WHAT IS A BATTERY?
A battery is a collection
of one or more cells that go
under chemical reactions to
create the flow of electrons
within a circuit.
BATTERY CELLS are usually
made up of three main components;
1. The Anode (Negative Electrode)
2. The Cathode (Positive Electrode)
3. The electrolytes
TYPES OF BATTERIES
Batteries generally can be classified into
different categories and types, ranging
from chemical composition, size, form
factor and use cases, but under all of
these are two major battery types;
PRIMARY BATTERIES are
batteries that cannot be recharged once
depleted. They are commonly used in
standalone applications where charging is
impractical or impossible. Primary
batteries always have high specific
energy and the systems in which they are
used are always designed to consume low
amount of power to enable the battery last
as long as possible. Some other examples
of devices using primary batteries
include; Pace makers, Animal trackers,
Wrist watches, remote controls and
children toys to mention a few. The most
popular type of primary batteries are
alkaline batteries.
2. SECONDARY BATTERIES also
referred to as rechargeable batteries,
secondary cells unlike primary cells can
be recharged after the energy on the
battery has been used up.
They are typically used in high drain
applications and other scenarios where it
will be either too expensive or
impracticable to use single charge
batteries. Although the initial cost of
acquiring rechargeable batteries is always
a whole lot higher than that of primary
batteries but they are the most cost-
effective over the long-term.
*Small capacity secondary batteries are used to
power portable electronic devices like mobile
phones, and other gadgets and appliances while
heavy-duty batteries are used in powering
diverse electric vehicles and other high drain
applications like load levelling in electricity
generation.
Secondary batteries can be further classified
into several other types based on their
chemistry.
There are basically four major
chemistries for rechargeable batteries;
1. Nickel Cadmium(Ni-Cd)
Ni-Cd batteries excel at maintaining voltage and
holding charge when not in use.
offer good life cycle and performance at low
temperatures with a fair capacity but their most
significant advantage will be their ability to deliver
their full rated capacity at high discharge rates.
Ni-Cd cells are used individual or assembled in packs
of two or more cells. The small packs are used in
portable devices, electronics and toys while the bigger
ones find application in aircraft starting batteries,
Electric vehicles and standby power supply.
2. Lithium-ion(Li-ion)
are found in different portable appliances including
mobile phones, smart devices and several other
battery appliances used at home.
generally possess high energy density, little or no
memory effect and low self-discharge compared to
other battery types
3. Nickel-Metal Hydride(Ni-MH)
NiMH batteries find application in high drain
devices because of their high capacity and energy
density.
A NiMH battery can possess two to three times the
capacity of a NiCd battery of the same size, and its
energy density can approach that of a lithium-ion
battery.
4. Lead-Acid
are a low-cost reliable power workhorse used in
heavy duty applications.
the oldest type of rechargeable battery and still very
relevant and important into today’s world
alongside its low cost makes these batteries
attractive for use in several high current
applications like powering automobile starter
motors and for storage in backup power supplies.
are usually very large and because of their weight,
are always used in non-portable applications such
as solar-panel energy storage, vehicle ignition and
lights, backup power and load levelling in power
generation/distribution.
