Types of Battery

Different types of batteries come in various configurations. With the rise of new consumer electronics, electric vehicles, and renewable energy storage, batteries are essential. They power many devices like wall clocks, mobile phones, laptops, watches, calculators, inverters, hair dryers, trimmers, and toys. Batteries make devices portable by freeing them from the utility supply. Today’s batteries last longer and store more energy. Portable power banks for long trips are now indispensable. Batteries come in sizes and shapes like button, flat, round, and prismatic. They can be either non-rechargeable (primary batteries) or rechargeable (secondary batteries). Primary batteries are cheap, compact, and long-lasting but cannot be recharged, unlike secondary batteries which can be recharged multiple times.
Batteries come in various sizes, shapes, and chemical types. To understand their specifications, they are labeled by institutions like IEC and ANSI. For example, an AA 1.5V battery is a common type.

As we can see it says AA LR6 1.5V. Now let us understand what does this name or code means. Here

• LR6 here is IEC size code as L stands for electrochemical series system i.e. for alkaline/MnO₂ battery and R6 stands for physical dimensions. An R6 configuration means R-round battery with a maximum overall height of 50.5 mm and a maximum diameter of 14.5mm.
• AA is an ANSI designation for LR6 configuration batteries.

Consider another example of a button cell as shown below

It says CR2025. It is the IEC code in which C stands for Lithium system R for round-cylindrical 20 means 20mm diameter of battery and 25 represents the height of 2.5mm. For more information refer to the ANSI and IEC codes for batteries.

Types of Battery

Primary Cells or Primary Batteries

Primary batteries cannot be recharged once used. They are compact and come in various shapes like cylindrical, button, rectangular, and prismatic. These batteries have high power density, long shelf life, low discharge rates, and are portable. They are used in watches, clocks, medical devices, radios, communication devices, memory chips, and many other applications.
If the primary cell does not contain liquid electrolyte then it is known as ‘dry cell’. A dry cell contains moisten paste electrolyte. The figure above shows the cross-section of a Zinc Carbon Battery.

Some of the different types of primary batteries and their applications have been discussed below :

Zinc-Carbon/Alkaline/MnO₂ Cell or Battery

One of the earliest forms of dry cell i.e. Zinc-carbon or Leclanche cell had been in use for almost a century. But its now outdated with the commercial use of new primary batteries such as having alkaline/MnO2 as a cathode which has higher capacity and higher energy density and longer shelf life.

Mercuric Oxide Batteries

The usage of mercuric oxide batteries is very limited due to the hazardous implications of the mercury to the environment. These batteries come as Zinc/cadmium anodes with mercuric oxide as a cathode. It comes in cylindrical, small flat button forms. It finds applications as low power sources in calculators, portable radios, watches, camera etc.

Zinc Silver Oxide Batteries

These are similar in design to mercuric batteries but have higher energy density. It works better at low temperatures. Used mainly as button cell batteries and finds applications in photographic equipment, electronic watches, hearing aids etc.

Zinc Air Batteries

Metal-air batteries have got attention in the battery industry due to its high energy density. Also, no active cathode is required. However, its poor shelf life and sensitivity to external factors like temperature, humidity etc limits its use. Its uses are in electronics, signalling and navigational applications.

Lithium Batteries

The advantages of lithium batteries are the highest energy density, long shelf life and can be operated over a wide temperature range. Its applications include cameras, watches, clocks, calculators and other low power applications.

Secondary Batteries

These batteries are recharged again and again electrically once discharged. For example charging of mobile or laptop batteries. Today secondary or rechargeable batteries are omnipresent. These used as a standby power sources as in UPS, inverters and stationary energy sources on one hand, and as a primary source for countless consumer applications like mobile, laptop, flashlight, emergency lamps etc.
Some of the types of rechargeable batteries and their applications can be discussed below :

Lead Acid Batteries

Lead-acid batteries are commonly used in inverters, electric vehicles, engine ignition, emergency power, and solar applications. They make up about 40-45% of battery sales worldwide. Here are some types of lead-acid batteries based on their construction and uses:

Starting Batteries

These are used to start engines, as they provide large impulse currents for a short period of time. These have slow discharge rates. Applications are in aircraft, ships, diesel engine vehicles, etc.

Deep Cycle Batteries

Contrary to stationary batteries which have very low discharged, the deep cycle batteries go for deep discharging up to 80% before recharging. There are three types of deep cycle batteries namely flooded type, gelled electrolyte type and absorbed gas mat (AGM) type. Its applications are in industrial trucks, golf carts, electric vehicles, mine cars, etc.

Submarine Batteries

Used in submarines. Its discharging fall between starting and deep cycle batteries, about 50%.

Stationary Batteries

It includes energy storage type batteries used in UPS, inverters, load levelling, and solar batteries, etc.

Nickel/Cadmium(Ni-Cd) Batteries

The chief advantage of nickel-cadmium batteries is reliability and long life. These are used as spare batteries, as industrial starters, solar photovoltaic applications etc.

Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) Batteries

The capacity of NiMH battery is higher than the Ni-Cd type and is close to the Li-ion batteries.

Lithium-Ion Batteries

These batteries have dominated the modern portable electronics industry chiefly laptops and mobiles as the major power source due to its high charging rate, high energy density, long shelf life, low self-discharging rate compactness and low cost. Its applications include laptops, radios, mobile phones, aircraft applications, solar battery applications, electric vehicles, mine detectors etc.

Reserve Batteries

These batteries are mostly used in military application to provide a high power supply for a short period of time for example missiles, torpedoes, launch-pads etc. These are kept in inactive or reserve conditions for a very long period of time and under harsh environmental conditions. For long-term storage, its self-discharge is prevented. Based on their activation mechanism, these are of mainly four types such as water-activated, heat-activated, electrolyte activated and gas activated.

Fuel Cell

It is a galvanic device that converts chemical energy into electrical. Unlike battery cells, the fuel or active material is supplied continuously when in need of electrical power. The electrodes of a fuel cell are not consumed but have catalytic properties to affect the chemical process. The anode materials are gas or liquid fuels like hydrogen, hydrocarbon, natural gas etc. As these are fuels used in engines, hence the term fuel cell. While oxygen is used as a cathode. Applications include portable power systems(25W-5kW) in military applications, in consumer applications as in cordless phones, computers, recreational vehicles, boats, forklifts, material handling systems etc. Fuel cells are categorised on the basis of the type of electrolyte used as follows :

1. Phosphoric Acid Fuel Cells.
2. Alkaline Fuel Cells.
3. Molten Carbonate Fuel Cells.
4. Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells.
5. Solid Oxide Fuel Cells.