69-402: Rainer Hald, CTO VARTA AG ( pronounced [ˈvaʁta] ; German: Vertrieb, Aufladung, Reparatur transportabler Akkumulatoren – lit. ' distribution, recharging and repair of portable accumulators ' ) is a German company manufacturing batteries for global automotive, industrial, and consumer markets. VARTA was founded by Adolf Müller in 1887, and established in 1904 as
138-400: A zinc anode, usually in the form of a cylindrical pot, with a carbon cathode in the form of a central rod. The electrolyte is ammonium chloride in the form of a paste next to the zinc anode. The remaining space between the electrolyte and carbon cathode is taken up by a second paste consisting of ammonium chloride and manganese dioxide, the latter acting as a depolariser . In some designs,
207-434: A battery cannot deliver as much power. As such, in cold climates, some car owners install battery warmers, which are small electric heating pads that keep the car battery warm. A battery's capacity is the amount of electric charge it can deliver at a voltage that does not drop below the specified terminal voltage. The more electrode material contained in the cell the greater its capacity. A small cell has less capacity than
276-403: A battery rated at 100 A·h can deliver 5 A over a 20-hour period at room temperature . The fraction of the stored charge that a battery can deliver depends on multiple factors, including battery chemistry, the rate at which the charge is delivered (current), the required terminal voltage, the storage period, ambient temperature and other factors. The higher the discharge rate, the lower
345-421: A battery rated at 2 A·h for a 10- or 20-hour discharge would not sustain a current of 1 A for a full two hours as its stated capacity suggests. The C-rate is a measure of the rate at which a battery is being charged or discharged. It is defined as the current through the battery divided by the theoretical current draw under which the battery would deliver its nominal rated capacity in one hour. It has
414-412: A cell maintained 1.5 volts and produced a charge of one coulomb then on complete discharge it would have performed 1.5 joules of work. In actual cells, the internal resistance increases under discharge and the open-circuit voltage also decreases under discharge. If the voltage and resistance are plotted against time, the resulting graphs typically are a curve; the shape of the curve varies according to
483-660: A discharge rate about 100x greater than current batteries, and smart battery packs with state-of-charge monitors and battery protection circuits that prevent damage on over-discharge. Low self-discharge (LSD) allows secondary cells to be charged prior to shipping. Lithium–sulfur batteries were used on the longest and highest solar-powered flight. Batteries of all types are manufactured in consumer and industrial grades. Costlier industrial-grade batteries may use chemistries that provide higher power-to-size ratio, have lower self-discharge and hence longer life when not in use, more resistance to leakage and, for example, ability to handle
552-525: A freshly charged nickel cadmium (NiCd) battery loses 10% of its charge in the first 24 hours, and thereafter discharges at a rate of about 10% a month. However, newer low self-discharge nickel–metal hydride (NiMH) batteries and modern lithium designs display a lower self-discharge rate (but still higher than for primary batteries). The active material on the battery plates changes chemical composition on each charge and discharge cycle; active material may be lost due to physical changes of volume, further limiting
621-475: A gun. The acceleration breaks a capsule of electrolyte that activates the battery and powers the fuze's circuits. Reserve batteries are usually designed for a short service life (seconds or minutes) after long storage (years). A water-activated battery for oceanographic instruments or military applications becomes activated on immersion in water. On 28 February 2017, the University of Texas at Austin issued
690-446: A large current for a sustained period. The Daniell cell , invented in 1836 by British chemist John Frederic Daniell , was the first practical source of electricity , becoming an industry standard and seeing widespread adoption as a power source for electrical telegraph networks. It consisted of a copper pot filled with a copper sulfate solution, in which was immersed an unglazed earthenware container filled with sulfuric acid and
759-434: A larger cell with the same chemistry, although they develop the same open-circuit voltage. Capacity is usually stated in ampere-hours (A·h) (mAh for small batteries). The rated capacity of a battery is usually expressed as the product of 20 hours multiplied by the current that a new battery can consistently supply for 20 hours at 20 °C (68 °F), while remaining above a specified terminal voltage per cell. For example,
SECTION 10
#1732779723149828-457: A molten salt as electrolyte. They operate at high temperatures and must be well insulated to retain heat. A dry cell uses a paste electrolyte, with only enough moisture to allow current to flow. Unlike a wet cell, a dry cell can operate in any orientation without spilling, as it contains no free liquid, making it suitable for portable equipment. By comparison, the first wet cells were typically fragile glass containers with lead rods hanging from
