Battery FAQ 1-5

1.What are primary and secondary batteries?

Primary batteries can only be discharged once, while secondary batteries can be recharged and used repeatedly. Rechargeable batteries undergo reversible changes in electrode volume and structure during discharge, so they must be designed to accommodate these changes. Primary batteries are much simpler internally since they don't need to regulate these reversible changes. Primary batteries have a higher weight-to-capacity and volume-to-capacity ratio than most rechargeable batteries, but their internal resistance is much higher, resulting in lower load capacity. Additionally, primary batteries have a much lower self-discharge rate than secondary batteries.

2.What is the cycle life of a rechargeable battery?

The cycle life of a rechargeable battery (also known as a secondary battery or storage battery) refers to the number of charging and discharging cycles a battery can undergo before its capacity drops to a specified value under certain charging and discharging standards.

3.What is battery internal resistance?

Internal resistance is the opposition to the flow of current within a battery during discharge. A battery's internal resistance consists of ohmic resistance and polarization resistance. Ohmic resistance is the sum of the electrical resistance of the components, ionic resistance, and contact resistance, and is related to the electrode structure and assembly process. Polarization resistance is formed by electrode reactions and is related to the nature of the electrode reactions and battery materials. The lower a battery's internal resistance, the smaller the voltage drop within the battery when outputting current, resulting in a higher working voltage, larger current, and more output energy and capacity.

4.What is a short circuit, and can lithium batteries be short-circuited?

A short circuit occurs when the positive and negative terminals of a battery, or a metallic object, form a closed loop, causing heat generation. If batteries are stacked or mixed together, short circuits can generate heat, leakage, explosions, and ultimately lead to fires. Therefore, do not short-circuit lithium batteries. If a battery is heated to 100°C or higher, the internal separators, insulating layers, and other plastic materials can be damaged, causing the battery to leak. The heat generated by internal short circuits can lead to combustion and explosion. If a battery is thrown into a fire, it will burn vigorously.

5.Can batteries be heated or thrown into a fire?

Heating a battery to 100°C or higher may damage the aluminum laminate and insulating layer, causing the battery to leak. The trapped gas inside may cause the battery to short-circuit, potentially leading to explosions or combustion. If a battery is thrown into a fire, it may burn vigorously.

Editd by Richard