AN electronic sensor that detects the rate of charge held in lead acid batteries used in remote area power supplies is under development at Murdoch University in collaboration with the University of Western Australia.

Murdoch Associate Professor of Chemistry Pritam Singh said lead acid batteries were used as energy storage banks for solar and wind energy in many remote areas.

“They are also used as back-up in the event of power failures or interrupted supply for vital services such as hospitals or computer systems,” said Professor Singh.

The joint research project, funded by a two-year, $100,000 Alternative Energy Development Board (AEDB) and Australian Co-operative Research Centre (ACRE) grant, is a spin-off of the research work carried out by postgraduate students jointly supervised by Professor Singh and Dr Murray Baker of the University of Western Australia.

“It is crucial that the battery’s state of charge is monitored closely if it is to be used efficiently,” said Professor Singh, who is co-directing the project with Dr Baker.

Professor Singh said the new sensor would send out a continuous reading by telephone line into a computer, thereby doing away with the use of hydrometers which was both messy and time-consuming.

“It will also make reading the charge levels physically easier - especially in remote areas - and provide a more accurate and reliable result.”