Use Of Rechargeable Batteries Research Articles

Design of passive voltage balancer system for lead acid battery

The use of rechargeable batteries for electrical energy storage requires a voltage balancing system. The voltage balancing system requires monitoring in the use of rechargeable batteries so that they can be utilized properly and can improve the electrical energy storage system. In this research, a monitored lead acid battery voltage balancing system was designed so that the management of the battery voltage balance level and the storage of electrical energy in rechargeable batteries can be stored and used optimally. In this research a series of lead acid battery voltage detection and power dissipation circuits were designed. The power dissipation circuit uses the controlled shunt resistor method which is used when the voltage of the lead acid battery being charged exceeds the maximum voltage. This method is easy to implement and can display the value of the lead acid battery voltage and other parameters, so that it can be monitored by the user. The results obtained show that the average voltage error for batteries 1 and 2 is 0.09% and 0.3% respectively. The power dissipation circuit can dissipate lead acid battery power above the reference voltage VREF=±7 V, with a balanced voltage of 6.8 V at 140 minutes and 160 minutes.

Forensic Analysis of Lithium-Ion Cells Involved in Fires

<div>The emerging use of rechargeable batteries in electric and hybrid electric vehicles and distributed energy systems, and accidental fires involving batteries, has heightened the need for a methodology to determine the root cause of the fire. When a fire involving batteries takes place, investigators and engineers need to ascertain the role of batteries in that fire. Just as with fire in general, investigators need a framework for determining the role that is systematic, reliant on collection and careful analysis of forensic evidence, and based on the scientific method of inquiry. This article presents a systematic scientific process to analyze batteries that have been involved in a fire. It involves examining Li-ion cells of varying construction, using a systematic process that includes visual inspection, x-ray, CT scan, and possibly elemental analysis and testing of exemplars. For the purposes of this article, we are mainly concentrating on the most common designs of consumer lithium-ion batteries, cylindrical and pouch. The methodology applies both scientific literature and observations gathered while investigating over a thousand incidents.</div>

An Efficient Hybrid Energy Smart System Using Lithium Ion Batteries Integrated with Battery Management System

The use of rechargeable batteries to store and distribute extra energy from photovoltaics (PV) improves the efficiency of solar energy generation. This study constructs a solar power plant system that is linked to the grid network and includes battery energy storage. The efficiency of a hybrid solar power plant with integrated batteries and grid energy storage is demonstrated and evaluated in this study. This study is based on real-time testing to determine battery utilization when different electrical loads for office use are combined. The workload profile during peak hours of use, which correspond to the peak time of sunshine, is used to evaluate the system. The collected findings show that the degree of effectiveness of this hybrid power plant fulfills the power simulation. During the peak irradiation time, the maximum power is 2100 watts, whereas the needed power simulation, which is 1900 watts in this case, so the power efficiency percentage is 110.52%. It means that PV can satisfy the charged power while also supplying extra power to the battery for usage at low periods. During the 8-hour test, the calculation of cost savings revealed a savings in electricity expenditure of Rp. 14,373. The energy storage system's real operational needs were met by battery storage and PV.

A Low Cost and Eco-Sustainable Device to Determine the End of the Disinfection Process in SODIS.

The lack of safe drinking water is one of the main health problems in many regions of the world. In order to face it, Solar water disinfection (SODIS) proposes the use of transparent plastic containers, which are filled with contaminated water, and exposed to direct sunlight until enough UV radiation is received to inactivate the pathogens. However, a reliable method for determining the end of the disinfection process is needed. Although several approaches have been proposed in the literature for this purpose, they do not strictly accomplish two critical constraints that are essential in this type of project, namely, low cost and sustainability. In this paper, we propose an electronic device to determine when the lethal UV dose has been reached in SODIS containers, which accomplishes both constraints mentioned above: on the one hand, its manufacturing cost is around EUR 12, which is much lower than the price of other electronic solutions; on the other hand, the device is sufficiently autonomous to work for months with small low-cost disposable batteries, thereby avoiding the use of rechargeable batteries, which are considered hazardous waste at the end of their useful life. In our approach, we first analyze different low cost UV sensors in order to select the most accurate one by comparing their response with a reference pattern provided by a radiometer. Then, an electronic device is designed using this sensor, which measures the accumulated UV radiation and compares this value with the lethal UV dose to determine the end of the disinfection process. Finally, the device has been manufactured and tested in real conditions to analyze its accuracy, obtaining satisfactory results.

