History
The first AGM cell was the Cyclon, patented by Gates Rubber Corporation in 1972 and now produced by Enersys. The cyclon is a spirally wound cell with thin lead foil electrodes. A number of manufacturers seized on the technology to implement it in cells with conventional flat plates. The first manufacturer to achieve a significant market position was arguably Yuasa of Japan. Their low capacity lightweight batteries achieved rapid penetration in the alarm and emergency lighting markets by about 1980, and also some acceptance for UPS and PABX support.
In the mid 1980s two UK companies, Chloride and Tungstone, simultaneously introduced 10 year life AGM batteries in capacities up to 400 Ah, stimulated by a British Telecom specification for batteries for support of new digital exchanges. In the same period, Gates acquired another UK company, Varley, specialising in aircraft and military batteries. Varley adapted the Cyclon lead foil technology to produce flat plate batteries with exceptional high rate output. These gained approval for a variety of aircraft including the BAe 125 and 146 business jets, the Harrier and its derivative the AV8B, and some F16 variants as the first alternatives to the normal NiCd batteries.
Moves to higher capacity AGM batteries were led by GNB's Absolyte range extending to 3900 Ah. VRLA/AGM technology is now widespread in both stationary and vehicle batteries.
Read more about this topic: VRLA Battery
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