we have introduce our world leading new K2 range for today’s Partial State of Charge Applications.

Contact detailsBonnie Mescal, Customer ServicesTel: +1 219 852-7223email: [email protected]

Digatron Power Electronics

Stand 319

Digatron Power Electronics:More than hardware and software, formation process control and test data generation; Digatron Power Electronics is a solutions provider for the production, quality control and R&D of batteries, fuel cells, super-capacitors and other energy storage devices. A premier worldwide company with over 200 employees is at your service from our four manufacturing and service locations including Germany, USA, China and India; we are here to assist clients with all its post-assembly needs.Test equipment from cell to pack to system;Production formation and conditioning equipment;Systems engineering including plant layout, material handling, power management Contact details: Digatron Power Electronics, Inc.50 Waterview DriveShelton, CT 06484 USAPhone:+1 203 446 8000 Ext 221Fax: +1 203 446 [email protected]

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KEY — BY COMPANY NAME

Accuma Corp 302

Accumation 323

ACL Laboratories 204

Akumsan Plastik Urunler 222

ALABC 400

Amer-Sil 118

Battery Watering Technologies 414

Bernard Dumas 308

Bitrode Corporation 221

BM-Rosendahl 412

Centrifugal Castings 416

Cobra Wire & Cable,

Genuine Cable Group 314

Co-effi cient Precision Engineering 310

Daramic 317

Digatron Power Electronics 319

DTW Systems 405

Eagle Oxide 411

Eirich Machines 102

Electric Applications Incorporated 306

ENTEK International 209

ESCA Tech 410

Farmer Mold & Machine Works 218

Flow-Rite 223

Gauthier Non-Ferrous Products 402

Glatfelter Composite Fibers 408

Hammond Group 325

Hollingsworth & Vose 312

Inbatec 321

International Thermal Systems 202

JBI Corporation 213

Johns Manville 220

Kallstrom Engineering 217

LCB Battery 406

MAC Engineering 219

Microporous 413

O M Impianti 206

Oak Press Solutions 224

PINCO 226

Polymer Molding 203

Power-Sonic Corporation 301

Richardson Molding 409

Sovema 303

Superior Graphite 407

TBS Engineering 205

Tulip Molded Plastics Corp 304

Universal Power Group 225

Water Gremlin 201

WEGMANN automotive USA 207

Wirtz Manufacturing 401

KEY — BY STAND NUMBER

102 Eirich Machines

118 Amer-Sil

201 Water Gremlin

202 International Thermal Systems

203 Polymer Molding

204 ACL Laboratories

205 TBS Engineering

206 O M Impianti

207 WEGMANN automotive USA

209 ENTEK International

213 JBI Corporation

217 Kallstrom Engineering

218 Farmer Mold & Machine Works

219 MAC Engineering

220 Johns Manville

221 Bitrode Corporation

222 Akumsan Plastik Urunler

223 Flow-Rite

224 Oak Press Solutions

225 Universal Power Group

226 PINCO

301 Power-Sonic Corporation

302 Accuma Corp

303 Sovema

304 Tulip Molded Plastics Corp

306 Electric Applications Incorporated

308 Bernard Dumas

310 Co-effi cient Precision Engineering

312 Hollingsworth & Vose

314 Cobra Wire & Cable, Genuine Cable Group

317 Daramic

319 Digatron Power Electronics

321 Inbatec

323 Accumation

325 Hammond Group

400 ALABC

401 Wirtz Manufacturing

402 Gauthier Non-Ferrous Products

405 DTW Systems

406 LCB Battery

407 Superior Graphite

408 Glatfelter Composite Fibers

409 Richardson Molding

410 ESCA Tech

411 Eagle Oxide

412 BM-Rosendahl

413 Microporous

414 Battery Watering Technologies

416 Centrifugal Castings

BCI: INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS


The recent collaboration between the world’s major representative bodies for the lead and lead battery industries was prompted by fundamental chang-es in the marketplace for these prod-ucts, according to Andy Bush, manag-ing director of the International Lead Association, the global trade associa-tion for the lead industry representing the producers of about three million tonnes of lead.

The ILA, EUROBAT, BCI, and the Association of Battery Recyclers un-veiled a strategic alliance in January to advance the cause of lead batteries in a rapidly changing marketplace.

The organizations have worked to-gether informally for many years, but the alliance kick-starts a unifi ed ap-proach that has three objectives: to ensure lead batteries are regarded as the future product of choice; that the benefi ts of lead-based products and in particular lead batteries are recognized more widely outside the industry; and ,that regulation on batteries better re-fl ects the contribution they can make to a sustainable future.

The partnership has come to fruition as a result of fundamental changes in the market for lead-based products. “Increased vehicle hybridization, the advent of lithium-ion in the automo-tive world and the huge potential in grid storage and renewable energy provide opportunities and challenges which require the lead and lead bat-tery industries to work together more closely,” says Bush.

“ILA has undertaken a root and branch review of its work so we can best support the lead industry. Not surprisingly our conclusion was that the future success of the lead industry would be best achieved by ensuring there is a strong future for lead bat-teries. That cannot be achieved by ILA on its own and that means working more closely with ABR, BCI and EU-ROBAT,” he says. Bush says the trade

bodies have identifi ed specifi c goals that they wish to achieve in the next 12 months.

“Among the key priorities this year are the launch of life cycle assessment work on the lead battery in Europe and North America; a communications awareness campaign in North America on the ben-efi ts of lead batteries to society; securing a further exemption for lead batteries from the restriction on lead in vehicles under the EU End of Life Vehicle Direc-tive and addressing the threats to lead batteries under the REACH Authorisa-tion process,” Bush says.

The Advanced Lead Acid Battery Consortium (ALABC) came under the wing of the ILA in January and has launched a three-year research pro-gramme with a renewed focus on fun-damental battery science.

Bush wants to contradict the positive publicity around competing chemis-tries and the frequent failure to recog-nise that lead-acid remains the superior option in many sectors. “There is a lot of talk about competing battery tech-nologies at the moment, particularly

lithium-ion,” Bush says. “However lead batteries deliver the best combina-tion of performance, reliability, cost, safety and recyclability.

“We don’t see that changing for some time, but that doesn’t mean that the lead and lead battery industries are complacent. Lead batteries can only meet their full potential if we ensure that there is much greater awareness of what they have to offer. That’s a key part of our programme across the four associations.”

Boris Monahov, ALABC program manager, says the main focus of the new ALABC three-year programme is to return to fundamental pre-compet-itive battery science, aimed at improv-ing the performance and lifetime of lead batteries for their use in hybrid electric vehicles and energy storage ap-plications, such as utility and renew-able energy storage.

“This is an exciting time for ALABC and it is expected that numerous high quality pre-competitive fundamental science research projects from highly renowned research organizations and battery fi rms, will provide improved performance in lead batteries,” he says.

Monahov says a request for propos-als under the new 2016-2018 pro-gramme was circulated in January, with all companies with an interest in advanced lead battery development were invited to join and submit re-search proposals. More than 20 high quality proposals have been received.

The ALABC Technical committee is reviewing these proposals, and the pro-jects will be discussed at the ALABC general assembly meeting at the BCI Convention On May 4.

Projects under the 2013-2015 pro-gramme are nearing completion. The Technical Committee is reviewing pro-posals submitted under the previous program that aren’t funded, and the prioritized projects will be discussed at the General Assembly.

Creating a united front to champion lead batteries

The world’s largest bodies representing lead and lead-batteries prod-ucts have come together to protect and promote the industry in the face of a changing competitive landscape. Here, Andy Bush, managing director of the International Lead Association, describes the motivation behind the union and its immediate goals.

ILA’s Bush: pushing forward with life

cycle assessment of lead batteries

BCI CONVENTION AGENDA


David Weinberg, partner at law fi rm Wiley Rein, will present at BCI on regulatory developments that have al-ready happened since the last confer-ence and some of those that are pend-ing this year.

He says that California will again dominate the talk as the state con-tinues to take its own direction on a number of key environmental issues critical to the batteries industry and the fallout and implications around the now closed Exide smelter in Ver-non persists.

There have been a few major devel-opments in relation to the Exide plant in particular. Although now closed for over a year, it remains the focus of po-litical attention and remains an issue which could have a big impact on the lead industry in a variety of ways.

Last year, many of the issues around the Exide smelter seemed settled.

The company settled criminal al-legations with the US Department of

Justice and settled environmental vio-lations with the Department of Toxic Substances Control. Under the terms of those deals, the company set up a $9 million trust fund for cleaning up lead-contaminated soil from 219 homes.

The bankrupt company also set aside more than $38 million for clo-sure and remediation of its property in Vernon.

This settlement had been widely criticized by campaigners who said that it was nowhere near enough, earlier this year citing that a fi gure of close to $500 million would be neces-sary to completely clean up the land-scape around the site.

This February, amid growing po-litical pressure, state governor Jerry Brown proposed a $176.6 million spending plan paid for by the state to fund expedited and expanded testing and cleanup of residential properties, schools, daycare centres and parks

around the former Exide Technolo-gies facility.

“This Exide battery recycling plant has been a problem for a very long time,” said governor Brown in a state-ment at the time. “With this funding plan, we’re opening a new chapter that will help protect the community and hold Exide responsible.”

The $176.6 million plan will ensure all residential properties, schools, day-care centres and parks within the 1.7 mile radius of the Exide Technologies facility are tested and contaminated soil removed where lead levels are the highest and potential exposure the greatest.

The money will come as a loan from the state’s general fund. However, Brown also said clean-up costs would ultimately be sought from the parties responsible for the contamination.

Weinberg says this has been a po-litical response to the issue and there is a big question-mark over whether

Ahead of the 128th Convention, Batteries International spoke to David Weinberg, partner at law fi rm, Wiley & Rein to explain some of the themes in his own presentation — always regarded as one of the must-attend events.

Muddled thinking as California tries to come to terms with virtues of lead



lead levels in some of the area covered by the plan have anything at all to do with activity at the smelter.

However, the creation of this plan and the funding has had several im-portant knock-on consequences, which the batteries industry needs to be aware of, partly because the $176 million will need to be funded some-how.

The fi rst knock-on effect has been that draft legislation is being intro-duced in California that would im-pose a $15 recycling fee on all lead batteries sold in California, eventually creating a $100 million fund.

The State Assembly’s Environment Committee is due to look at the pro-posal shortly after this story goes to press, but before the BCI Convention.

“The legislation would create a new body to oversee the recycling of lead acid batteries. It completely misses the point the fact that lead acid bat-teries are almost completely recycled already. This legislation is misguided, we hope that we can come to a fa-vourable resolution of some sort,” Weinberg says.

Widder implicationsOn top of this, there are also two important administrative processes underway that could also have im-portant implications for the battery industry.

First, governor Brown has directed the California Department of Toxic Substances Control to evaluate lead-acid batteries through the Commu-nity Protection and Hazardous Waste Reduction Initiative (CPHWR Initia-tive).

The goal of this initiative is to select up to three pilot scale projects which have the potential to reduce hazard-ous wastes that are generated, treated and disposed in signifi cant quanti-ties in California; identify hazardous wastes generated in California that can pose substantial risks or hazards to human health or the environment; and, identify hazardous wastes that are generated, treated, or disposed in California communities that are dis-proportionately burdened by multiple sources of pollution.

Weinberg says lead batteries aren’t suitable for this type of analysis. They are not responsible for large volumes of hazardous waste either in produc-tion or recycling. “But this is now be-ing used as a vehicle to again focus on lead acid batteries,” he says.

“The Department of Toxic Sub-stances Control is only now getting

their head around what this means but the concern is that it could lead to proposals to include lead batteries in the green chemistry programme.”

The Green Chemistry Initiative or Safer Consumer Products Program, is a new environmental law designed to identify and restrict toxic chemicals in consumer products sold in the state.

The law requires a new life-cycle “alternatives analysis” to evaluate al-ternatives and substitutes for hazard-ous substances in consumer products based upon their risk during product use and also during their manufac-ture and after disposal. The state may then condition, restrict or ban the use of those chemicals in the products of concern.

While the fi rst three products that are under the Safer Consumer Prod-ucts program will focus on do not in-clude lead acid batteries, the concern is that lead batteries could ultimately be identifi ed as a “Priority Product”, which will require manufacturers to evaluate the product’s health impacts and consider ways to reduce impacts.

“This is potentially a very substan-tial matter,” says Weinberg. “It is not clear how it might play out but it is one that the battery industry must

pay close attention to over the com-ing years.

“All these new schemes and threats to the lead acid battery industry in the state have in some shape or form been prompted by the row over Exide’s smelter. And the bigger concern is that where California leads, other states and even the federal government may follow.

“The issue over Exide was front page news for months and the so-called ‘environment justice’ movement has jumped on the issue, making it a big deal politically,” he says. “Much of it is not logical and is misinformed but that is making little different at the moment. The BCI must try and infl u-ence these things where it can and give people the accurate information they need to make the right decisions.”

In addition to these new changes in the regulatory landscape in Califor-nia, two much older issues continue to play out.

The fi rst is the plan by California, instigated several years ago, to recon-sider general workplace standards for lead exposure. This was initially done against the backdrop of The Fed-eral Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) having not updated its own general workplace standards for lead exposure since es-tablishing them 35 years ago.

Yet tighter rules With no change on the agenda, Cali-fornia’s own Division of Occupation-al Safety and Health took its own ini-tiative and has been working toward tightening these regulations.

The problem for the lead industry is that if California succeeds and demon-strates that its lead-related businesses can survive tougher regulations, it could set an infl uential precedent that could become a big deal for the bat-teries industry.

It is no great surprise that California is going down this route. California has a long track record of working independently of the federal govern-ment and setting its own standards on many things.

Weinberg says offi cials have misun-derstood the issue. That the standards have not changed since the 1970s is a misnomer. The industry’s own standards are far more rigorous any-way. The lead levels in the blood of a worker in a battery plant is roughly the same as that for the general popu-lation in the 1950s.

The proposals in California could reduce this standard to somewhere

“The problem for the lead industry is that if California succeeds and demonstrates that its lead-related businesses can survive tougher regulations, it could set an infl uential precedent that could become a big deal for the batteries industry.

David Weinberg, Wiley & Rein



in the region of a tenth of the current recommended federal levels — around two thirds of the accepted industry standard these days.

Some progress has been made on this since last year’s BCI conference, including at least tentative recognition by the agency as to what level of man-dates would be economically feasible. There have been some changes in the agency that have slowed things down but Weinberg anticipates that more progress will be made this year.

Another issue that has been rum-bling along in the background in Cali-fornia relates to air quality standards. In a nutshell, the South Coast Air Quality Management District, the air pollution control agency for Orange County and the urban portions of Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardi-no areas, has been pushing for higher standards — again, way tighter than federal standards.

This was relevant because the fed-eral government had decided not to change its standard in relation to air pollution. As such, California’s move to lower the level grabbed the indus-try’s attention.

The issue is also especially pertinent because of the two smelters and fi ve battery manufacturers in California. Although Exide’s smelter is unlikely

to reopen, RSR still has a smelter in the state, with a good environmental track record, and existing battery fac-tories make a variety of types of lead acid batteries.

BCI has been successful in getting a rule adopted that the industry can ac-cept. “It is tough, but we can live with it,” he says.

Despite the many challenges in the past year, Weinberg says the industry has enjoyed some successes.

Favourable laws backed by the BCI have been passed in Arizona in rela-tion to battery recycling while the De-partment of Transport has also sanc-tioned new rules that are supportive and helpful towards battery recycling.

In another instance, the Commis-sion for Environmental Cooperation (CEC), an international organization established by the US, Canada, and Mexico under the North American Agreement on Environmental Co-operation (NAAEC), has published guidelines for smelters which the BCI has been supportive of — and there have been favourable changes around rules that relate to the way batteries are labelled.

All these new schemes and threats to the lead acid battery industry in the state have, in some shape or form, been prompted by the row over Exide’s smelter. And the bigger concern is that where California leads, other states and even the federal government may follow.

THE BCI STORY


It all started one wet, grey day on January 29, 1924. That day — one of the warmest that month hitting a still unbeaten record 3˚C above zero — a small group of battery manufacturers met in Chicago.