Building low-temperature batteries: Non-aqueous or aqueous electrolyte?

With the widespread use of rechargeable batteries, they are further expected to be used at low temperature. However, low temperature significantly slows charge transfer process and mass transport within electrolyte and electrode. Due to the inherent distinction on physical and chemical properties, low temperature imposes different limitations on non-aqueous and aqueous batteries. In this review, we provide a brief overview of the challenges in developing non-aqueous and aqueous batteries for low-temperature use. And their different design concerns at low temperature are summarized and discussed.

Improvement of lithium-ion rechargeable battery (LIRB) for Electric Ships

The rapid improvement of lithium-ion rechargeable battery (LIRB) has given a powerful impetus to the development of environmentally friendly, powerful and universal for use on ships and underwater vehicles. The practice of building electric ships for many years has confirmed the effectiveness of electric propulsion for many types of vessels. Organically, electric propulsion fits into icebreakers and those vessels whose operation is associated with increased maneuvering modes and variable loads on propellers. LIRB has been actively used on ferries operating in a wide range of outdoor temperatures. On diesel-electric submarines (DES), the use of rechargeable batteries is traditional and is the main source of electricity. The subsequent development of new sources of electricity, the improvement of power semiconductor devices and microelectronics has led to the successful implementation of ideas for the construction of fully electric offshore facilities.

Hearing Aid Selection: Closed- versus Open-canal Fitting Hearing Aids

To select hearing aid is an essential process for successful hearing rehabilitation. The purpose of this study is to review hearing aid selection considerations between receiver in-the-canal (RIC) and custom hearing aid (CHA) in order to guide appropriate selection of the hearing aid. This study discussed three key factors in the hearing aid selection including physical, acoustic and electroacoustic characteristics and other aspects. Advantages of RIC types are comfort to wear, reduction of the occlusion effect, presence of directional microphones, on-site fit, easy connectivity with other devices, and use of rechargeable batteries. On the other hand, the CHA types have their advantage in terms of being comfort to wear with masks, proper insertion and placement, reduction of the acoustic feedback, good approximation of frequency response curve, improvement of speech in noise perception, expanded hearing aid candidacy with varying hearing thresholds, and easy telephone use. We concluded that appropriate selection of the hearing aid would contribute to successful hearing rehabilitation, if considering physical, psycho-social, and acoustical characteristics.

Lithium carbonate sedimentation using flocculants with different ionic bases

Lithium has become a metal of enormous interest worldwide. The extensive use of recharge-able batteries for a range of applications has pushed for rapid growth in demand for lithium carbonate. This compound is produced by crystallization, by reaction with lithium chloride (in solution) and by adding sodium carbonate. Low sedimentation rates in the evaporation pools present a problem in the crystallization process. For this reason, in this work, mineral sedimen-tation tests were carried out with the use of two flocculant types with different ionic charges. The tests were carried out at a laboratory level using different dosages for each flocculant and measurements were performed to obtain the increase in the content of solids in the sediment. The anionic flocculant had better performance as compared to that of the cationic flocculant, increasing the sedimentation rate of lithium carbonate by up to 6.5. However, similar solids contents were obtained with the use of the cationic flocculant at 3.5 times lower dosage making it the flocculant of choice regarding the economic point of view.

Dehydration level detector through human urine with LED and LDR

Dehydration is a condition where the body are lack of fluids. It is because the amount of fluid that enter in the body is less of fluid than the discharge. Dehydration is something that cannot be ignored. The high incidence of dehydration is due to the difficulty of seeing the signs and symptoms of dehydration for ordinary people. This tool is designed to handle the level of human dehydration by seeing whether the urine is normal or abnormal, whether is it mild dehydration, or severe dehydration. It can handled based on the color of the urine using a tool named Light Emitting Diode Sensor (LED) and a light dependent resistor (LDR). Tool innovation is the use of rechargeable batteries and a charger module to make it easier for users to recharge exhausted batteries. On the LCD also displays the proportion of the battery to make it easier for users to see the remaining battery weaponry. This tool is expected to be able to check the dehydration among the public in order to achieve the public health status. After the process of designing, testing, collecting and analyzing data on 15 samples and reading 20 times for each sample, the result is that the tool can work well, can measure the level of dehydration according to the human urine with an average value of 62.10. The reading results that appear on the LCD are the same or according to the level of dehydration shown on the urine color chart.

