Difference between revisions of "Electric battery" - New World Encyclopedia

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{{epname|Battery, electric}}[[Image:Four AA batteries.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Four double-A (AA) batteries]]
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#REDIRECT [[Battery (electricity)]]
An '''electric battery''' is a device that stores [[energy]] and makes it available in an electrical form. While such storage in an [[electrostatic]] form is practical in some specialized uses (in a [[capacitor]]), batteries usually consist of [[electrochemistry|electrochemical]] devices such as one or more [[galvanic cell]]s or more recently [[fuel cell]]s, and may in the future use other technologies.  The battery industry generates 2.8 billion dollars in sales annually.
 
 
 
==Cell vs. battery==
 
In a technical sense, the distinction may be made between
 
* an electrical ''battery'', a device for creating or storing electrical energy composed of '''several''' similar (usually identical) ''cells'' that are connected together, versus
 
* an electrical ''cell'', a single such unit, possibly one cell in a (strict-terminology) ''battery'' of multiple cells or possibly the entire device.
 
 
That distinction, however, is considered [[Wiktionary:pedantic|pedantic]] in most contexts (other than the expression ''[[dry cell]]''), and in current English usage it is more common to call a single cell used on its own a ''battery'' than a ''cell''.
 
 
 
An example is a double A (AA) battery. Even though most people call it a battery, in reality it is a cell (as are the other lettered designations although one often hears the more-correct "D cell" or "C cell"). A car battery is a true "battery" because it uses multiple cells inside of it that are connected together in series, thus forming a battery. Similarly, a 9-volt battery is a true battery as it must contain more than one cell.  Multiple batteries or cells may also be refered to as a [[battery pack]] as a set of multi-cell 12 V batteries in an [[electric vehicle]].
 
 
 
==History==
 
There is some evidence—in the form of the ''[[Baghdad Battery|Baghdad Batteries]]'' from sometime between [[250 B.C.E.]] and [[640 C.E.]] (while Baghdad was under [[Parthian]] and [[Sassanian]] dynasties of ancient [[Persian Empire|Persia]]) of [[galvanic cell]]s having been used in ancient times. Such ancient knowledge in the history of electricity bears no known continuous relationship to the development of modern batteries. The conjecture that these devices had an electrical function, while plausible, remains unproven, as with devices discovered in Egyptian digs that are alleged to be batteries as well.
 
 
 
In [[1748]], [[Benjamin Franklin]] coined the term ''battery'' to describe the simple [[capacitor]] he experimented with, which was an array of charged glass plates.  He adapted the word from its earlier sense meaning ''a beating'', which is what an electric shock from the apparatus felt like. In those days, the entertaining effect of an [[electric]] [[shock]] was one of the few uses of the technology.  Other experimenters made batteries from a number of [[Leyden jar]]s connected in [[Series and parallel circuits|parallel]].  The definition was later widened to include an [[array]] of [[electrochemical cell]]s or [[capacitor]]s. The [[Voltaic pile]] was a chemical battery developed by the Italian physicist [[Alessandro Volta|Alessandro Volta]] in [[1800]]. Volta researched the effects which different metals produced when exposed to salt water. In [[1801]], Volta demonstrated the Voltaic cell to [[Napoleon Bonaparte]] (who later ennobled him for his discoveries). The discoverer of biological electricity [[Luigi Galvani]], researched the same effect with two pieces of the same metal exposed to salt water.
 
 
 
The scientific community at this time called this battery a ''pile'', ''accumulator'', because it held charge, or ''artificial electrical organ''. Some early battery researchers called the device a ''gravity cell'' because gravity kept the two [[sulfate]]s separated. The name ''crowfoot cell'' was also commonly used because of the shape of the zinc electrode used in the batteries.
 
