The history of batteries leading to the invention of the AGM battery that we have available today is interesting indeed. 

A Brief Timeline – The History of Battery Technology                             
 

The invention of the first modern-day battery is credited to the Italian physicist Alessandro Volta in 1800. 

Around 1808, William Cruickshank invented the Trough battery, an improvement on Alessandro Volta's voltaic pile. The improvement was that the plates were arranged horizontally in a trough, rather than vertically in a column.

Between 1832 and 1839, Robert Anderson, a Scottish inventor created the first electric-powered motor car using a single-use, non-rechargeable primary cell battery. Before this invention, early motor carriages had been powered by steam.

In 1859, Gaston Plante, a French physicist, invented the first rechargeable lead-acid battery. This was a remarkable innovation in technology. Plante used lead for the negative “anode" electrode and lead dioxide for the positive “cathode" electrode, and sulfuric acid as the electrolyte. This created the chemical reaction for power and the first rechargeable battery. This discovery enabled the battery to reverse the chemically induced electron flow from positive to negative which resulted in the ability for the battery to recharge when plugged into an outside energy source.

In 1881, Camille Alphonse Faure, a French chemical engineer, developed a more efficient and reliable version of the battery. Faure's improvements greatly increased the capacity of Plante’s batteries and led to their manufacture on an industrial scale. The Faure Electric Accumulator Company (FEAC) was founded the same year in London to supply electric batteries suitable for lighting and other purposes.

Battery technology remained the same until 1934 when a German company, Elektrotechnische Fabrik Sonneberg manufactured the first lead-acid batteries with gelled sealed cells. 

In 1953, Otto Jache, while working at a German company called Sonnenschein, developed small spill-proof accumulators that were equipped with safety valves, and the VRLA (valve-regulated lead-acid), otherwise known as sealed lead-acid (SLA) battery was finally produced in 1957.   

Finally, in the late 1960s the (absorbed glass mat) AGM battery was introduced by John Devitt and David McClelland, engineers for the Gates Rubber Company.  AGM battery technology was initially developed for military missiles. The absorbed glass mat (AGM) battery contains fiberglass mats that absorb the sulfuric acid electrolyte.

This groundbreaking improvement in battery design has proven to have many significant advantages over the earlier VRLA batteries.

The Many Advantages of AGM Batteries

1. The reduced liquid means AGM batteries stay cooler than traditional lead-acid batteries 
2. AGM batteries don't need to be ventilated and may be completely sealed
3. AGM batteries are more vibration-resistant and less likely to spill
4. They can also be placed in any position
5. Charge faster
6. More powerful 
7. They have a longer lifespan
8. AGM Batteries perform much better in extreme temperatures, and they are more reliable and last-longer in cold climates
9. More starts per battery
10. More durable construction
11. Safer to handle
12. Special valves protecting the battery's lifespan

AGM batteries didn’t gain popularity until 1980 when they were used by the U.S. military to power vehicles and aircraft, eventually making their way to commercial uses with the Concorde. 

By the 1990s—AGM batteries have become the highest standard for vehicles and all commercial battery uses where safety and reliability are of utmost importance. Many people also prefer to use AGM batteries because they are long-lasting, durable, and maintenance-free, however, it should be noted that these types of batteries are not suitable for use in internal combustion engine vehicles, as they are too large and heavy.  

PowerAll Systems uses 2400 Amp AGM batteries for our Travel Model Ground Power Units. Our GPUs are the perfect solution for convenience and dependability in extreme temperature conditions.  Call PowerAll Systems – Phone (321) 237-0495 or click here to send us an email