AUTOMOTIVE

ELECTRICITY,
ELECTRONICS AND
DIAGNOSIS
MODULE CODE: MEU 08202
MODULE NAME: AUTOMOTIVE ELECTRICITY, ELECTRONICS AND DIAGNOSIS
QUALIFICATION:NTA LEVEL 5-MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
FACILITATOR NAME: MR.MWAIPOPO
 BATTERY SYSTEM

A battery is a collection of one or more cells that go under chemical reactions to

create the flow of electrons within a circuit
A battery can change chemical energy to electricity by putting certain chemicals in
contact with each other in a specific way. Electrons, which are small parts of an
atoms, will travel from one kind of chemical to another under the right circumstances.
When electrons flow, this makes an electrical current that can power something.
Here it should be noted that only DC can be stored in the batteries, AC can’t be stored
CONT……..
 CIRCUIT

A circuit is a closed loop that

electrons can travel in. A source of
electricity, such as a battery, provides
electrical energy in the circuit. Unless
the circuit is complete, that is, making
a full circle back to the electrical
source, no electrons will move.
CONT……
WORKING PRINCIPLE OF BATTERY

A battery works on the oxidation and reduction reaction of an electrolyte with metals. When two
dissimilar metallic substances, called electrode, are placed in a diluted electrolyte, oxidation and
reduction reaction take place in the electrodes respectively depending upon the electron affinity of
the metal of the electrodes. As a result of the oxidation reaction, one electrode gets negatively
charged called cathode and due to the reduction reaction, another electrode gets positively charged
called anode.
The cathode forms the negative terminal whereas anode forms the positive terminal of a battery. To
understand the basic principle of battery properly, first, we should have some basic concept of
electrolytes and electrons affinity. Actually, when two dissimilar metals are immersed in an
electrolyte, there will be a potential different produced between these metals.
CONT…..

 It is found that, when some specific compounds are added to water, they get dissolved and produce negative and
positive ions. This type of compound is called an electrolyte. The popular examples of electrolytes are almost all kinds
of salts, acids, and bases etc. The energy released during accepting an electron by a neutral atom is known as electron
affinity. As the atomic structure for different materials are different, the electron affinity of different materials will
differ. If two different kinds of metals are immersed in the same electrolyte solution, one of them will gain electrons
and the other will release electrons. Which metal (or metallic compound) will gain electrons and which will lose
electrons, depend upon the electron affinity of these metals. The metal with low electron affinity will gain electrons
from the negative ions of the electrolyte solution.
 On the other hand, the metal with high electron affinity will release electrons and these electrons come out into the
electrolyte solution and are added to the positive ions of the solution. In this way, one of these metals gains electrons
and another one loses electrons. As a result, there will be a difference in electron concentration between these two
metals.
CONT……

This difference in electron concentration causes

an electrical potential difference developed
between the metals. This electrical potential
difference or emf can be utilized as a source of
voltage in any electronics or electrical circuit.
This is a general and basic principle of battery
and this is how a battery works.
TYPES OF BATTERY

1. PRIMARY BATTERY
2. SECONDRY BATTERY
 PRIMARY BATTERIES

Primary batteries are batteries that cannot be

recharged once depleted. Primary batteries are made of
electrochemical cells whose electrochemical reaction
cannot be reversed.
Primary batteries exist in different forms ranging from
coin cells to AA batteries. They are commonly used in
standalone applications where charging is impractical or
impossible
Some other examples of devices using primary
batteries include; Pace makers, Animal trackers, Wrist
watches, remote controls and children toys .
 PRIMARY BATTERIES
The most popular type of primary batteries are alkaline batteries. They have a high
specific energy and are environmentally friendly, cost-effective and do not leak even
when fully discharged. They can be stored for several years, have a good safety
record and can be carried on an aircraft without being subject to UN Transport and
other regulations. The only downside to alkaline batteries is the low load current,
which limits its use to devices with low current requirements like remote controls,
flashlights and portable entertainment devices. Other types of commonly used
primary batteries include Zinc-Carbon batteries, Lithium batteries, mercury
batteries, Silver-Oxide batteries, Zinc-air batteries and Zinc-Chloride batteries.
 SECONDARY BATTERIES
Secondary batteries are batteries with electrochemical cells whose chemical reactions can be reversed by
applying a certain voltage to the battery in the reversed direction. 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. 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. They are also used as standalone power sources alongside Inverters to supply
electricity. 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
CONT……
 SECONDARY BATTERIES

