Lead-acid batteries can be divided into submerged batteries and sealed lead-acid batteries. The sealed lead-acid can be further divided into AGM batteries and gel batteries.
Each deep cycle battery type has its advantages and disadvantages, and you must decide which battery is best for you.
- Submerged lead-acid: Standard submerged lead-acid batteries are the oldest type of car battery.
In a liquid-filled battery, lead plates are immersed in an electrolyte mixture of sulfuric acid and water. Chemical reactions during charging and discharging produce gases that are expelled from the battery. This causes electrolyte levels to drop, which need to be replenished regularly.
- Absorbent Glass Mat (AGM): A Valve Regulated Lead Acid (VRLA) battery.
AGM deep cycle batteries have low internal resistance and charge faster than flooded or gel batteries. It has 95% charge efficiency and 80% depth of discharge (DoD).
The many advantages of AGM batteries include maintenance-free, location insensitive, durable and fast charging. However, it is more expensive than a flooded battery and is sensitive to overcharging, thus requiring a regulated charger.
- Gel battery: Another type of VRLA battery (like AGM battery).
Gel batteries use a gel electrolyte, formed from (usually) sulfuric acid and water suspended in a silica reagent.
The charging efficiency of the gel battery is about 85-90%, the heat resistance is good, and it does not outgas.
However, this battery does not tolerate fast charging. Gel electrolytes are also very sensitive to overcharging and can be irreparably damaged if this happens.
Gel batteries are maintenance-free, spill-resistant, position-insensitive, and have high heat resistance. But it's also more expensive than flooded or AGM batteries and requires special chargers and regulators.
- Lithium-Ion
Compared with lead-acid battery varieties, lithium batteries are a relatively new variety.
Lithium-ion batteries are 30% lighter than flooded batteries and have 80-100% usable capacity. They also have the fastest charging rates and extremely long cycle life - typically around 2000-5000 charge cycles.
Lithium-ion batteries can also provide constant voltage at any discharge rate.
Changshu Wanlong Power Technology R&D Co., Ltd. is a lead-acid battery manufacturer and storage battery manufacturer from China. The company sells sealed maintenance-Free batteries and Sealed 12v batteries all year round. The quality reaches the international standard and the performance is outstanding.
