You Would Be Surprised To Find Out How A Battery Works
By: John Garcia | Date Posted: February 7, 2022
Table of Contents
The battery is one of the most important inventions in history, but most people have no idea how they work.
There are different kinds of batteries, each used for a different purpose to ensure that various electronics and machines can operate without being plugged into a wall socket.
Here we’ll be looking at the inner workings of various batteries and their applications.
This includes understanding the history of batteries and how they became common items in our homes, vehicles, and machines.
A Brief History of Batteries
The first electric battery was invented by Alessandro Volta, an Italian physicist, and his prototype was known as the voltaic pile. This contraption consisted of a stack of zinc and copper plates with brine-soaked disks wedged between them. This could produce a steady current for a fair amount of time.
However, Volta failed to understand that the chemical reactions were the source of the voltage as he thought that the cells were an inexhaustible source of energy.
Eventually, John Frederic Daniell invented the Daniell cell in 1836 and it was the first practical source of electricity.
This became an industry standard and it quickly became the primary power source for electrical telegram networks.
This version consisted of a copper pot and a copper sulfate solution and it was immersed in an unglazed earthenware container which was then filled with a zinc electrode and sulfuric acid.
Modern Batteries
The alkaline battery is the most common modern battery and it can be found in most electronic devices.
These batteries work with a negative electrode (zinc) and a positive electrode (manganese dioxide).
The alkaline electrolyte of potassium hydroxide isn’t consumed during the reaction as only zinc and manganese dioxide are consumed as fuel to create power.
The lithium-ion battery is slowly taking the place of the alkaline battery.
The Li-ion battery has an incredibly high energy density, with no memory effect, and a low self-discharge. These are commonly found in cellphones and laptops with the ability to be recharged.
Car Batteries
Automotive batteries are rechargeable units designed to start cars and power their electronics. This battery provides enough current to power a starter motor, which is used to power a combustion engine.
Once the car is running, the alternator is tasked with charging the battery. Cars run on a 12-volt system and the battery is rated to supply 12 volts.
While these batteries are robust, the main cause of failure is excess heat. This decreases the surface area of plates that the electrolytes are exposed which ultimately leads to sulfation.
Car batteries can be quite temperamental if the terminals aren’t taken care of properly.
These terminals are commonly susceptible to calcium build-up which causes electrical resistance, fortunately, an application of dielectric grease is a quick fix.
Electric Motors
Electric motors can be found almost everywhere, as almost every mechanical movement that you see is either caused by alternating current (AC) or direct current (DC) motors.
Electric motors use magnets to create motion in the form of a rotor. The inside of the electric motor works with an electromagnet that forms the base.
There are a variety of components such as a rotor, bearings, windings, stators, and commutators.
Common uses for electric motors include washing machines, dryers, vacuum cleaners, electric drills, hairdryers, power windows, windshield wipers, and more.
These motors come in a variety of sizes and can be powered by alternating or direct currents.
The Future
These days, electric motors are powered by clean energy such as wind and hydropower.
Cars such as Teslas and other luxury brands have switched to producing electric cars to lower emissions.
The future of clean energy powered by electricity is imminent; however, the problem is that modern mining can be harmful to the environment. Only time will tell if electric cars and Social Energy are viable options.
The Ups and Downs of Using Batteries
Batteries are ideal for powering breadboard projects, circuit boards, and other circuits. Portable and available in various form factors, they’re capable of varying voltages, currents, and power sources. The batteries can be exactly what you need if you need a portable power source or temporary power.
AA, 9V, and even coin cells can be used for circuits and breadboarding projects. Batteries get larger and more expensive quickly in larger or electro-motive projects. Portable projects can be powered by batteries that are attached to or contained in the project.
Stable and Clean Power
Although the discharge curve needs to be considered, batteries provide very stable and clean power. A battery’s discharge curve is governed by chemistry and physics.
A new battery is usually very high when it is fresh (sometimes even just charged on the surface) but quickly declines as it ages. In most of the battery’s life, the battery discharge curve declines steadily after the high-energy phase. This phase influences the voltage of the battery.
Voltage
The rated voltage is the voltage and power output of the battery when the battery is at its most steady state. When the discharge curve reaches this flat part, batteries fall quickly to the voltage cutoff level (if you have battery management or minimum voltage circuitry) or are fully depleted (if they are primary or non-rechargeable batteries). It is essential to avoid fully draining rechargeable batteries.
Finite Battery Life
Battery life is finite. Its portability comes with a “feature” of limited capacity. It is possible for a circuit with moving parts to consume all of the available energy, and the battery will be discharged quickly.
Think about how to use switches to reduce power use while doing other activities in your project. An indicator for battery levels can also be helpful in addition to a battery alarm and automatic cutoff.
Charged batteries may behave differently from dead ones. There will be a change in motor speed. The lights may become brighter or darker. There might be problems with the sensors. Other circuit parts may still work even though the ICs do not have enough voltage to operate.
Thank you for reading!