 
 
In [[1800]], [[William Nicholson]] and [[Anthony Carlisle]] used a battery to decompose water into hydrogen and oxygen. Sir [[Humphry Davy]] researched this chemical effect at the same time.  Davy researched the decomposition of substances (called [[electrolysis]]). In [[1813]], he constructed a 2,000-plate paired battery in the basement of Britain's [[Royal Society]], covering 889 ft² (83 m²). Through this experiment, Davy deduced that electrolysis was the action in the voltaic pile that produced electricity. In [[1820]], the [[United Kingdom|British]] researcher [[John Frederic Daniell]] improved the voltaic cell. The Daniell cell consisted of [[copper]] and [[zinc]] plates and copper and zinc [[sulfate]]s. It was used to operate telegraphs and doorbells. Between [[1832]] and [[1834]], [[Michael Faraday]] conducted experiments with a [[ferrite]] [[ring]], a [[galvanometer]], and a connected battery. When the battery was connected or disconnected, the galvanometer deflected. Faraday also developed the principle of [[ion]]ic mobility in chemical reactions of batteries. In [[1839]], [[William Robert Grove]] developed the first [[fuel cell]], which produced [[electric]]al [[energy]] by combining [[hydrogen]] and [[oxygen]]. Grove developed another form the electric cell using zinc and platinum electrodes. These electrodes were exposed to two acids separated by a diaphragm.
 
 
In the [[1860s]], [[Georges Leclanché]] of [[France]] developed a [[carbon]]-[[zinc]] battery. It was a wet [[electrochemical cell|cell]], with electrodes plunged into a body of [[electrolyte]] [[fluid]]. It was rugged, manufactured easily, and had a decent shelf life. An improved version called a dry cell was later made by sealing the cell and changing the fluid electrolyte to a wet paste.  The Leclanché cell is a type of primary (non-rechargeable) battery.  In the [[1860s]], [[Raymond Plant|Raymond Gaston Plant]] invented the [[lead-acid battery]]. He immersed two thin solid lead plates separated by rubber sheets in a dilute sulfuric acid solution to make a secondary (rechargeable) battery. The original invention had a short shelf life, though. Around [[1881]], [[Émile Faure|Émile Alphonse Faure]], with his colleagues, developed batteries using a mixture of [[lead]] [[oxide]]s for the [[positive]] plate electrolyte. These had faster reactions and higher efficiency. In [[1878]], the air cell battery was developed. In [[1897]], [[Nikola Tesla]] researched a lightweight [[carbide]] cell and a oxygen-hydrogen storage cell. In 1898 [[Nathan Stubblefield]] received approval for a battery patent (US600457): this electrolytic coil patent is referred to as an "[[earth battery]]".
 
 
 
In [[1900]], [[Thomas Edison]] developed the [[nickel]] storage battery. In [[1905]], Edison developed the [[nickel]]-[[iron]] battery.  Like all electrochemical cells, Edison's produced a [[Current (electricity)|current]] of [[electron]]s that flowed only in one direction, known as [[direct current]]. In [[World War II]], [[Samuel Ruben]] and [[Philip Mallory|Philip Rogers Mallory]] developed the [[mercury (element)|mercury]] cell. In the [[1950s]], [[Russell Ohl|Russell S. Ohl]] developed a wafer of [[silicon]] that produced free [[electron]]s. In [[1954]], [[Gerald Pearson|Gerald L. Pearson]], [[Daryl Chapin|Daryl M. Chapin]], and [[Calvin Fuller|Calvin S. Fuller]] produced an array of several such wafers, making the first solar battery or [[solar cell]]. In the [[1950s]], Ruben improved the [[alkaline]] [[manganese]] battery. In [[1956]], [[Francis Thomas Bacon]] developed the hydrogen-oxygen fuel cell. In [[1959]], [[Lewis Urry]] developed the small [[alkaline]] battery at the [[Energizer Holdings|Eveready Battery Company]] laboratory in [[Parma]], [[Ohio]]. In the [[1960s]], German researchers invented a gel-type electrolyte lead-acid battery. [[Duracell]] was formed in [[1964]].
 
