Power in terms of science usually referred as the energy for work, everything in this high-tech world requires energy to operate .This energy can be either physical , chemical or mechanical. Digital electronic devices takes electrical energy as input .Say, It is your favourite smartphone , watch or electric car they all require electrical energy for proper functioning.
This energy can be obtained from batteries , solar panel or Home electric supply. Electrical energy supply can be categorized into AC(alternative Current) and DC(direct current).They have different applications in our daily life.
Direct current (DC) electricity can be stored in a capacitor and a rechargeable battery. Unfortunately there are no stable way to store AC electricity hence it is first converted into DC and then stored in batteries. Which can be later re-converted into AC by using inverter circuits.
world. They offer twice the energy density or charge holding capacity for the same size but the weight also doubles. fortunately this type of cell has no memory effect. They offer medium operating temperature ranging between-°5F and 95°F along with deep discharge capability.
Apology : This article is incomplete , we will update soon the full document. If you have any query or suggestion. please write to us.
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| source: hardwarezone.com.sg |
Why is this the matter of talk?
Today we are surrounded by electronic gadgets . It could be your laptop ,smartphone or something else . All these products are powered by some kind of electrical energy. To provide stability and mobility these products are lashed with high tech advance batteries .
But have you ever wondered,how does these Batteries work; There are dozens of renowned manufactures who produce different kinds of batteries; These batteries do not give the same performance even if they are produced by the same company.
Some devices have good batteries which last for several days while some doesn't last even a single day leaving you hanged around chargers .Its because of the different technology and components used while manufacturing units.
Some devices have good batteries which last for several days while some doesn't last even a single day leaving you hanged around chargers .Its because of the different technology and components used while manufacturing units.
In this Article We will discuss on all these battery types, technologies used, charging or discharging conditions and the most important ,Choosing the right battery for your need.
Before we proceed lets get to know some definitions that will help you understand this article thoroughly.
Before we proceed lets get to know some definitions that will help you understand this article thoroughly.
Points to discuss
- Direct Current and its applications
- Alternate current (AC)
- How to produce or store DC current
- Battery: A brief introduction
- Types of Batteries in use
- Battery capacity
- which type of battery suits your need.
- Charging or Discharging cycles
Direct current and its applications
Direct current is the unidirectional flow of electric charge. it has zero-Hz frequency which means the polarity of positive and negative terminals doesn't change with time.
A battery is a good example of a DC power supply. Direct Current has ability to pass through conductors,semiconductors, insulators and sometimes even through vacuum as in electron/ion beams.
Earlier it was also referred as Galvanic current.
Applications
Direct current is commonly used in low voltage applications varying from a few mili-volts to thousands of volts. This property of delivering high accuracy at low voltage makes it very useful to power low voltage devices such as mobile,laptops,Calculators etc .It is also useful in High voltage Power transmission in contrast with AC system .DC power transmission at high voltage over a long distance, cuts cost and suffers low electrical losses.
Alternate Current
Alternating current is another way to produce or supply electric current. most countries have adopted 50Hz AC power supply at 220V; while some countries such as US have adopted power transmission at 60 Hz ,120 V. However these voltage and frequency parameters can be altered by using sinusoidal wave inverter circuits.
- Alternating current is a pure sine wave function in which the polarity of peak voltage changes with time,While in Direct Current the polarity Remains Fix all the time.
- Direct current operates on zero-Frequency while Alternate Current must have a frequency greater than zero.
- At low voltage power transmission AC suffers low power losses over long distance compared to Direct Current.
Producing and storing DC current
There are several ways to produce Direct Current.A cell is an electrochemical device that generates DC through chemical reaction. Direct current can be obtained by either Renewable or Non- renewable sources. A photo cell is a good example of renewable resource that converts solar radiation into direct current which is later stored in a battery or can be used directly to power DC appliances.
It can also be produced by rectifying AC signal.Storing current
Battery:
A battery can be defined as a pack of electric cells which convert chemical energy into electricity. IT can be either Rechargeable or Non- rechargeable,To understand this lest begin with the Cell.
A cell is a pair of positive and negative charged electrodes dipped in an electrolytes which allows the moving of electrons between the two electrode. This movement generates an electric current across the two terminals. It produces electricity which is used to power various electric or electronic equipment.
Types of Mobile Batteries
Batteries can be divided into several categories and sub categories . Here we are talking about some major mobile batteries in use that are portable and easier to carry .
- NiCd battery
- Ni-MH battery
- Li-ion battery
- Lead Acid battery
NiCd (Nickel Cadmium)
NiCd batteries are of the oldest type. They are known for their good performance in extreme weather conditions. They also charged/discharged upto 1000 cycles. However actual life cycle may vary. Extreme hot and cold weather conditions imply adverse effect on the battery life cycle and charge holding capacity of the cell.