Their objective: to consider whether the organization of a battery manu-facturer’s association was worth the effort. And if so what would be its initial remit and purpose.

Interestingly enough some nine decades later, the two topics of dis-cussion that day are still relevant to what was later to become the BCI: how to promote a better understand-ing among battery manufacturers through an open discussion of their common problems; and, how to edu-cate US consumers on the proper care of their batteries.

A more formal meeting took place two months later and was attended by some 25 manufacturers and bat-tery suppliers — where the manufac-turers were called ‘active’ members and the suppliers ‘associates’.

In June the association took its name as the National Battery Manu-facturers Association (NBMA).

The association soon started to prove its worth. In the US, battery manufacturing employed some of the most dangerous practices in the world — hand painting lead paste on to plates, for example.

At the turn of the 1920s, for exam-ple, lead poisoning was accepted as a risk that went with the job; even though it was reckoned that it was six times more dangerous to work in a US plant than a UK one and 18 times more dangerous working in the US than in Germany.

One of the earliest studies moving to mitigate the risk: Lead Poisoning in a Storage Battery Plant, was com-missioned by the National Battery Manufacturers Association in 1933 and — unusually at a time when eth-nic and racial background was ig-nored, made a point of showing that the dangerous work in the mixing room of the plant was done by Af-rican Americans or migrants (93%) versus the 7% by white Americans.

Although the US had lagged behind Europe in industrial hygiene in the 1910s, by the 1930s it had become a global pacesetter in working practices and the NBMA, to its credit, was one of the instruments for such change.

But this is not to say that the early founders or members of the NBMA were saints. US Light and Heat (which helped found the association) as well as the Lead Industries Association were roundly criticized — along with other well known US and UK brands — when they set up operations in Australia where health standards were allowed to be as lax.

In echoes of the present situation in China, the reason for the shift to production in Australia was simple: it was an uncomplicated way to cir-cumvent federal import tariffs on batteries. The difference of course being that BCI members are now on the side of the angels and are helping China’s battery industry to adopt in-ternational work and safety rules.

In May 1940 the association changed its name to the Association of American Battery Manufacturers

refl ecting its focus on the continent. Battery industry participation from Europe — then engulfed in war — would have been slight.

To better refl ect the post-war envi-ronment and increasing global reach of the organization, the association changed its name again to Battery Council International. Four years lat-er it held its fi rst overseas convention in London. Attendance was huge: 32 countries were represented with some 600 delegates.

In 1976, BCI came full circle and re-turned to relocate its headquarters in Chicago — in the intervening years, the organization had set up opera-tions in Ohio, New Jersey, and Cali-fornia.

At that time the management fi rm of Smith, Bucklin and Associates was retained to manage the affairs of BCI.

Today BCI membership consists of close to 300 corporations repre-senting the leading lead acid battery manufacturers, recyclers, marketers and retailers, suppliers of raw materi-als and equipment as well as expert industry consultants.

Battery Council International started in Chicago in the 1920s. And although the organization’s name is relatively new, and its host locations have been varied, it has consistently championed the lead acid battery industry.

Changing times

BCI provides a governmental,

legislative liaison service for the

industry and has established

itself as the collective voice of its

members and an authoritative

source of battery-related

information.

BCI maintains an extensive

statistical programme. BCI

compiles raw data on automotive

battery production shipments

(original and replacement) at the

manufacturer level and inventory

level.

This compilation enables

members to gauge their

performance against those of the

industry as a whole. BCI also

provides its members with annual

distribution reports that allow

members to keep abreast of ever-

changing channels of distribution.

Since 1990 BCI has been

collecting and disseminating a

monthly report on US industrial

battery and charger sales.

The programme consist of fi ve

active reports.

• Motive power battery sales

• Net sales of diesel locomotive

starting batteries

• Industrial truck battery charger

sales

• Standby power battery sales

• Stationary battery cell report

Members only receive the

industrial battery reports in which

they participate. In 2001, BCI began

reporting North American sales data.

BCI’S INFORMATION GOALS

BCI TOPICS: LEAD, PACE OF CHANGE


There are three major fac-tors infl uencing the price of lead globally at the moment, according to Neil Hawkes, lead analyst at CRU, a London-based commodity research consultancy, speak-ing ahead of the BCI annual conference.

Moreover, the story around the price of lead is far more fl uid and interest-ing than many of the other metals at the moment.

Lead prices have been drifting downwards for al-most a year now, dropping below $1,600 a tonne but also reaching above $1,800 a tonne at times.

Hawkes says there are three drivers for this that are pushing all prices down.

One of these is a strong US dollar, driven largely by an expectation (now seen with the symbolic rise last De-cember) that the US central bank, the Federal Reserve, would start increasing inter-est rates at some point. “The uncertainty around that has led to a relatively strong dol-lar, which had pushed down the price of all metals,” Hawkes says.

The second macroeconom-ic driver has been the slow-down of China’s economy where demand for many types of metals will not be as strong as before. “The out-look for China’s economy has been downgraded again and again and lead has been pulled down with the rest of the metals,” he says.

There are interesting dif-ferences between the way the price of lead has behaved compared with other met-als. The price of lead has not fallen as fast or steeply compared with other met-als — something Hawkes attributes to it having a less pronounced surplus in con-trast with other metals and also the importance of sec-ondary lead supplies.

“The secondary side smooths things out to a cer-

tain extent,” he says. “You have to factor in the replace-ment battery market espe-cially on the auto side, which provides a steady fl ow of scrap feed, regardless of the seasonal swings. This stands lead out from other metals where primary supplies are far more important.”

The third driver has been specifi c to the market: the ef-fect of mine closures across the world. Lower metal prices have led to more cuts at polymetallic (zinc/lead/sil-ver) mines than expected but slowing demand has offset price rises as a result of less primary supply.

Many investors are realis-ing that demand is not as bad as had been envisaged and China’s economy will stabilize. Mine closures and cut-backs will ultimately boost the price. Glencore has cut production by around 100,000 tonnes while Doe Run’s mines in Missouri cut production citing the low price of lead and the high operating costs of running a mine in the US because of health and safety regula-tions.

Despite closures, much will depend on wider global fac-tors. “But lead will be higher by the end of the year than we have seen recently,” he says. One dynamic worth watching over the next 12 months is that because of the loss of Herculaneum, the US is importing more lead in recent years, nota-bly from South Korea and Kazakhstan, with shipments from Peru drying up after the extended idling of the La Oroya smelter.

Lead pricing in fl ux but slow price rises ahead

Reasons to be positive: more innovation comingPete Smith, president at Daramic and in charge of Energy Storage — Trans-portation and Industrial, at sister company Polypore, will give a presentation at BCI from the perspective of a supplier.

What makes this a must-attend presentation is that he is a business veteran but also someone who has spent most of his career outside the industry.

Smith has now been working in the lead acid industry for around three years. Before that, he worked in semi-conductors and fl at panel displays. “When I told people I was moving into the lead acid battery sector, people said to me that I was making a mistake,” Smith says.

“The perspective exter-nally is that lithium-ion is going to decimate the in-dustry. Unfortunately, I get the sense that some of the executives in the industry feel the same way.”

Yet this sits at odds with what is going on in many ways. Investment levels in the industry are positive at the moment and the new intellectual property has in-creased dramatically in the past decade, he says.

There are two reasons for this. The lead acid model will remain the battery of choice in many parts of the automotive and indus-trial sectors. It has also re-sponded to the threat posed by lithium-ion in ways that prove the chemistry can provide a very real solution to many emerging needs.

Smith will look the devel-opment of and innovation around stop-start batteries and batteries in a partial state of charge looking at it from a materials perspec-tive from the lens of a sup-plier.

“I will examine the re-spective materials used in a lead acid battery and exam-

ine where there has been in-novation within those,” he says. “I will show the physi-cal and chemical proper-ties and a timeline of a lead acid battery and organize them by a scale of time and length. That, in turn, will lead us into thinking about where innovation lies in the future and what it might take from a technical per-spective.

“There are many things that infl uence the perfor-mance of a battery and we will try and understand the important ones that truly improve the performance. People will be surprised at the innovation in the indus-try when you examine it in this way. It is more than you might think and there is a bigger opportunity as well.”

Smith also believes that, in part, innovation has been driven by a response to the threat from lithium-ion — and the industry can still do more to learn from what is happening in that space. There are too many more top universities focused on development in lithium-ion.

“You have to ask, which came fi rst: stop start and the partial state of charge or lithium ion? I am pretty sure that lithium ion came fi rst and things moved on from there,” Smith says.

“What happened in lith-ium-ion allowed folks to imagine change was much faster and more fundamen-tal than had been seen be-fore. People said: we can respond. We are not going to just give up on the auto-motive space.”

330 North Wabash Avenue, Suite 2000, Chicago, Illinois 60611Phone: +1.312.245.1074 | [email protected]

www.batterycouncil.org

April 30-May 2, 2017Hyatt Regency Jacksonville RiverfrontJacksonville, FL

BCI Convention +Power Mart Expo

SAVE THE DATE

BCI CONVENTION ISSUES: LITHIUM IN THE RECYCLING STREAM


A major talking point at the BCI will continue to be the efforts to fi nd a so-lution that eliminates the risks posed by lithium batteries entering the recy-cling of lead batteries.

The lead recycling and battery in-dustries of North America and Europe — the ILA, EUROBAT, the industrial and automotive battery manufactur-ing associations, Battery Council In-ternational and the Association of Battery Recyclers, have partnered up to advise that lithium batteries should not be sent to lead recyclers and that an approved facility should be used for treatment and recycling this bat-tery chemistry.

They are also working on solutions that would prevent lithium batteries inadvertently ending up in lead-acid recycling plants and potentially caus-ing life-threatening explosions.

In particular, lookalike lithium bat-teries pose risks to safety for the lead battery recycling industry. The danger of explosions caused by these batteries getting into the lead-acid battery recy-cling process puts at risk their effi cient collection and recycling.

Companies that operate secondary lead smelters are reporting an increase in the number of lithium batteries mixed into deliveries of used lead-based batteries ready to use as feed-stock for their recycling process.

Alistair Davidson, a director for products and sustainability at the In-ternational Lead Association, says a survey of ILA and ABR member com-panies (ie secondary smelters) was conducted in 2014 to benchmark the scale of the issue of lithium batteries

entering the used lead acid battery waste streams.

The study found that 26 out of 27 companies reported an increase in lithium batteries entering their recy-cling facilities. They reported incidents or near misses related to fi res and ex-plosions during transport, storage, breaking and smelting operations.

“The number of incidents in 2013 was approximately 10x higher than over an equivalent period in 2010,” says Davidson. “However, we have now seen a reduction in the number of incidents and are receiving much fewer reports of fi res and explosions.

“This is partially due to increased awareness at ULAB recycling facili-ties, which have briefed employees, improved visual differentiation tech-niques and educated battery collect-ing and sorting companies using a number of measures including the ILA safety fl yer.”

A big part of the problem is that some lithium batteries used in auto-motive and motorcycle applications have the same dimensions and ap-pearance as lead SLI batteries, making them diffi cult to identify with a visual inspection — especially when received in pallets or bins containing thousands of used batteries.

Unlike lead-based batteries — which we are told to increasing rates of yawn that there is a 99% collection and recycling rate in Europe and North America — there is minimal commer-cial value in a used lithium battery.

Rather the reverse. Or at least for large EV batteries. The rule of thumb, used until recently was that 10% of

the cost of the initial battery price was involved in its disposal. A Chevy Volt Battery costing, say $8000 to make would require a further $800 to dis-pose of it.

As a result there is even an incentive to dispose of lithium batteries by co-mingling them with used lead batter-ies.

A solution is now being sought to allow better identifi cation of different battery chemistries in the US through the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) and in Europe through the In-ternational Electrotechnical Commit-tee (IEC) with proposals to develop standardized colour-coded labelling.

Davidson does not believe the scale of the problem is growing. But as more lithium batteries approach their end of life something needs to be done before a major accident happens.. “As with any issue of serious safety con-cerns the inferred target is zero acci-dents or incidents,” he says.

The different trade bodies have al-ready cooperated on producing warn-ing leafl et, distributed to battery col-lectors, handlers and sorters across Europe and North America, explain-ing the situation.

The IEC is working on the develop-ment of a labelling system — the best favoured long-term solution is colour coding. This also poses challenges, however, in terms of the anticipated time scale to implement such a system and the potential costs involved.

“Unfortunately it may well be sev-eral years before any improved label-ling of battery chemistry is available,” Davidson says.

“Battery manufactures and smelt-ers generally support the labelling schemes and are committed to imple-mentation as soon as possible.

“But there are concerns that the costs of such a labelling system may not justify the benefi ts in aiding col-lection. Also the opportunities to in-clude additional information through use of) or microchipping could also be evaluated,” he says.

“Smelters are also investigating more advanced technologies such as density and x-ray analysis, as well as radio-frequency identifi cation (RFID) and sonic evaluation to differentiate between battery technologies.

“As much of the problem relates to improper or inaccurate sorting there is still some education and greater com-mitment required from companies en-gaged in this activity to ensure that the ULAB waste stream does not contain stray li-ion batteries,” he says.

The dangers of lithium batteries entering the recycling stream of lead batteries may be better known — but greater understanding doesn’t mean the issue will go away anytime soon.

Dangerous liaisons

BCI INNOVATION AWARDS


The Sally Breidegam Miksiewicz Innovation Award celebrates innovation in equipment, processes,

services and products that advance the lead battery industry.

Submissions were opened in De-cember and remained open until Feb-ruary 2016. Battery Council Interna-tional received 18 submissions from 17 companies. Each submission was judged on eight areas: sustainabil-ity, safety, cost, performance, detail, uniqueness, value and quantifi able.

This is how we looked at each sub-mission in terms of greater detail.

Sustainability – Does the submission show environmental stewardship and /or innovative recyclability? Submitters were asked to provide tangible aspirations, goals and objectives in helping to create a greener tomorrow.

Safety — Does the submission show product or process stability and the ability to be safely commercialized?

Submitters were asked to demonstrate a clear commitment to the best interest of the general public and industry from a safety standpoint.

Cost — Can the submission be easily commercialized, provide cost-optimized advantages and be an affordable alternative to existing technologies and processes?

Performance — Does the submission meet or exceed the needs for application and industry requirements? Submitters were asked to demonstrate how the innovation meets its intended key objectives, goals and benefi ts as well as other outstanding attributes.

Detail — Does the submission provide adequate information that thoroughly explains the innovation?

Uniqueness — Is the submission the fi rst of its kind to market or rarely used by other organizations? How does it differ from existing products? Submitters were asked to

provide information about similar applications and clearly defi ne what makes this product, process or discovery unique or innovative.

Value — How does the submission directly benefi t the lead battery industry? Can the value be quantifi ed with numerical data, such as material reduction or pollution avoided? Can the product be utilized outside of the company that created it?

Quantifi able — Does the information provided meet the criteria and clearly describe in numerical data the key measurable areas. Submissions that provided actual data received a higher score.

Those who submitted an entry to the Sally Breidegam Miksiewicz Inno-vation Award were asked to include a 90-second video providing additional insight on why their submission was innovative.

To view the videos, please visit www.batterycoun-cil.org/innovationa-ward.

Claire SereikoAssociate Director, Marketing and Communications

A bright new landscape as invention comes to the fore

Last year BCI announced a special award for innovation in the lead battery business. One outright winner and two honourable mentions will be announced on Monday May 2 at the conference.

BCI is proud to honor industry thought leader, Sally Breidegam Miksiewicz, former CEO of East Penn Manufacturing, by establishing the Sally Breidegam Miksiewicz Innovation Award.

Announced at the 127th Convention + Power Mart Expo, 2016 marks its inaugural year. Sally believed innovation was a vital part of furthering the industry as well as increasing customer satisfaction and experience.

“Innovation is the thing that gives you the opportunity. It’s the promise of our future.”

Sally Breidegam Miksiewicz

BCI INNOVATION AWARDS: HAMMOND GROUP


Hammond Group has submitted a joint package of achievements as its en-try for the BCI Innovation Award. The fi rst is the continuing expansion of its K2 Expanders, the second is its newly completed Lead Acid Battery Labora-tory — known as LAB2.