The application of synchrotron X-ray techniques to the study of rechargeable batteries

Abstract The increased use of rechargeable batteries in portable electronic devices and the continuous development of novel applications (e.g. transportation and large scale energy storage), have raised a strong demand for high performance batteries with increased energy density, cycle and calendar life, safety and lower costs. This triggers significant efforts to reveal the fundamental mechanism determining battery performance with the use of advanced analytical techniques. However, the inherently complex characteristics of battery systems make the mechanism analysis sophisticated and difficult. Synchrotron radiation is an advanced collimated light source with high intensity and tunable energies. It has particular advantages in electronic structure and geometric structure (both the short-range and long-range structure) analysis of materials on different length and time scales. In the past decades, synchrotron X-ray techniques have been widely used to understand the fundamental mechanism and guide the technological optimization of batteries. In particular, in situ and operando techniques with high spatial and temporal resolution, enable the nondestructive, real time dynamic investigation of the electrochemical reaction, and lead to significant deep insights into the battery operation mechanism. This review gives a brief introduction of the application of synchrotron X-ray techniques to the investigation of battery systems. The five widely implicated techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), Pair Distribution Function (PDF), Hard and Soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) will be reviewed, with the emphasis on their in situ studies of battery systems during cycling.

Photovoltaics in the assessment of wireless sensor network reliability with changing environmental conditions

AbstractThis paper presents a reliability assessment of a wireless sensor network (WSN) equipped with mini photovoltaic cells (PV‐WSN) under natural environmental conditions while accounting for different types of system failures. In particular, our assessment considers the hardware specifications of the sensors, photovoltaic (PV) specifications, the use of rechargeable batteries, communication protocols, and various elements required for efficient detection of environmental conditions. We accomplished this by developing a simulator that generated data for 2 broad WSN conditions: (1) WSN without PV and (2) WSN with PV. The dynamic source routing protocol was employed for these simulations, and the following variables were assessed for both conditions: WSN reliability, the impact of energy consumption on the network, and the types of failures that lead to sensor unavailability. The following assumptions were made to run the simulation: the distribution of WSN nodes is random, with 1 sink node per rectangular cluster, the sensor nodes are structurally and functionally identical, environmental interference and suboptimal orientation impair PV cell recharge capacity randomly, and no communication loss occurs. Our reliability assessment assumed extreme environmental conditions and further made assessments of component reliability that included the following parameters: sensor and PV cell hardware specifications, the rechargeable nature of PV cell batteries for different sensor activity states, the availability of sunlight for powering PV cells, and the energy efficiency of PV cells. We found that network lifetime was prolonged for the PV‐WSN condition over the WSN without PV condition, introducing a role for PV cells as potential energy sources for WSNs.

Thermal Model for High Capacity Lithium-Ion Battery at the Cell Scale and Experimental Validation

