Types of Battery Cells
Battery cells can be divided into three major types: electrolytic cells, electromechanical cells and photoelectric cells. Most cells produce only a few volts, but some produce more. The term "battery" originally meant a group of low voltage cells connected together to create more power and many are still made this way. Your 12-volt car battery, for example, is made up of six two-volt cells connected together inside one case.
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Electrolytic Cells
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Three elements make up the electrolytic cell: the cathode, the anode and the electrolyte. Most of these are lead-acid cells but others include galvanic cells and molten salt cells, although rare. Lead-acid cells can come in either wet or dry form. A wet cell, sometimes called a flooded cell, has lead plates submerged in sulfuric acid. One type of dry cell, a gel-cell, has the sulfuric acid in a gel solution and has less risk of leaks or spillage. Another type, an absorbed glass mat (AGM) cell, uses a fiberglass mat to hold the electrolyte in place to keep it from spilling or leaking.
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Electromechanical
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Most other battery cells you come across will be electromechanical. Zinc-carbon (your standard everyday low-priced battery), alkaline, nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cad), nickel-metal-hydride (NiMH) and lithium-ion are all electromechanical. They also have a cathode and an anode, but no electrolyte. The interaction of the chemicals and metals produces the electricity. Sometimes these are called dry cells because they have no liquid, but normally the term "dry cell" refers to gel or AGM types. Sometimes electrolytic and electromechanical cells are grouped together as electrochemical cells, as they all use chemistry to produce electricity.
Rechargeable Cells
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Many individual cells or batteries can be recharged, making them last far longer. And rechargeable cells are included in both electrolytic and electromechanical types. Some backup batteries spend more time being charged than being used. Your car battery is being charged whenever your car is running. Other types are used until they lose power, and then recharged for another use. You should never try to recharge a non-rechargeable battery, and you should always make sure your charger is correct for the battery you want to recharge.
Photoelectric Cell
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Solar Panel Photoelectric or photovoltaic cells convert light energy into electric energy, either from the sun or from artificially produced light. These are commonly used in small calculators, but they have no way of working in the dark unless they have some sort of backup. Photoelectric cells can be connected together in an almost unlimited array to produce energy from sunlight on a large scale. All types of battery cells contain heavy metals or toxic substances classified as hazardous waste, and should always be recycled.
Solar Combinations
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A photoelectric cell or group of cells can be connected to a rechargeable battery to form a twenty four hour power source. The photocell operates the system during daylight hours and the battery operates it at night. No switching is required, as the outputs of both cells are connected in parallel. During the day, the photo cell is charging the battery along with operating the equipment. The photocell does not need to be disconnected at night because it draws no current from the battery, and very little maintenance is required.
References
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Beverly Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Dominic Alves
