Pressure-Tolerant Electronics and Discharge Performance of Pressure-Compensated Lead Acid Batteries Under Hyperbaric Conditions

Abstract Understanding the variations in the energy discharge performance of pressure-compensated valve-regulated lead acid (PC VRLA) batteries under the influence of increased hydrostatic pressure is essential for the reliable design of deep-ocean battery-powered systems. The paper reviews developments in the field of pressure-tolerant electronics and presents observations from the experiments done on a12 V‐40 Ah absorbent glass mat type PC VRLA battery in a hyperbaric chamber at 600 bar pressure. It is identified that, during discharge at 600 bar pressure, the terminal voltage and energy discharge capacity of a 12-V fully charged battery drop by 1.05 V and about 15%, respectively, and need to be discharged below the minimum voltage levels recommended under normal ambient conditions. The identified results, along with the temperature derating factor, could be used for sizing of deep-ocean operated PC VRLA batteries.