Batteries serve several crucial functions in modern life. They’ve already established themselves as viable, trustworthy, and reasonably priced power providers. To provide energy to electronic devices, batteries store excess energy in a series of cells. The movement of electrons in a circuit is generated by chemical processes. Direct current electricity is generated by transforming the chemical energy stored in a battery.
Functioning
Both electrodes and the electrolyte make up the three primary parts of a cell. In terms of electrodes, the cathode is the positive one, and the anode is the negative one. The anode becomes oxidised when it loses electrons to the external circuit. In certain contexts, it may be referred to as the Reducing Electrode or the Fuel Electrode. In contrast, the cathode is diminished once it takes electrons from the internal circuit, also known as the Oxidizing Electrode.
In a battery, the chemical reactions that produce usable energy take place here. It’s because of an electrochemical oxidation-reduction process in a cellular component. The electrolyte is the third component. It’s the stuff that allows ions to go from one electrode to another. As opposed to conducting electricity, electrolytes conduct ions. The ionic conductor is a common name for it. All the voltage and current requirements are met by the individual cells that make up a battery.
Types
Although there are many subcategories and varieties of batteries (based on chemical composition, size, form factor, and use), the two main battery types are:
Primary batteries
After being drained, primary batteries cannot be replenished. Electrochemical cells are used to construct primary batteries, and their electrochemical reaction is irreversible. Coin cells and AA batteries are only two examples of the many different types of primary batteries available. Their primary use case is in situations when charging the device is not an option. This is especially true with military-grade gadgets and battery-operated tools.
Rechargeable batteries won’t be practicable since keeping their batteries charged will be the last thing on the minds of the warriors. Alkaline batteries are the most often used main battery type. They don’t leak even when completely discharged, are cheap to produce, and have high specific energy.
Types of primary batteries include:
| Type | Features | Uses |
| Alkaline (Zn/Alkaline/MnO2) | Popular, moderate cost, high performance | Most popular primary batteries |
| Magnesium (Mg/MnO2) | High capacity, long shelf life | Military and aircraft radios |
| Mercury (Zn/HgO) | Very high capacity, long shelf life | Medical (hearing aids, pacemakers), photography |
| Lithium/Solid Cathode | High energy density, low temp performance, long shelf life | Replacement for button and cylindrical cells |
| Lithium/Soluble Cathode | High energy density, good performance, wide temp range | Wide range of applications with a capacity between 1 – 10,000 Ah |
| Lithium/Solid Electrolyte | Low power, extremely long shelf life | Memory circuits, medical electronics |
| Silver/Zinc (Zn/Ag2O) | Highest capacity, costly, flat discharge | Hearing aids, photography, pagers |
| Zinc – Carbon | Common, low cost, variety of sizes | Radios, toys, instruments |
Secondary batteries
It is possible to reverse the chemical processes occurring inside the electrochemical cells of a secondary battery by applying a voltage in the opposite direction. When the energy in secondary cells is depleted, they may be replenished by recharging, unlike primary cells.
Heavy-duty batteries are used to power various electric vehicles and other high-drain applications like load levelling in electricity generation, whereas smaller-capacity secondary batteries are used to power portable electronics such as mobile phones and other gadgets and appliances.
Below are some of the most prevalent varieties of rechargeable batteries:
- Lithium-ion Batteries
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Among rechargeable batteries, lithium-ion batteries are the most widely used. Even though there are various varieties of lithium batteries, lithium-ion cells are by far the most popular. These lithium batteries may be found in a variety of portable devices, including electric automobiles. Check read this post on Electric Vehicle Batteries if you want to learn more about the power sources utilised by these cars.
Mobile phones, smart gadgets, and other battery-operated household goods are just a few examples. As a lithium-ion battery is being discharged, lithium ions go from the negative electrode to the positive electrode, and vice versa when the battery is being charged.
- Nickel-Cadmium Batteries
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Using nickel oxide hydroxide and metallic cadmium as electrodes, the nickel-cadmium battery (NiCd battery or NiCad battery) is rechargeable. Ni-Cd batteries are superior to other types because of their ability to retain voltage and charge for long periods.
- Nickel-Metal Hydride Batteries
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In addition to lithium-ion and nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel metal hydride (Ni-MH) cells are also utilised in rechargeable devices. Since both types of batteries use the same nickel oxide hydroxide at the positive electrode, the chemical reaction is identical to that of the nickel-cadmium cell (NiCd) (NiOOH).
- Lead-Acid Batteries
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Heavy-duty applications often rely on lead-acid batteries because of their cheap cost and reliability. These features, together with their low price, make these batteries appealing for usage in a variety of high-current applications, such as powering automotive starting motors and storing in backup power supplies. Being massive and heavy, they are only used in non-portable applications, including solar-panel energy storage, vehicle ignition and lighting, backup power, and load levelling in power generation/distribution.
Which batteries should you buy?
The following factors should be kept in mind:
- Under extreme heat, certain battery parts may decompose and even experience exothermic processes. The effectiveness of most batteries is diminished when exposed to high temperatures.
- Long battery life is required by most applications, which necessitates the stability of a battery’s energy density and power density with repeated cycles (charging and discharging).
- Density of energy storage capacity is the total amount of energy that can be stored in a given area, expressed as a function of mass or volume. This is what decides how long your gadget can run without being recharged.
- Your battery choice should not significantly add to the project’s budget, and it should have a reasonable price tag given its expected lifespan and level of performance.
- Power density is the maximum energy discharge rate per unit mass or volume. Electronics like laptops and iPods have low power consumption. Tools that use electricity are high-powered.
Uses for batteries
Smartphones, watches, cameras, computers, calculators, and testing equipment like multimeters are all examples of portable electronic gadgets that use batteries. Toys, games, radios, CD players, MP3 players, IR remote controllers, and more provide hours of entertainment and need good battery life. Electrical devices for the home, including smoke detectors, alarms, clocks, uninterruptible power supplies, and portable power tools, require a durable battery.
FAQs
How many kinds of batteries are there?
There are three main types of batteries that people can buy and use. There are three types: alkaline, nickel metal hydride (NIMH), and lithium-ion. There are pros and cons to each type. Each one also has its own place in the history of technology.
What kind of battery is a AAA?
What is the best kind of battery?
Lithium is a very light metal that gives lithium batteries the most energy per unit of weight than any other type of battery cell. So, they can hold more energy than alkaline batteries or any other type of single-use battery that is the same size. And they do great work in very hot or very cold temperatures.