 
 
==Homemade cells==
 
Almost any liquid or moist object that has enough ions to be electrically conductive can serve as the electrolyte for a cell. As a novelty or science demonstration, it is possible to insert two electrodes into a [[Lemon battery|lemon]], potato, glass of soft drink, etc. and generate small amounts of electricity. [[As of 2005]], "two-potato clocks" are widely available in hobby and toy stores; they consist of a pair of cells, each consisting of a potato (lemon, etc.) with two electrodes inserted into it, wired in series to form a battery with enough voltage to power a digital clock. Homemade cells of this kind are of no real practical use, because they produce far less current—and cost far more per unit of energy generated—than commercial cells, due to the need for frequent replacement of the fruit or vegetable.
 
 
 
==The future==
 
Initial research indicates that [[nanotechnology]] batteries employing [[carbon nanotubes]] will have twice the life of traditional modern batteries.
 
 
 
A new form of battery is in development called [[Power Paper]]. This thin, flexible battery comes in the form of ink cells which can be printed on to virtually any surface and produce power.
 
 
 
Future cell management is able to condition one cell while the others are in operation, so a much longer operation is possible.
 
 
 
==Electrical component==
 
[[image:battery.png|framed|Circuit symbol for a battery (+ and - signs are optional)]]
 
 
 
The cells in a battery can be connected in parallel or in series, or both.  A parallel combination of cells has the same [[voltage]] as a single cell, but can supply a higher [[Current (electricity)|current]] (the sum of the currents from all the cells).  On the other hand, a series combination has the same current rating as a single cell but its voltage is the sum of the voltages of all the cells.  Most practical electrochemical batteries, such as 9 [[volt]] flashlight (torch) batteries and 12 V [[automobile]] (car) batteries, have a series structure.  Parallel arrangements suffer from the problem that, if one cell discharges faster than its neighbour, current will flow from the full cell to the empty cell, wasting power and possibly causing overheating.  Even worse, if one cell becomes short-circuited due to an internal fault, its neighbour will be forced to discharge its maximum current into the faulty cell, leading to overheating and possibly [[battery explosion|explosion]].  Cells in parallel are therefore usually fitted with an electronic circuit to protect them against these problems.  In both series and parallel types, the energy stored in the battery is equal to the sum of the energies stored in all the cells.
 
 
 
A battery can be modelled as a perfect voltage source (i.e. one with zero internal [[electrical resistance|resistance]]) in series with a [[resistor]].  The voltage source depends mainly on the chemistry of the battery, not on whether it is empty or full.  When a battery runs down, its internal [[electrical resistance|resistance]] increases.  When the battery is connected to a load (e.g. a [[light bulb]]), which has its own resistance, the resulting voltage across the load depends on the ratio of the battery's [[internal resistance]] to the resistance of the load.  When the battery is fresh, its internal resistance is low, so the voltage across the load is almost equal to that of the battery's internal voltage source.  As the battery runs down and its internal resistance increases, the proportion of its internal voltage that gets through the internal resistance to appear at the load gets smaller, so the battery's ability to deliver [[Electric power|power]] to the load decreases.
 
 
 
==Common battery types==
 
[[image:batteries.jpg|framed|Various batteries: two 9-volt, two "AAA", two "AA", and one each of "C", "D", a cordless phone battery, a camcorder battery, a 2-meter handheld ham radio battery, and a button battery; plus, a US quarter, for scale]]
 
 
 
From a user's viewpoint, at least, batteries can be generally divided into two main types - '''[[rechargeable battery|rechargeable]]''' and '''non-rechargeable''' (disposable). Each is in wide usage.
 
 
 
Disposable batteries, also called '''primary cells''', are intended to be used once, until the chemical changes that induce the electrical current supply are complete, at which point the battery is discarded. These are most commonly used in smaller, portable devices with either low current drain, only used intermittently, or used well away from an alternative power source. ''See also: [[waste]].''
 
 
 
By contrast, rechargeable batteries or '''secondary cells''' can be re-charged after they have been drained. This is done by applying externally supplied electrical current which causes the chemical changes that occur in use to be reversed. Devices to supply the appropriate current are called chargers or rechargers.
 
