Different Types of Batteries and Their Uses
Batteries are an intricate part of our lives. They’re present in our smart phones, our tablets, our wrist watches, toys, laptops, and a variety of other devices. They can be classified into two broad categories; primary batteries and secondary batteries. The primary batteries are disposable and can be used only once.
After all of the charge in the battery is utilized, you need to discard it. Examples of these kinds of batteries are mercury batteries, alkaline batteries, zinc carbon batteries, and silver-oxide batteries.
Secondary batteries, on the other hand, can be recharged and reused. They have a shelf-life and will recharge a limited number of times before you need to discard them. Examples of these kinds of batteries are lithium batteries and lead-acid batteries. We’ve put together a list of the different types of batteries available in the market and their applications.
Tubular Batteries
Tubular batteries are often used in both residential and commercial applications. These batteries are small, easy to maintain, and resilient. They can easily withstand high heat and rough use because their spine is manufactured through the process of high-pressure HADI casting.
They’re known for their consistent, reliable performance and fast charging ability. Tubular batteries are also very low-maintenance and won’t require you to top them off with distilled water. It makes these batteries an ideal solution for UPS inverters and other such power backup solutions.
Flat Plate Batteries
Flat plate batteries are predecessors of tubular batteries and were first introduced in 1881. While the energy performance of tubular batteries is slightly better, the flat plate design isn’t going away anytime soon. These batteries have more active materials and an excellent reserve of grid metal. This means the battery is heavier for its wattage-to-hour capacity. This increases the life of the battery by a considerable margin.
Flat plate batteries definitely outlast tubular batteries and that reduces the amount of money you have to invest. While tubular batteries are great for residential applications, flat plate batteries are often used in commercial and industrial applications. It’s because these batteries can sustain power at high-rates of discharge better than tubular batteries. They are ideal for heavy machinery and high-performance devices.
Lead-Acid Batteries
Lead-acid batteries were invented in 1850s and have been in use ever since. The composition of the acid within the battery changes when it’s charged or discharged. When it’s charged, it has lead as negative, and lead oxide as positive electrodes, while sulphuric acid is the electrolyte. When it’s discharged, it contains lead (II) sulphate and water. This battery is used in a variety of applications, including in SLI system of automobiles, backup power supply for servers and databanks, and home inverters.
These batteries are often used in heavy-duty industrial and commercial applications as well. Lead-acid batteries require regular and near constant maintenance because you need to maintain specific gravity in the acid to sustain charge. The battery should also have the right level of electrolyte and should be regularly topped-up with distilled water.
Silver Oxide Batteries
Silver oxide batteries aren’t rechargeable and are quite expensive. However, they have a much longer run time in comparison to alkaline batteries. These batteries are often used in military applications on submarines.
These are the most common types of batteries used in residential, industrial, and commercial applications. If you want to know more types of batteries or our custom power products and services, don’t hesitate to contact us at KaRaTec Power Supply Pty. You can give us a call at 612 9808 1127. You can also fill in this contact us form and we’ll reply as soon as possible.
Thanks for reading,
Karatec Power Supply Pty
612 9808 1127