Energies, Vol. 18, Pages 5576: Sustaining Battery Life: Deep-Cycle Lead-Acid Battery Through Acoustic Simulation and System Modeling

Energies, Vol. 18, Pages 5576: Sustaining Battery Life: Deep-Cycle Lead-Acid Battery Through Acoustic Simulation and System Modeling

Energies doi: 10.3390/en18215576

Authors:
Napski Rudolph A. Pacleb
Alexis A. Ardiente
Gerard Francesco D. G. Apolinario

Deep-Cycle Lead-Acid Batteries (DCLA) are widely known in stationary applications such as backup power and off-grid systems. However, their faster capacity decline compared to emerging batteries limits their efficiency and lifespan. This research investigates the potential of ultrasonication to enhance the performance of DCLA by reducing sulfation and internal resistance, thereby improving capacity retention and state of health (SOH). A system-level MATLAB/Simulink model was created to simulate a photovoltaic (PV) system under three load conditions: constant, variable, and realistic load. An ultrasonic device operating at 1700 kHz was implemented during the charging phase, and simulations were conducted to evaluate systems before and after ultrasonication. State of charge (SoC) and battery voltage were performance measures over 31 days. The results showed that the ultrasonication system maintained an average SoC up to twice that of the control system (78.8% vs. 37.9%) and sustained a higher average voltage (13.2 V vs. 12.6 V). Under realistic light-load conditions, the test system retained energy better and had a 38.37% percentage improvement. These findings indicate that ultrasonic integration is a viable retrofitting strategy to improve DCLA operation, particularly for off-grid and renewable energy storage applications.