 
 
The oldest form of rechargeable battery still in modern usage is the wet cell [[lead-acid battery]]. This battery is notable in that it contains a liquid in an unsealed container, requiring that the battery be kept upright and the area be well-ventilated to deal with the explosive [[oxygen]] and [[hydrogen]] gases which are vented by these batteries during overcharging. The [[lead-acid battery]] is also very heavy for the amount of electrical energy it can supply. Despite this, its low manufacturing cost and its high surge current levels make its use common where the weight and ease of handling are not concerns. 
 
 
 
A common form of lead-acid battery is the modern [[automobile|car]] battery. This can deliver about 10,000 [[watt]]s of power at a nominal 12 [[volt]]s (although the true open-circuit voltage is closer to 13.7 V) and has a peak current output that varies from 450 to 1100 [[ampere]]s. The battery's electrolyte is [[sulfuric acid]], which can cause serious injury if splashed on the skin or eyes.
 
 
 
A more expensive type of lead-acid battery called a '''gel battery''' (or "gel cell") contains a semi-solid electrolyte to prevent spillage. More portable rechargeable batteries include several "dry cell" types, which are sealed units and are therefore useful in appliances like [[mobile phone]]s and [[laptop]]s. Cells of this type (in order of increasing power density and cost) include nickel-cadmium (nicad or [[NiCd]]), nickel metal hydride ([[NiMH]]), and [[lithium ion battery|lithium-ion]] ([[Li-Ion]]) cells.
 
 
 
==Common battery sizes==
 
Disposable cells and some rechargeable cells come in a number of standard sizes, so the same battery type can be used in a wide variety of appliances. Some of the major types used in portable appliances include the A-series ([[A battery|A]], [[AA battery|AA]], [[AAA battery|AAA]], [[AAAA battery|AAAA]]), [[B battery|B]], [[C battery|C]], [[D battery|D]], [[F battery|F]], [[G battery|G]], [[J battery|J]], and [[N battery|N]], [[3R12 battery|3R12]], [[4R25 battery|4R25]] and variants, [[PP3 battery|PP3]] and [[PP9 battery|PP9]], and the lantern [[996 battery|996]] and [[PC926 battery|PC926]].  These and less common types are included in the list of battery sizes appearing in the following section (the list can be opened as a [[List of battery sizes|separate page]] as well).
 
 
 
{{:List of battery sizes}}
 
 
 
===Summary===
 
 
 
====Disposable====
 
*[[Zinc-carbon battery]]
 
*[[Alkaline battery]]
 
*[[Silver-oxide battery]]
 
*[[Lithium battery]]
 
*[[Mercuric-oxide battery]]
 
*[[Zinc-air battery]]
 
 
 
====Rechargeable====
 
*[[Absorbed_Glass_Mat]]
 
*[[Gel battery]]
 
*[[Lead-acid battery]]
 
*[[Li-ion|Li-ion battery]]
 
*[[lithium polymer cell|Li-Polymer battery]]
 
*[[NaS battery]]
 
*[[Nickel metal hydride|NiMH battery]]
 
*[[Nickel-cadmium battery|NiCd battery]]
 
 
 
==Battery capacity==
 
The capacity of a battery to store charge is often expressed in [[ampere]] hours (1 A·h = 3600 [[coulomb]]s).  If a battery can provide one ampere (1 A) of current (flow) for one hour, it has a ''real-world'' capacity of 1 A·h.  If it can provide 1 A for 100 hours, its capacity is 100 A·h.  Likewise, 20 A for 2 hours equals 40 A·h capacity.  But...
 
 
 
While a battery that can deliver 10 A for 10 hours can be said to have a capacity of 100 A·h, that is '''not''' how the rating is determined by the manufacturers.  A 100 A·h rated battery most likely will not deliver 10 A for 10 hours.  Battery manufacturers use a standard method to determine how to rate their batteries.  Their rating is based on tests performed over 20 hours with a discharge rate of 1/20 (5%) of the expected capacity of the battery an hour.  So a 100 ampere-hour battery is rated to provide 5 A for 20 hours at room temperature.  The efficiency of a battery is different at different discharge rates.  When discharging at 5% an hour, the battery's energy is delivered more efficiently than at higher discharge rates. This is [[Peukert's Law]].
 
