BATTERIES
Introduction
The Science
Innovations
The Batteries
Movies
Project Info.
Reference
By: Asgeir Mogensen and Victor Bui
The Batteries
The electric battery produces power by means of chemical reactions (Battery, electric, 1983). There are three categories of chemicals used in batteries (Battery, electric, 1983). 1) Acids such as sulphuric acid (Battery, electric, 1983). 2) Bases or Alkalis such as caustic soda (Battery, electric, 1983). 3) Salts formed by the interactions of an acid and a base (Battery, electric, 1983).There are two types of batteries; primary and secondary. The primary battery has dry cells and is non-rechargeable. The secondary battery is rechargeable. The higher the voltage the greater the current will be (Electric circuits, 1995). The current depends on the thickness, length, temperature, and nature of the material that conducts it.
General Info.
Fuel cells are electrochemical devices that can convert the chemical energy of a fuel into electricity (Fuel Cells, n.d.). The most efficient fuel for these cells is hydrogen or hydrogen containing compounds, and the fuel cell consists primarily of an electrolyte sandwiched between two electrodes. What happens is that oxygen passes over one electrode and hydrogen over the other, and they react electrochemically to generate electricity (Fuel Cells, n.d.). Fuel cells are environmentally great because they are non-polluting to the environment compare to other fuel producing products (Fuel Cells, n.d.). These cells are primarily used in vehicles as a source of energy. They are efficient and conservative when it comes to producing energy. World leaders in the application of fuel cell technology for meeting transportation needs are Canada’s Ballad’s Power Systems and Germany’s Dailmer-Benz (Fuel Cells, n.d.).
Fuel Cells
The reusable alkaline was introduced in 1992 as an alternative to disposable batteries (Buchmann, I., 2003). However, recharging these batteries only works well if the cells have been discharged to less than 50% of their total capacity. According to Buchmann L. (2003), charging ordinary alkaline batteries may generate hydrogen gas, which can lead to explosion. The reusable alkaline is inexpensive to buy, but the cost per cycle is high when compared to other rechargeable batteries, and the initial energy of a rechargeable alkaline battery is slightly lower than that of the standard alkaline (Buchmann, I., 2003). Some advantages of alkaline batteries are that it is inexpensive to produce, making it economical, it has a low self-discharge, it’s not harmful to the environment, and it’s maintenance-free (Buchmann, I., 2003). However there are some limitations, such as its use for only light-duty applications such as flashlights, due to its limited life cycle (Buchmann, I., 2003).
The Alkaline Battery
Chargeable Batteries
Nickel-cadmium
The nickel-cadmium is an ideal battery that performs very well in a rough environment. This battery uses its energy very well with little energy loss and is very easy and fast at recharging (Buchmann, I. 2003). However it has some weaknesses; the battery can exceed its normal charging time. If the nickel-cadmium is over-charged, then it will lose performance, meaning that it will not last as long (Buchmann, I. 2003). Today nickel-cadmium batteries are used in some medical equipment and emergency lights. This battery is great because of its durability, because it is economically priced and because it is environmentally friendly.
Nickel-metal-hydride
The nickel-cadmium and the nickel-metal-hydride are similar but the difference is that the nickel-metal-hydride has way better working performance. The modern nickel-metal-hydride battery has up to 40% higher energy density compared to the nickel-cadmium (Buchmann, I. 2003). However, Nickel-metal hydride does not last as long as the nickel-cadmium battery (Buchmann, I. 2003). It also takes a slightly longer time to charge the battery. The nickel-metal-hydride is environmentally friendly and is manly used in space because of its high power. Unfortunately this kind of battery is very expensive and one cell will cost thousands of dollars. The battery will also only last for around 3 years running at its full capacity (Buchmann, I. 2003). After this period the battery will lose great performance very fast.
Lithium-ion battery
In the beginning, the lithium metal battery failed to develop due to safety reasons (Buchmann, I. 2003). The lithium metal battery was not stable enough to handle different environments so scientist invented the lithium-ion battery. The difference is that the lithium-ion battery is as safe as the alkaline battery but compared to the lithium metal battery, the energy density is slightly lower in the lithium-ion battery (Buchmann, I. 2003). The lithium-ion battery also has advantages over the nickel-cadmium battery; it has the energy density twice the amount of the normal nickel-cadium battery (Buchmann, I. 2003). However the lithium-ion is more expansive to manufacture then the original nickel-cadmium.
Charging info.
When a battery is charging, it should always stay at cool temperatures during charging because high temperatures shorten the battery life (Buchmann, I. 2003). High temperatures for long periods of time will definitely damage the batteries performance making the battery useless. There are three types of chargers; the slow charger which takes 14-16 hours, the quick charger which takes 3-6 hours, and the fast charger which takes one hour estimated (Buchmann, I. 2003).