They deliver high output deep discharging which makes these cell very useful for optimum level power uses. They have a good life cycle over NiMH or Li-ion battery.
The drawbacks of this type of cell is the memory effect which prevents the complete charging of the battery . Each time you discharge and then charge the battery , it charges upto the last highest point , we may reset the mememory but at the cost of a few life cycles.
These batteries are available around the Nickel-metal hydride Battery
Ni-MH batteries are an improvement over Nickel-cadmium, but at the cost of a few life cycles.
The drawbacks are heavy weight and low life cycles at 500 to 800 cycles. The charging characteristics of Ni-MH batteries are similar to that of NiCd batteries.
Li-ion Battery
Li-ion battery is the most abundant type of battery following high specific energy density and Load capability. They also offer a fast charging usually 2-3 hrs full charge,which makes them suitable for electronic gadgets such as smartphones,laptops or digital cameras.
There are various types of Li-ion batteries available. Lithium cobalt is the widely distributed because of its good stability over other variants such as LI- Nickel/manganese/ aluminum etc. These new variants gives improved specific energy density at lower cost but they are not safe for electronic consumer market. If overcharged or used in extreme temperature ranges they might explode due to increased thermal runway. However each battery has a mandatory protection circuit ,also the manufactures who use them in their devices put a Thermal sensor attached to the battery to warn against overheating and prevent any accidents. These devices are designed to automatically shut down in worst conditions making it safe for public uses.
Starter batteries are mostly used in vehicles, where we need a short burst of high current.These batteries are packed with thin Lead plates dipped in electrolytes , and can not be used in deep-cycle applications and vice versa.
Using them inappropriately will result in melting of the plates and battery will no longer be of use.
On the other hand Deep cycle batteries are designed for heavy discharge or multiple charging applications. These batteries contain thick lead plates inside which aids in providing continuous current for a long duration without hurting the plates.
Lead acid batteries can be used in higher load applications where weight is of less concern.
The More the weight , the more Lead the battery contains. It improves the life span and efficiency of the battery.
There are various types of Li-ion batteries available. Lithium cobalt is the widely distributed because of its good stability over other variants such as LI- Nickel/manganese/ aluminum etc. These new variants gives improved specific energy density at lower cost but they are not safe for electronic consumer market. If overcharged or used in extreme temperature ranges they might explode due to increased thermal runway. However each battery has a mandatory protection circuit ,also the manufactures who use them in their devices put a Thermal sensor attached to the battery to warn against overheating and prevent any accidents. These devices are designed to automatically shut down in worst conditions making it safe for public uses.
Drawbacks
LI-ion batteries are good at performance but their short life span of 500 to <1000 cycles and low thermal stability makes them a poor choice for some devices. However a greater life span can be achieved by controlling the depth of discharge and load temperature.
Load discharge greater than the recommended rating can deteriorate the battery life span drastically.
Lead-Acid Battery
Lead acid batteries are mainly of two types .- Starter and Deep Cycle.
Starter batteries are mostly used in vehicles, where we need a short burst of high current.These batteries are packed with thin Lead plates dipped in electrolytes , and can not be used in deep-cycle applications and vice versa.
On the other hand Deep cycle batteries are designed for heavy discharge or multiple charging applications. These batteries contain thick lead plates inside which aids in providing continuous current for a long duration without hurting the plates.
Lead acid batteries can be used in higher load applications where weight is of less concern.
The More the weight , the more Lead the battery contains. It improves the life span and efficiency of the battery.
Main advantages
These batteries have the following key benefits .
- Lead Acid batteries are inexpensive and easy to manufacture.
- They exhibit low self discharge and can be stored for months with a single charge .
- They also have high discharge capability and a good operating temperature range which makes them useful for household appliances,power back-up etc.
- 99% of the lead used can be recycled with proper handling.
Drawbacks
- These batteries contain lead which is toxic and harmful to environment.However
- These cells have low specific energy which results in poor weight to energy ratio hence making them less suitable to carry; also some of these batteries need watering and transportation of which is dangerous due to toxic nature of the lead.
- They exhibit slow charging; a fully saturated charge might take upto 14 to 16 hrs.
- Lead acid batteries need to be fully charged for storing purpose otherwise Sulfation on the plates might deteriorate battery performance.
Summary
Batteries are an indispensable device for today's growing electronics consumers market. The new technology replaces the old one every time . however choosing the right battery is very essential .Till now, we have read different batteries and their applications. we also learned advantages and drawbacks of each kind .We will proceed further in some future time . Thank you for reading.
Apology : This article is incomplete , we will update soon the full document. If you have any query or suggestion. please write to us.
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