 
 
To calculate the 5% discharge rate of a battery, take the manufacturer's ampere-hour rating and divide it by 20.  For example, you have a AA cell rated at 1300 mA h (milliampere hours).  The 5% discharge rate from which this rating was derived would be 1300 mA·h / 20 h = 65 mA.
 
 
 
==Battery explosion==
 
Under extreme conditions, certain types of batteries can explode violently. A battery explosion is usually caused by the misuse or malfunction of a battery (such as the recharging of a non-rechargeable battery or shorting a car battery).
 
 
 
With car batteries, explosions are most likely to occur when a short circuit generates currents of very high magnitude. A short circuit malfunction in a battery placed in parallel with other batteries ("jumped") can cause its neighbour to discharge its maximum current into the faulty cell, leading to overheating and possible explosion.  In addition, car batteries liberate hydrogen when they are overcharged even slightly (because of [[hydrolysis]] of the water in the electrolyte). Normally the amount of overcharging is very small and so is the amount of highly explosive gas developed, and the light gas dissipates very quickly.  However, when "jumping" a car battery, the high current can cause the rapid release of large volumes of hydrogen, which could be ignited by a spark nearby (for example, when removing the jumper cables). 
 
 
 
When a non-rechargeable battery is recharged at a high rate, an explosive gas mixture of hydrogen and oxygen may be produced faster than it can escape from within the walls of the battery, leading to pressure build-up and a possible explosion. In extreme cases, the battery acid may spray violently from the casing of the battery and cause injury.
 
 
 
Additionally, disposing of a battery in fire may cause an explosion as steam builds up within the sealed case of the battery.
 
 
 
Overcharging, which is charging a battery beyond its electrical capacity, can also lead to a battery explosion, leakage, or irreversible damage to the battery. It may also cause damage to the charger or device in which the overcharged battery is later used.
 
 
 
== Traction batteries ==
 
To prevent spilling, the electrolyte in traction batteries (secondary batteries or accumulators) is gelled. The electrolyte may also be embedded in a glass wool which is wound so that the cells have a round cross-sectional area ([[Absorbed Glass Mat|AGM-type]]).
 
The following types are also in use[http://www.madkatz.com/ev/battery.html]:
 
* Zebra NiNaCl (or NaNiCl) battery operating at 270 °C requiring cooling in case of temperature excursions
 
* NiZn battery (higher cell voltage 1.6 V and thus 25% increased specific energy, very short lifespan)
 
 
 
Lithium-ion batteries is now pushing out NiMh-technology in the sector while for low investment costs the lead-acid technology remains in the leading role[http://www.e-mobile.ch/pdf/2005/Subat_WP5-006.pdf].
 
 
 
==See also==
 
*[[Memory effect]]
 
*[[List of energy topics]]
 
 
 
===People/inventors===
 
*[[John Frederic Daniell]]
 
*[[Thomas Edison]]
 
*[[Luigi Galvani]]
 
*[[Moritz von Jacobi]]
 
*[[Georges Leclanché]]
 
*[[Slavoljub Penkala]]
 
*[[Nikola Tesla]]
 
*[[Alessandro Volta]]
 
 
 
===Related electrical topics===
 
*[[Potential difference]]
 
*[[Electric vehicle]]
 
*[[Electrical efficiency]]
 
*[[Electricity]]
 
*[[Electrochemical cell]]
 
*[[Electrochemical potential]]
 
*[[Electrochemistry]]
 
*[[Electromotive force]]
 
*[[Electroplating]]
 
*[[Energy storage]]
 
*[[Local battery]]
 
*[[Power supply]]
 
*[[Direct current]]
 
*[[Solar power]]
 
*[[Renewable energy]]
 
 
 
{{wikibookspar||Constructing school science lab equipment/Cell holder}}
 
===Related electronics concepts===
 
*[[Series and parallel circuits]]
 