The electrochemical storage of electrical energy presents a major challenge in the context of energy transition. The lithium-ion technology is going to become the most cost-efficient way to store energy and offers the best opportunity for the following applications: stationary storage and electrical vehicles, due to their high energy density. Moreover, battery energy storage promotes the implementation of renewable energies into the power grid while answering their intermittence. However, the lithium-ion battery is prone to degradations, that impact on the performances and lifespan, as far as consumers or investors are concerned, the use of rechargeable batteries is foremost a matter of lifespan and safety. The degradation mechanisms depend on thermal behavior of the battery. Management of the energy systems and optimization of battery performances, require to develop battery management systems (BMS). The temperature estimation allows improving the electrical response for the BMS, and thermal estimation allows to help this system to preserve the thermal limits of the battery and improves the energy management. It is for these reasons that it is necessary to further increase the current performance of lithium-ion batteries with a thorough understanding of thermal behavior. This study presents a thermal model of the lithium-ion battery at cell scale using a localized constant approach to facilitate the implementation in the simulation platform of energetic systems. With this process, it is possible to anticipate the thermal behaviors and will allow to dimension a cooling system to optimize the battery energy management. The thermal model is coupled with an electrical model to estimate the cell voltage and the internal resistance with respect to the temperature. The electro-thermal model has been developed to estimate the temperature on the battery from dynamic current profile and ambient temperature. The parameters which characterize the thermal behavior in the cell takes into account the following items: the thermal capacity, the internal resistance, the reaction entropy and the thermal conductance between the core of the cell and casing. Thermal model allows having a good estimation of the surface temperature at the cell level from few data input such as current, voltage, state of charge (SOC), ambient temperature and good thermal parameters. It enables to reproduce the thermal behavior of the cell and given a critical temperature to predict the cell heating. The model was experimentally validated and simulation results are in very good agreement with temperature data measurement. The relative error between the temperature data and simulation is lower than two percent. It has been also shown that thermal distribution on the surface is uniform for periodical solicitations of current. In the end, this model could be implemented to estimate battery pack temperature and for the dimensioning of a cooling system, and it could be implemented in an energetics system simulation platform to improve the performances estimation of storage systems.

Intergranular Li metal propagation through polycrystalline Li6.25Al0.25La3Zr2O12 ceramic electrolyte

The potential to enable unprecedented performance, durability, and safety has created the impetus to develop bulk-scale all-solid-state batteries employing metallic Li as the negative electrode. Owing to its low density, low electronegativity and high specific capacity, Li metal is the most attractive negative electrode. However, failure caused by the formation of dendrites has limited the widespread use of rechargeable batteries using metallic Li negative electrodes coupled with liquid electrolytes. One approach to mitigate the formation of dendrites involves the use of a solid electrolyte to physically stabilize the Li–electrolyte interface while allowing the facile transport of Li-ions. Though in principle this approach should work, it has been observed that at high Li deposition rates Li metal can propagate through relatively hard ceramic electrolytes and Li dendrite formation causing short circuit has been reported. Why this occurs is poorly understood, emphasizing the need to close the knowledge gap and facilitate the development of advanced batteries employing solid electrolytes. Here, through precise microstructural control, striking electron microscopy, and high-resolution surface spectroscopy, we directly observed for the first time the propagation of Li metal through a promising polycrystalline solid electrolyte based on the garnet mineral structure (Li6.25Al0.25La3Zr2O12). Moreover, we observed that Li preferentially deposits along grain boundaries (intergranularly). These results offer insight into the electrochemical-mechanical phenomena that govern the stability of the metallic Li–polycrystalline solid electrolyte interface and are essential to the maturation of solid-state batteries.

A Simple, One-Dimensional Electrochemical Model for the Lithium-Sulfur Battery

The use of rechargeable batteries in electric and hybrid vehicles would not only reduce the carbon emission significantly but also decrease the dependence on foreign oil. In addition, the use of rechargeable batteries in grid storage would be beneficial for the storage of renewable energy sources such as solar and wind energy which are normally intermittent. Therefore, developing high energy density and low cost rechargeable batteries will play a critical role in overcoming many of the energy-related challenges. Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries have gained significant attention in recent years due to their very high theoretical specific energy [1-6]. However for the commercial use of the Li-S battery, its capacity retention and cycle life must be improved [1-6]. Electrochemical modeling coupled with electrochemical characterization is essential to have a better understanding of the reaction and degradation mechanisms in these batteries in order to improve the battery performance and life. In this study, a simple one-dimensional electrochemical model for a Li-S cell is developed based on a previous model by Eroglu et al [1]. The Li-S cell in the model is composed of the lithium-metal anode, a porous separator and the porous sulfur-carbon cathode filled with the electrolyte. The concentration gradients in the cell as well as the polysulfide shuttle mechanism are neglected in the model. The model predicts the current-voltage relationship for each charge transfer step for an isothermal discharge of the Li-S cell. In the electrochemical model, anode kinetics is defined with the Butler-Volmer kinetics. The Ohmic losses from the transport of Li+ through the porous separator are also considered in the model using Ohm’s Law. The cathode is treated with the one-dimensional concentration-independent porous electrode model by Newman and Tobias [7]. The cathode kinetics is defined with a single reaction step, simplifying the multiple-step redox reactions for the sulfur cathode. By simplifying the sulfur reaction in the cathode into a single reaction, the cathode kinetics in the electrochemical model can be defined by a single kinetic parameter, exchange current density for the cathode (i0,pe). The electrochemical model of the Li-S cell is supported with the Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) data from the literature [2-6]. The exchange current density for the cathode kinetics is estimated as a function of depth of discharge (Figure 1) by comparing the total cell resistance measured by the EIS data in the literature with the area-specific impedance (ASI) predicted by the model. It is seen in Figure 1 that the exchange current density for the cathode kinetics in a Li-S cell increases with depth of discharge (DOD) until 60% where it reaches a maximum. Further increase at DOD results in lower i0,pe. This could be explained by the increasing electronic conductivity of the sulfur cathode at the beginning of the discharge due to the consumption of insulating sulfur. However at higher DODs, the accumulation of the insoluble Li2S at the cathode surface becomes significant, decreasing the charge transfer rate. Figure 1. Exchange current density for the cathode kinetics predicted by the electrochemical model as a function of depth of discharge.

