Speciality materials manufacturer AGY’s S2 Glass fibre is being used to reinforce the composite grids in Terra Supreme Battery’s new Group 31 bipolar lead-acid batteries.
Terra Supreme combines pure lead with the high-strength glass fibre to produce dimensionally stable composite grids. The battery maker said the reinforcement was ten times stronger than steel by weight and helped the grids retain their structural integrity through repeated charging and discharging.
The technology is intended to prevent the shedding of positive active material, which Terra Supreme identified as a major cause of failure across lead-acid battery chemistries. Maintaining the original geometry of the glass-reinforced grid is claimed to improve durability, cycle life and long-term performance.
AGY S2 Glass fibre reinforcement
Patrick Hunter, chief commercial officer and president of AGY, said: “S2 Glass fibre was developed for applications where exceptional strength, durability and dimensional stability are essential. Terra Supreme’s innovative use of S2 Glass demonstrates how advanced glass-fibre reinforcement can help transform a well-established battery chemistry and address one of its most persistent performance limitations.”
The battery uses a bipolar architecture with horizontally oriented plates, a shortened internal current path and no conventional internal busbars. It has been designed as a direct replacement for existing Group 31 batteries without requiring changes to the charging system.
Benny E. Jay, chief technology officer of Terra Supreme Battery, said: “Our objective was to rethink the lead-acid battery from the inside out. AGY’s S2 Glass fibre provides the strength and dimensional stability required for our proprietary composite grids. This enables us to structurally secure the active material, extend service life and deliver significantly improved performance from a familiar, recyclable battery chemistry.”
Terra Supreme claims the battery delivers 1,200 cold-cranking amps, 1,800 marine-cranking amps and 3,000 pulse hot-cranking amps. It has 240 minutes of reserve capacity and is designed to provide up to 4,000 cycles at 60% depth of discharge.
The battery also includes an integrated Bluetooth-enabled monitoring system and carries a five-year limited replacement warranty.
Terra Supreme is targeting high-power engine-starting and deep-cycle applications in commercial transport, emergency services, industrial equipment, agriculture, aerospace, defence, marine, recreational vehicles, railways and off-grid and grid-connected energy storage.
