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Batteries

A battery is a portable source of electricity. It is a device which stores potential energy in the
form of charge. When the terminals of the battery are connected across a load (resistance),
this potential energy is converted into electrical energy, which may be used to power an
actuator such as an electric motor.
An electrical battery is a combination of one or more electrochemical cells. If you look at any
battery, you'll notice that it has two terminals. One terminal is marked (+), or positive, while
the other is marked (-), or negative. In an AA, C or D cell (normal flashlight batteries), the ends
of the battery are the terminals. In a large car battery, there are two heavy lead posts that act
as the terminals.

Working of a battery
Electrons collect on the negative terminal of the battery
The electrons flow from the negative to the positive terminal
A load is connected across the battery
The load might be something like a light bulb, a motor or an electronic circuit like a
radio

CAUTION!

Do not connect a very low resistance (a wire) across the two terminals of a battery.
This will result in shorting of the battery. The wire will become very hot and may
even burn your hand.

SPECIFICATIONS OF A BATTERY
A battery is specified by the following two characteristics:

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Voltage
Voltage is similar to the height of the water tank. If the water tank is higher, the turbine will
rotate faster. Similarly, if the battery voltage is higher, the motor rotates faster. Voltage is also
called EMF or Electromotive Force. Voltage is measured in the unit volts.

CHARGE CAPACITY
This is similar to the size of the water tank. If the size of the water tank is larger, it can drive
the turbine for long time, i.e. the tank will take a longer time to get empty. Similarly, a battery
of larger capacity can be used for a longer time. Charge capacity is measured in mAh which
stands for milli-Ampere-hour. Batteries which we use in Walkman or CD player are generally
2500 mAh.

Combinations of batteries
If the battery of required specification is not available, then the specification can be achieved
by connecting the available batteries in series combination or in parallel combination or both.

Series Connection

In this mode, the positive terminal of one battery is connected to the negative terminal
of the other battery and so on and this entire assembly can be treated as the
equivalent battery.
The positive terminal of the first battery becomes the positive terminal of the
equivalent battery and the negative terminal of the last battery becomes the equivalent
negative terminal.
In this case, the voltage obtained across the equivalent battery is equal to the sum of
the voltages of the individual batteries.
The charge capacity of the assembly is equal to the charge capacity of each battery.
When such an assembly is connected across the terminals of a motor, it tends to rotate
faster and rotates for the nearly same time as it would have, had a single battery been
connected across it.
In the figure above, four 1.2V, 1000mA batteries have been connected in series. The output
obtained across the terminals of the equivalent battery is 4.8V, 1000mA.

Parallel Connection

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In this mode, the positive terminals of all the required batteries are connected together
to obtain the positive terminal of the equivalent battery. The same is done for the
negative terminal.
In this mode, the voltage across the terminals of the equivalent battery is equal to the
voltage of a single battery, if all the batteries connected are of the same voltage.
However, the charge capacity becomes equal to the sum of the charge capacities of the
individual batteries.
When such an assembly is connected to a motor, the speed of rotation remains almost
the same as it would have, had one battery been connected across it.
However, the time for which the motor runs increases in proportion to the number of
batteries used in the assembly.
In the figure above, four 1.2V, 1000mA batteries have been connected in parallel, producing
an equivalent battery of 1.2V, 4000mA.
Using a combination of series and parallel you can have Desired Voltage and Desired
Time/Current.

TYPES OF BATTERIES
Batteries are broadly classified into two main types:
1.

Primary Batteries
Primary batteries cannot be recharged and their energy cannot be restored once used.
They can produce current immediately on assembly. They are intended to be used once
and discarded. Common types of disposable batteries include zinc-carbon batteries and
alkaline batteries.

2.

SECONDARY BATTERIES
Secondary batteries can be recharged. That is, they can have their chemical reactions
reversed by supplying electrical energy to the cell, restoring their original composition.
Devices to supply the appropriate current are called chargers or rechargers. Some
common examples of secondary batteries are Lead-acid batteries and Lithium Polymer
Batteries.

WIDELY USED BATTERIES

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ALKALINE BATTERIES
These are commonly used in household appliances such as TV
remotes, clocks etc. The nominal voltage of an alkaline battery is 1.5
volts. Greater voltages may be obtained by connecting these batteries
in series. This battery is a primary battery.

LEAD ACID BATTERIES

These are rechargeable batteries and are used commonly in cars. The
electrodes are made of lead and lead-oxide with a strong acidic
electrolyte. This is a secondary battery.

LITHIUM POLYMER BATTERIES

These are rechargeable batteries with a high power to weight ratio.
Hence they are widely used in aero-modeling applications. They are
the lightest batteries available. These batteries are also secondary
batteries.

NICKEL CADMIUM BATTERY

The electrodes are nickel-hydroxide and cadmium, with potassiumhydroxide as the electrolyte. These batteries are generally used in
cordless phones and cell phones. They are generally rechargeable.

COMPARISON OF THE VARIOUS AVAILABLE BATTERIES

A comparison of the commonly available batteries with regard to various parameters is
provided in the table below:

SELECTING A BATTERY FOR YOUR ROBOT

The specification of the battery you choose for your robot will depend on the robot
itself. The specifications of the battery generally depend on the specifications of the
motor used.
The choice of battery will also depend on whether the batteries are required to be
rechargeable or not.
Voltage rating of the battery must be same as the voltage rating of the motor used.
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CHOOSING THE CHARGE CAPACITY

You must determine the current being drawn by the motor and the time for which it
runs. The product of the current drawn by the motor (milli-amperes) and the time
(hours) gives us the charge capacity of the battery.
If you are running multiple motors, then the charge capacity required will increase
proportionally.
You can obtain an equivalent battery of the required specification by connecting
available batteries in series or parallel or both.
Generally, for a ground robot driven by a low voltage motor (3V-9V), alkaline batteries are
used. These can be rechargeable or non-rechargeable. For a ground robot driven by a high
voltage motor (12V-16V), lead-acid batteries are used. In aerial robots, lithium polymer
batteries are used due to their high energy density and low weight.

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