A Guide to All You Need to Know about Deep Cycle Batteries

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If you’re looking for a battery that could serve you for attaining solar and renewable energy or a battery for camping – you’re looking for a deep cycle battery. They are very efficient energy storage units and they work is with the help of a chemical reaction that produces a voltage that later results in electricity. Deep cycle batteries are designed to be ‘cycled’. What this means is that they can be discharged and recharged many times over. In contrast to a car battery, the purpose of which is to provide a burst of energy lasting for a short period of time, the deep cycle battery gives power at a slower pace for a longer period of time.

deep cycle battery

There are a few different types of deep cycle batteries and some of the more commonly used are the gel batteries and the Agm deep cycle batteries. There are a few recent additions though and they are the lithium-ion and carbon lead batteries.

Absorbent glass mat or AGM is a type of lead-acid deep cycle battery where the electrolyte is absorbed into a fibreglass mat. In an AGM battery you will see that the plates are flat, much like those of the wet cell lead-acid batteries, or you may find them in a tight wound spiral. In Agm deep cycle batteries the internal resistance is lower than in traditional ones, which means they can handle higher temperatures and self-discharge more slowly than other types of batteries. Unlike regular lead-acid batteries that need to be kept in an upright position to avoid acid spills and to ensure that the plates are sitting in the electrolyte, AGM deep cycle batteries can be positioned in any way.

Deep Cycle Batteries

A gel battery however, also known as gel cell, is a sealed lead-acid deep cycle battery that is regulated by a valve and uses a gel electrolyte. These batteries also don’t need to be kept upright and can be positioned in any way. Gel cells are great because they eliminate the chance of evaporation of the electrolyte, spillage and have less chance of corrosion. They also provide a greater resistance to high temperatures, shock and vibrations. As such, they are best suited for use in auto-mobiles, boats, aircrafts and other motorized vehicles.

Lithium-ion and carbon lead batteries are very different when compared to the conventional deep cycle batteries and have started a revolution in the innovation of batteries, especially when it comes to grid-connected residential types of energy storage. Their use is not as wide spread as AGM deep cycle batteries and gel batteries and have yet to take the lead.