Life cycle assessment of consumption choices: a comparison between disposable and rechargeable household batteries

The demand for household batteries is considerable in the European context with just over five billion placed on the market every year. Although disposable batteries account for the largest market share in Europe, the use of rechargeable batteries is promoted as a less waste generating and a more environmentally friendly practice. A comparative life cycle assessment was therefore carried out to verify this assertion. The study compared, with a life cycle perspective, the use of disposable alkaline batteries to that of rechargeable NiMH batteries, considering the AA and AAA sizes. The comparison focused on the factors that were expected to have an higher influence on the results: consumer choices during the purchase for disposable devices (typology of battery pack, selected brand, which affects the production country, and mode of transport of batteries for the purchasing round trip) and during the use phase for rechargeable batteries (number of charge cycles and source of the electricity used for the recharge). The waste generation indicator, 13 midpoint impact indicators on the environment and the human health, and the Cumulative energy demand indicator were calculated in support of the assessment. For waste generation, the choice of NiMH rechargeable batteries is highly convenient also with a reduced number of uses. On the contrary, for the environmental indicators and the energy consumption, the picture is less straightforward, being heavily dependent on the number of charge cycles. For the impact categories Acidification, Human toxicity (cancer effects), and Particulate matter, an “inefficient” use of the rechargeable devices (for only 20 charge cycles or less) could cause higher impacts than the employment of disposable batteries. Moreover, for the Ozone depletion, NiMH batteries are hardly environmentally better than alkaline batteries even with 150 recharges. The number of uses of rechargeable batteries plays a key role on their environmental and energy performances. When compared to disposable batteries, a minimum number of 50 charge cycles permits a robust reduction of the potential impacts for all the analyzed indicators excluding the Ozone depletion. Hence, the use of rechargeable batteries should be mostly encouraged for high consumption devices such as cameras, torches, and electronic toys.

A High-Efficiency Wind Energy Harvester for Autonomous Embedded Systems.

Energy harvesting is currently a hot research topic, mainly as a consequence of the increasing attractiveness of computing and sensing solutions based on small, low-power distributed embedded systems. Harvesting may enable systems to operate in a deploy-and-forget mode, particularly when power grid is absent and the use of rechargeable batteries is unattractive due to their limited lifetime and maintenance requirements. This paper focuses on wind flow as an energy source feasible to meet the energy needs of a small autonomous embedded system. In particular the contribution is on the electrical converter and system integration. We characterize the micro-wind turbine, we define a detailed model of its behaviour, and then we focused on a highly efficient circuit to convert wind energy into electrical energy. The optimized design features an overall volume smaller than 64 cm. The core of the harvester is a high efficiency buck-boost converter which performs an optimal power point tracking. Experimental results show that the wind generator boosts efficiency over a wide range of operating conditions.

