BATTERY

A battery is a device that converts chemical energy into electrical energy through
electrochemical reactions. Electrons, which are small parts of an atom travel from one
kind of a chemical to another under the right circumstances. When electrons flow, this
makes an electrical current that can power something. What a battery does is put the
right chemicals in right relationships, and then puts a wall between them. Only when
the two sides of a battery are connected by a wire or another conductor can the
electrons flow.

Batteries are a collection of one or more cells whose chemical reactions create a flow
of electrons in a circuit. All batteries are made-up of three basic components and
anode (the negative side), a cathode t(he positive side ) and some kind of an electrolyte
(a substance that chemically reacts with the anode and the cathode).

A. Primary batteries (Non-Rechargeable batteries)

• Used once and discarded
• Example : dry cell, alkaline battery
B. Secondary batteries (Rechargeable batteries)
• Can be recharged and reused many times example
• Example: Lead acid battery, Lithium ion battery, Nickel Cadmium battery.
Working principle of a secondary battery
• While discharging: Chemical energy is converted into electrical energy
• While charging: Electrical energy is converted into chemical energy

Types Of Battery
Batteries generally can be classified into diKerent categories and types, ranging from
chemical composition, size , form factor and cases. The major battery types are:

1. Lead acid battery

2. Nickel cadmium battery
3. Sealed maintenance free (SMF) battery
4. Modular battery

1. Lead Acid Battery

The lead acid battery is believed to have been invented by the French physicist
and inventor Gaston Plante in the year 1859. It is known to be one of the earliest
rechargeable batteries.
A lead acid battery is a rechargeable battery that uses lead and sulphuric acid
to function. The lead is submerged into the sulphuric acid to allow a controlled

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 chemical reaction. This chemical reaction is what causes the battery to
produce electricity. Then, this reaction is reversed to recharge the battery.
Despite the fact that the lead acid battery is a very high energy to volume ratio
and also a very low energy to weight ratio, the electrochemical cells in this
battery are known to have a fairly large power to weight ratio. This can be
attributed to their ability to produce strong surge currents. These features of the
lead acid battery, along with its relatively low cost, makes it highly desirable for
use in motor vehicles and automobiles in order to provide high current required
to start the engine. Some key features of the lead acid battery are:
a) It has the ability to hold an electric charge for up to three years.
b) It is ideal for use as an emergency power backup.
c) It is one of the most inexpensive batteries in its output range.

Lead Acid Battery

Here is the chemical equation for a Lead-Acid Battery during discharge and charging:

During Discharge (Supplying Power):

At the positive plate (PbO₂):

PbO2+SO42−+4H++2e−→PbSO4+2H2OPbO2+SO42−+4H++2e−→PbSO4+2H2O

At the negative plate (Pb):

Pb+SO42−→PbSO4+2e−Pb+SO42−→PbSO4+2e−

Overall Cell Reaction:

Pb(s) + PbO2(s) + 2H2SO4(aq) → 2PbSO4(s) + 2H2O(l)

During Charging (Restoring Battery):

2PbSO4+2H2O→Pb+PbO2+2H2SO42PbSO4+2H2O→Pb+PbO2+2H2SO4

These reactions show the reversible nature of the lead-acid battery, making it rechargeable.
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2. Nickel Cadmium Battery
The nickel cadmium battery (sometimes referred to as NiCad battery) is a
type of rechargeable battery that employs metallic cadmium and nickel oxide
hydroxide as the electrodes of the battery. NiCd batteries are the only
batteries capable of performing well even at low temperatures in the range
from − 20°C to − 40°C. Due to their robustness and low maintenance, they
are favoured for power tools, portable devices, emergency lighting, UPS,
telecoms, and generator starting. The NiCad battery is known to offer varying
discharge rates that are dependent on the size of the battery itself. For
example the discharge rate for a typical AA sized cell is approximately equal
to 1.8 ampere.
On the other hand the discharge rate of a D size battery can be as high as 3.5
amperes. The key features of the NiCad battery are listed below.
a) The nickel cadmium battery features a very fast and even discharge of
electrical energy.
b) This type of battery is widely available and is also known to be
relatively inexpensive.
c) The NiCad battery can almost commonly be found in certain toys and
small electronic devices such as TV remotes.

Cd + NiO2 + 2H2O → Cd(OH)2 + Ni(OH)2.

