Batteries: Introduction, Types and Working

Batteries: Have you heard about batteries or cells? If yes, you must be well aware that we use cells and batteries in our daily lives like in TV remotes, \({\rm{AC}}\) remotes, phone batteries, vehicles, and various other places. But have you ever thought about how batteries or cells work? Is the same type of batteries used for all appliances, or do all cells and battery come with same size and shape?

 To know the answer to all these questions, read the article below.

Learn About Galvanic Cell Here

Introduction to Batteries

A battery is a device that converts chemical energy to electrical energy. A battery’s chemical reactions involve the flow of electrons from one material (electrode) to another via an external circuit. The flow of electrons generates an electric current, which can be used to perform work.

Charged ions flow through an electrolyte solution that is in contact with both electrodes to balance the flow of electrons. Different electrodes and electrolytes cause different chemical reactions, which affect how the battery works, how much energy it can store, and how much voltage it can produce. A battery can be thus, defined as:

A battery is a collection of one or more electrochemical cells capable of converting stored chemical energy into electrical energy.

The following characteristics must be present in a practical battery:
i. It should be light in weight and small in size.
ii. The cell or battery must be capable of providing a constant voltage. Furthermore, the voltage of the battery or cell must not change while in use.

Working of Battery

A battery is a device made up of various voltaic cells. Each voltaic cell is made up of two half cells linked together in series by a conductive electrolyte containing anions and cations. The electrolyte and the electrode to which anions move, i.e., the anode or negative electrode, are in one half of the cell; the electrolyte and the electrode to which cations move, i.e., the cathode or positive electrode, are in the other half of the cell.

In the redox reaction that powers the battery, cations are reduced at the cathode, while anions are oxidized at the anode. The electrodes do not come into contact with one another, but the electrolyte electrically connects them. The electrolytes in the half cells are usually different. Overall, each half-cell is contained in a container, and a separator that is porous to ions but not to the bulk of the electrolytes prevents mixing.

Each half cell has an electromotive force \(\left( {{\rm{emf}}} \right)\), which is determined by its ability to drive electric current from its interior to its exterior. The cell’s net emf is the difference between the emf of its half-cells.

Types of Batteries

Batteries are classified into-
i. Primary battery/cell
ii. Secondary battery/ cell

i. Primary Batteries

These batteries are intended for single-use, as the name implies. These batteries cannot be recharged once they have been used because the devices are not easily reversible, and active materials may not return to their original forms.

Disposable batteries include the standard \({\rm{AA}}\) and \({\rm{AAA}}\) batteries found in wall clocks, television remotes, and other electronic devices. These batteries are also known as disposable batteries. Daniell cell, Dry cell, and Mercury cell are examples of primary cells. Below given pictures shows Daniel’s cell, dry cell, and mercury cell.

ii. Secondary Batteries

Rechargeable batteries are another name for secondary batteries. These batteries can be used and recharged at the same time. They are typically assembled with active materials that are discharged. Electric current is used to recharge rechargeable batteries, which reverses the chemical reactions that occur during discharge. Chargers are devices that provide the necessary current.

Batteries used in mobile phones, \({\rm{MP3}}\) players, and other electronic devices are examples of rechargeable batteries. Hearing aids and wristwatches use miniature cells, whereas larger batteries are used in places like phone exchanges and computer data centres.

Secondary cells include the lead-acid cell (or lead storage cell), the nickel-cadmium cell, and \({\rm{SMF}}\) battery which is shown as below:

Battery Size and Shapes

Batteries are typically available in standard battery sizes, allowing batteries from various manufacturers to be interchanged. The following is a list of the most common standard battery sizes:

At the present time, batteries are primarily available in the following shapes:

i. Cylindrical Cells: Cylindrical cells are the most widely used battery packs for both primary and secondary batteries, and they are also among the simplest to produce. These cells contain a pressure relief mechanism that allows them to withstand high internal pressure without deforming.

ii. Button Cells: Button cells, also known as coin cells, are small-size primary batteries designed for compact portable devices. These inexpensive cells can be found in motherboards, wristwatches, portable medical equipment, and cordless telephones.

iii. Prismatic Cells:  Prismatic cells have a flat rectangular design that allows for maximum space utilization. These cells have no standard size format, and their size varies depending on the manufacturer. They are widely used in mobile phones, smartphones, notebook computers, and portable electronic devices and are now the preferred option in electric vehicles.

iv. Pouch Cells: Pouch cells are the most adaptable and lightweight type of battery. These cells have a flexible bag-like enclosure with sealed foil tabs from electrodes that are designed to accommodate any swelling in the battery.

