BU-104a: Comparing the Battery with Other Power Sources
Discover how the battery surpasses other power sources on readiness and efficiency but lacks on longevity and cost.
One hears of wonderful improvements in battery technologies, each offering distinct benefits, but none providing a fully satisfactory solution to all of today’s energy needs. Though the battery has many advantages over other energy sources, it also has major limitations that need addressing.
Energy storage
Batteries store energy reasonably well and for a long time. Primary batteries (non-rechargeable) hold more energy than secondary (rechargeable) and the self-discharge is lower. Lead-, nickel- and lithium-based batteries need periodic recharges to compensate for lost energy. (See BU-802b: What does Elevated Self-discharge do?)
Specific energy (capacity)
Compared to fossil fuel, the energy storage capability of the battery is less impressive. The energy by mass of gasoline is over 12,000Wh/kg. In contrast, a modern Li-ion battery only carries about 200Wh/kg; however the battery has the advantage of delivering energy more effectively than a thermal engine. (See BU-1007: Net Calorific Value.)
Responsiveness
Batteries have a large advantage over other power sources by being ready to deliver on short notice – think of the quick action of the camera flash! There is no warm-up, as is the case with the internal combustion engine (ICE); battery power flows within a fraction of a second. In comparison, a jet engine takes several seconds to rev up, a fuel cell requires a few minutes to gain power, and the cold steam engine of a locomotive needs hours to build up steam.
Power bandwidth
Most rechargeable batteries have a wide power bandwidth, meaning that they can effectively handle small and large loads, a quality that is shared with the diesel engine. In comparison, the bandwidth of the fuel cell is narrow and works best within a specific load. So does the jet engine, which operates most efficiently at a defined revolution-per-minute (RPM).
Environment
The battery runs clean and stays reasonably cool. Most sealed cells have no vents, run quietly and do not vibrate. This is in sharp contrast with the ICE and large fuel cells that require compressors and cooling fans. The ICE also needs air intake and provision to exhaust toxic gases.
Efficiency
The battery is highly efficient. Li-ion has 99 percent charge efficiency, and the discharge loss is small. In comparison, the energy efficiency of the fuel cell is 20 to 60 percent, and the ICE is 25 to 30 percent. At optimal air intake speed and temperature, the GE90-115 on the Boeing 777 jetliner achieves an efficiency of 37 percent. The charge efficiency of a battery is connected with the ability to accept charge. See BU-808b: What causes Li-ion to die? under Coulombic Efficiency.
Installation
The sealed battery operates in any position and offers good shock and vibration tolerance. Most ICEs must be positioned in the upright position and mounted on shock-absorbing dampers to reduce vibration. Thermal engines also need an air intake manifold and an exhaust muffler.
Operating cost
Lithium- and nickel-based batteries are best suited for portable devices; lead acid batteries are economical for wheeled mobility and stationary applications. Price and weight make batteries impractical for the electric powertrain in larger vehicles. The cost of drawing energy from a battery is about three times higher than getting it off the AC grid. The calculation includes the cost of the battery, charging it from the grid and budgeting for an eventual replacement. (See BU-1006: Cost of Mobile Power.)
Maintenance
With the exception of watering of flooded lead batteries and exercising NiCds to prevent “memory,” rechargeable batteries are low maintenance. Service includes cleaning the corrosion buildup on the outside terminals and applying periodic performance checks.
Service life
The rechargeable battery has a relatively short service life and ages even if not in use. The 3- to 5-year lifespan is satisfactory for consumer products, but this is not acceptable for larger batteries. Hybrid and electric vehicle batteries are guaranteed for 8–10 years; the fuel cell delivers 2,000–5,000 hours of service, and depending on temperature, large stationary batteries are good for 5–20 years.
Temperature extremes
Like molasses, cold temperatures slow the electrochemical reaction and batteries do not perform well below freezing. The fuel cell shares the same problem, but the internal combustion engine does well once warmed up. Fast charging must always be done above freezing. Operating at a high temperature provides a performance boost, but this causes rapid aging due to added stress. ( See BU0502, Discharging at High and Low Temperatures. )
Charge time
Here, the battery has an undisputed disadvantage. Lithium- and nickel-based systems take 1–3 hours to charge; lead acid typically takes 14 hours. In comparison, filling up a vehicle with fuel takes only a few minutes. Although some electric vehicles can be charged to 80 percent in less than one hour on a high-power outlet, Li-ion batteries get stressed on ultra-fast charges. (See BU-401a: Fast and Ultra-fast Chargers.)