K2 expanders provide lead acid bat-teries with dramatically improved dynamic charge acceptance while the LAB2 is dedicated to industry technical development. Its goal is to enable lead acid batteries to achieve 80% of lithi-um-ion’s technical performance. But at just 20% of its cost.

Dynamic charge acceptance — the way batteries can accept and rapidly store large infl uxes of energy — is the next big thing for the lead acid busi-ness. It opens up two worlds — that of microhybrids in the automotive sec-tor and the huge new areas of business with grid-scale storage.

In laboratory testing and now in production batteries, Hammond has achieved an order-of-magnitude in-crease in dynamic charge acceptance while simultaneously increasing cycle life — see charts — Figures 1, 2 and 3 show relative comparisons to Ham-mond’s control samples.

The innovation — generically known

as K2 — does not require a change in other battery paste ingredients, grids, or plates. No change in any other ma-terial component or process. No new tooling, production technique, distri-bution, use, scrap characterization, or recycling. K2 represents a new expand-er family, with no safety concerns or known adverse effects.

Moreover, K2 is customizable ac-cording to the needs of the batteries be-ing made and their in-service operating conditions.

Hammond has a long tradition in producing lead chemicals for a variety of glass, ceramics, colour, and plastic applications.

“We’ve always pioneered techni-cal substitutes and advancements in answer to an ever changing market,” CEO Terry Murphy told Batteries In-ternational. “We’ve been very success-ful adapting to industry’s shifting de-mand for lead-based chemicals.”

As an example, almost 50 years ago, Hammond responded to the need to replace red lead-based corrosion inhib-itors by inventing and patenting a non-toxic, functional substitute, marketed as HALOX inhibitive pigments.

Later the fi rm’s Halstab division op-erated as a major US manufacturer of

lead-based heat stabilizers for PVC plastic. When environmental standards changed, Hammond responded with the Plastistab line of heavy metal-free stabilizers.

“The point of these examples is that Hammond has a history of develop-ing world-class solutions when lead is challenged,” says Murphy. “This ability to adapt to ever-changing markets has been key to our longevity and growth.”

Murphy, who took over as the head of Hammond two years ago and is a long-standing board member, says: “While HALOX and Halstab were very good businesses — and they cer-tainly demonstrated our ability to adapt — I didn’t think they were our future. I saw the need for effi cient bat-tery storage and pushed our board of directors for a strategic decision to con-centrate on energy storage.”

The board agreed and both business-es were sold in 2012. HALOX went to ICL Performance Products and Hal-stab to Mitsubishi Industries.

Since then, Hammond has focused on changing the lead-acid battery chemis-try to compete with lithium ion. It also means adapting to changes in sources of lead demand. “Some 30 years ago, less than half of Hammond’s sales were

Hammond’s K2 — LAB2: a powerful combination

Hammond Group, best known in the battery business for its range of expanders, is advancing the cause of better lead batteries in two ways — K2 a revolutionary expander formulation and providing an open-col-laboration research laboratory.

Figure 1. K2 Expanders provide a dramatic increase in

charge acceptance

K2 charge acceptance improvement

Hammond has created from scratch a state-of-the-art

laboratory from a disused factory

BCI INNOVATION AWARDS: HAMMOND GROUP


to the lead battery industry; today it’s closer to 80%,” says Murphy.

The nub of the problem between lead and lithium is mostly a question of price and recyclability. For advanced energy storage — power generation or hybrid vehicles — lithium-ion batter-ies meet most of the technical require-ments, but are too expensive and not recycled. By contrast lead acid batteries are inexpensive and 100% recyclable, but don’t have the necessary cycle life.

“On a personal note,” says Murphy, “A major infl uence on Hammond’s de-cision to invest in our LAB2 came from Sally [Miksiewicz] who understood these emerging lead acid battery mar-kets better than anyone, which is why East Penn invested in the Ultra Battery.

“My fi rst meeting with Sally was scheduled for a quick 30-minute intro-duction, but ended up lasting several hours, with another follow-up shortly thereafter. We were immediately on the same page — both recognized the need and importance of research to lead the industry forward.”

Hammond has amassed an impres-sive assembly of state of the art equip-ment in LAB2 — these range from multi-position testing equipment from Maccor and Bitrode, which can test up from mini-cells to SLI batteries to micro-hybrid and stationery testing. There is also general laboratory instru-ments such as units providing X-ray diffraction, BET Surface Area, UV/Vis spectroscopy.

Gordon Beckley, chief technology offi cer says: “With the equipment we have on offer, the huge amount of al-gorithms that can be input to detail the types of usage batteries undergo — and why — that can form the starting point for what performance can be.

“One huge advantage that we can

bring to bear is a rapid material and electrode screening process — typically we can make valid performance predic-tions within a couple of weeks.

“This is unheard of in an industry where typically it takes several months for a clear picture to emerge from re-search.”

Hammond’s in-vestment in K2 and LAB2 is effectively an attempt at a com-pany level to compete against the US gov-ernment subsidized advanced battery re-search which has fo-cused on lithium-ion.

The traditional lead acid battery suffers a critical, but certainly not unsolvable, tech-nical defi ciency. When subject to high-amp, irregular re-charging intervals — such as energy re-capture from braking, bat-tery life may be seriously shortened, says Murphy.

This helped form the background for Hammond’s thinking in looking at ways to see how a better hybrid vehicle battery could be made to accommo-date rapid and intermittent charging and discharging. Similarly, an energy grid storage battery must handle the inherent gaps between intermittent wind and solar energy generation and its consumption.

“These applica-tions require a bat-tery to perform well in high-rate partial state-of-charge (HRP-SoC) operations, ac-cepting a wide range of charging amps at various states of over-all charge, and main-tain this quality over a normal cycle life,” says Murphy.

“As a specialty chemical business, I felt that Hammond had an enormous potential to address this defi ciency, so we made the investment and the strategic com-mitment to address the PSoC require-ment.” Hammond investigated the lead acid battery princi-ple failure mode in HRPSoC applications through a materials interaction study, test-ing traditional and advanced expander materials.

“Exploiting insights on material se-lection, material interaction, and du-ty-specifi c formulations, Hammond’s work culminated in its K2 family of negative plate expanders, available for a wide range of HRPSoC applica-tions. We’ve discovered a whole new class of materials, but it wasn’t just our new material, or a particular car-bon, it was the interaction and exact dosing of these new compounds that was central to this technical break-through.

“As a specialty chemical business, I felt that Hammond had an enormous potential to address this defi ciency, so we made the investment and the strategic commitment to address the PSoC requirement” — Terry

Murphy, Hammond

Figure 2. K2 Expanders show extended life cycle life in

simulated energy storage application

Figure 3. K2 Expanders enable PbA batteries to pass

micro hybrid test

Simulated energy storage application K2 PSoC cycling mprovement

BCI INNOVATION AWARDS: ADVANCED BATTERY CONCEPTS


It’s been a long time coming but af-ter considerable product and pro-cess development Advanced Battery Concepts says it is close to full scale production and a global roll out of its bipolar technology.

Ed Shaffer, ABC founder and chief executive and Don Hobday, business development director say they have solved the problems associated with developing a true bi-polar battery ca-

pable of being widely commercialized.Both have previous experience with

bipolar lead batteries having worked for Atraverda, a Welsh start-up that nearly achieved commercial success. Shaffer left in 2008 to set up ABC. Hobday left in 2010.

Shaffer says the battery industry has always recognized that if a bi-polar lead acid battery could be manufac-tured successfully it would have sig-

nifi cant advantages for the battery manufacturer and the end user.

“Bi-polar battery designs eliminate grids and top lead and utilize the ac-tive chemistry far more effi ciently thereby reducing the lead content for same energy, they would be cheaper to make, they would be smaller and lighter, better for the environment, have a faster recharge rate and greater cycle life,” he says.

“To be successful a bi-polar bat-tery needs to be commercially scal-able, recyclable and robust. We have concentrated our business focus on simplifying materials, product designs and manufacturing processes and are taking bi-polar lead acid batteries to a new level at ABC.”

Previous attempts at making a com-mercially viable bi-polar battery at scale have met with limited success be-cause of a number of problems. These include the inability to seal between cells and failure to seal to the external environment, the use of costly exotic materials to overcome corrosion and conductivity issues, the requirement for an external strengthening structure to provide uniform AGM compres-sion and to overcome cycling stresses which ultimately result in poor perfor-mance in terms of energy and power density, cycle life and cost.

In addition, new materials, radical designs and new manufacturing pro-cesses mean signifi cant restructuring to battery manufacturers’ existing operations and hence slow down and impede adoption.

Following fi ve years of development Hobday is convinced that ABC has overcome the past problems associ-ated with bi-polar lead acid batteries. He won’t go into full detail on some of the technology used as the company is still awaiting patents but he says it

The challenges of commercializing bipolar lead

Advanced Battery Concepts has almost halved the lead used in its bat-tery yet improved its performance by creating what it claims will be the world’s fi rst commercially viable bi-polar lead acid battery.

The theory behind bipolar

batteries has existed for almost

a century. First developed by

Nobel laureate Pyotr Kapitsa in

1924 bipolar designs differ from

traditional prismatic designs

by replacing heavy metal grids

connected by a top-level,

cast-on-strap, (Figure (a)) with

a conductive plate having

positive material on one side and

negative material on the other

side (Figure (b)).

The advantages of bipolar

batteries have long been known.

• Uniform current density

• Increased active material

utilization

• Higher energy density

• Higher power density

• Simpler construction

However, practical concerns

around the actual battery design

and manufacture have prevented

anyone from developing a

commercially viable bipolar

battery until now.

BIPOLAR BATTERIES

The fi rm has also identifi ed a big opportunity in energy storage if the cost of storing the energy can be brought down below what it sees as the magic number of $0.07 per kWh cycle.

BCI INNOVATION AWARDS: ADVANCED BATTERY CONCEPTS


now only uses simple low cost materi-als already used in the construction of lead acid batteries today.

What is clear, however, is that a unique pasting frame structure is em-ployed, “by which paste may be ap-plied to or employed in the substrates so that the appropriate desired electric conductivity can be achieved across the substrate, while also preserving a means suitable for battery shut-down in the event a predetermined tempera-ture condition is met,” according to US patent US 8,357,469 B2.

“And further by which adjoining plates can be suitably employed and maintained in spaced opposing rela-tion to each other so that the internal structure creates an external seal such that no additional external structures or devices are required to seal the bat-tery for leakage prevention.”

Nevertheless ABC has received a pow-erful endorsement from Bob Nelson, a lead acid battery expert with almost four decades of experience. Asked to give an independent verdict on the tech-nology, he wrote: “ABC has developed a new approach to bipolar design that avoids several short-comings of conven-tional bipolar batteries, including: lim-ited capacity, relatively high cost, poor thermal management and unsuitability for many applications.

“Given this, combined with excellent demonstrated performance, they have a product line that will be of great in-terest to the battery industry. I believe it is a truly disruptive technology that will fi nd wide acceptance once it be-comes accepted by the industry.”

In the past two years, ABC has been working with battery producers to gain more data and establish true proof of concept for the technology. He says the results on all fronts have been very positive.

“ABC’s batteries are lighter and cheaper than equivalent batteries in the market today and our partners are re-ally achieving the results we’ve claimed. We have made things simpler and the performance is better,” Hobday says.

Validation and testing results have been obtained at ABC’s battery part-ners and at third party accredited test facilities. “In 2013, our internal test data supported a substantial claim set and since then we have embarked on external validation,” says Hobday. “Battery testing is a lengthy process especially obtaining full cycle life data but we are now very comfortable with where we are.”

One of the biggest breakthroughs in the design is that it reduces the lead

content in the battery by some 45%. “That reduction, which is attributable to the bi-polar design, means a signifi -cant reduction in the battery manufac-tured costs,” Hobday says.

The company has also achieved a higher energy density (50 Wh/kg with a path to > 60 Wh/kg — this compares with 35Wh/kg for the best in class AGM batteries today). It has also achieved higher power — >1000 W/kg while maintaining high energy (>40 Wh/kg), a faster recharge of 1.4x faster, a cycle life of three to six times the current VRLA battery life with a path to greater than 10 times and all at a lower cost.

He suggests that it is this innovation that could help them win the innova-tion award. “Everyone who has tried it can see how successful it is and that it truly has the potential to revolution-ize the battery industry. That is what innovation is all about.”

Hobday says the company is work-ing with more than one major battery manufacturer and is planning for full-scale production. Launch product will initially target the automotive and sta-tionary power sectors globally. “We can make a very high voltage battery very simply and cheaply and we can also make large capacity batteries. There is no reason this will not be rel-evant to many sectors very quickly.”

Hobday says due to its lower cost and higher performance the technol-ogy can move into sectors that had ei-ther been using less advanced lead-ac-id technology or had increasingly been adopting lithium-ion batteries. “We are closing the gap to the performance of lithium-ion at pack level now but at signifi cantly lower cost, with sim-plifi ed installations and safety advan-tages. We are a credible alternative.”

The potential size of the market that ABC hopes to tap could well stand at $70 billion by 2020. “If we can cap-ture even a 1% market share that is a huge opportunity for us,” he says. “To maximize its potential we need to pro-liferate ABC’s bi-polar battery tech-nology which is why we are pursuing a licensing strategy.”

The fi rm has also identifi ed a big op-portunity in energy storage if the cost of storing the energy can be brought down below what it sees as the magic number of $0.07 per kWh cycle. At this level, it starts to make economic sense to store the energy being pro-duced by power generation during periods of low demand, he says, be-fore moving it back into the grid when needed.

“To be successful a bi-polar battery needs to be commercially scalable, recyclable and robust. We have concentrated our business focus on simplifying materials, product designs and manufacturing processes and are taking bi-polar lead acid batteries to a new level at ABC” — Ed Shaffer

“We are closing the gap to the performance of lithium-ion at pack level now but at signifi cantly lower cost, with simplifi ed installations and safety advantages. We are a credible alternative”— Don Hobday

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BCI INNOVATION AWARDS: BLACK DIAMOND STRUCTURES


Black Diamond Structures is the com-mercialization vehicle for Molecular Rebar, a nanotechnology, based on a patented form of the discrete carbon na-notube, that offers a variety of improve-ments to the lead-acid battery industry.

The fi rst is a dramatically improved cycle life — with increases of over 50% in cycling. Charge acceptance is also improved by around a quarter and there are also benefi ts of greater per-formance in cold temperatures as well as strong resistance to physical and thermal abuse.

Perhaps most importantly for the successful introduction of battery manufacturing improvements, Molec-ular Rebar can be easily incorporated into existing manufacturing process — with no additional capital costs or modifi cations to production processes.

“To understand the importance of our innovative technology, you have to understand the importance of the science behind the carbon nanotube,” says Kurt Swogger, CEO of Molecular Rebar Design and a Black Diamond Structures board director.

“Carbon nanotubes fi rst made a big splash in the materials research com-munity in the 1990s. Their unique

structures promised amazing electrical, thermal, and mechanical properties, but these advantages were often only realized at the laboratory scale. Jour-nal articles and patents have, to date, far outpaced adoption of nanotubes in practical applications.

Carbon in lead-acid batteriesIn recent years, lead-acid battery de-velopers have used activated carbon, graphite, and hybrid lead-carbon elec-trodes to accommodate higher rates of charge and PSoC operation. These additives show promising results, but frequently require signifi cant altera-tions to existing production lines and paste-mixing recipes. Determining the optimum carbon composition and implementing the new additions have been challenging.

Furthermore, carbon additives pre-sent a host of problems: many contain high concentrations of metallic impuri-ties, which can lead to severe side reac-tions. Their presence in raw materials destined for use in lead acid batteries is therefore strictly regulated. Carbon additives also alter paste rheology, re-quiring downstream process changes to accommodate the mix.

The Molecular Rebar technology de-livers advanced technological solutions at an industrial scale with a minimum of disruption to production.

“When we fi rst started thinking about adding Molecular Rebar to bat-teries, we understood that the processes of mixing, pasting, and curing are well established and have been optimized over decades in the industry,” says Clive Bosnyak, chief scientifi c offi cer of Molecular Rebar Design and Black Diamond Structures board director.

“We challenged our team to ensure that our product could be incorpo-rated into existing processes without disruption or additional optimization of the manufacturing process,”.

