| Cold Cranking Amps (CCA): |
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The current a new, fully charged battery can deliver at 0°F (-17.8°C) for 30 seconds, while maintaining at least 1.2 volts per cell. |
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| Marine Cranking Amps (MCA) or Cranking Amps (CA): |
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The current a new, fully charged battery can deliver at 32°F (0°C) for 30 seconds, while maintaining at least 1.2 volts per cell. |
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| Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS) |
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Rating system used for most batteries produced in Japan. Commonly found in Japanese import vehicles. |
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| Deutsche Industrie Normen (DIN) |
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Rating standard used by German automobile and battery companies. |
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| Europäische Norm (EN) |
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Common rating standard for Europe. East Penn’s line of exact fit batteries for European vehicles follows this standard. |
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| Reserve Capacity (RC): |
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The time in minutes that a new fully charged battery can deliver 25 amps at 80°F (26.7°C) at a voltage greater than or equal to 1.75 volts per cell. |
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| Nominal Voltage: |
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A lead-acid cell has a nominal voltage of 2.0 volts. This is approximately the average voltage during a long, complete discharge. A typical vehicle’s electrical system is 6 volts, 12 volts or 24 volts nominal, requiring a battery pack of the same rating. |
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Capacity
(Cn where n is time, usually in hours): |
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The quantity of charge in ampere hours (Ah) that a new fully charged battery can deliver in a specific period (often 20 hours) at a specific temperature (often 80°F) at a voltage greater than or equal to a specific value (often 1.75 volts per cell). Example: a battery which delivers a current of 5 amperes for 20 hours has a 20-hour capacity of 100 ampere-hours. (5A x 20h = 100Ah) |
| Group Size: |
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A standard battery configuration meeting certain physical size limits and other requirements, including terminal types and locations. In theory, a battery of the correct group size will fit a given vehicle regardless of the manufacturer of the battery. |
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| Case and Cover: |
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The outside structure containing the battery’s parts. These are usually made from plastic (polypropylene), although some types are still made from hard rubber. Covers are generally heat sealed to the case. |
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| Posts: |
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(Also called terminals or connectors.) The external connection that allows the battery to be joined to the vehicle’s electrical system. For automotive batteries, these are either top post where battery cables clamp on, or side post where battery cables bolt on. |
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| Vents: |
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Apertures where gasses can escape from the battery. They may be part of the caps or part of the cover. Lead-acid batteries produce hydrogen gas, which is flammable above a certain threshold. |
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| Grids: |
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The heart of the battery because they are the supporting framework for the active material (paste) of the plates. Battery grids are made of lead alloyed with other metals to give them desirable properties such as strength, low electrical resistance, low gassing rates and low corrosion rates in a hot acidic environment. |
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| Plates: |
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Grids to which paste (see below) has been applied. The plates are “formed” (electrically converted to active materials) later in the process. Formed positive active material is black. It is lead dioxide. Formed negative active material is gray spongy lead. |
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| Paste: |
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A thick mud-like mixture of lead oxides, sulfuric acid, water and other ingredients like reinforcing fibre. It is applied to grids to make plates. “Expander” containing barium sulfate and carbon black is added only to the negative material. Curing temperatures and humidity promote reactions that result in hardened crystals with desirable nanostructure. Cured positive plates are light orange in colour. Cured negative plates are gray due primarily to the carbon black used in the expander. |
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| Separators: |
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Thin sheets of electrically insulating porous material used as spacers between the plates to prevent electrical contact between the plates while allowing the free movement of ions between the plates.
Leaf separators are individual sheets sandwiched between the plates. Envelope separators are folded around the plates of one polarity or the other and sealed at the sides. East Penn automotive batteries use envelope separators made from polyethylene.
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| Cells: |
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The basic electrochemical current producing unit in a battery, consisting of an element (see below), electrolyte and casing. Each cell is approximately 2.1 volts (fully charged), therefore, a 12 volt battery has six series–connected cells. A 6 volt battery has three series–connected cells. |
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| Element: |
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An assembly alternating positive and negative plates with separators between them where all of the negative plates are electrically connected in parallel and all of the positive plates are electrically connected in parallel, plus the structures necessary for making connections to the next cell or external terminal. Any number of plates can be used in an element, depending on the desired performance. |
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| Inter-Cell Connectors: |
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The series electrical connections between the elements in adjacent cells. East Penn automotive batteries are connected by welds made through holes punched in cell walls. |
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| Terminal Lug: |
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Structures in the first and last cells of a battery that allow a connection to external terminals. (One positive, one negative.) |
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| Terminal Designs: |
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SAE post terminals – Are tapered terminal posts built to SAE standards so that all cable clamps will fit any battery with these posts.
Side terminals – Are molded into the side wall near the top edge, and battery cables attach to the terminal by a bolt with threads into the terminal.
L terminals – Used extensively on special application batteries for lawn & garden equipment, snowmobiles and light duty vehicles.
Stud terminals – Threaded terminals typically used on heavy duty batteries.
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