Disposal
Nickel-cadmium and lead acid batteries contain hazardous material and cannot be disposed of in landfills. Nickel-metal-hydrride and lithium systems are environmentally friendly and can in small quantities be included with regular household items, but authorities recommend that all batteries be recycled. (See BU-705: How to Recycle Batteries.)
Last Updated 2019-03-28
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- BU-001: Sharing Battery Knowledge
- BU-002: Introduction
- BU-003: Dedication
- BU-101: When Was the Battery Invented?
- BU-102: Early Innovators
- BU-103: Global Battery Markets
- BU-103a: Battery Breakthroughs: Myth or Fact?
- BU-104: Getting to Know the Battery
- BU-104a: Comparing the Battery with Other Power Sources
- BU-104b: Battery Building Blocks
- BU-104c: The Octagon Battery – What makes a Battery a Battery
- BU-105: Battery Definitions and what they mean
- BU-106: Advantages of Primary Batteries
- BU-106a: Choices of Primary Batteries
- BU-107: Comparison Table of Secondary Batteries
- BU-201: How does the Lead Acid Battery Work?
- BU-201a: Absorbent Glass Mat (AGM)
- BU-201b: Gel Lead Acid Battery
- BU-202: New Lead Acid Systems
- BU-203: Nickel-based Batteries
- BU-204: How do Lithium Batteries Work?
- BU-205: Types of Lithium-ion
- BU-206: Lithium-polymer: Substance or Hype?
- BU-208: Cycling Performance
- BU-209: How does a Supercapacitor Work?
- BU-210: How does the Fuel Cell Work?
- BU-210a: Why does Sodium-sulfur need to be heated
- BU-210b: How does the Flow Battery Work?
- BU-211: Alternate Battery Systems
- BU-212: Future Batteries
- BU-214: Summary Table of Lead-based Batteries
- BU-215: Summary Table of Nickel-based Batteries
- BU-216: Summary Table of Lithium-based Batteries
- BU-217: Summary Table of Alternate Batteries
- BU-218: Summary Table of Future Batteries
- BU-301: A look at Old and New Battery Packaging
- BU-301a: Types of Battery Cells
- BU-302: Series and Parallel Battery Configurations
- BU-303: Confusion with Voltages
- BU-304: Why are Protection Circuits Needed?
- BU-304a: Safety Concerns with Li-ion
- BU-304b: Making Lithium-ion Safe
- BU-304c: Battery Safety in Public
- BU-305: Building a Lithium-ion Pack
- BU-306: What is the Function of the Separator?
- BU-307: How does Electrolyte Work?
- BU-308: Availability of Lithium
- BU-309: How does Graphite Work in Li-ion?
- BU-310: How does Cobalt Work in Li-ion?
- BU-311: Battery Raw Materials
- BU-401: How do Battery Chargers Work?
- BU-401a: Fast and Ultra-fast Chargers
- BU-402: What Is C-rate?
- BU-403: Charging Lead Acid
- BU-404: What is Equalizing Charge?
- BU-405: Charging with a Power Supply
- BU-406: Battery as a Buffer
- BU-407: Charging Nickel-cadmium
- BU-408: Charging Nickel-metal-hydride
- BU-409: Charging Lithium-ion
- BU-409a: Why do Old Li-ion Batteries Take Long to Charge?
- BU-410: Charging at High and Low Temperatures
- BU-411: Charging from a USB Port
- BU-412: Charging without Wires
- BU-413: Charging with Solar, Turbine
- BU-413a: How to Store Renewable Energy in a Battery
- BU-414: How do Charger Chips Work?
- BU-415: How to Charge and When to Charge?
- BU-501: Basics about Discharging
- BU-501a: Discharge Characteristics of Li-ion
- BU-502: Discharging at High and Low Temperatures
- BU-503: How to Calculate Battery Runtime
- BU-504: How to Verify Sufficient Battery Capacity
- BU-601: How does a Smart Battery Work?
- BU-602: How does a Battery Fuel Gauge Work?
