How do rechargeable batteries actually work? – Review Geek

Rechargeable batteries are more useful for both the environment and your wallet than standard batteries. But how do they work? If you’ve ever been curious about how rechargeable batteries work or why you should switch from standard ones, we’ll help.

There are several key differences between a rechargeable battery and its standard cousin, but the basic process required to power a device is the same. These few differences, however, make rechargeable batteries much more efficient, energy-efficient and cheaper in the long run.

How do rechargeable batteries work?

To understand how rechargeable batteries work, you must first know how a standard (disposable) battery works. If you already know how ordinary batteries work, you can skip a bit; if not, see this brief explanation.

How does a standard battery work?

If we go back to the very basic science, the battery, like everything else in life, consists of atoms. Then, an atom consists of particles called protons, neutrons and electrons. Although protons, electrons, and neutrons seem to have been defined multiple times in elementary school, here’s a refresher. Protons are positive particles, electrons are negative particles, and neutrons are neutral particles without charge.

If you grab an AA battery and take a good look at it, you will see a positive symbol (+) at one end and a negative symbol (-) at the other. These positive and negative indicators represent the positive electrode and the negative electrode inside the battery, separated by an electrolyte solution that controls the electric current between both ends of the battery.

The positive electrode, called the cathode, has a positive charge because it has many more protons than electrons. Then, the negative electrode, called the anode, has an excess of electrons that does not match its number of protons.

Both the cathode and the anode want to reach a state of equilibrium in which they have equal numbers of protons and electrons. To do this, electrons travel from the anode (negative end) to the cathode (positive end) using an electrolyte solution, which lets electrons through only when the battery is connected to the device.

When all the excess electrons from the anode reach the cathode, the battery is empty and can no longer power any of your electronics. On the other hand, rechargeable batteries can use a charger to reverse the flow of electrons so that the anode again has a ton of electrons to emit and provide electricity.

Okay, so how do rechargeable batteries differ from standard batteries?

This electron reversal process allows rechargeable batteries to be used over and over again. This does not mean that you can buy a pack of rechargeable batteries and that it lasts a lifetime. Just as your smartphone’s battery life deteriorates over time, rechargeable AA or AAA batteries will lose the ability to hold a full charge. If properly maintained and used with rechargeable batteries, they can last up to five to seven years.

Rechargeable batteries must be made of certain elements, such as lithium, to enable a safe charging process. Non-rechargeable batteries are usually called alkaline batteries, with zinc and manganese dioxide as the electrodes and potassium or sodium hydroxide as the electrolyte solution that separates them. Alkaline batteries cannot be recharged and, in fact, can be even dangerous and sometimes explosive.

If you decide to invest in rechargeable batteries, you will need to make sure you get the right charger for the batteries you buy. There are three main types of rechargeable batteries: Li-ion (lithium-ion), NiMH (nickel-metal hydride) and NiCd (nickel-cadmium).

Getting a NiMH charger for Li-ion batteries or any other mismatched combination is a bad idea. So be sure to recognize what your rechargeable batteries are made of and find the right charger for that specific type of battery.

What are the benefits of using rechargeable batteries?

Using rechargeable batteries instead of standard batteries brings environmental and financial benefits. Because rechargeable batteries allow you to buy fewer of them over time, you create less waste, both from used batteries and from new battery packs. Plus, even though you need to spend a little more on rechargeable batteries in advance, you’ll save money over time. All brands of batteries differ in price and estimated charge length, so let’s take a look at Duracell batteries for a closer comparison.

A pack of 4 Duracell standard AA batteries costs around $ 6, while a pack of 4 Duracell rechargeable batteries sells for around $ 16. Then you will also need to buy a rechargeable battery charger or you can get valuable packaging with batteries and a charger.

While you’d save $ 10 right away sticking to standard batteries, consider how much you’d save with rechargeable batteries out of a total of 400 charges. It is impossible to know if you will get exactly 400 charges for each battery, but that is what Duracell boasts that its rechargeable batteries are capable of. Charging batteries instead of buying new ones – 400 times more – is a huge saving of money.

Don’t forget the environmental implications! With Duracell rechargeable batteries, that’s about 400 packs of standard batteries (and ~ 1600 actual batteries) that you save out of the trash.

Of course, these are estimates that are only there to suggest possibilities. As already mentioned, each brand of battery boasts a different number of charges, different price differences, and sometimes even different types of rechargeable batteries. Duracell’s 400 charge guarantee is probably based on proper maintenance of your batteries over the years.

How do you properly maintain rechargeable batteries?

As mentioned earlier, make sure you have purchased the correct type of charger for the type of rechargeable battery you purchased. For example, if you use lithium rechargeable batteries, be sure to buy a lithium-specific charger. Although your batteries can be charged in a non-lithium charger, it is not as efficient and certainly not as safe.

When it comes to chargers, try to get a smart charger that will prevent overcharging. Smart chargers recognize when the battery is full and either interrupt charging or switch to flow charging until you can remove them from the charger. Even if you have a smart charger, you should still remove your batteries when you realize that they are fully charged, or better yet, almost fully charged.

Charging a rechargeable battery follows many of the same protocols as charging a smartphone. You may have heard that leaving the phone in the dark or overcharging the phone can cause the battery to lose its ability to hold on. The same concept can be applied to rechargeable batteries. It is better to charge them when they reach about 20% of capacity, instead of waiting until they run out completely.

You will also want to use your rechargeable batteries constantly. Without fairly regular use, rechargeable batteries will also not be able to function. This can mean rotating the batteries every month, even if they are still 50% charged.

Make sure you monitor the heat of your batteries while charging, or better yet, get a smart charger that comes with some sort of cooling function or heat-absorbing material. Heat is harmful to rechargeable batteries, so keep them away from sunlight when not in use.

Are rechargeable batteries better than standard batteries?

Basically, yes. Rechargeable batteries will last you two to seven years, depending on the brand you choose and how well you maintain them. They will save you money, help the environment and just keep you cool. Even without the charging function, rechargeable batteries usually last longer than standard batteries because of what they are made of.

However, there is certainly nothing wrong with keeping both standard and rechargeable batteries handy. After all, rechargeable batteries require power from the outlet to recharge. So, if you are in the middle of an emergency, such as a power outage due to a storm, and your rechargeable batteries are not charged, you will be grateful for the stock of standard batteries. Alkaline batteries also have a significantly longer lifespan than rechargeable batteries, making them a better choice for emergency kits.

There is another case where alkaline batteries win over rechargeable batteries. Alkaline batteries are a better choice if you have electronics that require constant low power consumption, such as a wall clock, bicycle lamp or headlamp. These batteries start at a higher voltage and consume at a constantly predictable speed.

Rechargeable batteries, on the other hand, start at a lower voltage and maintain that low power for longer, which can result in strange or inconsistent device performance. Also, rechargeable batteries lose total capacity the more they are recharged. So, when you use a device that constantly uses energy, you may find that you charge the batteries more often than you would like.

It’s also worth thinking about what things in your home currently need batteries for. Do you remember the last time you had to change the batteries in the remote? Many devices today come with a built-in battery that charges via a USB cable and a wall outlet. Before you start choosing between standard and rechargeable batteries, think about how much you use in general.

Best rechargeable AA and AAA batteries

If you want to switch and invest in some rechargeable batteries, we can help you. We’ve done all the research for you if you just want to review our selections, but we also cover what you should look for in a rechargeable battery in case you want to search for yourself.