897-483: A nickel and a penny ) and a piece of paper towel dipped in salt water . Such a pile generates a very low voltage but, when many are stacked in series , they can replace normal batteries for a short time. Batteries are classified into primary and secondary forms: Some types of primary batteries used, for example, for telegraph circuits, were restored to operation by replacing the electrodes. Secondary batteries are not indefinitely rechargeable due to dissipation of
966-539: A paste, made portable electrical devices practical. Batteries in vacuum tube devices historically used a wet cell for the "A" battery (to provide power to the filament) and a dry cell for the "B" battery (to provide the plate voltage). Between 2010 and 2018, annual battery demand grew by 30%, reaching a total of 180 GWh in 2018. Conservatively, the growth rate is expected to be maintained at an estimated 25%, culminating in demand reaching 2600 GWh in 2030. In addition, cost reductions are expected to further increase
1035-480: A press release about a new type of solid-state battery , developed by a team led by lithium-ion battery inventor John Goodenough , "that could lead to safer, faster-charging, longer-lasting rechargeable batteries for handheld mobile devices, electric cars and stationary energy storage". The solid-state battery is also said to have "three times the energy density", increasing its useful life in electric vehicles, for example. It should also be more ecologically sound since
1104-402: A single cell. Primary (single-use or "disposable") batteries are used once and discarded , as the electrode materials are irreversibly changed during discharge; a common example is the alkaline battery used for flashlights and a multitude of portable electronic devices. Secondary (rechargeable) batteries can be discharged and recharged multiple times using an applied electric current;
1173-770: A subsidiary of Accumulatoren-Fabrik AFA . After World War I , VARTA together with AFA was acquired by German industrialist Günther Quandt and industrialist and VARTA CEO Dr. Carl Hermann Roderbourg . After World War II , most of the VARTA shares passed from Günther Quandt to his son, Herbert Quandt . The subsidiary in East Berlin was later occupied by the Soviet Union , and was named BAE Batterien . In 1977, VARTA AG's businesses were split up by Herbert Quandt; battery and plastics operations were retained in VARTA AG, but
1242-657: A total of 38,200,000 shares. With an issue price of 17.50 euro the company had a value of 668.5 million euro. On 2 January 2019, American company Energizer Holdings, Inc. took control over VARTA's consumer battery segment. On 29 May 2019, VARTA AG signed an agreement to acquire the VARTA Consumer Batteries business for the Europe, Middle East and Africa regions (including the manufacturing and distribution facilities in Germany) from Energizer Holdings, which
1311-422: A zinc electrode. These wet cells used liquid electrolytes, which were prone to leakage and spillage if not handled correctly. Many used glass jars to hold their components, which made them fragile and potentially dangerous. These characteristics made wet cells unsuitable for portable appliances. Near the end of the nineteenth century, the invention of dry cell batteries , which replaced the liquid electrolyte with
1380-423: Is a source of electric power consisting of one or more electrochemical cells with external connections for powering electrical devices. When a battery is supplying power, its positive terminal is the cathode and its negative terminal is the anode . The terminal marked negative is the source of electrons. When a battery is connected to an external electric load, those negatively charged electrons flow through
1449-573: Is also used as a rating on batteries to indicate the maximum current that a battery can safely deliver in a circuit. Standards for rechargeable batteries generally rate the capacity and charge cycles over a 4-hour (0.25C), 8 hour (0.125C) or longer discharge time. Types intended for special purposes, such as in a computer uninterruptible power supply , may be rated by manufacturers for discharge periods much less than one hour (1C) but may suffer from limited cycle life. In 2009 experimental lithium iron phosphate ( LiFePO 4 ) battery technology provided
SECTION 20
#17327797231491518-510: Is called the open-circuit voltage and equals the emf of the cell. Because of internal resistance, the terminal voltage of a cell that is discharging is smaller in magnitude than the open-circuit voltage and the terminal voltage of a cell that is charging exceeds the open-circuit voltage. An ideal cell has negligible internal resistance, so it would maintain a constant terminal voltage of E {\displaystyle {\mathcal {E}}} until exhausted, then dropping to zero. If such
1587-505: Is known as the "self-discharge" rate, and is due to non-current-producing "side" chemical reactions that occur within the cell even when no load is applied. The rate of side reactions is reduced for batteries stored at lower temperatures, although some can be damaged by freezing and storing in a fridge will not meaningfully prolong shelf life and risks damaging condensation. Old rechargeable batteries self-discharge more rapidly than disposable alkaline batteries, especially nickel-based batteries;
1656-539: Is lost and the battery stops producing power. Internal energy losses and limitations on the rate that ions pass through the electrolyte cause battery efficiency to vary. Above a minimum threshold, discharging at a low rate delivers more of the battery's capacity than at a higher rate. Installing batteries with varying A·h ratings changes operating time, but not device operation unless load limits are exceeded. High-drain loads such as digital cameras can reduce total capacity of rechargeable or disposable batteries. For example,