- BU-603: How to Calibrate a “Smart” Battery
- BU-604: How to Process Data from a “Smart” Battery
- Close Part One Menu
Introduction
Crash Course on Batteries
Battery Types
Packaging and Safety
Charge Methods
Discharge Methods
"Smart" Battery
- BU-701: How to Prime Batteries
- BU-702: How to Store Batteries
- BU-703: Health Concerns with Batteries
- BU-704: How to Transport Batteries
- BU-704a: Shipping Lithium-based Batteries by Air
- BU-704b: CAUTION & Overpack Labels
- BU-704c: Class 9 Label
- BU-704d: NFPA 704 Rating
- BU-705: How to Recycle Batteries
- BU-705a: Battery Recycling as a Business
- BU-706: Summary of Do’s and Don’ts
- BU-801: Setting Battery Performance Standards
- BU-801a: How to Rate Battery Runtime
- BU-801b: How to Define Battery Life
- BU-802: What Causes Capacity Loss?
- BU-802a: How does Rising Internal Resistance affect Performance?
- BU-802b: What does Elevated Self-discharge Do?
- BU-802c: How Low can a Battery be Discharged?
- BU-803: Can Batteries Be Restored?
- BU-803a: Cell Matching and Balancing
- BU-803b: What causes Cells to Short?
- BU-803c: Loss of Electrolyte
- BU-804: How to Prolong Lead-acid Batteries
- BU-804a: Corrosion, Shedding and Internal Short
- BU-804b: Sulfation and How to Prevent it
- BU-804c: Acid Stratification and Surface Charge
- BU-805: Additives to Boost Flooded Lead Acid
- BU-806: Tracking Battery Capacity and Resistance as part of Aging
- BU-806a: How Heat and Loading affect Battery Life
- BU-807: How to Restore Nickel-based Batteries
- BU-807a: Effect of Zapping
- BU-807b:How to Restore NiMH batteries in Hybrids
- BU-808: How to Prolong Lithium-based Batteries
- BU-808a: How to Awaken a Sleeping Li-ion
- BU-808b: What Causes Li-ion to Die?
- BU-808c: Coulombic and Energy Efficiency with the Battery
- BU-809: How to Maximize Runtime
- BU-810: What Everyone Should Know About Aftermarket Batteries
- BU-901: Fundamentals in Battery Testing
- BU-902: How to Measure Internal Resistance
- BU-902a: How to Measure CCA
- BU-903: How to Measure State-of-charge
- BU-904: How to Measure Capacity
- BU-905: Testing Lead Acid Batteries
- BU-905a: Testing Starter Batteries in Vehicles
- BU-906: Testing Nickel-based Batteries
- BU-907: Testing Lithium-based Batteries
- BU-907a: Battery Rapid-test Methods
- BU-908: Battery Management System (BMS)
- BU-909: Battery Test Equipment
- BU-910: How to Repair a Battery Pack
- BU-911: How to Repair a Laptop Battery
- BU-912: How to Test Mobile Phone Batteries
- BU-913: How to Maintain Fleet Batteries
- BU-914: Battery Test Summary Table
- Close Part Two Menu
From Birth to Retirement
How to Prolong Battery Life
Battery Testing and Monitoring
- BU-1001: Batteries in Industries
- BU-1002: Electric Powertrain, then and now
- BU-1002a: Hybrid Electric Vehicles and the Battery
- BU-1002b: Environmental Benefit of the Electric Powertrain
- BU-1003: Electric Vehicle (EV)
- BU-1003a: Battery Aging in an Electric Vehicle (EV)
- BU-1004: Charging an Electric Vehicle
- BU-1005: Does the Fuel Cell-powered Vehicle have a Future?
- BU-1006: Cost of Mobile and Renewable Power
- BU-1007: Net Calorific Value
- BU-1008: Working towards Sustainability
- BU-1009: Battery Paradox - Afterword
- BU-1101: Glossary
- BU-1102: Abbreviations
- BU-1103: Bibliography
- BU-1104: About the Author
- BU-1105: About Cadex
- BU-1403: Author’s Creed
- BU-1501 Battery History
- BU-1502 Basics about Batteries
- BU-1503 How to Maintain Batteries
- BU-1504 Battery Test & Analyzing Devices
- BU-1505 Short History of Cadex
- Perception of a Battery Tester
- Measuring Battery State-of-health by Frequency Scan
- Risk Management in Batteries
- Predictive Test Methods for Starter Batteries
- Why Mobile Phone Batteries do not last as long as an EV Battery
- Battery Rapid-test Methods
- How to Charge Li-ion with a Parasitic Load
- Ultra-fast Charging
- Assuring Safety of Lithium-ion in the Workforce
- Diagnostic Battery Management
- Tweaking the Mobile Phone Battery
- Battery Test Methods
- Battery Testing and Safety
- How to Make Battery Performance Transparent
- Battery Diagnostics On-the-fly
- Making Battery State-of-health Transparent
- Batteries will eventually die, but when and how?