Black Diamond Structures and its partner, Molecular Rebar Design, dis-entangle and functionalize stock car-bon nanotubes, making the surface of the tubes compatible with the lead-acid battery operating environment, and opens the ends of the tubes. The pro-cess also cleans the carbon nanotubes to reduce the residual catalyst con-tent. The residual metals, which lead to performance problems in conven-tional advanced carbons, are reduced by more than more than 80% in the fi nished product.

Ease of implementation enables Mo-lecular Rebar technology to be acces-sible to manufacturers of any size and scale, regardless of their resources in R&D/engineering or their deployable capital.

To prepare for use in lead-acid bat-tery pastes, the tubes are uniformly dispersed in an aqueous solution. The fi nal product is a pourable liquid which can be introduced directly into the paste mixing process.

“Our extensive fi eld-testing and success with battery manufacturers around the world provides proof of the remarkable performance impact that Molecular Rebar brings to lead-acid batteries,” says the fi rm.

Big battery improvements can be found in small packages

Black Diamond Structures brings the nanotechnology known as MOLECULAR REBARTM to lead-acid batteries offering signifi cant improve-ments in battery performance such as cycle life and charge acceptance.

Figure 1: Finding competitive advantage in the process change

BCI INNOVATION AWARDS: BLACK DIAMOND STRUCTURES


The Black Diamond Structures team has worked with international manu-facturing partners to produce batter-ies with their additives on standard production lines. “Together, they have demonstrated signifi cant charge-time improvements, widened operational windows, and extended cyclic durabil-ity. These characteristics allow manu-facturers to meet the ever-increasing demands of new applications,” says the fi rm.

The addition of this product to the negative active material improves charge acceptance and extends lifetime under lab-based cycling protocols and in real-world fi eld trials. These tubes in the positive plates enhance the du-rability of plates subjected to charge/discharge cycling still further.

“Black Diamond Structures has col-lected signifi cant performance data from industrially produced 12-V bat-teries at its own testing facilities, at customer sites, and at third-party test-ing facilities. The data show reductions in charge times of 25%-75% under constant-voltage conditions and in-creased cycle life of 25%-300%, de-pending upon the protocol. Pasting tri-als have shown that Molecular Rebar can reduce waste and improve produc-tion quality,” says Paul Everill, one of the principal team members engaged in the project.

Figure 2 shows the cycling of bat-teries with a C/10 discharge to fi xed voltage cutoff and a fi xed-voltage re-charge, indicating a drastic reduction of recharge time and a simultaneous retention of capacity.

“When you observe higher currents during charging, you can’t tell whether you’re helping with charge acceptance, or if you’re just promoting gassing. When you get the capacity back on dis-charge, cycle after cycle after cycle, you know that the improved charge ac-ceptance is real,” says Jeremy Meyers, a battery developer on the team. “To retain the capacity over dozens of cy-cles, the current must be going into the charging of the battery at a high rate, not to side reactions. That’s exciting.”

Increased SBA SO101 Cycle Life PerformanceFigure 3 shows that Molecular Rebar allows signifi cant lifetime improve-ments under PSOC protocols, such as the SBA cycle. Across a variety of tests, the additive has demonstrated sulfa-tion resistance on the negative elec-trode and corrosion/shedding resist-ance on the positive.

Molecular Rebar technology opens

new design windows and creates new opportunities for advanced battery manufacturers that can leverage the product to meet new, more challenging specifi ca-tion demands in advanced auto-motive, micro-hybrid eVehicles, renewables (solar, wind appli-cations), eMobility (eRickshaw, eBike, mobility assistance) and grid storage.

The Black Diamond Struc-tures development team in-cludes polymer scientists, chem-ists, and battery engineers with decades of experience bringing novel battery designs to market. They have also invested heavily in the capital equipment neces-sary to help partners bring ad-vanced batteries to market.

“We can perform plate analy-sis and battery performance analysis that many smaller bat-tery manufacturers just aren’t set up to do. We have equip-ment at our facility to perform electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, porosimetry, and electrochemical char-acterization. We can quickly confi rm plate quality and performance,” says Dru Kefalos, chief marketing offi cer, Black Diamond Structures.

“We are well aware that we can’t apply a one-size-fi ts-all approach. Dif-

ferent battery designs require different modifi cations to meet the demands of the market. We work with our partners to ensure that we can match our best technology with their best manufactur-ing know-how to deliver the best pos-sible battery to their customers. It’s an exciting time.”

Figure 3: Increased SBA SO101 cycle life performanceNote: Molecular rebar increases the performance of batteries undergoing the JIS SBA S0101 cycling

protocol when incorporated into the negative, positive, or negative and positive electrodes. Here, full-scale

12V, 30Ah NS40Z batteries were tested after being manufactured by Pacifi c Batteries Ltd. (Lami Fiji). No

additional modifi cations were made to these SLI batteries, other than the addition of the Black Diamonds

Structures aqueous solution; these batteries were not designed to undergo the start/stop-like duty load of the

SBA, but our product Rebar enables such performance. Formation, testing, and data collection performed

independently at JBI Corp, in Genoa, Ohio USA.

Figure 2: Recharge time decreases and

capacity maintenance during cyclingNote: Cycling tests indicate that Molecular Rebar can decrease

recharge time 50% while retaining capacity; a mark of true

increased charge acceptance (Data from full-scale, 12V, 38Ah

VRLA batteries produced by Lantian Battery Company, China)

BCI INNOVATION AWARDS: GLATFELTER


The development and use of enhanced fl ooded batteries (EFB) in stop-start sys-tems is progressing at rapid pace. One of the key improvements required to make EFB viable is increased cycle life, particularly of the positive plate.

Any claim to improve such a property must fi rst pass the litmus test of cost-effectiveness. Seen in that light one of the promising routes is to apply a scrim material to the surface of the plate in or-der to reduce the degradation rate of the positive active material during cycling.

This particular approach to enhanc-ing battery cycle life is, from a cost point of view, especially attractive. It makes it possible for one product to play two crucial roles: as pasting paper during the production on the pasting line, and then as a retainer scrim signifi cantly in-creasing battery cycle life once in opera-tion.

Glatfelter has developed a unique

composite scrim Dynagrid® NG328 which performs both these functions exceptionally well. The product is a composite laminate made up of two layers, one layer of cellulose fi bres adja-cent to a layer of polyester (PET) fi bres.

The Glatfelter inclined-wire paper making technology ensures a laminated product with a perfect interface be-tween the two layers of the above men-tioned cellulose and PET.

The IEES studyTo evaluate the ability of Dynagrid® NG328 to increase the discharge-charge cycle life a study was performed at the Institute of Electrochemistry and Energy Systems (IEES), a department of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. The investigation was carried out under supervision of Dr Stefan Ruevski with Professor Detchko Pavlov as project ad-viser. In this article a brief overview is

given of the results. The evaluation was carried out us-

ing batteries made under carefully con-trolled conditions at IEES.

Four battery confi gurations were test-ed; these were:1) a reference without pasting paper

applied;2) standard pasting paper Dynagrid®

313; 3) composite scrim Dynagrid®

NG328; and, 4) a glass-fi ber based scrim.

Two batteries were produced per con-fi guration, giving a total of eight.

A 12V, 44Ah battery, L1 container was chosen for the evaluation program. To evaluate unambiguously the impact of the various pasting papers on the cy-cle life it is important to ensure that fail-ure of the positive plate is the determin-ing factor. (After all, premature failure of the negative plate would obviously invalidate the experiment.)

To achieve the desired designed re-dundancy of the negative plate, each cell was made using a fi ve negative/four positive plate cell confi guration. Addi-tionally, a conservative utilization factor of 40% was used when calculating the quantity of dry active material needed

How a composite scrim laminate can extend EFB cycle life

The use of scrim is known to increase cycle life in fl ooded batteries. But as these results — validated by the world-famous IEES — show, getting the composite mix right is the key to success. This is a shorter version of a longer article found in Batteries International issue 98.

Dynagrid® NG328 scrim (PET based) increased the DOD 50% cycle life at 40°C by more than 40%. This increase is comparable with glass scrim: Dynagrid® NG328 gave an increase of 43%, glass scrim 44%

9.0

8.3

REF-1 REF-2 313-1 313-2 328-1 328-2 GS-1 GS-2

CCA IN1, V t = 10s, 300 A CCA1, V t = 10s, 300 A CCA2, V t = 10s, 300 A

Volta

ge /

V

Figure 1 (above left): The development of the C20

capacity as cycling progresses.

Notes: • Prior to cycling indicated by DCHRG IN1, DCHRG IN2 and DCHRG IN3 • After fi rst unit of 120 cycles indicated by DCHRG1 •

After second unit of 120 cycles indicated by DCHRG2

Figure 2 (above right): Cold cranking ability, EN current

Notes: CCA at -18°C • Prior to cycling indicated by CCA IN1 • After fi rst unit of 120 cycles indicated by CCA1 • After second unit of

120 cycles indicated by CCA2

48

41

34

27

20

REF-1 REF-2 313-1 313-2 328-1 328-2 GS-1 GS-2

DCHRG IN 1 DCHRG IN 2 DCHRG IN 3 DSCHRG 1 DCHRG 2

C20

Capa

city

/ Ah

BCI INNOVATION AWARDS: GLATFELTER


for the negative plate. IEES performed the manufacture of;

lead paste, positive and negative plates and their dry-curing. Production of lead-oxide, the cast lead grids and bat-tery assembly were carried out exter-nally by a commercial battery producer. Battery fi lling with electrolyte, forma-tion and fi nal concentration adjustment of the electrolyte were performed by IEES.

Some results from the IEES studyThe test used to evaluate battery perfor-mance was based on the 50% DOD at 40°C as specifi ed in the Volkswagen VE 75073 test protocol. This is a popular test used by many battery producers for doing a fi rst screening of candidate ma-terials prior to performing a full-scale qualifi cation test program when evalu-ating new battery designs.

In addition to the cycle-life determi-nation, C20 capacity, internal resistance and cold start properties were meas-ured initially, (after battery formation), and at the end of each unit of 120 cy-cles. Here we report the cycle life data, the C20 capacities and some cold start properties.

Table 1 illustrates cycle life as meas-ured using the specifi ed DOD 50% at 40°C test. Both Dynagrid® NG328 and the glass scrim evaluated give compara-ble improvements in cycle life, 43% and 44% respectively.

Hence, it is seems reasonable to specu-late that both PET scrim of Dynagrid® NG328 and the glass scrim functioned well in containing the positive active mass and that ultimate battery failure

is due to a progressive degradation of active material.

The C20 capacity numbers as in fi gure 1 exhibit a number of striking features.

Firstly, the initial capacities of the eight batteries are very close, which ar-gues for a high uniformity in the manu-facture of the battery achieved by IEES. This is an important result for the eval-uation as we need to avoid production issues determining the outcome of the investigation.

Secondly, the impact of applying a composite scrim such as Dynagrid®

NG328 on capacity is immediately vis-ible, the C20 capacity of the reference batteries quickly drops off while the rate of reduction in C20 of the “328” batteries is the lowest.

Cold start performance is summarized graphically in fi gure 2. Clearly cold start performance at -18°C is dependent on the number of cycles. Also, the rate in which the CCA values decrease is de-pendent on whether or not a scrim was applied. Consequently, the ranking of CCA values changes as the DOD 50% cycle test progresses.

The reference batteries show the best initial cold start properties. However, after 120 and 240 cycles it is the batter-ies with Dynagrid® NG328 which show the best CCA values, this applies both for CCA at EN current of 300A and at CCA DIN current 180A (not reported here).

Table 3 illustrates the change in rank-ing as DOD 50% cycling progresses.

• Dynagrid® NG328 scrim (PET based) increased the DOD 50% cycle life at 40°C by more than 40%. This increase is comparable with glass scrim: Dynagrid® NG328 gave an increase of 43%, glass scrim 44%.

• Neither scrim is the cause of ultimate battery failure. Both were still functional at the end of the battery cycle life and capable of functioning to a greater number of cycles.

• Visual and SEM analysis of scrim materials show: In the case of Dynagrid® NG 328 the individual fi bres are in good condition as evidenced by unchanged fi bre diameter. Also fi bre to fi bre adhesion is still clearly evident at the thermally bonded fi bre

intersections. This despite the highly oxidative test charging at 16V, 40°C.

In the case of glass scrim, the individual fi bres are likewise in good condition; however the binder dependent fi bre-to-fi bre adhesion is no longer present as the binder dissolves during the course of cycle testing.

• The Dynagrid® NG328 scrim reduces the rate of deterioration of electrical properties during discharge-charge cycling. This results in: better C20 capacity retention, improved cold start properties and lower increase of internal resistance during cycling. In all of these properties the effect of Dynagrid® NG 328 was moderately superior to glass scrim.

FOUR CONCLUSIONS OF THE STUDY

Reference Dynagrid® 313 Dynagrid® NG 328 Glass-scrim

Max. no. of cycles 229 218 224 268 324 313 307 336

Ave. no. of cycles 223.5 246 318.5 321.5

Change per battery - - 0% 20% 45% 40% 37% 50%

Change ave. 10% 43% 44%

Table 2: Changes in the ranking of C20 capacity values as cycling test progresses.

Table 3: Changes in the ranking of CCA as cycling test progresses

Initial C20

(Ref) = C20

(313) = C20

(NG328) = C20

(GS)

After 120 cycles C20

(NG328) > C20

(GS) > C20

(313) > C20

(Ref)

After 240 cycles C20

(NG328) > C20

(GS) > C20

(313)

Initial CCA (Ref) > CCA (GS) > CCA (NG328) > CCA (313)

After 120 cycles CCA (NG328) > CCA (GS) > CCA (313) > CCA (Ref)

After 240 cycles CCA (NG328) > CCA (GS) > CCA (313)

Table 1: DOD 50% tests at 40°C and schedule of electrical properties tested during cycling test.

Raise your

performance

Raise your

performance

FORMATION EQUIPMENTFORMATION EQUIPMENT

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BCI INNOVATION AWARDS: AQUA METALS


Lead smelting recycling without the smelting? That’s what Aqua Metals, a Californian start-up, promises to pro-vide later this year. If achievable then there could be huge benefi ts — and a huge shake-up — for the entire lead bat-tery industry.

The idea, as such, isn’t new; this hy-drometallurgical chemistry dates back to the very earliest days of electrolysis.

But so far this has never been com-mercially practical. And many have be-lieved that this will always be the case.

Aqua Metals was formed in 2013 by Stephen Clarke, Selwyn Mould and Thomas Murphy, three fi gures who had already been working together for many years on energy storage technology in-cluding fl ow and bipolar lead acid bat-teries. They were joined by Steve Cotton as chief commercial offi cer last year.

What they’ve brought to the market is a recycling process which they’ve trade-marked as AquaRefi ning.

AquaRefi ning is a variant of electrore-fi ning or electrowinning — the two are not interchangeable processes — but at their very simplest they are a kind of electroplating.

If Aqua Metals’ product is commer-cially viable, then AquaRefi ning has the potential to be a game changer for the industry.

Aqua Metals will not release further details of its intellectual property — see box — but it is more than likely that a pulp of crushed batteries would be introduced into the electrolytic process. This might be in spongy form to pro-vide the surface area needed for precipi-tation of lead to occur.

There are four immediate business positives to Aqua Metals’ refi ning pro-cess.

The fi rst is that AquaRefi ning appears to be far more effi cient than smelting. The amount of energy needed to be in-put into the system is smaller — mak-ing it cheaper by around a third — and because the process is modular it can be tuned to demand. (As opposed to smelt-ers which typically have to be operated with a high-output to make economic sense.) The main process is powered by

electricity rather than gas, so the com-pany can claim signifi cant renewable fuel use.

Second, AquaRefi ning is modular — making this a scalable product. The ba-sic unit (see pictures of the 2013 version and its upgrade in 2014) means that the business model offers a different ap-proach to market.

Typically smelting requires the smelt-er to be built on site and in large size. However, AquaRefi ning can be located at the hub of any distribution network or battery manufacturing location at a scale that suits the amount of lead bat-teries coming in for recycling.

