What is a rechargeable battery? How does it work?
In recent years, almost everyone has started to have rechargeable batteries have started to take an important place in our lives. Some use it for cameras, others for wireless keyboards or mice. So what is this technology that is beginning to have an important place in our lives? What is the difference from non-rechargeable batteries? Let's look at the answers to these questions.
How Do Rechargeable Batteries Work?
The key to electrochemistry is oxidation and reduction. When a material is oxidized, it loses the electron, which means that it is charged with a higher level of oxidation. Similarly, a reducing agent acquires electrons, i.e. minus charged, i.e., reduces the level of oxidation.
Let's say A is easily oxidized , which means it likes to lose electrons, and B is a substance that likes to be reduced, that is, to gain electrons. When these two substances are placed in an electrolyte, a circuit from A to B is completed.
Rechargeable batteries operate very similar to normal batteries when discharging. However, when the battery is charged, the electrons move in the opposite direction of discharge until the battery is fully charged. Thus, the electrons are forced to return to A and the oxidized A is reduced , making the battery usable again. Although this may seem a simple process, it can only occur in certain combinations of substances and electrolytes.
What are the advantages of rechargeable batteries?
Perhaps the most important advantage of rechargeable batteries is that they reduce the amount of household waste. 15 million standard batteries thrown into the trash every year, the damage to the environment is reduced by the use of rechargeable batteries . Incidentally, the most ecological ones are Ni-Mh (Nickel - metal hydrade) batteries. These batteries, the latest technology in the industry, do not contain lead, mercury and other highly toxic substances.
Rechargeable batteries can be recharged many times (exactly 1000 times), saving you money. If we make a rough calculation, using a rechargeable battery in your digital camera will save you around $ 1300 a year. The charge you have purchased to this account including rechargeable batteries, charging machine and spent electricity.
Compared to alkaline batteries, which are known for their long life and high prices, we see that rechargeable batteries provide lower cost and higher efficiency. The development in rechargeable battery technology, which has been advancing for years, has gained momentum since it began to follow the path of digital . That's why it can meet the needs of high-consumption digital cameras.
What should be considered for long-lasting rechargeable batteries?
When you receive a new set of rechargeable batteries, fully charge them before use. When your batteries are fully charged, fully discharge them once (using a charger). After this, you can start using your rechargeable batteries. This simple operation, which will take only one time before you start using your batteries, will both prolong the life of your batteries and allow you to use them at their full capacity.
Make sure that your batteries do not remain uncharged for a long time. Store batteries that will not be used for a long time. Batteries that have been left empty for a long time both shorten their life and reduce their performance.
If you are using a Ni-Cd battery, fully discharge your battery from the charger every 5-10 charging cycles. This will help you avoid the memory effect.
When do Ni-MH batteries reach their maximum capacity?
Ni-MH rechargeable batteries start to operate at full capacity after charging 4-5 times. You can achieve the highest efficiency after starting to use the rechargeable NiMH rechargeable battery you have purchased and after charging and recharging 4-5 times. (source: Steve's digicams )
What is the Memory Effect on Ni-Cd batteries? How can I avoid this?
After use, batteries must be discharged using a charger. If the battery is not completely discharged, the charge will not be fully charged and a new and lower energy level will be determined. This is called the ' memory effect '. In other words, the memory effect means that in the case of batteries that are not fully discharged, the unused portion of the battery cannot receive and produce energy. As a result, the battery life will become shorter and have to be recharged more frequently.
To avoid the memory effect, it is necessary to fully discharge the batteries. This will prolong their life.
Ni-MH (Nickel-Metal Hydride) and Li-ion ( Lithium Ion ) batteries have no memory effect.
What is self-discharge?
The self- discharge , which applies to all rechargeable batteries, is that batteries that have not been used for a long period of time will lose some of their power, even if the device is turned off. You can avoid unpleasant surprises by filling batteries that have not been used for a long time before use. (source: Steve's digicams )
Can I use a 1.2V rechargeable battery on devices that normally work with 1.5V alkaline batteries?
Using a 1.2V battery will have no negative effect on your device or its performance. As a matter of fact, an alkaline disposable battery can only deliver 1.5V at the beginning of the discharge process. It then falls steadily and well below 1.2V. Eventually it drops to around 0.6V. Most devices work happily between 0.9V and 1.2V . Unlike alkaline batteries whose voltage drops quickly, rechargeable batteries have a more constant voltage of around 1.25V during their lifetime.
Therefore, new rechargeable batteries will replace alkaline batteries in devices that require regular and high-level energy such as digital cameras, flashes, camcorders, computers and mobile phones .
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Energizer Rechargeable AAA Batteries, NiMH, 800 mAh, Pre-Charged, 4 count (Recharge Power Plus) - EVENH12BP4