Battery

A battery is a device that stores energy and then discharges it by converting

chemical energy into electricity. Typical batteries most often produce
electricity by chemical means through the use of one or more electrochemical
cells.

Types of batteries
Batteries are basically classified into 2 types:

1.Non-rechargeable batteries (primary batteries)

2.Rechargeable batteries (secondary batteries

Working

The chemical reactions in the battery causes a build up of electrons at the

anode. This results in an electrical difference between the anode and the
cathode. You can think of this difference as an unstable build-up of the
electrons. The electrons wants to rearrange themselves to get rid of this
difference. But they do this in a certain way. Electrons repel each other and try
to go to a place with fewer electrons.

In a battery, the only place to go is to the cathode. But, the electrolyte keeps
the electrons from going straight from the anode to the cathode within the
battery. When the circuit is closed (a wire connects the cathode and the
anode) the electrons will be able to get to the cathode. In the picture above,
the electrons go through the wire, lighting the light bulb along the way. This is
one way of describing how electrical potential causes electrons to flow
through the circuit.

However, these electrochemical processes change the chemicals in anode

and cathode to make them stop supplying electrons. So there is a limited
amount of power available in a battery.

When you recharge a battery, you change the direction of the flow of electrons
using another power source, such as solar panels. The electrochemical
processes happen in reverse, and the anode and cathode are restored to their
original state and can again provide full power.

Advantages and disadvantage

Advantages:
High power density
High discharge rate
Good low temperature performance
Disadvantages:
Lower Energy density
Poorer charge retention
Safety issues
Lack of standards
High initial costs
APPLICATION
(a) The battery is used as an energy storage device. It is
constantly connected to an energy source and charged by it. It
can then release the stored energy whenever needed, e.g. in
Car battery used to start engine
Aircraft systems
Standby power resources
 Emergency no-fail systems
(b) The battery is used as a primary battery would be but is then
recharged instead of being disposed of, e.g. in
Electric vehicles
Mobile phones
Cameras
Power tools
Toys
Portable computers
FUEL CELL
A fuel cell uses the chemical energy of hydrogen or another fuel to
cleanly and efficiently produce electricity. If hydrogen is the fuel,
electricity, water, and heat are the only products. Fuel cells are
unique in terms of the variety of their potential applications; they
can provide power for systems as large as a utility power station
and as small as a laptop computer.

Working
Fuel cells work like batteries, but they do not run down or need
recharging. They produce electricity and heat as long as fuel is
supplied. A fuel cell consists of two electrodes—a negative electrode
(or anode) and a positive electrode (or cathode)—sandwiched
around an electrolyte. A fuel, such as hydrogen, is fed to the anode,
and air is fed to the cathode. In a hydrogen fuel cell, a catalyst at
the anode separates hydrogen molecules into protons and electrons,
which take different paths to the cathode. The electrons go through
an external circuit, creating a flow of electricity. The protons
migrate through the electrolyte to the cathode, where they unite
with oxygen and the electrons to produce water and heat. 
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGE
1.High Efficiency- when utilizing co-generation, fuel cells can attain over 80% energy efficiency

2.Good reliability- quality of power provided does not degrade over time.

3.Noise- offers a much more silent and smooth alternative to conventional energy production.

4.Environmentally beneficial- greatly reduces CO2 and harmful pollutant emissions.

5.Size reduction- fuel cells are significantly lighter and more compact

Disadvantage
1.Expensive to manufacture due the high cost of catalysts (platinum)

2.Lack of infrastructure to support the distribution of hydrogen

3.A lot of the currently available fuel cell technology is in the prototype stage and not yet validated.

4.Hydrogen is expensive to produce and not widely available