- Why does Pokémon Go rob so much Battery Power?
- How to Care for the Battery
- How to Rate Battery Runtime
- Tesla’s iPhone Moment — How the Powerwall will Change Global Energy Use
- Painting the Battery Green by giving it a Second Life
- Charging without Wires — A Solution or Laziness
- What everyone should know about Battery Chargers
- A Look at Cell Formats and how to Build a good Battery
- Battery Breakthroughs — Myth or Fact?
- Rapid-test Methods that No Longer Work
- Shipping Lithium-based Batteries by Air
- How to make Batteries more Reliable and Longer Lasting
- What causes Lithium-ion to die?
- Safety of Lithium-ion Batteries
- Recognizing Battery Capacity as the Missing Link
- Managing Batteries for Warehouse Logistics
- Caring for your Starter Battery
- Giving Batteries a Second Life
- How to Make Batteries in Medical Devices More Reliable
- Possible Solutions for the Battery Problem on the Boeing 787
- Impedance Spectroscopy Checks Battery Capacity in 15 Seconds
- How to Improve the Battery Fuel Gauge
- Examining Loading Characteristics on Primary and Secondary Batteries
- BU-001: Compartir conocimiento sobre baterías
- BU-002: Introducción
- BU-003: Dedicatoria
- BU-104: Conociendo la Batería
- BU-302: Configuraciones de Baterías en Serie y Paralelo
- Change-log of “Batteries in a Portable World,” 4th edition: Chapters 1 - 3
- Change-log of “Batteries in a Portable World,” 4th edition: Chapters 4 - 10
- Close Part Three Menu
Amazing Value of a Battery
Information
Learning Tools
Battery Pool
Language Pool
Batteries in a Portable World
Comments (27)
Q: My home security system came with a 12-volt 4ah rated battery ... is there a problem if I use a 12-volt 5ah battery to replace? Both are sealed acid type batteries. Thanks.
hellow
i have a question about battery element tester
can i now , how work the element tester?
what about riplle and level on the battery element tester?
thanks
Hello, I was wondering how many cordless drill batteries are sold in the united states. I am doing a project on cordless drill batteries and needed to know statistics and the market for cordless drill batteries. Thank you
I am designing a solar panel to charge a 12 volt 6 watt battery that will in turn charge an outsides flow meter. (must be rechargeable) It will experience freezing temperature to high temperature of 99 Farenhiet. It will experience humidity. It will only have have a few hours to recharge due to optimal sunlight conditions. I want the battery to last a least a year to two years instead of its initial 4 months. The battery will be in constant use. What is the best type of battery for me? I have a decent budget, but it is not that large.
What exactly is “a few percent” when you say “discharge losses are only a few percent”? And what do you mean by “discharge losses”? Total capacity of the battery lost by each discharge? Let’s say a few % is 3%, if you lose 3% of your battery each full discharge, you can only use your battery 33 times?
I want to charge my solar street light battery of 97.68 AH within 2 - 3 hours - what specifications should the Solar Panel fulfill. The existing Panel is of 12 W and seems insufficient
Thanks
Jeremias
If you lose 3% of your batteries charge capacity at each charging then it retains 97% each charging. That means if you charge it 10 times it will have 100% of it’s life times 0.97 to the 10th power left.
In an equation this looks like:
What’s Left = (100%) times (0.97 to the nth power)
Where “n” is how many times the battery is charged.
So after 33 charges there is still 36.6% of the battery’s charge capacity left.
The equation in Microsoft Excel is:
“=A2*(POWER(0.97,B2))”
where cell A2 has 100 in it and cell B2 has the number of charges the battery has experienced. The equation above should be in cell C2.
Hope this helps.
Dear Kerry,
That you for your explanation.
Basically I require to know if the electrical charge on the Solar panel of a particular capacity say 12 W can have the charge transferred in a faster time to the battery through a booster circuit i.e if the battery requires 6 hours for a full charge - can the charge be boosted to reduce the time to 3 hours
Regards,
Jeremias
Can we use the sheer power of will as an energy source instead of batteries?
Hi.
I was wondering if you could compare batteries to super-caps too?
I think super-caps are starting to make a splash in the stored power sector.
Thanks!