Third, its securities fi ling last year shows that Aqua Metals’ business model opens up two different revenue streams. The fi rst recycling plant will serve as a base for expansion and fur-ther plants will be owner operated, or run on a contract basis as a joint ven-ture or licensing arrangement. It also offers the possibility of a franchise op-eration, which Cotton says might work well for international expansion.

The turnkey aspect to the product is almost certainly vital to the way that Aqua Metals could expand if it decides to develop with a franchise business

model. Lastly — and probably the most im-

portant in the longer term — the pro-cess itself is environmentally friendly and sustainable. The present legislative climate in Europe and the US is one where emissions and environmental regulations are becoming ever tighter. (As well as frequently irrational to boot.)

Moreover, the recent closures of smelters in the US show that the lack of compliance had been routine.

The facility — the company dubs it the AquaRefi nery — should be up-and-running by the middle of 2016 and be able to produce 80 tonnes of lead a day from early 2017, says the fi rm. The process, says Cotton, will produce ultrapure lead. Steve Clarke, the chief executive, said he anticipated reaching 160 tonnes a day by 2018.

The daily output of each AquaRefi n-ing module, which consists of six elec-trolyzer units is, 2.5 tonnes of ultrapure lead which the company says has been independently verifi ed by credible tech-nical third party reviews.

Aqua Metals also believes it will be making higher purity lead than primary lead which could redefi ne the defi ni-

The next step forward for lead recycling

Smelting lead is energy-intensive, expensive and, worldwide, frequently a dirty and polluting process. An alternative is soon to be on offer.

“But as I conducted the technical feasibility study and saw the hydrometallurgical process in action, I saw this was not just viable but even had a genius quality to it”

2013 prototype and 2014 prototype: Modifi cations to the 2013 prototype

(left) resulted in the commercially replicable current version

BCI INNOVATION AWARDS: AQUA METALS


tion of primary (mined) lead to include high(er) purity recycled lead. Typically, primary lead commands up to 50% premium over secondary lead LME pricing.

Aqua Metals has already established an agreement with Battery Systems, a distribution specialist in the western US with a 200,000 square foot battery stor-age facility literally next door to Aqua Metals’ new Nevada plant.

This agreement will provide up to 100% of the used acid lead acid batter-ies for feedstock as well as offtake of re-cycled product for a conversion fee with a provision to convert to a merchant

model in the future.The company says it is also actively

working with a diverse supply chain of used lead acid batteries including from large enterprises who are increasingly conscious of where and how their bat-teries are recycled.

Aqua Metals says it has identifi ed fur-ther potential locations across the US.

John O Wirtz, president of Wirtz Manufacturing Company, said; “The Aqua Metals technology has the capa-bility to change the global lead acid bat-tery recycling industry. It offers a green solution for recycling lead acid batteries which is a game changer by itself.

“But it also offers a lower operating cost structure, and a lower recycling volume requirement allowing all bat-tery manufacturers to control the avail-ability and cost of their lead. Every bat-tery manufacturer should consider the Aqua Metals technology in their long term strategy.”

Although the fi nal product is modular — meaning that large recyclers of used lead batteries simply have to buy extra modules to accommodate demand — the likelihood is that smaller battery makers, especially in the developing world, will be early buyers of the sys-tem.

Maggie Teliska, the head of independent testing fi rm, RyanTel, conducted a review for the US Department of Agriculture — one of the guarantors of a project loan from Green Bank to build the fi rst commercial plant — and confi rmed the validity of Aqua Metals’ technology and business.

“Initially I was not just sceptical but deeply sceptical about this,” she told Batteries International. “But as I conducted the technical feasibility study and saw the hydrometallurgical process in action, I saw that this was not just viable but real and even had a genius quality to it.”

On the basis of her recommendations, the USDA Rural Development Agency has guaranteed 90% of a $10 million commercial loan from Green Bank.

Aqua Metals has also been endorsed by investors who though hampered by the NDA could legitimise to Batteries International what Aqua Metals is doing.

Rob Romero, the founder of investment fi rm, Connective Capital described his visit saying he was sceptical of breakthrough new processing technologies, “especially when it comes to a chemical process that is over 100 years old.

He later related: “So I hired the best independent electrochemical expert I could fi nd: Ralph Brodd, who has served in technical committees for the Department of Energy, NASA, and Lawrence Berkeley National Lab and is past-president of the Electrochemical Society. Needless to say, he was sceptical too, having seen lots of inventions come and go, trying to purify lead without smelting.

“To allow us to see the commercial-scale production pod, the company required both of us to sign a Non-disclosure Agreement (NDA), so I’m limited on what I can say. We went to Oakland, and got a demonstration of the commercial-size pod operating at full tilt.

“We were surprised,” says Romero. “One look at Ralph told me what we needed to know. We were not only impressed by the ease by which the machine pulled out highly purifi ed lead from the aqueous solution, also how knowledgeable and forthright the CEO Steve Clarke was with us in explaining details about their process.”

“We’ve seen the technology in action, have validated it with industry experts and believe that it is immediately scalable,” said Michael Cahill, founder of investment fi rm Crispin Capital Management, which has taken a long position in Aqua Metals.

“The ability to build an Aqua Metals modular facility next to a battery collection centre — removing the need for moving spent batteries to distant, expensive smelting centres — is a compelling business case that could witness mass adoption worldwide.”

Batteries International visited Aqua Metals this March, and the management team maintained that it will produce its fi rst product this June — it appears they remain on schedule with a nearly completed AquaRefi nery building in Tahoe-Reno, production of AquaRefi ning modules in Alameda, California was scaling up with the commissioning of equipment at the plant itself and the appointment of lead recycling experts.

Who knows recycling history might just about to be made?

TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE?

Aqua Metals has not released the

amount of savings that the process

will generate but a presentation

slide gives a possible approximation

Source: www.aquametals.com

Comparative recycling costs

Smelting AquaRefi ning

Lead Recovery

Waste

Transport

Overhead

Breaking

Used LABs

The successful IPO of Aqua Metals

last summer

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BCI INNOVATION AWARDS: DARAMIC


Daramic’s entry into the BCI Innova-tion Awards is for a product innova-tion invented about three years ago but with research continuing on fur-ther refi nements.

Called DuraLife®, this helps protect and maintain the quality and per-formance in battery designs that use less lead content — a technique that many battery producers have adopt-ed as a way of reducing overall cost of their products.

DuraLife, is a new, high perfor-mance polyethylene battery separa-tor. Its design improves battery per-formance, improves effi ciency and yield during battery assembly and, most importantly, compensates for lack of performance or lifespan in battery designs where manufacturers are looking to reduce the amount of lead.

There are also benefi ts from the DuraLife co-brand campaign which yields more go-to-market tools and selling points on the end-customer communication

Dawn Heng, worldwide market-ing director for Daramic, says that against a backdrop of ever increas-ing competition in the lead acid bat-tery market and the encroachment of other cost-effective chemistries into some traditional markets, one of the most impactful actions a bat-tery manufacturer can take is to re-duce lead content in the battery.

“As the technology has matured, the automotive SLI lead-acid battery market has become more competi-tive, and battery manufacturers are under pressure from OEM’s to re-duce costs,” Heng says.

“Traditionally, the path to im-proving cost competitiveness was achieved by squeezing out compo-nents costs, but there is a limited im-pact that can be achieved, and some approaches can lead to potential quality risks.

“The fact is that the majority — often over 70% — of the material cost of making a lead acid battery can be attributed to the cost of lead. We can look at the cost of the other materials, but we are then only tar-geting less than 30% of the overall opportunity. If we can help reduce the lead content, then we can really give signifi cant value to the battery manufacturer.”

Thinner grids hit performanceThe problem is that reducing the thickness of the grid lead can compro-mise the performance and life of the battery in many applications. Battery manufacturers have previously re-duced lead content by making the grid thinner and by improving pasting con-trol with less lead used in the active ingredients.

Both options, however, can reduce the life of the battery and damage performance long term. DuraLife is designed to compensate by reduc-ing water loss, which lowers positive grid corrosion ensuring there is less trapped gas which impinges on func-tionality and improving the TOC and acid stratifi cation.

“There are innovative ways to achieve margin improvement by fo-cusing on lead reduction. DuraLife bridges the gap to save lead content costs, while at the same time mitigat-ing the potential quality impact. It is the optimum solution for SLI batter-ies,” says Heng.

Heng says there are many benefi ts to battery manufacturers beyond the lead content reduction. Many bat-

tery designs that use DuraLife dem-onstrate superior life performance, meaning battery manufacturers can upgrade their batteries from sub-pre-mium batteries with a longer lifespan and warranty period. This, in turn, allows battery manufacturers to dif-ferentiate their product lines and sell batteries at higher margins.

Daramic has also launched an in-novative way of partnering with bat-tery manufacturers to co-brand the battery with the DuraLife branding.

“Working with us allows manufac-turers to offer a complete solution to customers while benefi tting from the brand and the superior performance the product offers,” says Heng. “This can help our customers improve prof-itability and increase market share in their respective segments.”

Daramic which is releasing Dur-aLife worldwide, but fi rst launched it in Asia two years ago says it is real world tested. “The benefi ts and value have been proven by testing in the lab, fi eld quality compliance data, and fi nancial performance that the launching battery producer can achieve through the product re-po-sitioning. This innovation will al-low the lead-acid battery to become more competitive versus other tech-nologies and more sustainable for future growth,” Heng says.

Heng believes DuraLife could also prove an effective solution in stop-start applications, where he sees an increasing overlap in the innovations occurring in lead acid and lithium-ion, the main competitive chemistry in vehicle electrifi cation.

Taking the lead out of lead acid batteries

A good separator is at the heart of a good lead battery. Daramic’s new, high performance polyethylene battery separator enables manufactur-ers to use less lead in their products without the subsequent reduction in battery performance.

The benefi ts and value of DuraLife have been proven by testing in the lab, fi eld quality compliance data, and fi nancial performance that the battery producer can achieve through the product re-positioning

BCI INNOVATION AWARDS: MAC/ENERSYS


The reduction of blood lead levels from battery manufacturing is becoming an increasingly important issue for the industry. Two fi rms, MAC Engineering and EnerSys, are working together to fi nd ways to reduce lead in air ahead of a possible new, and more restrictive, business climate facing the lead acid battery industry.

The challenge is coming from two fronts. The fi rst is the need to ensure that lead acid battery technology can compete commercially with other chemistries.

But the more serious threat — and that’s because it could soon be upon us — is that of tighter environmental and health regulation on lead levels. (Irrespective of whether the ever-more stringent rules being introduced are fair or not, more regulations look set to be the new order of the day.)

These were two of the major themes of the BCI conference in Savannah last May. But these meetings were more strident than normal — “it’s time for

the industry to speak with a single voice,” said Mark Thorsby, BCI execu-tive vice president at the time.

Implicit with this was a call to arms. A time for action.

One BCI conference panel session in particular stood out. It was called “Let’s Get the Lead Out: Designing Lead Emission Out of the Manufac-turing Process” and was chaired by EnerSys’s Steve Weik, VP for technol-ogy and engineering.

The purpose behind this presenta-tion was to alert the industry to the growing trend of tighter and tighter rule-making on lead levels in both blood and air.

The panellists — a mix of battery manufacturers and machine suppliers — consisted of representatives from Johnson Controls, East Penn, MAC Engineering, BM Rosendahl and Sov-ema. They talked about the challenges faced by manufacturers and the po-tential problems manufacturers, sup-pliers, and producers would have to

overcome if these restrictions become more and more stringent and there-fore more and more unmanageable.

EnerSys asked several key suppliers to join this discussion about the direc-tion the industry is taking in terms of environmental regulations and what suppliers can do to assist in compli-ance. Through this panel, EnerSys challenged all machine suppliers to get off their standard equipment platform and join them to help make the work-ing atmosphere cleaner.

Doug Bornas and Dan Duffi eld, two VPs at MAC Engineering, this went beyond mere sloganizing. “We sat down with Steve and talked about what we could do together,” says Bornas. “EnerSys was fi red up and ready to do something, so were we!

“Perhaps the most important under-lying idea was that if we could come up with good ideas for taking this for-ward the knowledge would not belong to us, as a machinery manufacturer or EnerSys as a battery maker but it

Better pasting machinery to cut lead air from plant fl oor

A recent initiative by EnerSys and MAC Engineering looks set to mark a signifi cant step in reducing the levels of lead in the air in the battery workplace

Inset: Fixed orifi ce paster with full contained cleaning option. Hopper fully enclosed (see top of hopper on next

page) with stainless steel tank that funnels all clean off water into drain pump and directly into reclaim pit. Water

spraying system for inside of hopper as well as for transfer belts and rolls.

Main: FlowMAC parter/brusher, high speed stacker with enclosed robotic off bearing area, fully ventilated area

where dust particles will be transported via conveyors to a 55 gallon drum (see picture on top of next page)

BCI INNOVATION AWARDS: MAC/ENERSYS


would be open to the whole industry.”Following the meetings there was a

fl urry of ideas and meetings between the two fi rms. The initial proposal aimed at improving the pasting line— possibly the hardest point to contain lead in the manufacturing process — which immediately looked an early winner.

This involved looking at pasting, fl ash drying, stacking, and the palletizing of plates. If lead and dust could be kept cleaner in this area, both companies believed it would greatly reduce lead in air in the rest of the plant.

“Keep the paste where it belongs and nowhere else was the idea,” said MAC’s Dan Duffi eld who was in charge of getting the fi rm’s design team up to the point of making technical drawings of the proposed features. “Our target, in the pasting area, is to eliminate as much lead in air as possible.”

Sadly Steve Weik, the initial inspiration for getting the project going, was never able to see the fruits of his work. He died in late June. However, his work was picked up by Kevin Jones, director of operations engineering at EnerSys.

Part of the process was a dis-assembling of the existing health and safety precautions such as cages and guards to protect the employee before assembling them again with the changes.

This involved designing modifi cations, closing off any unnecessary openings, using sealed conveyors to transport fl aked off paste to sealed drums, extending guards, eliminating places where lead dust can gather, creating more effi cient ventilation ports, and leaving as little space as possible for any lead to collect.

Because manufacturing lines vary from plant to plant, the thinking was that generic solutions needed to be found — approaches that could be transferred across the industry.

The design process and related engineering has been a collaborative one with, as each side admits, imaginative and extensive design

work coming from both parties.Around the turn of the year, the new

manufacturing line will be installed in EnerSys’ factory in Tijuana, Mexico. It will then be extensively tested.

“We’re almost certain that we’ll have achieved a huge leap in reducing levels of lead in the workspace with this initiative alone,” says Duffi eld. “And that the whole industry can ben-efi t from this.

Both EnerSys and MAC say they are excited for the future and for what these changes can help bring to the in-dustry. In a joint statement they said: “We have developed numerous prag-matic and effective measures to reduce lead emissions to the environment, and therefore a genuine hope that the entire battery industry can be a more productive and environmentally safer place in the future.”

Both fi rms also say that this is just part of a longer journey envisaged where all aspects of the battery manu-facturing process will be dissected.

Thorsby, at the BCI, is positive about the move. “This is a great example of the industry as a whole working to-gether to forge a way ahead. What’s particularly impressive is that it started with a couple of individuals being fi red up at BCI and taking it from there — this wasn’t about a series of high level

meetings to decide to get things done nor was it about making someone rich-er on the basis of this, It was quite sim-ply working out ways for the industry to get lead out of the air.”

“The great thing about it is that through the initiative hopefully others will see what MAC and EnerSys have achieved and be inspired to continue their leadership into the future.”

Inset: Top cover with water spray atomizers that fi ts on top of the pasting hop-

per for controlled cleaning

Main picture: Inlet of high speed stacker, blocked off for safety as well as

particle removal, most fl at areas removed to help eliminate places where dust

particles can collect, conveyor system to aforementioned 55 gallon drum

Conveyor to move any collected

dust particles to 55 gallon drum

Change leaders: Doug Bornas (l)

Kevin Jones and Dan Duffi eld

“Perhaps the most important underlying idea was that if we could come up with good ideas for taking this forward the knowledge would not belong to us, as a machinery manufacturer or EnerSys as a battery maker but it would be open to the whole industry.”

BCI INNOVATION AWARDS: HIGHWATER INNOVATIONS


Like the best of start-ups, it all began in a garage. And now fi ve years later, the commitment by industry veterans Mike Gilchrist and George Brilmyer to design a better battery is paying off.

