Relativity and the Lead-Acid Battery
Abstract
The energies of the solid reactants in the lead-acid battery are calculated ab initio using two different basis sets at nonrelativistic, scalar-relativistic, and fully relativistic levels, and using several exchange-correlation potentials. The average calculated standard voltage is 2.13 V, compared with the experimental value of 2.11 V. All calculations agree in that 1.7-1.8 V of this standard voltage arise from relativistic effects, mainly from PbO2 but also from PbSO4.
- Publication:
-
Physical Review Letters
- Pub Date:
- January 2011
- DOI:
- 10.1103/PhysRevLett.106.018301
- arXiv:
- arXiv:1008.4872
- Bibcode:
- 2011PhRvL.106a8301A
- Keywords:
-
- 82.47.Cb;
- 31.15.ae;
- 31.15.aj;
- 82.60.Cx;
- Lead-acid nickel-metal hydride and other batteries;
- Electronic structure and bonding characteristics;
- Relativistic corrections spin-orbit effects fine structure;
- hyperfine structure;
- Enthalpies of combustion reaction and formation;
- Condensed Matter - Materials Science
- E-Print:
- doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.106.018301