Wednesday, January 22, 2014

How Lithium-Ion Batteries Work

By Hedrick Lepsch


Everyone is starting to jump on the solar energy bandwagon because of its increasing benefits for everyone. Although at first, solar energy might seem like a costly option, it can help you in the long run financially, give you a sense of energy independence, and help you go green. Why does it work? Solar energy is one of the most abundant forms of energy that we have.

Harnessing the sun is no easy task but as our technology increases, we can take advantage of this unending power source. Solar energy is harnessed through large panels that can be put up in convenient places such as your roof. Solar panels are used on the satellites up in space and consequently, have become much more reliable over the years. You can install the solar panels and then forget about them.

Above the copper plate lies the anode which has a negative charge and is made of graphite (a layered carbon structure). Between the cathode and the anode is a liquid medium electrolyte which carries electrons between the cathode and the anode allowing the batteries charge to flow freely.

The use of thermophotovoltaics increases the efficiency of current solar cells by increasing the span of light that can be converted. Traditional cells can only convert Infrared light into electric current while higher energy light was wasted as heat and lower energy light passed through the cells untouched. This new technology adds onto the current system by placing an intermediary between the sunlight and the solar cells.

The Chemistry When the lithium-ion battery is connected to an outside current and allowed to charge positively-charged lithium-ions are repelled from the positively charged cathode layer and are attracted to the negatively charged anode. The lithium ions are so small that they are able to pass through the separator due to the principle of micro-porosity. The positive ions are stored in the layered graphite structure of the anode effectively charging the battery. When the battery is used and energy is removed from the cell the charge of the cathode diminishes attracting the positive ions it originally lost.

Solar panels aren't just for places that are on deserted islands or faraway places; you can actually have them in your regular suburban neighborhood and be ahead of the curve on your street. Go green Everyone wants to go green. Companies are producing "green" products. Going green is the alternative to other fossil fuels.

Solar panels are a great solution to fossil fuels and also are great for the environment. Solar panels reduce the emission of pollutants and greenhouse gases in the environment. This can make a huge difference and if everyone was involved would make huge strides for our planet. Real life example In London, England, The Blackfriars station was outfitted with over 4,400 solar panels.

All of these panels were enough to generate about half of all the energy required for the station. This was a great stride for London to be moving towards renewable energy. This recent update to the station has put this station on the map in the busy London area.

Lastly, these batteries degrade quickly. The moment they leave the factory floor the degradation has already started, making the battery life only a few years. All of these reasons combined mean that if you installed Helios 260 watt panels on your home for solar energy lithium-ion is not the battery for you. However, if you are purchasing a new laptop, cellphone, tablet, etc. there is a high chance you will find a lithium-ion battery inside.




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