Secondary batteries can be further classified into several other types based on their
chemistry. This is very important because the chemistry determines some of the attributes
of the battery including its specific energy, cycle life, shelf life, and price to mention a
few.
The following are the different types of rechargeable batteries that are commonly used.
1. Nickel Cadmium(Ni-Cd)
2. Nickel-Metal Hydride(Ni-MH)
3. Lead-Acid
 TYPES OF LITHIUM-ION(LI-ION)

4. Lithium-ion(Li-ion)
Lithium iron phosphate(LiFePO4)
Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (NMC)
Lithium Nickel Cobalt Aluminum Oxide (NCA)
Lithium Cobalt Oxide (LCO)
Lithium Manganese Oxide (LMO)
Lithium Titanate (LTO)
 1. NICKEL-CADMIUM BATTERIES

The nickel–cadmium battery (NiCd battery or NiCad

battery) is a type of rechargeable battery which is
developed using nickel oxide hydroxide and
metallic cadmium as electrodes. Ni-Cd batteries excel at
maintaining voltage and holding charge when not in use.
However, NI-Cd batteries easily fall a victim of the
dreaded “memory” effect when a partially charged
battery is recharged, lowering the future capacity of the
battery.
2. NICKEL-METAL HYDRIDE BATTERIES

Nickel metal hydride (Ni-MH) is another type of chemical

configuration used for rechargeable batteries. The chemical
reaction at the positive electrode of batteries is similar to that of
the nickel–cadmium cell (NiCd), with both battery type using
the same nickel oxide hydroxide (NiOOH). However, the
negative electrodes in Nickel-Metal Hydride use a hydrogen-
absorbing alloy instead of cadmium which is used in NiCd
batteries
.
 3. LEAD-ACID BATTERIES

Lead-acid batteries are a low-cost reliable power workhorse used

in heavy-duty applications. They are usually very large and
because of their weight, they’re 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. The lead-acid is the oldest type of
rechargeable battery and still very relevant and important into
today’s world. Lead-acid batteries have very low energy to
volume and energy to weight ratios but it has a relatively large
power to weight ratio and as a result, can supply huge surge
currents when needed. These attributes alongside its low cost
make these batteries attractive for use in several high current
applications like powering automobile starter motors and for
storage in backup power supplies
 4. LITHIUM-ION BATTERIES

Lithium-ion batteries are one of the most popular types of

rechargeable batteries. There are many different types of
Lithium batteries, but among all the lithium-ion batteries are
the most commonly used. You can find these lithium batteries
being used in different forms popularly among electric
vehicles and other portable gadgets. If you are curious to know
more about batteries used in Electric vehicles. They are found
in different portable appliances including mobile phones, smart
devices and several other battery appliances used at home. They
also find applications in aerospace and military applications due
to their lightweight nature.
A. LITHIUM IRON PHOSPHATE BATTERIES

Lithium Iron Phosphate Batteries

Due to the use of iron and phosphate in manufacturing, LiFePO4 batteries are
cheaper to make than the common Li-Ion variants. However, they offer lesser
specific energy comparatively. Additionally, LiFePO4 batteries are considered
one of the safest types of rechargeable Lithium batteries and have a long
lifespan. Nowadays they are very popular among to use with power backup
systems due to their low price and safety.
B. LITHIUM NICKEL MANGANESE COBALT
OXIDE (NMC)

Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (NMC)

