Batteries are a paradox to those of us who don’t completely understand the way they work. They’re both simple and complex, capturing energy in a small device to power-up our devices. A battery is two or more electrochemical cells which store chemical energy, thus making it available as electrical energy.

Some more common and advanced batteries use only one cell to operate.Some of the more common cell types include galvanic cells, fuel cells, flow cells, electrolytic cells, and voltaic piles. Though archeologists have unearthed batteries from ancient times, Alessandro Volta is credited with creating the first modern battery in 1800.

Since then, batteries of all shapes and sizes have been used. Today’s batteries can be small, powerful, rechargeable, and long-lasting. Using batteries has proven to be an effective way to cut back on energy costs and pollution, and are all-around more convenient than using an electrical outlet.

Types of Batteries

• Lead-acid batteries: Invented in 1859 by physicist Gaston Plante, lead-acids are the oldest type of rechargeable battery. Their ability to supply high surge currents means that the battery cells maintain a relatively large power-to-weight ratio. With their low cost and light-weight features, they’re ideal for use in cars, providing the high current needed for a starter.
• Lithium batteries: These disposable batteries have lithium metal or lithium compounds as an anode. Depending on the particular design and chemical compounds used, lithium cells can produce voltages from 1.5V to 3.0V, which is twice the voltage of an ordinary zinc-carbon or alkaline cell battery.
• Lithium-ion batteries: Unlike lithium batteries, lithium-ions do not contain any of the lithium metal. They’re also rechargeable, making them ideal for use in cell phones, iPods, laptops, and many other portable appliances. They’re even being used in electric cars. Their power-to-weight ratio is substantially greater than any other battery out there, and their slow loss of charge when not in use makes these batteries the most advanced on the market.
• Nickel-cadmium (NiCd) batteries: These batteries are rechargeable and use nickel oxide hydroxide and metallic cadmium as electrodes. They’re capable of putting out a charge of 1.2V, and are good for 2,000 cycles. There are two types of NiCd batteries: sealed and vented. These types of batteries were popular a decade ago in various portable applications such as walkmans, toys, and other battery powered devices. With a self-discharge rate of 10% per month, the long shelf-life made these batteries were a favorite of consumers at the time.
• Sodium-sulfur batteries: This type of battery is constructed from sodium and sulfur. It exhibits a high energy density, a high efficiency of charge/discharge, long cycle life, and it is fabricated from very inexpensive materials. However, because of the operating temperatures from 300 to 350 degrees Celsius, and the highly corrosive nature of the sodium polysulfides, these cells are primarily suitable for large-scale immobile applications, such as grid energy storage.

Tags: battery types, lead-acid batteries, lithium-ion, nickel cadmium

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 31st, 2008 at 9:50 am and is filed under Consumer. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.