The need for energy to operate devices at various hours demands a mechanism to store energy for later use, energy is generated in the form of chemical, electrical, hydroelectric, solar wind, and other forms and is used during peak demand hours and is stored in batteries since they are convenient and easy to use due to their steady power delivering capacity. Batteries come in various sizes, storage, and delivery capacity depending on the type of application. We see the most common use is in mobile phones and electric vehicles, and the use expands to large grid stations to generate instant power. They are an economical source since the wear and tear are low, and the fuel cost is cut significantly.
Batteries can be grouped into domestic usage where low load appliances like washing machines, TVs, and fans are operated compared to national use. They are integrated with national grids to regulate power needs.
Battery Capacity And Charge Storage:
The battery capacity shows how much charge it can store. However, it needs to be noted here that the usable energy is less than the total capacity mentioned. The life cycle of a battery also depends on how many cycles it completely charges and discharged, however in maximum cases, a battery isn’t discharged completely before it is again charged. Another factor that affects the usage is the charge rate for a battery.
How long a battery can store charges depends on what material is made of, lithium-ions are most famous ones and store energy better than lead-acid or nickel-cadmium batteries. So, for a battery with a 50 Ah rating, we say that 33% of it is the minimum level where it will keep its usable charge for operation. 33% of 50Ah turns out to be 16Ah approximately, we subtract this figure from the actual rating, and we can then work out how long a charge will stay in a battery if it is not subjected to an external load. Subtracting 16 from 50, we are left with 34Ah, which is our usable energy in the battery. Now to convert it into days, we divide it with 0.01.
34Ah/0/01 = 3400 Hours
3400 Hours/24 = 141 Days Approx.
The calculations show quite a surprising time period, but this is theoretical as in practice, we have to embed batteries with the systems, and they’re always some leakage current. In the case of electric vehicles, there are alarm systems and lock which consume power.
In a nutshell, the major factors that define a battery’s rating are the rating/capacity, charge cycle and charge rate, and where a battery is used. It is recommended that a battery be occasionally charged in order to maintain its health. Caution must be made when purchasing a battery if it is manufactured on year old. The battery must be tested using standard equipment to test for its nominal voltages and current levels.
Article by Salah M. Al for Epistle News.