The two, believing that a lead acid battery capable of powering an HEV was possible, reckoned that design — rather than, say, yet another additive to the pasting mix — would be the key to unlocking the extra power and capabilities needed.

Moreover, the product would cost a fraction of the going price for com-petitive chemistries — the NiMH battery for a Toyota Prius can cost around $3,000.

The result has been the ‘GO bat-tery’ where the GO stands for “Geo-metrically Optimized”. The two have gone way beyond proof of concept to demonstrable, repeatable hand-made batteries suitable as replacements for NiMH for hybrid electric vehicles. About 18 months ago, a patent was issued.

Since its early days in 2011, the Ten-nessee start-up known as HighWater Innovations, has been developing a unique battery for high power appli-

cations — including fi nding investor funding two and a half years ago to advance their designs.

“The innovation in the GO Battery is its unique low aspect ratio grid,” says Brilmyer. “These grids, complete with multi-current collecting tabs are specifi cally designed for high power applications (see fi gure 2). These grids with their short grid-tab cur-rent path, result in a wound cell that has disruptively low electrical resist-ance that is 3X lower than a similar size (Ah) conventional spiral-wound VRLA battery.

The resultant wound cell has two tabs per wound lap that creates a structure having four rows of tabs at the top edge of the wound cell. Op-posing rows of tabs are the same po-larity by design.

The development process can be daunting. “You know if one stares at a bipolar battery long enough you

can see its advantages and its faults!” says Brilmyer who with Gilchrist have worked in the battery business for some time including working on bipo-lar VRLA.

“For example, you see the short inter-cell connections for high power. But you also notice that you must build an entire battery (and test it) be-fore you can determine that there is a single bad cell that leads to scrapping the entire battery!

“One will also notice that there is no way to balance or sort cells in bipolar. These are all some of the observations that lead to the conceptualization of the GO Battery.”

Since in essence they were trying to build a battery from the ground up they looked at other aspects of the design. “The open core is not a funda-mental key to our battery design (or our patent) but it is useful in thermal management,” says Gilchrist.

Optimizing spiral-wound VRLA cells to deliver higher power in smaller packages

HighWater Innovations is developing a VRLA technology to challenge the power of NiMH in hybrid electric vehicles and for other power hungry but size/weight-sensitive applications.

When we tested our fi rst cell we knew we were on the right track when the internal resistance of the cell measured just about 1 milli-ohm.

Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 3

BCI INNOVATION AWARDS: HIGHWATER INNOVATIONS


“We use it for our counter-current air fl ow system. Air is forced up through the core of each module and then fl ows down around the outside of the module enabling us to cool the cells in a uniform manner. But, the open core also helps with cell assem-bly. You probably can’t see this, but we wind on a plastic core and the core stays with the element and goes into the cell.”

One unrealized benefi t of the plastic core is that the inside wound laps of the element remain tight and in good contact with the separator. This is not the case when winding on a mandrel such as those used in conventional spiral-wound technology.

The design then uses conventional cast-on-straps to connect the current collecting tabs in parallel. The result-ing four COS and posts create a dual post system of two positive posts and two negative posts per cell as shown in Figure 3.

The wound cell, complete with cast-on straps and posts in then heat-sealed into a thin, light-weight poly-propylene container/cover (Figure 4). After the posts are burned the high power wound cell, complete with its hollow central core is then fi tted with terminals designed for stacking and integral thermal management (Figure 5). The two positive terminals ex-tend upward, while the two negative terminals extend down-ward. When the cells are stacked, the fl ange on the central core mates with the cell above

to form a cooling channel. Figure 1 shows a fully assembled

12V GO Battery module. In this con-struct, the positive termination is at the bottom of the module along with a 90 degree air injection port. Air blown into this end of the module travels up through the central cooling channel and exits the top at the nega-tive end of the module.

Subsequently placing a module into a closed-ended thermal management tube uses the closed end of the tube to redirect and reverse the air fl ow past the exterior of the GO Battery module such as that shown in Figure 6.

An example of how this counter-cur-rent thermal management system will be deployed in a full 200V module is also depicted in Figure 6. This fi gure shows a 96 cell battery pack for a 5” x 24” x 26” prismatic requirement such as that might be used in a Ford Escape HEV or in a server rack in a computer server room application.

“At the beginning — in our garage days — we needed long and narrow grids so we used continuously cast SLI grids and cut them down by hand,” says Brilmyer. “We built our fi rst winder from wood and PVC pipe. We

had containers/covers machined from ABS and then used epoxy to attach the covers and create the post seals.

“A very simple DC power supply was used for formation that we moni-tored by the hour. In the end, we man-aged to produce some very good cells. Then we decided to focus on 10-sec-ond power and to optimize our cells based on this rather simple premise.

When we tested our fi rst cell we knew we were on the right track when the internal resistance of the cell measured just about 1 milli-ohm. Our fi rst set of cells performed better than expected and established our internal benchmark of 10-sec power of 265 watts and 311 W/Kg.”

Highwater Innovations now has much better test equipment and have moved on to a custom winder, smaller COS straps, thinner punched grids and an injection molded container/cover.

“Our GO Battery cells are now pushing the industry in terms of pulse power and we believe with the right battery manufacturing partner that these limits can be increased by at least an additional 30%,” says Gil-christ.

Our GO Battery cells are now pushing the industry in terms of pulse power and we believe with the right battery manufacturing partner that these limits can be increased by at least an additional 30%”

The results shown below are compelling in terms of specifi c power, both gravimetric and volumetric. They show a direct comparison of these hand-built cells and fi ve different commercially available VRLA cells/batteries. This comparison was made by using a 10-sec HEV Power Test using

the exact same test regime in all situations. In terms of gravimetric and volumetric specifi c power, these early results are disruptive and transformational.

Note that despite the exemplary performance, these cells were hand-pasted, and therefore there is signifi cant room for improvement.

In a hand-pasted plate, the paste is applied on to the grid frame with little or no over-paste. This means that the paste (active material) to grid (inactive material) ratio is lower than typical since machine pasting is required to optimize the paste to grid ratio and to properly compact the paste into the grid frame.

THE RESULTS

VRLA / Brand / Nominal Wt Actual Dimensions Volume Max 10 Sec 10 Sec Specific Specific Capacity (g) (Liters) Amps Wh Power Power Power (Ah) (Watts) (W/Kg) (W/L)

Go Battery Cell #167 5.0 588 58mm x Dia 85mm 0.329 454.0 1.67 601.2 1,022 1,827

EnerSys Cyclon X-Cell 5.0 362 73mm x Dia 44.5mm 0.114 84.1 0.33 118.8 328 1,046

EneSys Cyclon E-Cell 8.0 486 100mm x Dia 44.5mm 0.156 100.3 0.38 136.8 281 880

Optima Group 34 Yellow RC = 120 19,587 254mm x 172mm x 198mm 8.692 1,089.0 21.20 7,632.0 390 878

EnerSys Group 31 RC = 188 30,820 330mm x 173mm x 240mm 13.703 1,029.0 21.90 7,884.0 256 575

East Penn ETX30L 26Ah 9,585 168mm x 132mm x 175mm 3.883 488.0 12.34 4,442.4 463 1,144

Design Specifi cations 10-Sec Power Pulse Testing (1.6vpc CV Discharge)

BCI INNOVATION AWARDS: DIGATRON


Modern electrochemical energy stor-age devices such as lithium batteries or supercaps must be subjected to ex-tensive performance and safety testing in specialized laboratories to validate their suitability for industrial or auto-motive application.

Since battery capacities keep on increasing the turnover of electricity during charge/discharge cycling tests becomes a signifi cant cost factor for the laboratory owner because tra-ditional cyclers have poor effi ciency during charge and during discharge they output 100% of the energy as heat.

Additional expenses for air condi-tioning and noise protection occur. But also fl oor space becomes an ex-pensive, limiting factor for laborato-ries as the demand for a high count of circuits increases, for example, for cyclic ageing research.

The few worldwide manufactur-ers of battery testing equipment have been trying for some time to employ switch mode technology to achieve higher effi ciency or energy recupera-tion. Corresponding circuits continue to struggle with design-related restric-tions caused by today’s mono-crystal-line silicon semiconductors and large transformers and chokes.

“At Digatron Power Electronics we’ve reinvented a battery test system from scratch, to provide Energy Neu-tral Technology” says Kevin Camp-bell, chief executive of Digatron.

Points of departure were customer demands with regard to energy effi -ciency, construction size, circuit den-sity, ergonomics, power and dynamic envelope, as well as the latest semicon-ductor technology derived from mili-tary and aeronautics: Silicon Carbide (SiC) MOSFETs.

Battery testing’s next leap forward: rethinking switch mode technology

Digatron Power Electronics has launched what it calls the world’s fi rst laboratory test system with silicon-carbide technology.

High power density: 48 circuits of

150A / 20V or 200A / 300A peak / 6V

in one standard cabinetSmaller, more effi cient

2002

2016

BCI INNOVATION AWARDS: DIGATRON


Digatron this year will be introduc-ing battery testers with active fron-tends and output amplifi ers in SiC-technology in their Repoweren™ UBT (20V) and MCT (6V) lines. These systems provide up to six 1.8kW test circuits in one 4U (178mm) rack mod-ule.

This is equivalent to an almost 10-fold increase of power density com-pared to any previous designs.

Digatron’s Biconditional Energy Supply Tracking (BEST) system en-sures optimum energy effi ciency under any operating condition,” says Camp-bell. “This is an innovative process that automatically balances the ener-gy fl ows between the six circuits and tracks the energy balance of the DC link accordingly, either to regenerate 100% in the DC realm (and top off from AC as needed), or to feed excess energy back to the three-phase grid.

The front is dominated by a central seven inch touch screen that visual-izes the current operating status of each circuit and overall system status. Linking it with tablets or smartphones is possible, depending on the custom-er’s IT infrastructure and policy.

The Repoweren™ units can be cas-caded in standard 19 inch rack sys-tems. Test circuits can be paralleled up to several kiloamperes. Extra ex-penses for climatization or acoustic insulation are unnecessary.

The regenerative series’ modular construction allows easy servicing and replacement of assemblies. DC cassettes for single cells (6V) and 20V (SLI) can be mixed within the same module. Additional DC cassettes with new voltage and current ranges will be developed in the future.

“The Repoweren™ Series is de-signed to provide several decades

of reliable service when maintained properly,” says Digatron. Its modular construction simplifi es complete recy-cling at the end of its service life.”

Silicon Carbide is a diamond-like crystal of carbon and silicon. Especially with higher blocking voltages, SiC MOSFETs are superior to conventional IGBTs made from mono-crystalline Silicone (Si). The primary reason

is the nearly 10 fold disruptive strength and threefold bandgap of SiC over Si.

The switching characteristics, the effi ciency factor, and the thermal properties of these next generation semiconductors offer the advantages of lower losses, higher operating voltages, and higher operating temperatures in the power conversion system.

In switch mode designs the signifi cant increase in switching frequency permits much more compact constructions or higher power densities.

In particular with switch mode design, a signifi cant increase in switching frequency leads to

downsizing and high power density. That is also the reason why

Digatron employs switch-mode technology in transformer-less power supplies and not just the output stages right now.

Conventional semiconductors with low switching frequencies would have necessitated bulky and expensive transmitters thus denying the benefi ts of a design without a mains transformer. By contrast the Repoweren series’ high-frequency transmitters are roughly the size of three matchboxes, only.

Digatron expects SiC based semiconductors to become the de facto standard in inverter designs in the near future.

WHAT ARE SILICONE-CARBIDE METAL-OXIDE-SEMICONDUCTOR FIELD-EFFECT

TRANSISTORS (SIC MOSFET)

Kevin Campbell, CEO of Digatron

Above left: The 6 x 1.8kW unit. Above right: Rear view showing six independent test circuit outputs for single cells (6V)

or batteries (20V) of any chemistry

BCI INNOVATION AWARDS: ALABC


One potential landmark in market ac-ceptance of lead-acid in automotive drive trains comes from car maker Hyundai’s recent investigation — the fi rst for an OEM — of how the com-bination of better lead-carbon batteries, regen power and the use of an electric supercharger together with turbocharg-ing can transform fuel economies.

And, importantly, to do so without loss of performance.

The aim of the Hyundai project which started in 2013, has been to con-vert a Kia Optima 1.7 litre diesel and the equivalent Hyundai i40 model into 48V micro/mild hybrids.

This project is very similar to the 48V LC SuperHybid project that ALABC had been working on since 2010, but here it was based on a more economi-cal diesel engine with a down-speeded gear box.

At its simplest, the Hyundai and LC SuperHybid projects aimed to put a down-sized engine into a vehicle and couple this with down-speeding it through a longer ratio gearbox, so as to save fuel, and hence, CO2 emis-sions. [Reduced CO2 emissions are an immediate target of European auto-motive regulators. EU Regulation No 443/2009 sets an average CO2 emis-sions target for new passenger cars of 130 grams per kilometre. The target

was phased in between 2012 and 2015. A target of 95 grams per kilometre will apply from 2021.]

However, this downsizing and down-speeding also fi nishes up with a vehicle with very poor driving characteristics or a complete lack of ‘fun to frive’!

To compensate for this ALABC worked with UK company, Controlled Power Technologies, with CPT’s con-cept of restoring performance by tur-bocharging the down-sized engine and to further improve this by electric su-percharging to eliminate the turbo lag experienced when accelerating from low engine speeds.

Acceleration from a standing start, or when in a high gear, puts emphasis on low revolutions per minute (rpm) torque to accelerate the mass of the ve-hicle. The key to the reduction in CO2emissions was to replace the alternator with a belt-driven integrated starter/generator (B-ISG) so that during decel-eration and braking kinetic energy can be recovered and stored in the low-cost lead-carbon battery for use in driving the electric supercharger.

This also has the benefi t of a much quicker, quieter and smoother start than provided by the conventional me-chanical starter.

While CPT had vehicles to demon-strate the benefi ts of both their Speed-

Start B-ISG and electric supercharger separately they had not shown the benefi ts of the two units together (Fig-ure 1). ALABC then proposed that a project should be put together to build a vehicle to demonstrate the concept together with a low cost lead-carbon battery.

Demonstrating power and performance

For the last fi ve years ALABC — the Advanced Lead Acid Battery Con-sortium — has been working with automotive suppliers and OEMs to demonstrate that advanced batteries, regen charging and supercharg-ing technology can create breakthroughs in fuel economy.

The development of lead-carbon battery breakthrough technology has enabled these batteries to be used in high-rate partial state-of-charge applications as found in hybrid vehicles. It has also been vital to showcase the performance and life of lead-carbon batteries to OEMs to prove their abilities in real hybrid vehicles.

ALABC’s involvement in demonstration vehicles has played an important part in this process. The initial work on demonstration projects in high voltage hybrids achieved this goal while the more recent work on the low voltage micro/mild hybrid has put the lead-carbon battery in the forefront of powertrain development for the next generation of low cost, fuel effi cient vehicles.

THE CONTEXT

Performance Improvement

100

2030

4050

6070

8090

100110

120130

140150

Distance [m] 14.3 m

3s

6s

9s

87km/h

97km/h

0

1.3 m

Base Vehicle

48V Hybrid

0

6.6 m

Figure 1 (left): Recovery of performance without loss of CO2 benefi ts. Figure 2 (right): Improved acceleration over

the base car

BCI INNOVATION AWARDS: ALABC


Work is going on with the 48V LC SuperHybrid project to further refi ne the system, but Hyundai reported the initial results of their project last year to the Engine and Environment Con-ference in Graz, Austria.

The project with Hyundai involves AVL as integrators, Valeo as suppliers of the electric supercharger and the B-ISG and East Penn as suppliers of the bat-tery pack. In the Hyundai project AL-ABC was assisted in the funding of the project by several individual members.

Putting the results togetherHyundai’s key conclusions were that the engine power of the base engine was increased from 136 PS to 176 PS (25%) by utilising a larger turbo, but despite the engine downspeeding the acceleration from 0-100kph was re-duced by a full second from 10.5 to 9.5 seconds (Figure 2).

