Scarleth Vasconcelos
Bio
Scarleth Vasconcelos is a Ph.D. candidate in Sustainable Engineering at Villanova University, USA, PA. She has strong interest in Research and Development (R&D), energy storage systems, Sustainability, and Entrepreneurship. Scarleth possesses a background in R&D for energy storage systems, corporate sustainability projects, and international development initiatives. She brings strong leadership skills, collaboration abilities, and expertise in data processing and battery materials characterization. Her doctoral research focuses on online battery testing for flooded lead energy storage systems. Scarleth holds a master’s degree in Sustainable Engineering and a bachelor’s in Renewable Energy Engineering. She has been involved in various projects, including the development of a Biomimetic Battery based on the Electric Eel and the feasibility assessment of modular solar cube systems. Additionally, Scarleth completed a co-op in Solid State Battery Materials, at Saint Gobain Research Center, USA, MA, where she prepared solid-state Li-ion cells and evaluated cathode composites’ performance. She is passionate about sharing her insights in lead acid batteries online monitoring and their role in sustainable energy solutions.
Acid stratification negatively impacts battery performance, leading to reduced efficiency and shortened lifespan, a critical failure mode in flooded lead-acid batteries (LABs). The use of a Magnetic Field (MF) provides early onset notification of stratification by monitoring variations in H+ concentration during cycling, with the capability to discern other failure modes in non-flooded LABs. This research explores the correlation between H+ concentration changes in H2SO4 (sulfuric acid) electrolyte and acid stratification. The uniqueness of this study lies in optimizing parameters, including input amplitude and frequency, to achieve early stratification detection through magnetic field mapping characterization for Battery Management System (BMS) applications. Experimental measurements involve tracking pH at the top and bottom of 100 ml individual electrolytes, approximately 13 mm apart, and magnetic field variations across different H2SO4concentrations, ranging from 1.07 to 1.33 specific gravity. The preliminary results indicated a 17% to 20% reduction in pH measurements over a 12-hour interval, suggesting acid stratification. An inversely proportional correlation was found between the output voltage resulting from the interaction of the induced magnetic field and the changes in the electrolyte concentration. The optimal AC input frequency maximizes the induced magnetic field response. The value found for optimal AC input frequency was in the range of 30-33 kHz, which depends on the physical properties of the magnetic field inductors (air core solenoid coils). Additionally, the experimental results demonstrated an inverse proportionality between the induced magnetic field and the distance between the coils attached to the cell. Future research directions will include incorporating magneto-resistors to create a comprehensive magnetic field mapping during LAB cycling, with a state of charge range from 100% to 20%. This study will provide a profound understanding of LABs supported by electrochemical computational simulations, for modeling and predicting cell stratification.
