The Dynamic Characterization of Lead-Acid Batteries for Vehicle Applications *

A computerized method of load profile analysis has been developed for predicting how electric vehicles with well-defined power requirements will perform with readily available batteries. Utilizing characterization curves which are usually available from the manufacturer for the battery model in question, or experimentally obtained voltage/time signature curves for several constant-current discharges, the technique permits evaluation of vehicle range capabilities with load profiles in which capacity recuperation is an important factor. Time to cutoff calculations on both square wave and electric vehicle current-time curves are shown to give good agreement with the experimental results of corroborating discharge tests conducted with a programmed load simulator.