Battery History and Technology

The Early Years

Benjamin Franklin was the first to coin the term “battery” in reference to a set of linked Leyden jars, which was the earliest means of storing charge. At this time, experiments were limited to an electrical spark that lasted a mere fraction of a second, until Alessando Volta invented the first true battery in 1800. He invented what is referred to as the “electric pistol” by connecting an electrical wire to a jar filled with methane gas. By sending an electrical spark through the wire, the jar would explode. Through that discovery, he realized that certain fluids could be used as a way to transmit a chemical reaction between metals resulting in a continuous flow of electrical force. Thus resulting in the birth of the first battery.

Rechargeable Technologies

The French physicist Gaston Planté invented the rechargeable battery nearly 60 years later. This was a lead acid battery that is still in use today. The nickel-cadmium cell was invented in 1899 but not until the late 1940s, with the successful sealing of the cell, did the rechargeable battery become widely used. Both the lead acid and the nickel cadmium chemistries are used today, but they require maintenance every 60-90 days and contain toxins and acids that are very harmful to the environment.

Another type of rechargeable battery is the nickel-metal-hydride battery. This battery uses a hydride absorbing alloy for the anode instead of cadmium, which is an environmental hazard, making nickel metal hydride batteries less detrimental to the environment.

The most common battery chemistry used for today’s notebooks is the lithium ion. These batteries offer one of the best energy-to-weight ratios, no memory effect and a slow loss of charge when not in use.

Today's Battery

Battery packaging has come a long way from the large glass jars and wooden containers they were encased in back in the 1800’s. Today you see battery packaging as small as the button cells used in watches, hearing aids etc. There is also the prismatic cell used primarily in cell phones, as well as the pouch cell developed in 1995. The cylindrical cell is the most widely used form for notebook batteries. Inside the battery casing are a series of cylinders that look similar to standard AA batteries. The most popular cell used in lithium ion battery packs is the 18650. This 5-digit number refers to the size of the battery. The ‘18’ is the diameter and the ‘650’ is the length in millimeters.

New technological advances are always on the horizon and FreshBattery is a reliable battery supplier that strives to keep up with the latest developments in the battery world.