In an NMC battery the cathodes typically contain large proportions of nickel,
which increases the battery energy density. However, this high nickel content
makes the battery highly unstable and dangerous. To make the NMC batteries
more thermally stable and safe, manganese and cobalt are added. Depending
on the exact chemical composition, there are several sub-types within the
NMC batteries, like NMC811, NMC532 and NMC622 etc.
C. LITHIUM NICKEL COBALT ALUMINUM
OXIDE (NCA)

Lithium Nickel Cobalt Aluminum Oxide (NCA)

NCA shares similar battery chemistry with the NMC type. But instead of
manganese, aluminium is used as a stability agent. Compared to other Li-ion
batteries, NCA batteries and typically more expensive and less safe.
D. LITHIUM COBALT OXIDE (LCO)

Lithium Cobalt Oxide (LCO)

When compared to other Li-ion batteries, LCO batteries offer high energy
density. But it also comes with some drawbacks such as relatively shorter
battery life, low thermal stability, limited specific power etc. But since they
pack higher energy they are a very popular choice for applications such as
smartphones, laptops and other electronic gadgets, where a low amount of
power for a longer duration is needed.
E. LITHIUM MANGANESE OXIDE (LMO)

Lithium Manganese Oxide (LMO)

The Lithium Manganese Oxide (LMO) offers faster charging and discharging
capabilities along with higher stability. They can provide much higher current
for shorter durations, than other types of batteries. They are even used in
combination with NMC chemistry in EVs, due to their higher current
capability.
E. LITHIUM TITANATE (LTO)

Lithium Titanate (LTO)

Unlike the other chemistries above, where the cathode composition makes the
difference, LTO batteries use a unique anode surface made of lithium and
titanium oxides. These batteries exhibit excellent safety and performance under
extreme temperatures but have low capacity and are relatively expensive,
limiting their use at scale.
 LITHIUM-ION BATTERIES

Each of these batteries has its area of best fit and the
image below is to help choose between them.
 DIFFERENT BATTERY SIZES

As we know about different batteries based on their chemistry, now

let's look into the different battery sizes or packages. Since covering
all available packages is difficult and unnecessary we are going to
look at the most commonly used battery types. To start with let's look
at the different types of primary batteries we use. The image below
shows the different non-rechargeable battery types we use every day.
The bigger brothers D and C-type batteries are normally used in
devices such as radios, cassette players, toys, and flashlights. The AA,
AAA, and AAAA were commonly used in devices such as alarm
clocks, portable electronics, remote controls, etc. The PP3 or 6F22
batteries are mostly used in industrial test equipment such as
multimeters, cable testers, etc.
 DIFFERENT BATTERY SIZES

Another type of battery we use is the one commonly known

as the coin battery. they are small in size and look like a coin
or a button. they are most commonly used in devices with
very low power consumption such as watches, calculators and
car keys. you can also find them in most devices with an RTC
in it. They are used in such devices only to provide backup
power to RTC chips for timekeeping. Here are some of the
most commonly used coin batteries.
 CONT……

Now if we look at the rechargeable batteries they are available in a ton

of different package types. Here we are going to look at the different
cylindrical rechargeable battery packages. the NiMH and NiCd
batteries are available in common AAA or AA packages, while the
Lithium-ion batteries come in their own specific package types. The
most common type is the 18650 battery. which can be found in many
rechargeable gadgets on the market. Most lithium-ion cylindrical
packages are named in such a numeric scheme, in which the first two
numbers denote the diameter while the second and third numbers
indicate the length. For example, the 18650 battery will be 65mm in
length and will have a diameter of 18mm. The below image shows the
most popular lithium-iron battery packages.
SELECTING THE RIGHT BATTERY FOR YOUR
APPLICATION

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. Low power:
laptop, i-pod. High power: power tools.
3. Safety: It is important to consider the temperature at which the device you are building
will work. At high temperatures, certain battery components will breakdown and can undergo
exothermic reactions. High temperatures generally reduces the performance of most batteries.
CONT…….

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 any engineering decisions 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.
END