A lithium-ion polymer (LiPo) battery (also known as Li-poly, lithium-poly, PLiON, and other names) is a rechargeable Li-ion battery with a polymer electrolyte in the liquid electrolyte used in conventional Li-ion batteries. There are a variety of LiPo chemistries available. All use a high conductivity gel polymer as the electrolyte. LiPos provide higher specific energies…
Introduction to batteries and their types
What is a Battery? A battery is an electrochemical device that can store energy in the form of chemical energy. It translates to electric energy when the battery is connected in a circuit due to the flow of electrons because of the specific placement of chemicals. It was invented by Alessandro Volta, whereas Gaston Plante…
The difference between a lithium-ion battery and a lithium-ion capacitor
A lithium-ion capacitor (LIC) is a type of supercapacitor. It’s a hybrid between a Li-ion battery and an electric double-layer supercapacitor (ELDC). The cathode is activated carbon, the same as is found in an ELDC, while the anode consists of carbon material pre-doped with lithium ions, similar to those found in Li-ion batteries. LICs are…
Energy storage by the Farad, Part 2: Supercapacitors & batteries
For operating and backup power and energy storage, engineers can choose among batteries, supercapacitors, or “best of both” hybrid supercapacitors. The previous part of this article established the context for supercapacitors and explained their structure in simplistic terms; obviously, this is a component with deep physics, chemistry, materials-science considerations, and manufacturing issues. The first widely […]
Energy storage by the Farad, Part 2: Supercapacitors & batteries
For operating and backup power and energy storage, engineers can choose among batteries, supercapacitors, or “best of both” hybrid supercapacitors. The previous part of this article established the context for supercapacitors and explained their structure in simplistic terms; obviously, this is a component with deep physics, chemistry, materials-science considerations, and manufacturing issues. The first widely […]
Batteries and DIN-rail battery chargers for uninterruptible power supplies (UPSs)
Backup power systems provide crucial emergency power to critical components whenever there’s a failure in a facility’s main power supply. These backup systems are indispensable at facilities involved in essential life-saving services, automated manufacturing of expensive product, and other critical operations where they help protect vital equipment and prevent expensive downtime, data loss, and time-consuming…
Understanding battery terminology
When discussing batteries, a lot of technical terms are used. If you’re not familiar with these terms, it can be challenging to understand a discussion of battery technology. This page lists some of the most important battery-related terms: Conventional Current: Electricity is conventionally considered to flow from positive to negative. However, because electrons are negatively…
What is a battery?
A battery comprises several voltaic cells – electrochemical cells that generate electrical energy from chemical reactions. The cells in a battery have their own self-contained source of chemical energy, unlike a fuel cell which is powered by an external supply of chemicals. Electricity is the flow of electrons, and the chemical reactions in batteries involve…
Active cell balancing basics
Resistors, capacitors, inductors, and dc/dc converters can all be used in various topologies to provide cell balancing for battery packs. Cell balancing is needed to obtain the maximum performance since performance is limited by the weakest cell in the pack. Once the weakest cell is depleted, the pack stops delivering energy. The various cell balancing…
Running robots on ambient energy
The first FAQs in this series have identified specific use cases and applications where robots can use batteries, fuel cells, and even supercapacitors as their prime power source. Are there applications for robots that can benefit from using energy harvesting and ambient energy as their prime power source? Yes. For example, small nanorobots can use…