| A battery is a group of connected sources of electric current.
In electrical engineering, sources of current (electrochemical cells, battery), thermo elements and photocells are combined into a battery to obtain more voltage (series connection), than the current strength or capacitance (parallel connection) of the power source than a single element can give.
Generally, the battery has a protective enclosure with contacts for connecting to a charging device or/and a consuming circuit. A battery can also have auxiliary devices, ensuring the effectiveness and safety of its operation: temperature sensors, electronic safety devices such as storage batteries, which are part of the battery and also batteries as a whole (e.g. the lithium-ion battery). The storage battery serves as a DC source.
More often, the storage batteries in a battery are connected in a series. The individual battery voltage is determined by the material composition of electrodes and electrolytes, and can not be changed, but a series connection of several storage batteries increases the battery’s output voltage. Practically any car battery serves as an example of a battery with a series connection of storage batteries.
The parallel connection of storage batteries in a battery increases the overall battery capacity and reduces its internal resistance. The parallel connection requires sophisticated internal electronic control circuits, associated with the need for separate charging of each storage battery and their commutation and wide acceptance was not found in this regard.
Voltaic Pile is considered as the primogenitor of storage batteries. Voltaic Pile consisted of galvanic cells (which were not storage batteries), connected in a series.
Single galvanic cells, which are usually connected in a series in a battery to get the required voltage, are usually incorrectly called a battery.
The battery may be called a circuit, containing only passive elements: resistors (to increase the dissipation power or change the resistance), capacitors (to increase the capacitance or increase the operating voltage) etc.
A battery (power supply element) is a household name for the source of electricity for the autonomous power supplies of different devices. It is a single galvanic cell, a storage battery or their connection to a battery for increasing the voltage.
Classification according to type of electrolyte:
Type:
Dry:
("Saline”, LeClanche, zinc-carbon): It is inexpensive and manufactured in large volumes. It has the lowest capacitance; decaying discharge curve; very poor when required to handle powerful loads (a big current) and poor-performance at low temperatures.
Heavy Duty:
("Powerful" dry cell, zinc chloride) It is less expensive than alkaline batteries. It is better than LeClanche at big currents and low temperatures. It has a low capacitance and has a decaying discharge curve.
Alkaline:
(“Alkaline”, alkaline-manganese) The cost is average. Better than the previously mentioned batteries at big currents and low temperatures. During discharge, it retains low impedance. It is widely available and has a decaying discharge curve.
Mercury: Due to the hazards of mercury these batteries are out of manufacture.
Silver: High capacity and a flat discharge curve. They operate well at high and low temperatures. The battery has an excellent shelf life and is expensive.
Lithium: Has the highest capacity per unit of mass. A flat discharge curve and excels at low and high temperatures. The battery has a very long storage life. The battery has a high voltage per element (3V), is light-weight and also expensive.
Classification according to type of chemical reaction:
Type:
Primary: Galvanic cells. Reactions occurring in them are irreversible and therefore, cannot be recharged. Usually, they are particularly called a "battery". The attempt to charge the battery can cause damage to the cells or leakage of alkali or other substances located in the battery. They have a higher capacity and/or are inexpensive and are one-time use.
Secondary: Storage batteries. In contrast to primary batteries, the reaction in secondary batteries, are reversible and therefore, they are capable of converting electrical energy into chemical by storing it (charge) and perform reverse conversion producing electrical energy to the consumer (discharge). For a number of rechargeable batteries, the charge-discharge cycle is usually 1000 and much depends on operating conditions. They can be used multiple times and are rechargeable. They have a low capacity and / or are expensive.
Battery manufacturers:
Panasonic
Sony
Samsung
Toshiba
КОСМОС
Varta
Duracell
EASTPOWER
SUPERMAX
Energizer
GP
Renata
EEMB
The first chemical source of electric current was invented accidentally at the end of the 17th century by Italian scientist Luigi Galvani. In fact, the purpose of the research of Galvani was not for the invention of new sources of energy but to study the reaction of under-trial animals to different external effects. In particular, the phenomenon of occurrence and flow of a current was observed when strips of two different metals were connected to the muscles of frog legs. Galvani developed an incorrect theoretical explanation for the observed process, however, his experiments became the basis for the research of another Italian scientist Alessandro Volta, who actually formulated the main idea of the invention - the reason for the occurrence of an electric current is a chemical reaction, in which the metal strips took part. For confirming his theory, Volta developed a simple device, consisting of zinc and copper plates, immersed in container with hydrochloric solution. This device became the first-ever independent element of power source and the primogenitor of modern batteries, which are called galvanic cells in the honor of Luigi Galvani. |
Allesandro Volta, inventor of the first battery, was born on February 18, 1745. That's why February 18th is National Battery Day.
If you have a car, cell phone, computer, flashlight, or a wireless mouse, then you have batteries, and you may not realize how much they've improved in the past few centuries.
The next time you need batteries, choose rechargeables to help reduce the number of batteries that end up in our landfills.