The 60-100kph fi gure in fi fth gear was reduced to 7.7 seconds from 9.9 seconds, indicating considerable im-proved driveability. As well as improv-ing the vehicle’s performance, a key result of the project is that the CO2 emissions over the NEDC cycle have been reduced by 16% over the base car — a fi gure comparable to that ob-tained with the 48V LC SuperHybrid.

Perhaps of equal interest is that this emissions fi gure is a full 10% lower than the equivalent high voltage gaso-line hybrid (Figure 3) and Hyundai es-

timate the cost of the 48V system to be 45€ per % CO2 saved as compared with 100€ per % saved with the full hybrid system — a not insignifi cant fi gure in automotive terms when the industry is trying to move from a fl eet average of 130g/km CO2 emissions to 95g/km (26%) by 2021.

Two public statements by Hyundai are worth noting.• “The 48V Mild Hybrid system has

the capability to improve the ‘fun-to-drive’ factor by electric-assisted su-percharging and the fuel economy of the vehicle by gear box optimization and energy recuperation simultane-ously. The implementation of these systems top-down into the vehicle fl eet will be a solution to reduce fl eet CO2 towards 95 g/km.

• “Can 48V bridge the gap between 12V and 800V? Yes, 48V can be a

proper solution to bridge the gap to future Hybrid concepts.”In a climate where the lead-acid bat-

tery faces increased competition from other chemistries, the lead-carbon bat-tery can only help raise the profi le of the lead battery as a truly sustainable ener-gy storage solution for the automotive industry, while at the same time offering a large opportunity for a substantially increased volume of lead battery sales.

The impactWhile the initial 48V vehicles are likely to be premium models with Li-ion bat-teries, the ALABC work with OEMs is indicating that some are not convinced that this is the only way to go and that advanced lead-carbon batteries have a part to play in this market because of their many advantages such as cost, safety and recyclability.

In the table below, the various key parameters of the ascending degrees of electrifi cation are outlined with some calculations as to the add-on cost to the manufacturer and the potential cost per % of CO

2 saved.

KEY PARAMETERS OF COST AND VALUE

System metric Micro hybrid LC Super hybrid Concept1 Mild hybrid Full hybrid Plug-in hybridVoltage 12V 12- 48V 24-130V 200-270V 300-400V

e-motor power 2-3kW 3-6kW 10-15kW 20-50kW 60-70kW

Regen power 0.5-3.0 kW 3-8 kW ~10 kW ~20 kW 20 kW +

Launch assist 0 20 - 35kW <15kW >15kW >60kW

e-drive range 0 0 0 ~ 2 km ~ 30 km

OEM on-cost *estimate €150 - €700* €750 -€1500 €1600 - €3000* €3000 - €5000* €6000 - €10000*

CO2 benefit % 4 -7 % 15-30% 8-12% 15-20% 20%+

OEM cost/ benefit €35 - 100/1% €50 - 60/1% €200 - 250 /1% €200 - 250 /1% €300 - 500/1%

1 With downsizing/down-speeding

Hybridization parameters

CO

2-E

mis

ion

s [%

]

80

85

90

95

100

105

Acceleration 0-100 km/h [s]

9 9.5 10 10.5 11

Base Vehicle 48V Hybrid

TT-HYBRID

16 %

Figure 3: Early vehicle transient current data

Note: These fi gures were prepared during

the development of ALABC vehicles and

may not refl ect up-to-date lithium-ion battery

prices in the light of the fact that EV and HEV

sales have been nowhere near expectations

for the installed capacity.

It can be seen that as the degree of

electrifi cation increases, the OEM on-cost

also increases considerably. This is largely

battery-related as in the mild, full and plug-in

type of hybrid the batteries are high voltage,

deploying either nickel metal hydride or

lithium-ion chemistry.

The very fact that the voltage is above the

accepted safety level of 60V also means

extra expense in the vehicle to provide the

necessary isolation measures.

It can be seen that the add-on cost of the

48V LC SuperHybrid concept, while more than

for a simple start/stop vehicle, is lower than the

fi gure for a mild hybrid while being capable of

higher emission reductions if the full benefi t of

downsizing and down-speeding is used.

The recent fi gures quoted by Hyundai

claim a CO2 reduction of 16% achieved on

their 48V T-Hybrid at an on-cost of €45 per

% CO2 saved as against a cost of €100 per

% in their mild hybrid version which has

poorer performance.

This would suggest that the low voltage

micro/mild hybrid has become a serious

competitor for the conventional high voltage

hybrid.

BCI INNOVATION AWARDS: ABERTAX


Abertax Technologies has developed a new patented gel fi lling process for use in PzV and OPzV cells which the company says, represents an impor-tant breakthrough that could make the manufacturing process cleaner, safer and cheaper while improving the quality of the batteries.

Gel batteries — often called valve regulated batteries — are similar to AGM batteries in that they can’t spill or leak liquid, have a deep cycle, a low self-discharge, are safe for use in limited ventilation areas. and may be transported safely without special handling.

However, gel batteries cost a little more and they do not offer the same power capacity as AGM batteries. But they excel at slow discharge rates and slightly higher ambient operating tem-peratures.

One of the reasons for their slightly higher price has been the cumbersome process associated with their fi lling, formation and fi nishing processes.

This is where Abertax has focused its attention.

Klaus-Dieter Merz — universally known in the industry as KD —has been with Abertax since 2008 and with gel battery development for some 12 years. He has also had a 28 year career with Exide.

Merz says there are three main meth-ods used in gel battery manufacture.

The fi rst is whereby the battery is as-sembled with formed plates, then fi lled with a gel/acid mixture and charged. “This is the oldest process and gives good quality products,” he says. “But it has a high cost associated with the tank formation and is not very envi-ronment friendly.”

Second, there is direct gel forma-tion; the most economic and easiest process. “However, direct gel forma-tion takes a long time and does not result in the best quality product,” Merz says.

Finally, there is jar or bloc formation where the battery is fi lled with liquid acid. After formation, the battery is partly discharged and the acid drained before the battery is re-fi lled with gel. “This is more complicated and costly and sometimes there’s a variation in cell performance,” he says.

Just over a year ago, Abertax looked at improving this last method. The aim was to develop a fi lling process of the jar or bloc formation without the acid drainage and re-fi lling process.

The solution was what he calls a ‘gel circulation’ process.

At fi rst, the cells of a lead acid bat-tery are fi lled with a sulphuric acid of a specifi ed density, followed by forma-tion. After this the cells are part-dis-charged and the gel fi lling method can also be applied to fully charged cells. He notes that precautions are needed

in terms of homogeneous fi lling.Then, the cells are fi tted with a plug/

valve, which has an intake and an out-let duct. The hoses or tubes are con-nected with a mixing and fi lling gel container.

Then gel from the container is pumped into the cells of the battery through the intake tube, while the outlet tube transports the electrolyte from the top of the cell back to the container.

An electrolyte exchange process is done until the SiO2 content is equal in cells and container. “The new method reduces time and cost,” Merz says. “The existing fi lling and formatting equipment can be adapted to the com-ponents and procedures of the inven-tion. Only minor modifi cations to existing installations for gel battery production need to be done to intro-duce the cleaner and faster production process.”

After lab testing, Abertax made a small test prototype and the fi rst in-dustrial applications were tested in March 2015. The results have been promising and, one manufacturer is already working with the concept, which Abertax has patented.

Abertax is in talks with four more potential manufacturers about this. This September the company will publish a paper at ELBC in Malta, after which it will seek more industry feedback.

Merz says: “This represents a new and improved step in terms of value regulated technology. There hasn’t been too much innovation in the lead acid business in recent years so this is exciting.”

Better gel fi lling for VRLA batteries

Abertax has developed a new gel fi lling process for PzV and OPzV cells. K-D Merz, the battery expert at Abertax, explains what the innovation means.

Gel mixing tank

Acid

tank

Pump

ValveOPzV cells

Filling plugs

Gel transport

tubes

Dead

end

plug

BCI INNOVATION AWARDS: GRIDTENTIAL


Gridtential, a Californian start-up that has taken successful university research and adapted it to the pro-duction line, has developed a pro-prietary technology for an advanced lead battery that replaces the metal grid in current lead battery designs with a silicon substrate.

“We’re calling it Silicon Joule Tech-nology,” says Christiaan Beekhuis, chief executive of Gridtential. “The advanced architecture and materials will provide up to two times faster discharge at the same effi ciency, two times the greater available energy at the same weight, and up to fi ve times longer life at 80% depth-of-charge compared with traditional lead-acid batteries.

“Gridtential is able to target a $100/kWh installed price for its drop-in lead-based battery replace-ment.”

Perhaps most interesting for lead battery manufacturers is the fact that it has the potential to provide break-through performance with little disruption to the existing 500GWh global production capacity of the lead battery industry — the early processes of paste mixing and curing are unchanged as is the high invest-ment formation and charging equip-ment.

“The process changes for battery makers occur in the modular stack and seal assembly process that makes the product a manageable transition for a range of battery makers” says Beekhuis.

“With respect to the stack and seal assembly, I expect some of the high-end battery machine manufacturers to step up here to produce high qual-ity, high speed lines.

“To date two battery fi rms that are serious players are well down the road towards establishing pilot production of Silicon Joule batteries and four others are in the process of evaluating the product.”

Gridtential’s business model is

based on licensing the technology to customers, which makes its initial capital requirements comparatively light. “Initially we’re focusing on li-censing fi rms involved in the diverse industrial and specialty markets,” Beekhuis says.

“These are the ones that are easi-est to bring in as adopters, and some of the markets most challenged by lithium batteries.

“But the eventual aim is to tap into the huge automotive sector. The area where Silicon Joule technology could have the greatest impact is in the new 48V power trains for micro- and mild-hybrid vehicles.”

One interesting perspective of the licensing model, and the fact that the Gridtential technology can be fi tted into existing battery manufacturing lines worldwide, is that it creates the possibility of the industry as a whole providing an almost immediate coun-ter-balance to the so-called ‘gigafac-tory’ of Tesla.

Lead battery gigafactories could be just a couple of years away.

Gridtential has developed a silicon-lead battery that offers a real and sustainable alternative to lithium, with clear power and price advantages.

“Gridtential is able to target a $100/kWh installed price for its drop-in lead-based battery replacement”

The eventual aim is to tap into the huge automotive sector. The area where Silicon Joule technology could have the greatest impact is in the new 48V power trains for micro- and mild-hybrid vehicles

The new gigafactories of silicon-lead beckon

BCI INNOVATION AWARDS: NORTHSTAR BATTERY COMPANY


NorthStar Battery Company’s Blue Battery chemistry was developed to address a specifi c problem encoun-tered by a telecom operator in Bang-ladesh, where mains electricity was operating less than 50% of the time and the telecom site was averaging 26 electricity outages over any 24-hour period.

Conventional batteries didn’t re-ceive enough charge current to oper-ate — the batteries were failing within months.

Frank Fleming, chief technology offi cer of NorthStar, and his team worked with the customer to refi ne the lead-acid chemistry, changing ac-tive material ratios, utilizing a carbon-enhanced negative electrode and refi n-ing the negative plate expanders.

This was named Blue Battery Chem-istry by the NorthStar technical team.

Its major electrochemical attributes were an extremely high charge accept-ance in abusive conditions, and the ability to provide increased cycling performance when operating in a partial-state-of-charge operating con-dition.

After the batteries operated suc-cessfully in Bangladesh, NorthStar deployed them in other regions of the world with poor electrical grids.

The high charge acceptance of the chemistry, coupled with the chemis-try’s fast-charging capabilities and its ability to operate in a PSOC condi-tion, provided a major performance

advantage in hybrid telecom sites dis-connected from the electrical grid.

Previous wireless telecom instal-lations that ran generators for up to 18 hours a day to charge the battery banks and operate the sites were now capable of reducing the generator run-time to less than four hours per day.

The savings in diesel fuel in these re-mote installations were enormous.

The company’s fi rst major Blue Bat-tery installations in the remote areas of Pakistan produced savings for the operator of over $70 million in the fi rst year — simply due to the reduc-tion in diesel fuel required to operate their sites.

Over the past two years, NorthStar has installed Blue Batteries through-out the Middle East, Africa, eastern Europe, southeast Asia and South America in those areas with poor elec-trical grids and where operating con-ditions are diffi cult.

The chemistry is also pushing cycling performance for AGM telecom batter-ies to new frontiers — the chemistry delivers over twice the number of cy-cles seen from conventional lead-acid batteries. This means a longer lifetime

in those areas where the electrical grid is unreliable and the battery is cycling numerous times throughout the day.

It also means another area where ad-vanced lead acid batteries are staking territory for the entire industry.

The fast-charge capability for lead-acid batteries, coupled with the im-proved cycling performance due to the chemistry and the charging param-eters, continues to demonstrate that lead-acid is the most-effi cient solution for the vast majority of the world’s wireless telecom installations.

NorthStar Battery Company has modifi ed existing lead battery chemis-try to provide a product with extremely high charge acceptance in dif-fi cult conditions as well as doubling cycling performance.

The refi ned batteries’ electrochemical attributes were an extremely high charge acceptance in abusive conditions, and the ability to provide increased cycling performance when operating in a partial-state-of-charge

The trouble-shooter

Cycle Life vs Depth of Discharge Time to 100% Recharge, 2.40 VPC

0500

1,0001,5002,0002,5003,0003,5004,0004,5005,0005,5006,0006,5007,0007,5008,0008,5009,0009,500

10,00010,50011,00011,50012,00012,50013,00013,50014,00014,50015,000

10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

Cyc

les

Depth of DischargeDepth of Discharge

Tim

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BCI INNOVATION AWARDS: NORTHSTAR BATTERY COMPANY


NorthStar Battery Company’s Modu-lar 8D Battery was developed in re-sponse to complaints from battery installers aboard boats and ships who said the typical 8D battery was simply too heavy to maneuver into the holds of their vessels.

Steve Burns, the battery design man-ager at NorthStar, and John Semeni-uk, NorthStar’s vice president for SLI Products, worked together to develop a battery that fi t the 8D specifi cations yet could be disassembled into three smaller packages that could be easily carried into the holds of ships and re-assembled at their ultimate installa-tion location.

It’s a simple but innovative way of thinking regarding a standard product that has been around for a very long time.

A conventional 8D lead-acid battery weighs approximately 160 pounds (72.7 kg), much too heavy for one person to handle easily as they are navigating the holds of marine vessels.

The NorthStar 8D battery consist of three modules weighing approxi-mately 57 pounds (25.9kg) each, a much-more manageable weight when hauling the modules to their ultimate installation location. The installation kit provided with this modular battery ensures a simple, safe and effective in-stallation.

In addition to the modularity and the ease-of-handling, the NorthStar 8D also provides a whopping 3,125 pulse cranking amps, ensuring the crank-ing power for the vessel is there when needed. Cold cranking amps are rated at 2,250, and the battery provides a reserve capacity of 500 minutes. Sim-ply eye-popping performance.

By applying an innovative way-of-thinking to a long-standing problem, the team at NorthStar demonstrated simple, yet effective innovation.

NorthStar Battery Company has produced what it calls the Modular 8D Battery, a pleasingly logical way to install heavy batteries for maritime use

Keeping it simple, keeping it effective

In addition to the modularity and the ease-of-handling, the NorthStar 8D also provides a whopping 3,125 pulse cranking amps, ensuring the cranking power for the vessel is there when needed

It’s a simple but innovative way of thinking regarding a standard product that has been around for a very long time.

Batteries International • BCI 2016 Yearbook • 53

g a ong time.

Visit our website to see how Hammond Groupis driving innovation for PbA batteries.www.hmndgroup.com/about/

FOR THE CHALLENGES AHEAD...

Check us out at BCI – Booth #325

BCI MEMBER PROFILE: SUPERIOR BATTERY


It wasn’t the greatest of times to set up a new business. It was 1983, the Unit-ed States was just about to come out of three years of recession. Infl ation had spiralled seemingly out of control, interest rates were even higher.

Across the US the automotive indus-try was fi ghting for its life. Car sales — each of which required a starter battery — had slumped from an av-erage of 11 million a year in the late 1970s to 8 million in 1982. The bat-tery business was in the grip of con-solidation to cut costs.

But where others saw diffi culties, Randy Hart saw an opportunity.

