Batteries and Other Energy Storage Devices
The range and diversity of batteries used as a source of electrical power is truly enormous, reflecting the immense range of uses of electrical power. They range in size from tiny button cells storing milliwatthours of energy and delivering microwatts of power to giant load levelling batteries, the size of buildings, storing megawatthours and delivering megawatts. The diverse range of applications has spawned a multitude of specialist batteries, each optimised for a particular use. Some of the applications for which unique batteries have been designed are outlined below.
| Application / Requirement | Battery type |
|---|---|
| Low power, low cost consumer applications | Low power Primary and Secondary cells. Leclanché, Alkaline, NiCad, NiMH, Lithium primary, Lithium secondary. |
| Power tools, cordless equipment | NiCad, NiMH, Lithium Ion |
| Small devices, hearing aids, watches, calculators, memory back up, wireless peripherals. | Primary button and coin cells, Zinc air, Silver oxide, Lithium Thyonyl Chloride and other Lithium primaries |
| Medical implants , long life, low self discharge, high reliability | Lithium primary, button and special cells |
| Automotive (Starting, Lighting & Ignition SLI) | Lead acid |
| Automotive traction batteries | Lead acid, NiMH, Lithium Ion, NaNiCl |
| Industrial traction batteries | Lead acid, Nickel Iron |
| Other traction batteries, robots, bicycles, scooters, wheelchairs, lawnmowers | Lead acid, Nickel Zinc, NiMH, Lithium Ion |
| Deep discharge, boats, caravans | Nickel Zinc, Lead acid, special construction |
| Standby power., UPS (Trickle charged) | Lead acid |
| Emergency power, long shelf life | Lithium cells, water activated batteries |
| Emergency power, stored electrolyte | Ampoule batteries |
| Very high power, load levelling. Pumped, renewable electrolyte |
Flow batteries |
| Marine use, emergency power | Water activated batteries |
| High voltage batteries | Multiple cells |
| High capacity batteries, long discharge period. | Multiple cells, special constructions, special chemistries |
| Low Power Maximum energy density Remote instrumentation |
Lithium Ion |
| Low Power Maximum power density Power tools |
Lithium Ion |
| High Power Maximum energy density Traction batteries, EV applications |
NiMH. Lithium Ion, NaNiCl |
| High Power Maximum power density Booster batteries, HEV applications |
NiMH. Lithium Ion, NaNiCl |
| Long shelf life, low self discharge | Lithium, special chemical additives |
| Long cycle life | Temperature controls, built in Battery Management Systems, recombinant systems , chemical additives |
| Light weight, satellites, aerospace applications | Silver oxide, Nickel Hydrogen |
| High power, very long discharge period, long life, low maintenance | RTG Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator Nuclear battery |
| High energy density, light weight | Air electrolyte, Zinc air |
| Special shapes | Solid state, Lithium polymer |
| Wide temperature range | Chemical additives, built in heaters, liquid cooling |
| Low maintenance | Sealed cells, recombinant chemistries. |
| Inherently safe | Sealed cells, stored electrolyte, solid electrolyte, special chemistries |
| Robust | Special constructions |
| Missiles & munitions, safe storage, single use, robust, short one off discharge | High temperature batteries |
| Torpedoes, short one off discharge | Water activated batteries |
| Intelligent battery Communications between charger and battery | Built in electronics to control charging and discharging. |
| AC battery | Built in electronics (inverter) to provide AC power |
| Remote charging | Solar cells with deep discharge batteries |
| Short period power boost | Capacitors and Supercapacitors, Lithium, NiMH |
| Green power, non electric charging | Fuel cells, Solar cells |