1725-636: Is popular in the automotive industry as a replacement for the lead–acid wet cell. The VRLA battery uses an immobilized sulfuric acid electrolyte, reducing the chance of leakage and extending shelf life . VRLA batteries immobilize the electrolyte. The two types are: Other portable rechargeable batteries include several sealed "dry cell" types, that are useful in applications such as mobile phones and laptop computers . Cells of this type (in order of increasing power density and cost) include nickel–cadmium (NiCd), nickel–zinc (NiZn), nickel–metal hydride (NiMH), and lithium-ion (Li-ion) cells. Li-ion has by far
1794-508: Is somewhat offset by the higher efficiency of electric motors in converting electrical energy to mechanical work, compared to combustion engines. Benjamin Franklin first used the term "battery" in 1749 when he was doing experiments with electricity using a set of linked Leyden jar capacitors. Franklin grouped a number of the jars into what he described as a "battery", using the military term for weapons functioning together. By multiplying
1863-455: Is the difference in the cohesive or bond energies of the metals, oxides, or molecules undergoing the electrochemical reaction. For instance, energy can be stored in Zn or Li, which are high-energy metals because they are not stabilized by d-electron bonding, unlike transition metals . Batteries are designed so that the energetically favorable redox reaction can occur only when electrons move through
1932-489: Is the modern car battery , which can, in general, deliver a peak current of 450 amperes . Many types of electrochemical cells have been produced, with varying chemical processes and designs, including galvanic cells , electrolytic cells , fuel cells , flow cells and voltaic piles. A wet cell battery has a liquid electrolyte . Other names are flooded cell , since the liquid covers all internal parts or vented cell , since gases produced during operation can escape to
2001-643: The Amtsgericht Stuttgart about a major restructuring. According to press reports from July 2024, the company intended to reduce its nominal capital to zero, which would devaluate its stock. Martin Buchenau commented in the Handelsblatt in late July 2024, that while minor shareholders are destined to lose everything, major shareholder Michael Tojner and Porsche are entangled in a bitter fight with creditors about who will give up how much of
2070-741: The Daniell cell were built as open-top glass jar wet cells. Other primary wet cells are the Leclanche cell , Grove cell , Bunsen cell , Chromic acid cell , Clark cell , and Weston cell . The Leclanche cell chemistry was adapted to the first dry cells. Wet cells are still used in automobile batteries and in industry for standby power for switchgear , telecommunication or large uninterruptible power supplies , but in many places batteries with gel cells have been used instead. These applications commonly use lead–acid or nickel–cadmium cells. Molten salt batteries are primary or secondary batteries that use
2139-486: The Zamboni pile , invented in 1812, offers a very long service life without refurbishment or recharge, although it can supply very little current (nanoamps). The Oxford Electric Bell has been ringing almost continuously since 1840 on its original pair of batteries, thought to be Zamboni piles. Disposable batteries typically lose 8–20% of their original charge per year when stored at room temperature (20–30 °C). This
VARTA - Misplaced Pages Continue
2208-462: The Quandts had sold their shares. VARTA AG then liquidated its remaining assets, contracts, liabilities and shareholdings, in particular the manufacture and sale of VARTA batteries, while continuing its company businesses. On 19 October 2017, 11,600,000 shares of the VARTA AG were floated on the stock market ( Prime Standard ), with an additional 1,740,000 bought by underwriters ( green shoe ), out of
2277-534: The act, the majority of the creditors has to agree to a restructuring plan, then the approval of the shareholders can be substituted by a court decision, preventing the sharholders from blocking their own sequestration. In October 2024, Germany's Federal Cartel Office approved Porsche's acquisition of a non-controlling interest in VARTA as well as a majority of shares and sole control of V4Drive Battery, its business unit for large-format lithium-ion cells for electric cars. Electric battery An electric battery
2346-481: The active materials, loss of electrolyte and internal corrosion. Primary batteries, or primary cells , can produce current immediately on assembly. These are most commonly used in portable devices that have low current drain, are used only intermittently, or are used well away from an alternative power source, such as in alarm and communication circuits where other electric power is only intermittently available. Disposable primary cells cannot be reliably recharged, since
2415-483: The air. Wet cells were a precursor to dry cells and are commonly used as a learning tool for electrochemistry . They can be built with common laboratory supplies, such as beakers , for demonstrations of how electrochemical cells work. A particular type of wet cell known as a concentration cell is important in understanding corrosion . Wet cells may be primary cells (non-rechargeable) or secondary cells (rechargeable). Originally, all practical primary batteries such as
