How Rechargeable Batteries Work – Introduction and Solar Lights

Rechargeable batteries or secondary cells have become extremely common today. They are popular because you don’t have to keep buying a battery whenever your device needs more juice. You can simply recharge and continue with your work.

This technology was invented hundreds of years ago. But it seems modern because their application has not been on the market for a long time.

Portable devices, which form a major part of our life, have largely contributed to the increased use of these batteries. We all have them in our homes, on the streets, and in the workplace.

But do you know how secondary cells work? How do they store and discharge electrical energy to power your device?

We will be answering this question in this article. Keep reading.

How Rechargeable Batteries Work

Many of us have rechargeable batteries, but we have never taken a keen interest in how they work. Let’s fix that today.

The chemistry

Battery chemistry is quite complex and something that not everyone will understand. We will try breaking it down using the simplest terms to help you get it.

A battery is made up of atoms, just like everything else in the world. In one atom, there the protons, electrons, and neutrons. Protons are positively charged, electrons negatively charged, and neutrons neutral.

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The number of protons and electron particles is equal, evens out the charge. So, if you remove the negative particle, the atom becomes positive. And when you remove a positive particle, the atom will become negative.??

Generally, the atoms prefer the neutral state. Hence, the process above will cause them to look for other particles to trade with the ones removed, creating the balanced they need. This is the trade or flow that leads to electrical current creation.

Features of a Rechargeable Battery

The process we have discussed above was to lay a foundation for how a battery works. So, the trading process, as discussed above, works in the battery.

The battery has three main parts:

The anode

The cathode

The electrolyte

Different battery chemistries come with different chemicals for these parts. However, their operation is the same.

When a battery is fully charged, the anode carries the negative particles, while the cathode has the positive particles. The anode has excess negative electrons, while the cathode does not have any electrons.

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As described in the natural process above, the anode will want to lose some of its electrons by donating to the cathode. This creates a balance that causes an electrical current to flow.

The third element, the separator, carries the electrolyte. This makes a battery. The separator is the barrier that keeps the anode and the cathode from mixing. Only the electrical current flows through when the battery is active in your device.

How it all plays out.

In a nutshell, all batteries work by electrons traveling from the anode to the cathode until the anode is depleted. In this state, the battery is seen as empty or dead. That ends the life of primary cells.

In secondary batteries, however, a charger can be sued to reverse the electron flow. That means they flow back into the anode, creating a full or charged battery. Using the battery in your device does the opposite, and so the cycle continues.

The specific chemicals within the battery determine whether or not the reaction can be reversed. For instance, batteries containing alkaline cannot reverse the flow. Forcing it would only damage the battery or lead to worse outcomes.

On the other hand, NiMH, NiCad, and Li-Ion batteries allow for reverse flow hundreds or even thousands of times. And that is why you will hear people talking about the charge cycles of batteries.

However, you cannot charge and discharge a battery indefinitely. It reaches a point where the chemicals degrade beyond the point of holding any charge.

In summary, secondary cells have the same operating mechanism as primary cells. However, rechargeable batteries have the Redox reaction, which can be reversed when sufficient energy is used in the equation.

There are different types of secondary cells, as mentioned above. It’s the materials they contain that determine their performance. These include:

Lead-acid Batteries

These are among the most common rechargeable batteries. You will find them mainly in automobile engines. They are too heavy, affected by low temperature, and cannot keep their potential for a long time, which is their main disadvantage.

Nickel-Cadmium

NiCd are common batteries used in low-temperature conditions. However, they are too expensive and have a comparatively lower capacity compared to Nickel-Zinc in watt-hours. Their biggest advantage is the long lifespan.

Li-Ion

Lithium-ion batteries are considered the best on the market today. They offer strong capacity, long life, and generally better performance.

How Do Rechargeable Batteries Work in Solar Lights?

One of the biggest questions we have encountered is whether you can use rechargeable batteries in solar lights. We know that solar lights offer a steady source of light across the years.

Rechargeable batteries could be your best option when there is no sunlight, and you still want to use the lights. After all, the lights come with rechargeable solar batteries that get their power from sunlight. Basically, they use secondary cells, charging during the day and discharging during the night.

Regular batteries, like alkaline cells, are not recommended, though. They will run out of juice fast, and any attempt to recharge will damage them.

Rechargeable batteries in solar lights work just like they do in any other device. The positively charged electrons move to the cathode during discharging, while the negative electrons move to the anode when charging. Depending on the specific model, you can get even thousands of charge-recharge cycles.

How Do Rechargeable Batteries Work Differently from Non-Rechargeable Batteries

There are several differences between the two. These include:

Rechargeable batteries can be reused after a complete discharge, while non-rechargeable ones become useless.

Rechargeable batteries are more expensive, while non-rechargeable ones are cheaper.

Secondary cells include lead-acid, nickel-cadmium, and lithium-on, while primary cells include leclanche, zinc-carbon, and alkaline.

The main difference is that rechargeable batteries can be recharged, while non-rechargeable are one-time use. This makes secondary cells more useful and the best option for your electronic device.