*[[Secondary cell]]
 
*[[Electrode]]
 
*[[Electrolytic capacitor]]
 
*[[Fuel cell]]
 
*[[Galvanic cell]]
 
*[[Ignition system]]
 
*[[Lemon battery]]
 
*[[Jump start]]
 
*[[Lantern]]
 
*[[Flywheel energy storage]]
 
*[[Rechargeable battery]]
 
*[[Maximum power theorem]]
 
*[[Nernst equation]]
 
*[[Superconducting magnetic energy storage]]
 
*[[Grid energy storage]]
 
 
 
===Chemicals used in construction===
 
*[[Sulfur]]
 
*[[Mercury (element)|Mercury]]
 
*[[Sulfuric acid]]
 
*[[Zinc]]
 
*[[Ammonium chloride]]
 
*[[Antimony]]
 
*[[Cadmium]]
 
*[[Silver]]
 
*[[Nickel]]
 
*[[Nickel metal hydride]]
 
*[[Lithium]]
 
*[[Hydride]]
 
*[[Cobalt]]
 
*[[Manganese]]
 
*[[Nitroglycerin]]
 
*[[Rubidium]]
 
 
 
=== Related inventions ===
 
* [[Baghdad Battery]]
 
* [[Voltaic pile]]
 
* [[Timeline of invention]]
 
* [[List of inventors]]
 
* [[Smart Battery Data]] battery warns device when it is going flat.
 
 
 
* [[Lithium polymer]]
 
 
 
===Other===
 
*[[Gas-electric hybrid engine]]
 
*[[Hybrid car]]
 
*[[Regenerative braking]]
 
*[[Waste]]
 
*[[CMOS battery]]
 
*[[Battery room]]
 
 
 
==External links==
 
*[http://electrochem.cwru.edu/ed/encycl/art-b02-batt-nonr.htm Electrochemistry Encyclopedia NONRECHARGEABLE BATTERIES]
 
*[http://www.windsun.com/batteries/battery_Glos.htm Battery Glossary & Terminology]
 
*[http://www.freeenergynews.com/Directory/Battery/index.html Battery Technologies] - Directory page covering theory, research and development, and market devices that improve the trend toward clean, renewable energy. (''FreeEnergyNews'')
 
*[http://hotwired.wired.com/wired_online/4.10/batteries/index.html ''Jet-Powered Computers'', a look at future battery technologies by Fred Hapgood]
 
*[http://fhapgood.fastmail.fm/microturbine.htm ''The Microturbine'', battery technology as "the Next Big Thing" by Fred Hapgood]
 
*[http://www.exide.com/ Exide Technologies, a typical manufacturer of batteries for industrial and other applications]
 
*[http://www.buchmann.ca/default.asp Batteries in a Portable World - A Handbook on rechargeable batteries for non-engineers] - Has a comprehensive FAQ section on rechargeable batteries
 
*[http://www.mpoweruk.com/history.htm Battery Timeline] - History of batteries, energy and related technologies
 
*[http://www.infoworld.com/article/05/07/13/HNmobilefuelcells_1.html?source=NLC-WIR2005-07-14 ''Mobile phone fuel cells coming in 2007'' Infoworld July 13, 2005]
 
*[http://peswiki.com/energy/Directory:Batteries "Battery Resources"] of PESWiki, the community-built website dealing with alternative and renewable energy solutions
 
 
 
[[Category:Electric batteries| ]]
 
[[Category:BEV Components]]
 
[[Category:Physical_sciences]]
 
 
 
[[ca:Bateria elèctrica]]
 
[[da:Batteri (elektricitet)]]
 
[[de:Batterie]]
 
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[[fr:Batterie d'accumulateurs]]
 
[[ko:전지]]
 
[[ku:Baterî]]
 
[[nl:Batterij (elektrisch)]]
 
[[ja:電池]]
 
[[pl:Bateria ogniw]]
 
[[pt:Célula electroquímica]]
 
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[[sv:Elektrokemisk cell]]
 
 
 
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Latest revision as of 12:20, 18 July 2007