Uses of Battery

Batteries are used for various applications. Some of the applications are given as follows-

House

Disposable batteries power items such as remote controls, torchlights, and so on. Alkaline batteries, for example, are used in digital cameras, handheld video game consoles, cellphones, and a variety of other devices. Advanced batteries, such as lithium batteries, power appliances that consume a lot of power, such as laptops and other devices.

Medical Uses

Batteries are used in artificial limbs, hearing aids, insulin pumps, and valve assistance devices. Mercury batteries can be useful for photographic light metres as well as electronic devices such as real-time appliance clocks.

The ECG heart monitor is powered by a battery and can be moved with the patient. It is always turned on to display the patient’s vitals.

Logistics and Constructions

Because exhaust fumes and carbon monoxide produced during combustion can be hazardous in confined work areas, heavy-duty batteries are used to power devices such as forklifts. The lead-acid battery is used in automobiles for starting, lighting, and ignition.

Firefighting and Emergency Response

Radios, which are critical for emergency response, rely on batteries. Large batteries are used in these radios to hold large charges. Batteries are used in ECGs, flashlights, and even metal and fire detectors. Every day, these devices aid in the saving of lives.

Military Use

The radios that are used to communicate are powered by batteries. Batteries power even the night vision and infrared goggles. Lithium extends the life of devices significantly, and silver oxide batteries are used in military and submarine applications.

Importance of Batteries

Batteries play various important roles in everyday life, from providing the initial power required to start automobile engines to serving as a backup source of electricity in telecommunications, public transportation, and medical procedures.

Batteries can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by efficiently storing electricity generated by both conventional and renewable energy sources and serving as a power source for electric vehicles.

Summary

In this article, we studied that a battery is a device that converts chemical energy to electrical energy. A battery’s chemical reactions involve the flow of electrons from one material (electrode) to another via an external circuit. We also studied the different types of batteries- primary and secondary along with their examples. Now we know the sizes and shapes in which batteries or cells are available. Also, we know the various applications of batteries in our daily life.

Learn About Electrochemical Cell Here

FAQs on Batteries

Q.1. What are batteries and their types?
Ans: Batteries are the most commonly used power source for everything from simple handheld devices to large-scale industrial applications. A battery is a collection of one or more electrochemical cells capable of converting stored chemical energy into electrical energy. There are two types of batteries- primary and secondary.

Q.2. What are the two types of batteries?
Ans: All the electrochemical cells and batteries are classified into two types-

1. Primary battery/cell- It is non-rechargeable.
2. Secondary battery/cell- It is rechargeable.

Q.3. What are the three types of batteries commonly used for laptops?
Ans: There are currently three types of laptop batteries in use: nickel-cadmium, nickel-metal hydride, and lithium-ion.

Q.4. What are the different sizes of batteries?
Ans: The different sizes of batteries are as follows-
i. \({\rm{AA}}\) Batteries
ii. \({\rm{AAA}}\) Batteries
iii. \({\rm{C}}\) Batteries
iv. \({\rm{D}}\) Batteries
v. \(9{\rm{V PP}}3\) Batteries
vi. \(6{\rm{LR}}61\) Batteries
vii. \({\rm{N LR}}1\) Batteries
viii. \({\rm{AAAA}}\) Batteries
ix. \({\rm{CR}}123{\rm{A}}\) Batteries
x. \(23{\rm{A}}\) Batteries
xi. \({\rm{CR}}2032\) Batteries

Q.5. What are the common types of batteries?
Ans: The common type of batteries include-
i. Lithium Batteries
ii. Alkaline Batteries
iii. Carbon Zinc Batteries
iv. Silver Oxide Batteries
v. Zinc-Air Batteries

Q.6. What are the common types of rechargeable batteries?
Ans: The common types of rechargeable batteries are as follows-
i. Lithium-ion
ii. \({\rm{Ni}} – {\rm{Cd}}\)
iii. \({\rm{Ni}} – {\rm{MH}}\)