Monday, December 30, 2013

How Lithium-Ion Batteries Work

By Hedrick Lepsch


You can find Lithium-ion Batteries in all walks of life these days. The batteries are used in Ipods, Laptops, Remote Control Cars, and even small Solar Energy Systems. The reason why the batteries are so popular is because pound for pound they are one of the most effective batteries available. The Materials Each lithium-ion battery is made up of smaller batteries called cells that are contained within a plastic container.

This is a huge step forward in thermophotovoltaics as previous experiments in the field failed to produce any worthy results. The technology consists of small tabs that sit on top of the solar panels.

You don't need to keep constant watch over them and your solar panels should be good for at least 25 - 30 years. Financial benefit Although it is more expensive to get solar panels at first, the savings will quickly rack up.

The use of thermophotovoltaics increases the efficiency of current solar cells by increasing the span of light that can be converted. Traditional cells can only convert Infrared light into electric current while higher energy light was wasted as heat and lower energy light passed through the cells untouched. This new technology adds onto the current system by placing an intermediary between the sunlight and the solar cells.

The Chemistry When the lithium-ion battery is connected to an outside current and allowed to charge positively-charged lithium-ions are repelled from the positively charged cathode layer and are attracted to the negatively charged anode. The lithium ions are so small that they are able to pass through the separator due to the principle of micro-porosity. The positive ions are stored in the layered graphite structure of the anode effectively charging the battery. When the battery is used and energy is removed from the cell the charge of the cathode diminishes attracting the positive ions it originally lost.

Solar panels aren't just for places that are on deserted islands or faraway places; you can actually have them in your regular suburban neighborhood and be ahead of the curve on your street. Go green Everyone wants to go green. Companies are producing "green" products. Going green is the alternative to other fossil fuels.

The tungsten covered in ceramic was still capable of producing infrared light from the heat absorbed making the technology potentially viable. While this may not appear too exciting at first glance it represents a huge step forward in thermophotovoltaics.

All of these panels were enough to generate about half of all the energy required for the station. This was a great stride for London to be moving towards renewable energy. This recent update to the station has put this station on the map in the busy London area.

Lastly, these batteries degrade quickly. The moment they leave the factory floor the degradation has already started, making the battery life only a few years. All of these reasons combined mean that if you installed Helios 260 watt panels on your home for solar energy lithium-ion is not the battery for you. However, if you are purchasing a new laptop, cellphone, tablet, etc. there is a high chance you will find a lithium-ion battery inside.




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