17.5 Batteries and Fuel Cells

• Any galvanic cell could be used as a battery.
• An ideal battery would never run down, produce an unchanging voltage, and be capable of withstanding environmental extremes of heat and humidity.
• The batteries have a balance between ideal characteristics and practical limitations.
• The mass of a car battery is less than 1% of the average car or light-duty truck.
• If this type of battery were used in a phone, it would provide unlimited energy, but it would not be accepted because of its mass.
• The mass of the battery, its cost, reliability, and current capacity are all taken into account when selecting a battery for a particular application.
• There are two types of batteries.
• Next, a few batteries of each type are described.

• You can learn more about batteries at this site.

• The battery is zinc-carbon.
• The zinc can can be used as both a container and a negative electrode.
• The positive electrode is made of carbon and surrounded by a paste of various substances.

• More than one reaction occurs in the reaction at the cathode.

• Regardless of the size of the battery, the same voltage is delivered.
• D, C, A, AA, andAAA batteries all have the same rating.
• Bigger batteries can deliver more electrons.

• Chapter 17 is about chemistry for extended periods.

• A zinc-carbon dry cell is shown in the diagram.

• You can learn more about zinc-carbon batteries at this site.

• They are replacements for zinc-carbon dry cells.
• These types of batteries use alkaline electrolytes.

• A zinc-carbon dry cell has about the same amount of energy as an alkaline battery.
• It is recommended that alkaline batteries be removed from devices for long-term storage.
• Most alkaline batteries are not rechargeable.
• If you attempt to charge an alkaline battery that is not rechargeable it will cause a leak of the potassium hydroxide electrolyte.

• Direct replacements for zinc-carbon batteries were designed for alkaline batteries.

• Visit the batteries.

• These are the types of batteries used in electronic devices.

• The positive and negative plates are put into the case after being rolled together.
• This design allows the NiCd cell to deliver more current than a similar-sized alkaline battery.

• A NiCd battery can be charged 1000 times.
• NiCd batteries are toxic and should never be opened or put into the regular trash.

• NiCd batteries use a "jelly-roll" design that increases the amount of current the battery can deliver as compared to a similar-sized alkaline battery.

• Information about nickel cadmium batteries can be found here.

• The battery is small.

• Lithium batteries are popular because they can provide a large amount of current, are lighter than comparable batteries of other types, produce a nearly constant voltage as they discharge, and only slowly lose their charge when stored.

• In a battery, the charge moves between the anode and the cathode.

• You can visit this about batteries.

• It can produce the high current required by starter motor.

• Lead acid batteries are heavy and have a caustic liquid electrolyte, but they are still the battery of choice because of their high current density.

• The batteries have a lot of lead.

• The low cost and high current output of the lead acid batteries make them excellent candidates for starter motor power.

• Visit this site to learn more about lead acid batteries.

• Fuel cells are similar to batteries but need a constant source of fuel.
• As long as fuel is available, they will continue to produce electricity.

• Oxygen from the air reacts with hydrogen to produce water and electricity.

• The fuel cell's efficiency is typically 40% to 60%, which is higher than the typical internal combustion engine, and the hydrogen fuel cell produces only water as exhaust.

• Fuel cells are expensive and have features that cause them to fail quickly.

• Check out the fuel cells.