Jake
I am a novice…so please forgive my basic questions!
I am trying to discover what would be best for long term camping. I have a yurt that is 14’ across that needs a heater using D cell batteries.
I’m wondering about a car battery to run my heater
Would I need an inverter? ...or some other converter?
Would all this be a good idea?
Thanks for your patience!
How about charging through a super capacitor in electric vehicle in the future?
————impression after reading BU104a
i am confused.
“Batteries store energy well and for a long time.”
“Compared to fossil fuel, the battery has a low storage capability. “
” store energy well” is contradictory with “low storage capability”, isn’t it?
Just a small comment on ICE engine efficiency.
Contemporary diesel engines and gensets can deliver more than 40% of mechanical efficiency and more than 38% typical electrical efficiency: 5.16 to 5.3 mW of nominal fuel energy (depending on engine and generator model) are converted into 2 mW of electrical energy on generator output. And if you look at big natural gas engines they claim electrical efficiency of 45+ %. With CCHP option total fuel to useful stuff efficiency can be 95% or even more.
Hi,i am student, what characterization is used to measure the charge and discharge of the battery ,and how to calculate and draw graph for my study
Nice website about batteries and other power sources. I’d like to add my 2 cents worth of color regarding comments about fuel cells.
” the fuel cell delivers 2,000–5,000 hours of service”
There are several kinds of fuel cells, each with different characteristics. The molten carbonate fuel cell has a five year service life or about 40,000 hours. It is used in stationary megawatt power generation applications
Also the molten carbonate fuel cell has a 1200 F operational temperature and is therefore not adversely affected by cold environments. It does take a day to warm up and is suited to provide base load rather than peaking power.
Gas stations need to become “cell stops”, where an electric vehicle can quickly be loaded with fresh, recharged batteries and it’s flat batteries removed and recharged. This would also need auto. manufacturers to agree on a standard size and shape for batteries. With the correct automation, this process need take no longer than pumping a tank full of fuel.
Diesel generator or battery with solar panel installation. Which one is economical and reliable??
plis,hw do I charge a seal lead accumulator
I think we need to mention the other battery conversion of lead like alum and epsom which have good promises and longer life span as well as being cheaper than thier acid counterpart which formerly the cheapest recharge able storage battery .
You should use a constant voltage constant current charger of about 2.5 VOLTS PER CELL with enough current to charge the battery in not less than 8 to 16 hours at about a nominal current of one ampere per every 7ah capacity . Do not charge it like lithium and nickel or other battery types.
Can I get something clarified from this section please? Energy storage
Batteries store energy reasonably well and for a long time. Primary batteries (non-rechargeable) hold more energy than secondary (rechargeable) the self-discharge is lower… Should it read, AND the self-discharge is lower, or did you mean something else?
Also, is this why primary cells (AA and AAA) are 1.5V whereas secondary cells the same size are only 1.2V? With 4 in series the difference is telling - 6V compared to 4.8V Cheers.
I think by discharge loss they mean how much of charge is lost by the battery just sitting there charged. NOT how much capacity is lost per charge cycle.
I like this website it helped me a lot
There is no comparison between any type of engine and a battery. An engine generates power, while a battery is power storage. When the battery is discharged, you will need to “generate” power to recharge.
Dear Battery University Folks:
Your service life data for hydrogen fuel cells is way out of date. The agency on whose board I serve, tha Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District, has been operating hydrogen fuel cell buses for about 20 years. Some of our UTC PEM fuel cells have begun to reach end if life (80% power). They have all lasted over 32,000 hours. Tower Transit in London, which has been operating hydrogen fuel cell buses about as long as AC, has reported similar service spans with Ballard PEM fuel cells.
—Chris Peeples -
=====================================
H. E. Christian (Chris) Peeples
At-Large Director
Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District
1600 Franklin Street, 10th Floor
Oakland, California 94612-2800
+1-510-891-7151, (c) 510-851-0968
cpeeples@actransit.org
www.actransit.org
=====================================
Hi, I manage all the UPS installation across the Asia Pacific region.
I notice we have slightly different voltages for different sites. The charging voltages range from 13.32 - 13.70 volts [per battery block]. According to some of the UPS manufacturers, the charging voltage should be 13.65 Volts and not lower.
We use mainly Valve Regulated Lead Acid battery for our UPS systems
How can I determine what is the optimum charging voltage for the systems.
What will happen is the charging voltage is too low or too high. What is too low and too high.