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Saturday, November 17, 2007

Types of battery

Do you know which type of battery you used?

There are many different types of batteries to meet the demands of individual appliances and their users. Always check appliance instructions and/or battery compartments for the size, chemistry and number of batteries that should be used




Lead-Acid
Energy-to-weight: Low
Self-discharge: Very Low
Rechargeable: Yes
Probably the only wet-cell battery you'll use on a daily basis, since it powers the ignition system and other electronics of your car. They can provide extremely high surges of power when required, such as activating the starter motor.

Zink-Carbon
Energy-to-weight: Moderate
Self-discharge: Very High
Rechargeable: No
Known as "super heavy duty" batteries. Extremely cheap and work well in devices that use very small power but they only last 18 month (includes manufactured date) when not in use.

Alkaline
Energy-to-weight: High
Self-discharge: High
Rechargeable: No
The most familiar disposable battery today and have many times capacity than other dry cell.

Nickel-Cadmium (Ni-Cd)
Energy-to-weight: High
Self-discharge: Moderate
Rechargeable: Yes
Provides plenty of power by weight and most significantly it is rechargeable. Unfortunately, if you recharge without properly discharging first, it wont charge up to full and have a "memory effect".

Nickel Metal Hydride (Ni-MH)
Energy-to-weight: Very High
Self-discharge: High
Rechargeble: Yes
Still suffers from memory effect but to nowhere near the same degree as Ni-Cd. Provides more energy by volume.

Lithium-Ion (Li-ion)
Energy-to-weight: Extreme
Self-discharge: Very Low
Rechargeable: Yes
The most popular battery in portable electronics. There's no memory effect so you can charge it after only a couple of hours use. Li-Ion also doesn't lose much charge when not being used.

Lithium Iron Disulphide
Energy-to-weight: Very Extreme
Self-discharge: Negligible
Rechargeable: No
Commonly used in high-end digital cameras and some watches. These batteries are capable of delivering high currents. They also last for up to ten years in a low-draw device and can operate in sub-zero temperatures. Unfortunately they cost an absolute fortune and not rechargeable.

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