
Types of Batteries and Cells and Their Applications
Different Types Of Batteries and Cells & Their Applications
Long back ago, the only way of making portable energy was either steam or fuel. After the invention of the battery, life has become easier than ever. Nowadays, everyone is looking for portable machines to ease their day to day tasks. In that case, batteries are capable of fulfilling the need of producing energy on the go.
No doubt batteries look pretty small and dull but they are surely capable of turning your small little cylinder into your own micro-power plant. The idea of generating portable power is nothing new and even prehistoric humans used to produce that using woods and fuels. It is just that batteries are the instant way of power source. You can just hit a button and get the darkroom lightened up in a second or even less than that.
There are several kinds of batteries present in the market. All such batteries work on the same principle of converting chemical energy into electrical energy. Here in this article, we are going to discuss everything you need to know about the different types of batteries, their working and usage.
Before starting with the working and types of the battery, just have a look over the history of the batteries. Where did they come from? And by whom they are discovered.
History of Batteries
In 1800, Volta discovered that certain fluid can generate continuous electric power when used as a conductor. This discovery led to the first voltaic cell called battery. Volta’s invention of the battery started a new era of battery experimentation. And, a number of scientists tried various experiments to make batteries. But few of them were able to reach a conclusion. Volta and Daniel were two scientist made cells known as Voltaic and Daniel respectively.
Voltaic Cell: A voltaic cell uses chemical reaction to produce electrical energy. One anode and cathode are made opposite to each other. At anode, oxidation occurs and reduction occurs at cathode. A salt bridge is created in between to complete the circuit. The parts where oxidation and reduction occur are called half cells. An external circuit is used to conduct the flow of electrons.
The voltaic cell invented by Volta was not that much portable and had too many disadvantages as well. After that, Daniel’s cell designed by “John Fredric Daniel” became popular.
Daniel Cell: After the invention of voltaic cells, Daniel cell was popular in earlier centuries as a source of electricity. In this cell type, a container is divided into two compartments. The gap was made by a membrane permeable to ions. In one of the components, Zinc electrolyte was dipped in a Zinc sulfate solution. In the other compartment, a copper electrode in a copper sulfate solution was dipped. The cell was capable of delivering current until it ran out of Zinc or Copper sulfate.
In 1859, the lead acid battery designed by Gaston Plante became popular due to the rechargeable feature of the battery. The simple design of the battery allowed recharging by reversing the flow of current back to the battery. This battery is still used in many places like car batteries, motor vehicles etc.
Furthermore, the Leclanche battery was invented by Carl Gessner as a dry design which didn’t have any liquid electrolyte.
This invention made the use of the battery very easy and convenient as the spilling and orientation problem was totally eradicated. Again nickel-cadmium battery was invented which was commonly known as alkaline battery. In 1970’s century most of the lithium batteries were invented to be used in portable devices.
General Chemistry of Battery:
A battery has three layers: the cathode, anode and a separator. The negative layer of the battery is called anode and the positive layer is called cathode. When a load is attached with the battery the current starts flowing through the anode to cathode. Similarly, when we connect the battery charger the current starts flowing into the opposite direction i.e. cathode to anode.
Every battery works on a chemical reaction called oxidation-reduction reaction. The reaction takes place in between the cathode and the anode via the separator (electrolyte).
In result, one electrode gets negatively charged due to an oxidation reaction. And, that negatively charged electrode is called a cathode. The second electrode gets positively charged due to a reduction reaction, which is further called anode. When two different kinds of metals are immersed in the same electrolyte solution, one of the electrodes will gain electrons and the other will lose electrons.
As a result, one of the metals will lose electrons and the other metal will gain electrons. This difference in electron concentration of two metals causes an electrical potential difference between the metals. This potential difference can be used as a source of voltage in any electrical device.
The ions flow through the separator only, it blocks all the movement from anode to cathode. Hence, the only way to get the current out is from the terminals of the battery.