And his creation Superior Battery is now a major US battery manufacturer, an award winning exporter and em-

ploys some 200 staff in its Kentucky-based headquarters in Russell Springs.

The story starts in August 1956. Randolph Scott Hart was born in Somerset, a city in Pulaski County, Kentucky — about half an hour’s drive from where he was to grow up in Russell Springs.

Two things were in his blood from the beginning — engineering and his Christian faith. His father, who once worked as a machinist for Fisher Body in Cincinnati, Ohio moved back to Russell Springs where he was a part-time farmer and also an evangelical Baptist minister.

“Growing up on a farm there is al-ways something to work with, repair, or rework in regards to farm equip-

ment and machinery,” says Randy. “I’m not sure what age I was when I started playing around with equip-ment because it seems that I’ve always been around it.”

Graduating from the Somerset Technical School, he then studied at Machine School of Aberdeen Prov-ing Ground in Maryland. He then en-listed in the US Air Force where his machining skills were built on further — he reached Status Level 5 (Crafts-man) — and worked for a while in the Machine Tool and Die section at Kirt-land, New Mexico.

This turned out to be highly techni-cal and top secret work. “Our shop at the air force base primarily worked for the Sandia Weapons Laboratory in Albuquerque, New Mexico,” he says. “We did machine work according to their specifi cations and supported them, whether it was manufacturing a part or just a prototype.

“Everything was classifi ed. We may be working on a particular part of a prototype one day and another part of it a month later. You had to have a secret security clearance to even work in our shop! I later learned that one of the prototypes was for laser-guided bombs. It was during this time I worked on achieving my levels of education in the machining fi eld. This included classroom study, tests, and fi eld work to advance in skill certifi -cation.”

Having received an Honourable Discharge from the USAF and the Air National Guard, he started the H&B Tyre and Battery Company. He later bought out his partner, changed his partner’s initial B to an H, dropped the tyre work, and continued with the battery business in the wholesale and retail market.

In 1983 — aged just 27 — he looked to diversify and he set up the Superior Battery Manufacturing Company, in Russell Springs. He had just a hand-ful of employees — mostly relatives

Swimming against the stream

While US battery manufacturers were retrenching or consolidating in the early 1980s, Randy Hart decided that it was time to launch Superior Battery. Kevin Desmond, battery historian, takes up the story.

“I chose the name Superior to make me always strive to be better. There’s an old saying: “In a pack of dogs if you’re not the lead dog then the view is always the same!”

In 1983 — aged just 27 — he looked to diversify and he set up the Superior

Battery Manufacturing Company, in Russell Springs. He had just a handful of

employees — mostly relatives — and his empire was located in a small build-

ing on the family farm in the Salem community.



— and his empire was located in a small building on the family farm in the Salem community.

“I chose the name Superior to make me always strive to be better. There’s an old saying: “In a pack of dogs if you’re not the lead dog then the view is always the same!” Batteries were delivered in a 1952 Chevrolet truck.

“We bought all the components and basically just put batteries together,” he says. “During the H&H era I’d al-ready started reconditioning batteries in a small building that my dad used for work when I was growing up,” he says.

“When I started Superior I built a larger building — though it wasn’t much larger — about 1,600 square feet in size. We continued to assemble batteries for two years and then began to manufacture more of the compo-nents of the batteries. By 1985 we’d already had two expansions and con-tinued to increase our capacity and continued to make more of the com-ponents.”

At the time, the SLI (starting, light-ing, ignition) side of the battery indus-try was struggling and the number of battery manufacturers collapsed from 170 to fewer than 20 today.

But all was going well for Superior. In 1986 it carried out its third expan-sion, adding more modern equipment and upgrades to the existing facility. “By the end of 1991 we had approxi-mately 17,000 square feet and were producing about 1,200 batteries per day,” he says.

But then disaster struck.At three in the morning on April 2,

1992 a fi re broke out in the battery formation room. The fi re raged for hours. And when dawn came at seven o’clock — it would take another hour to put it out — it was clear the factory was completely destroyed.

Then the community spirit that of-ten is at the heart of family businesses kicked in. “When we began to re-build the plant after the fi re everyone pitched in. It was quite some thing. There was family, friends, and em-ployees and we all chipped in to get the new factory built,” he says.

My wife Lisha helped in all kinds of capacities — including keeping me straight! — and was hugely supportive of the endeavour. Her father owned a concrete construction company, and they did all the concrete work on the new plant. Between the construction crews, family, friends, and some em-ployees of the company, we had quite the crowd working to build the new

facility.”The fi re put Superior out of business

from April 1992 until July 1993. To go from ashes to a working produc-tion line in just 15 months is a major accomplishment.

Oddly enough starting afresh had some benefi ts too. “I often tell people that the fi re burned up all my previous mistakes. I knew it would be diffi cult because we basically had to start over. At the same time — you’ve a clean sheet to work with,” he says.

“When the new plant was designed, I was able to engineer more envi-ronmental upgrades and production

fl ow capacity into the building. This made the new plant more effi cient and productive than the old one. I also incorporated more modern and capacity effi cient equipment. We not only built back but actually expanded in the process. This would have also been our fi fth expansion in 10 years of business.”

Moreover, the new plant was over 3½ times larger than the old plant and designed to give Superior the room to grow capacity, if needed.

On that July re-opening, the fi rst Su-perlex Premium Power Batteries rolled out of the brand new production line.

The fi re put Superior out of business from April 1992 until July 1993. To go from ashes to a working production line in just 15 months is a major accomplishment.

Superior Battery early 1990s, pre-fi re

Visit Booth 411 at BCI in San Antonio



“It was a name that we could trade-mark and have full authority over it. We were able to use Super from Supe-rior to keep a closer identity,” he says.

“Some people have thought that the ‘lex’ was derived from Lexington, Kentucky. But we needed a work for the patent offi ce and ‘lex’ sounded a good suffi x! But most importantly this also gave us the ability to offer our customers a complete battery pro-gram with a fully-labelled product.”

The logo of the red galloping horse, a symbol of power, resonates to the many race horse studs in Kentucky State and the legendary Derby and Oaks that is held annually at Church-ill Downs, Louisville.

In 2010, the company received the Kentucky World Trade Center Gov-ernor’s Award for International Trade Excellence and was named Exporter of the Year in 2011 by ThinkGlobal, publisher of Commercial News US.

In 2013, Superior became one of three Kentucky companies to receive an Export Achievement Certifi cate from the US Department of Com-merce International Trade Admin-istration. Superior’s exports have grown from less than 3% fi ve years ago to 30% of total revenue today. In 2012, the company exported to 26 countries and added jobs because of the increase in trade.

Superior owns several trade mark registrations for: Superlex & Design; Advanced GridLoc Technology & Design; and for PFX Technology & Design.

Superior says it is also leading the industry in use of robotics. “Our most signifi cant achievements, however, have been in pioneering revolutionary fl ooded cell battery technology — spe-cifi cally, in the creation of PFX, which was introduced in 2012 and delivers extended life, enhanced cyclability and better heat endurance at a com-petitive cost,” says Hart.

PFX was originally an acronym for Primary (lead) Formed (lead strip) and eXpanded (metal) design. It involves extremely clean, highly refi ned lead and continuous paste mixing technol-ogy work with other elements — in-cluding expanded grids, micro-process controlled curing, high-performance separators and polyfi bre mats — to deliver maximum performance.

Superior refi nes, in-house, the lead alloy used in its batteries, establish-ing the right chemical composition to increase battery life. Superior has earned ISO 9001-2002 and TS16949 certifi cations from the International Automotive Task Force,

“In the next generation of products

“I often tell people that the fi re burned up all my previous mistakes. I knew it would be diffi cult because we basically had to start over”

Contemporary shot of Superior, still on the farm in Russell Springs that Randy Hart grew up in

Superior’s Battery University was established in 2009 as a way to empower battery specialists with education not available from other manufacturers.

This day-long seminar includes an extensive factory tour plus an educational component that highlights battery history and technology, chemical make-up, testing methods and troubleshooting charging problems.

Participants also receive a variety of sales tools to effectively help communicate the value of Superlex batteries.

BACK TO SCHOOL WITH

SUPERIOR



it will fi nally reach its fi nal intended meaning: Proprietary (lead alloy) Cold Formed-extruded (lead strip) and eXpanded (metal) design.”

Now approaching 60, Randy Hart is still working to make Superior ever better and ever larger. “Lisha and I have no children, but I am richly blessed with a close family and great employees. I’ve had numerous hob-bies and interests over the past few years but as of today I spend most of my spare time working in my man-cave and accessorizing automobiles!”

Here he has a show-winning 2002 Ford Lightning truck that he says he likes ‘tinkering’ with — the 5.5 litre engine would put the Tesla Model S to shame coming in with some 700 horsepower.

Two common themes seem to be commonplace in the battery world — faith and music, though not always together. However, Randy has com-bined the two and over the decades he has also travelled and sung with three southern Gospel quartets: fi rst the Spirits Quartet, then the Joymak-ers Quartet and One Accorde. I’m not sure how I worked that in but I was

much younger when I worked in the battery business all week and trav-elled the weekends touring with my group,” he says.

“I plan on staying around a while especially since we are nearing goals

we have worked toward for the last few years. Lisha tells me that I won’t ever be able to completely retire since I have always had a passion for this industry and always trying to make something better.”

Group shot including some of the named and unnamed team behind PFX. Working alongside Randy Hart on the

system: Tony Wilson: chief design and process engineer, Preston Richardson: plate operations superintendent, Jeff

Roy: specialty equipment and process engineer, Jeff Meeks: supervisor of plate production and processing, and

Joe Gosser: director of quality assurance. Then for manufacture Craig Jasper: plant manager, Don Phelps: plant

engineer, and Robby Stapp: assistant plant manager.

With Lisha, his wife and business mainstay. Publicity material for the other

side of Randy Hart, highly professional gospel singing (inset)

Customize your experience in San Antonio!

Get in the mood with the annual golf tournament

The gentle swish of a successful power drive to the next hole (or bunker) — yes the other side to the BCI Convention + Power Mart Expo is the annual golf tournament. On Sunday May 1, the BCI Golf Tournament gives attendees the oppor-tunity to network with colleagues over a game of golf at the Quarry Golf Course. After the tournament concludes, come and cheer with drinks at the Awards Reception.

Scan the QR code


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The BCI Convention + Power Mart Expo mobile app and mobile-friendly site are the best way to keep up-to-date with event activities.

Use it to contact other attendees via messaging, and also to set up in-person meetings, view exhibitor details, browse the schedule of events and more. Search “Battery Council” in your app store, or if you have a BlackBerry or Windows device, visit the mobile website, www.battery-council.org/128mobile.

LOG IN:Username: your email addressPassword: bci2016

Once you have logged in to the app, tap “Networking” to review your profi le. Then, tap “Save” in the upper-right corner. The networking feature allows attendees to plan meetings in advance with each other. Simply tap

“Networking,” and search for the person with whom you’d like to meet. Want a full list of attendees? Tap “Networking” and “Everyone”.

Event reminders will be sent through the app as well, so be sure to turn on your push notifi cations! Customize your day by using the “My Event” feature. This section offers the opportunity to plan out your time at the BCI Convention + Power Mart Expo, so you can make the most of your trip to San Antonio.

Health and safety gone mad?

Far from it. Health and safety is

hugely important for the industry!

Save the date for the 2016

Environmental, Health and Safety

Conference, October 24-26, at

the Sheraton Inner Harbor Hotel in

Baltimore, Maryland. Get the latest

updates on battery employee health,

safety and environmental protection

in conjunction with networking and

exploration of the Baltimore area

with your family and colleagues.

Registration opens in June.

For more information, visit www.

batterycouncil.org/EHSConference.

And in the end is our beginning

No human directionals à la San

Diego meetings needed for this

reception, it’s just outside the hotel!

The BCI Convention + Power Mart

Expo concludes with Tuesday’s

Closing Reception, located in the

Oak Tree and River Terraces. Take in

the gorgeous San Antonio weather

while having those last informal

chats.

e lalthth a dnd s faf tety gone m dad??

The fi rst rule of conferences — connect, connect, connect.

So looking for additional places to connect during the convention? Visit the Connections Center! It will be furnished with tables and chairs for impromptu meetings and offers attendees a place to relax and network. Videos submissions from the Sally Breidegam Miksiewicz In-novation Award entrants will be featured on the monitor.

The Connections Center will be located in booth #210 in the Power Mart Expo

on Monday, and on Tuesday, it will be located in the foyer.

With dozens of exhibitors, the Power Mart Expo will allow attendees to net-work with partners and obtain the latest information on industry products and technologies. Check your onsite program or the BCI mobile app for the full list of Power Mart Expo exhibitors.

The list of attendees is also available for viewing at www.batterycouncil.org/attendees. Or, view the list on the BCI mobile app.

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BCI Supplier Members host Sunday’s Welcome Reception at the Buckhorn Saloon from 6:00pm to 8:00pm. Attendees are invited to kick-off the convention by enjoying cocktails and hors d’oeuvres with colleagues. The saloon, said to be visited by Teddy Roosevelt and his Rough Riders, offers a unique collection of mounted wild-life and is the perfect introduction to Texas culture.

Please leave your Stetsons and six-shooters at the door

New kid on the block

Steve Cotton, chief commercial offi cer at Aqua

Metals — one of the latest members of BCI —

says he’s looking forward to his fi rst convention.

Partly it’s because the fi rm is displaying its

revolutionary new way of processing lead

batteries without smelting — come to where its

sharing with the Wirtz booth 401! — but it’s also because of the

event’s reputation. “Anyone who’s anyone in North American lead

will be here,” says Steve. “It’s going to be fun as well as useful in

getting to know people better. And San Antonio at this time of year

will be a perfect spot to chill out.” Aqua Metals’ new technology is

highlighted in this Yearbook’s innovation award section.

Coming back for more

Michael Galyen, president of testing fi rm

Eclipse Energy, joined BCI last year because

he wanted more engagement with the industry

he operates in. The Savannah conference was

his fi rst but clearly won’t be his last. “I gained a

lot from a wider perspective — and the 1000

foot view on the big issues ahead for the industry and told by

the industry is well worth knowing,” says Mike. “It’s also meeting

the people some’ll be familiar names that I hadn’t met in person

before. But it’s also reconnecting with people you haven’t seen in

a while, meeting new people, or meeting people you have worked

with but never met in person.”

The Connections Center


BCI TRIBUTE TO ANN NOLL


Ann said she’d prefer not to be inter-viewed for this piece. So it’s going to be a surprise for her to know that a host of BCI chairs and executive vice presi-dents going back to the 1980s rushed forward to talk about working with Ann.

“It’s impossible to ever think a bad thought about Ann,” says Dan Lang-don, a former chairman of BCI and president of East Penn. “She’s been the most wonderful person to work with — always helpful, always kind and al-ways on the ball.

“Some may remember her for her ef-fi ciency — which of course I do too — but mostly it was for her kindness and courteousness.”

Randy Hart, president of Superior Battery and also a former BCI chair-man, said. “I’d agree with every word of that and I’d like to add some on how she worked. Sometimes she could read my mind and the number of times I’d need something and she’d have already got that ready for me was astonishing. She was a model of patience even when we all under pressure at a convention meeting.”

Another senior fi gure said: “She was a princess despite her loveobses-sion with root beer fl oats — the only shadow that’d cross her face was when they’d give her a coke fl oat by accident!

“Also she had a love of animals — think extended families of anything that needed caring for and could be loved and cherished— she was a swell person to be around.”

Mark Thorsby, the executive vice president of BCI, said that in the past fi ve years with her that she’d become “an absolute awesome treasury of in-formation about what we did, how we did it, and why we did it. She was not just a great person to work with but an invaluable treasury of information.”

“And, for our own part at Batter-ies International,” says Karen Hamp-ton, its publisher. “You couldn’t have wanted to work and know someone so utterly special as Ann — we’ll miss you greatly.”

Happy retirement Ann —you’ll be missed mightily!

Ann Noll, one of the great institutions of Battery Council International — some would even say greater than BCI! — retired in December after some 37 years with BCI.

“... the most wonderful person to work with — always helpful, always kind and always on the ball”

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Documents

BCI YEARBOOK - 2016