Influence of Electrolyte Modulus on the Local Current Density at a Dendrite Tip on a Lithium Metal Electrode

Understanding and controlling the electrochemical deposition of lithium is imperative for the safe use of rechargeable batteries with a lithium metal anode. Solid block copolymer electrolyte membranes are known to enhance the stability of lithium metal anodes by mechanically suppressing the formation of lithium protrusions during battery charging. Time-resolved hard X-ray microtomography was used to monitor the internal structure of a symmetric lithium-polymer cell during galvanostatic polarization. The microtomography images were used to determine the local rate of lithium deposition, i.e. local current density, in the vicinity of a lithium globule growing through the electrolyte. Measurements of electrolyte displacement enabled estimation of local stresses in the electrolyte. At early times, the current density was maximized at the globule tip, as expected from simple current distribution arguments. At later times, the current density was maximized at the globule perimeter. We show that this phenomenon is related to the local stress fields that arise as the electrolyte is deformed. The local current density, normalized for the radius of curvature, decreases with increasing compressive stresses at the lithium-polymer interface. To our knowledge, our study provides the first direct measurement showing the influence of local mechanical stresses on the deposition kinetics at lithium metal electrodes.

Power-Management Techniques for Wireless Sensor Networks and Similar Low-Power Communication Devices Based on Nonrechargeable Batteries

Despite the well-known advantages of communication solutions based on energy harvesting, there are scenarios where the absence of batteries (supercapacitor only) or the use of rechargeable batteries is not a realistic option. Therefore, the alternative is to extend as much as possible the lifetime of primary cells (nonrechargeable batteries). By assuming low duty-cycle applications, three power-management techniques are combined in a novel way to provide an efficient energy solution for wireless sensor networks nodes or similar communication devices powered by primary cells. Accordingly, a customized node is designed and long-term experiments in laboratory and outdoors are realized. Simulated and empirical results show that the battery lifetime can be drastically enhanced. However, two trade-offs are identified: a significant increase of both data latency and hardware/software complexity. Unattended nodes deployed in outdoors under extreme temperatures, buried sensors (underground communication), and nodes embedded in the structure of buildings, bridges, and roads are some of the target scenarios for this work. Part of the provided guidelines can be used to extend the battery lifetime of communication devices in general.

Rebound symptoms following battery depletion in the NIH OCD DBS cohort: Clinical and reimbursement issues

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a promising treatment for medication refractory obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD); however, there may be neuropsychiatric symptoms from unintended battery failure. Previous studies indicated rebound symptoms from impulse generator (IPG) failure in Parkinson's disease, dystonia, and essential tremor. Unique to OCD is that battery failure may precipitate neuropsychiatric symptoms rather than motor symptoms. Six patients with medication refractory OCD received implants as part of the previously reported National Institutional Health (NIH) DBS cohort. All available clinical data and adverse event data was reviewed. The average age of cohort was 42.2 years (30-59 years), and the average baseline Y-BOCS score was 33.8 (31-38). All six subjects were observed to have increased OCD symptomatology during IPG failure; however, Y-BOCS scores remained less than pretreatment range, in five subjects. One of the subjects had a Y-BOCS score greater than pretreatment during the period of IPG failure. In addition, Y-BOCS scores improved back to baseline after IPG replacement in five subjects. Other symptoms potentially related to battery failure included: suicidality (n = 1), mood disturbance (n = 2), panic attacks (n = 1), fatigue (n = 2), and a restless sensation in the arms and legs (n = 1). A small number of subjects reported no side effects associated with IPG failure because of preemptive replacement (n = 2). This is a preliminary case series detailing the side effects resulting from IPG failure during OCD DBS. Preemptive battery replacement was an effective strategy for avoiding these issues, and timeliness in insurance reimbursement may be considered in the future. Additionally the use of rechargeable batteries may also help this issue. NCT00057603.

Assessment and reuse of secondary batteries cells

The popularity of portable electronic devices and the ever-growing production of the same have led to an increase in the use of rechargeable batteries. These are often discarded even before the end of their useful life. This, in turn, leads to great waste in material and natural resources and to contamination of the environment. The objective of this study was thus to develop a methodology to assess and reuse NiMH battery cells that have been disposed of before the end of their life cycle, when they can still be used. For such, the capacity of these cells, which were still in good operating conditions when the batteries were discarded, was assessed, and the percentage was estimated. The results reveal that at the end of the assessment process, a considerable number of these cells still had reuse potential, with approximately 37% of all discarded and tested cells being approved for reuse. The methodology introduced in this study showed it is possible to establish an environmentally correct alternative to reduce the amount of this sort of electronic trash.