Different Types of Batteries
Batteries are commonly used in household devices as well as for industrial applications. Each battery is designed to fulfill a specified purpose and can be used according to the requirement. There are mainly two categories of battery called primary and secondary cells. However, batteries are classified into four broad categories namely primary cell, secondary cell, fuel cell and reserve cell. Below is everything you need to know about the different types of batteries and their working.
Primary Cell
Secondary Cell
Reserve Cell
Fuel Cell
Primary Cell (Non-rechargeable Batteries)
Non-rechargeable batteries are also known as primary batteries or primary cells. Primary batteries are those which cannot be used again once their stored energy is being used fully. These batteries cannot restore energy by any external source. This is the reason primary cells are also called disposable batteries.
A major factor reducing the lifetime of primary batteries is that they become polarized during use. To extend the battery life by reducing the effect of polarization, chemical depolarization is used i.e. oxidizing the hydrogen to water by adding an oxidizing agent to the cell. Like as, in zinc-carbon cell and Leclanche cell Manganese dioxide is used, and in Bunsen cell and Grove cell nitric acid is used.
Zinc-Carbon Battery
Zinc-carbon batteries are the first commercial dry batteries which provide very low power and are also known as dry cells. A carbon rod is placed in the battery, which collects the current from the manganese dioxide electrode. It can give a 1.5Volts of DC supply. These types of batteries are used in Flashlight, radios, remote controls, and wall clocks.
Alkaline
Alkaline is also a dry cell battery, it consists of zinc anode and manganese dioxide cathode. The alkaline battery is packed with a steel can and the outermost inner region is filled with manganese dioxide. Zinc and the potassium hydroxide electrolyte is filled in the center most region of the battery. Alkaline batteries have higher density then the other batteries. Generally, it is used in Audio players, radios and the torch lights.
Lithium Cells
Lithium cell batteries are comes in coin or button type design form. It provides higher voltage (3V) value than the zinc, alkaline and manganese batteries. Lithium cells are smaller in size and lighter in weight. The internal resistance of lithium cells are high and they are not rechargeable. The most popular coin cell used in number of electronics application is CR2032 which provides 3V output. Lithium cells have longer life span.
Silver Oxide Cells:
Silver oxide batteries are low power batteries with high capacity. They are similar in appearance to mercury cells and provide a higher emf of 1.5 volt. The cathode of the battery is made up of silver oxide. The electrolyte present inside the battery is made of potassium or sodium hydroxide
Zinc Air Cells
A zinc air battery reaches full operating voltages within 5 mins right after un-sealing. These are primary batteries with rechargeable designs. The oxygen content in the air acts as the active mass of the battery. The cathode is a porous body made up of carbon with air access. The output voltage capability of the cell is 1.65 volts. While discharged, a mass of zinc particle forms a porous anode saturated with an electrolyte. The oxygen present in the air reacts with the hydroxyl ion and forms zincate. This Zincate forms zinc oxide and water returns to the electrolyte.
Secondary Cell (Rechargeable Batteries)
Rechargeable batteries are also known as secondary cells. It can be used again and again by plugging them into charge and getting multiple uses before the battery needs to be replaced. The initial cost of rechargeable batteries is commonly more than disposable batteries, but the total cost of ownership and environmental impact of these batteries are lower because they can be recharged inexpensively many times before they need to be replaced
Reserve cell
The reserve batteries or cells are also known as stand-by batteries. The electrolyte remains inactive in solid state until the melting point is reached. As soon as the melting point is reached, ionic conduction begins and the battery is activated.
Fuel cell
In this class of batteries, active materials are fed from outside sources. Fuel cells are capable of producing electrical energy as long as active materials are fed to the electrodes. The proton exchange membrane uses hydrogen and oxygen gas as fuel. The reaction takes place inside the cell and as the product of the reaction water, electricity and heat are produced. The four basic elements of the fuel cells are namely anode, cathode, electrolyte and catalyst.