Monitoring sealed automotive lead-acid batteries by sparse-impedance spectroscopy

A reliable diagnostics of lead-acid batteries would become mandatory with the induction of an improved power net and the increase of electrically assisted features in future automobiles. Sparse-impedance spectroscopic technique described in this paper estimates the internal resistance of sealed automotive lead-acid batteries in the frequency range 10 Hz-10 kHz, usually produced by the alternators fitted in the automobiles. The state-of-health of the battery could be monitored from its internal resistance

Smart batteries

At present smart batteries are primarly required for the laptop computers, which must squeeze more performence into smaller packages while increasing battery life at the same time. To achieve these goals, the designer must incorporate new methods of optimizing system power consumption and available battery capacity. As battery-management techniques mature become more common, application regime of smart batteries will extend beyond the laptop computers to other portable devices, in medical electronics, portable test epuipment and other battery-powered systems

Racemic epinephrine compared to salbutamol in hospitalized young children with bronchiolitis; a randomized controlled clinical trial [ISRCTN46561076]

BACKGROUND: Bronchiolitis is the most common cause of lower respiratory tract illness in infancy, and hospital admission rates appear to be increasing in Canada and the United States. Inhaled beta agonists offer only modest short-term improvement. Trials of racemic epinephrine have shown conflicting results. We sought to determine if administration of racemic epinephrine during hospital stay for bronchiolitis improved respiratory distress, was safe, and shortened length of stay. METHODS: The study was a randomized, double-blind controlled trial of aerosolized racemic epinephrine compared to salbutamol every one to 4 hours in previously well children aged 6 weeks to ≤ 2 years of age hospitalized with bronchiolitis. The primary outcome was symptom improvement as measured by the Respiratory Distress Assessment Instrument (RDAI); secondary outcomes were length of stay in hospital, adverse events, and report of symptoms by structured parental telephone interview one week after discharge. RESULTS: 62 children with a mean age of 6.4 months were enrolled; 80% of children had Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). Racemic epinephrine resulted in significant improvement in wheezing and the total RDAI score on day 2 and over the entire stay (p < 0.05). The mean LOS in the epinephrine arm was 2.6 days (95% CI 2, 3.2) v. 3.4 days in those in the salbutamol group (95% CI 2.6, 4.2) (p > 0.05). Adverse events were not significantly different in the two arms. At one week post-discharge, over half of parents reported that their child still had a respiratory symptom and 40% had less than normal feeding. CONCLUSION: Racemic epinephrine relieves respiratory distress in hospitalized infants with bronchiolitis and is safe but does not abbreviate hospital stay. Morbidity associated with bronchiolitis as identified by parents persists for at least one week after hospital discharge in most infants

Lead-acid battery with high specific energy

An electrochemical method of manufacturing a corrosion resistant grid structure used in a lead-acid battery, said method comprising coating of substrate material such as herein described, with a metal layer of copper or nickel and a subsequent layer of lead/lead alloy followed by the electrodeposition of an organic material such as polyaniline and similar other organic material, over the above said lead/lead alloy layer by using an electrolyte such as oxalic acid to obtain a corrosion resistant grid structure used in a lead-acid battery

A low-cost lead-acid battery with high specific-energy

Lightweight grids for lead-acid battery grids have been prepared from acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) copolymer followed by coating with lead. Subsequently, the grids have been electrochemically coated with a conductive and corrosion-resistant layer of polyaniline. These grids are about 75% lighter than those employed in conventional lead-acid batteries. Commercial-grade 6V/3×5Ah (C20-rate) lead-acid batteries have been assembled and characterized employing positive and negative plates constituting these grids. The specific energy of such a lead-acid battery is about 50 Wh/kg. The batteries can withstand fast charge–discharge duty cycles

Lead-acid cells with lightweight, corrosion-protected, flexible-graphite grids

Lightweight grids for lead-acid battery plates are prepared from flexible graphite sheets of mass density $1.1 g cm^{-3}$. The grids are coated with a lead layer followed by a corrosion-resistant polyaniline layer by electrodeposition. The grids are about 70% lighter than conventional lead-acid battery grids. The suitability of these grids are evaluated by cyclic voltammetric experiments. Lead-acid cells are assembled with positive and negative plates made from these lightweight grids. The specific energy of the lead-acid cells is found to be ca. $40 Wh kg^{-1}$ at the C/5 rate

Smart batteries

At present, smart batteries are primarily required for the laptop computers, which must squeeze more performance into smaller packages while increasing battery life at the same time. To achieve these goals, the designer must incorporate new methods of optimizing system power consumption and available battery capacity. As battery-management techniques mature and become more common, application regime of smart batteries will extend beyond the laptop computers to other portable devices, in medical electronics, portable test equipment and other battery powered systems

A Low-Cost, High Energy-Density Lead/Acid Battery

Lightweight plastic grids for lead/acid battery plates have been prepared from acrylonitrile butadiene styrene copolymer. The grids have been coated with a conductive and corrosion-resistant tin oxide layer by a novel rapid thermally activated chemical reaction process. X-ray powder diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy show the coated tin oxide film to be SnO2-like. The grids are about 75% lighter than conventional lead/acid battery grids. A 6 V/1 Ah lead/acid battery has been assembled and characterized employing positive and negative plates made from these grids. The energy density of such a lead/acid battery is believed to be more than 50 Wh/kg