3. Lithium Ion Battery

The lithium ion battery, often abbreviated as LIB, is a type of secondary battery
which is rechargeable. LIBs are known to have many applications in powering
electric vehicle and is also known to be used extensively in aerospace industry.
Within the batteries, during the discharging process, lithium ions are known to
pass from the negative electrode to the positive electrode (through an
electrolyte). These lithium ions are also known to travel back when charging.
Lithium ion batteries usually employ an inter calibrated lithium compound in the

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 positive electrode and usually graphite in the negative electrode as the fuel.
Lithium ion batteries are highly desirable to their high energy capacity.
Some key features of LIBs are listed below:
a) The lithium ion battery is regarded to be one of the most stable and safe
batteries. This battery is also known to have a very high energy capacity.
b) LIBs Are widely used in mobile phones and portable computers.
c) This battery has a very low self discharge. Furthermore it is known to have
twice the energy capacity of the nickel cadmium battery.

Lithium Ion Battery

4. Sealed Maintenance Free Battery (SMF)

Sealed maintenance free batteries are widely used where minimal maintenance
and space requirements are the main considerations. In UPS systems, it is used
because of its maintenance free and eco friendly feature. SMF batteries do not
require water and acid top up and are totally maintenance free. There is no water
loss during the charge discharge cycle and the battery works on the oxygen
recombination principle. SMF battery is also called as value regulated lead acid
or VRLA battery.
Some important features of SMF battery are:
a) It is compact and can be oriented in any position like vertical , horizontal
etc.
b) There is no fume or smell from the battery since the acid is in gel form.
c) The battery can be installed in the equipment prior to transportation since
there is no leakage or water spilled during transportation.
d) More economical than any other forms of battery

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 Sealed Maintenance Free Batter (SMF)

5. Modular Battery
Certain applications such as electrical vehicles and mass power storage, like
solar grids, require a huge battery pack. To get there, we have to create modular
batteries. A modular battery is a battery pack that has been designed to work in
tandem with other battery pack of the same specification. By introducing or
reducing batteries in a modular setup, we are able to fulfill our power
requirement without being limited to set a capacity or voltage.
The main advantage of a modular battery is that it is easy to replace. If one of the
modules fail, we can directly replace that module instead of scrapping the entire
battery. System failure of one module will not impact the system or the site
operation.

Modular Battery

Selection Criteria For Batteries For DiDerent Applications

One of the main problems hindering technology revolution is power. Battery life
aKects the successful deployment of devices that require long battery life and
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even though several power management techniques are being adopted to make
the battery last longer, a compatible battery must still be selected to achieve the
desired outcome.
Below are some factors to consider when selecting the right type of battery for
your project:
1. Energy Density:
The energy density is the total amount of energy that can be stored per unit
mass or volume. This determines how long your device stays on before it
needs a recharge.
2. Power Density:
Maximum rate of energy discharge per unit mass or volume is known as
power density. Low power – laptop , IPods. High power—Power tools .
3. Safety:
It is important to consider the temperature at which the device you are
building will work. At high temperature, certain battery components will break
down and can undergo exothermic reactions. High temperatures generally
reduce the performance of most batteries.
4. Life Cycle Durability:
The stability of energy density and power density of a battery with repeated
cycling (charging and discharging) is needed for the long battery life required
by most applications.
5. Cost:
Cost is an important part of an engineering decision you will be making. It is
important that the cost of your battery choice is commensurate with its
performance and will not increase the overall cost of the project abnormally.

Ampere Hour Capacity:

The energy stored in a battery called the battery capacity is measured in
either watt hours (Wh), kilowatt hours(kWh) or AmpereHour (Ah). The most
common measure of battery capacity is Ah, Defined as the number of hours
for which a battery can provide a current equal to the discharge rate at the
nominal voltage of the battery. The unit of AH is commonly used when
working with battery systems as the battery voltage will vary without the
charging or discharging cycle. The Wh capacity can be Approximated from
the AH capacity by multiplying the H capacity by the nominal( or if known,
time average) battery voltage. A more accurate approach takes into account
the variation of voltage by interchanging the A h capacity x V(t) Over the time
of the charging cycle. For example a 12 Volt battery with a capacity of 500 AH
battery allows energy storage of approximately 500Ah X 12 V = 6000Wh= 6kW.
However because of the large impact from charging rates or temperature, for

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practical or accurate analysis, additional information about the variation of
battery capacity is provided by battery manufacturers.

Battery EDiciency:
The battery eKiciency is the ratio of the energy retrieved from the battery to
the energy provided to the battery.
Its efficiency is a measure of energy loss in the entire discharge/recharge
cycle. eg. For an 80% efficient battery, for every 100kWh put into the
battery, only 80kWh can be taken out.
Battery eKiciency = Coulombic EKiciency X Ohmic EKiciency X Temp.
EKiciency

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