2484-414: The ammonium chloride is replaced by zinc chloride . A reserve battery can be stored unassembled (unactivated and supplying no power) for a long period (perhaps years). When the battery is needed, then it is assembled (e.g., by adding electrolyte); once assembled, the battery is charged and ready to work. For example, a battery for an electronic artillery fuze might be activated by the impact of firing
2553-463: The batteries within are charged and discharged evenly. Primary batteries readily available to consumers range from tiny button cells used for electric watches, to the No. 6 cell used for signal circuits or other long duration applications. Secondary cells are made in very large sizes; very large batteries can power a submarine or stabilize an electrical grid and help level out peak loads. As of 2017 ,
2622-428: The battery be kept upright and the area be well ventilated to ensure safe dispersal of the hydrogen gas it produces during overcharging . The lead–acid battery is relatively heavy for the amount of electrical energy it can supply. Its low manufacturing cost and its high surge current levels make it common where its capacity (over approximately 10 Ah) is more important than weight and handling issues. A common application
2691-506: The battery is fully charged then overcharging is likely, damaging it. Federal Cartel Office The Federal Cartel Office ( German : Bundeskartellamt , German pronunciation: [bʊndəskaʁˈtɛlˌʔamt] ; BKartA ) is Germany 's national competition regulatory agency . First established in 1958, BKartA comes under the authority of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action . The agency
2760-703: The capacity. The relationship between current, discharge time and capacity for a lead acid battery is approximated (over a typical range of current values) by Peukert's law : where Charged batteries (rechargeable or disposable) lose charge by internal self-discharge over time although not discharged, due to the presence of generally irreversible side reactions that consume charge carriers without producing current. The rate of self-discharge depends upon battery chemistry and construction, typically from months to years for significant loss. When batteries are recharged, additional side reactions reduce capacity for subsequent discharges. After enough recharges, in essence all capacity
2829-400: The cathode, while metal atoms are oxidized (electrons are removed) at the anode. Some cells use different electrolytes for each half-cell; then a separator is used to prevent mixing of the electrolytes while allowing ions to flow between half-cells to complete the electrical circuit. Each half-cell has an electromotive force ( emf , measured in volts) relative to a standard . The net emf of
VARTA - Misplaced Pages Continue
2898-449: The cell is the difference between the emfs of its half-cells. Thus, if the electrodes have emfs E 1 {\displaystyle {\mathcal {E}}_{1}} and E 2 {\displaystyle {\mathcal {E}}_{2}} , then the net emf is E 2 − E 1 {\displaystyle {\mathcal {E}}_{2}-{\mathcal {E}}_{1}} ; in other words,
2967-644: The chemical reactions are not easily reversible and active materials may not return to their original forms. Battery manufacturers recommend against attempting to recharge primary cells. In general, these have higher energy densities than rechargeable batteries, but disposable batteries do not fare well under high-drain applications with loads under 75 ohms (75 Ω). Common types of disposable batteries include zinc–carbon batteries and alkaline batteries . Secondary batteries, also known as secondary cells , or rechargeable batteries , must be charged before first use; they are usually assembled with active materials in
3036-452: The chemistry and internal arrangement employed. The voltage developed across a cell's terminals depends on the energy release of the chemical reactions of its electrodes and electrolyte. Alkaline and zinc–carbon cells have different chemistries, but approximately the same emf of 1.5 volts; likewise NiCd and NiMH cells have different chemistries, but approximately the same emf of 1.2 volts. The high electrochemical potential changes in
3105-435: The circuit and reach to the positive terminal, thus cause a redox reaction by attracting positively charged ions, cations. Thus converts high-energy reactants to lower-energy products, and the free-energy difference is delivered to the external circuit as electrical energy. Historically the term "battery" specifically referred to a device composed of multiple cells; however, the usage has evolved to include devices composed of
3174-607: The demand to as much as 3562 GWh. Important reasons for this high rate of growth of the electric battery industry include the electrification of transport, and large-scale deployment in electricity grids, supported by decarbonization initiatives. Distributed electric batteries, such as those used in battery electric vehicles ( vehicle-to-grid ), and in home energy storage , with smart metering and that are connected to smart grids for demand response , are active participants in smart power supply grids. New methods of reuse, such as echelon use of partly-used batteries, add to
3243-443: The discharged state. Rechargeable batteries are (re)charged by applying electric current, which reverses the chemical reactions that occur during discharge/use. Devices to supply the appropriate current are called chargers. The oldest form of rechargeable battery is the lead–acid battery , which are widely used in automotive and boating applications. This technology contains liquid electrolyte in an unsealed container, requiring that
3312-416: The electrodes. Low-capacity NiMH batteries (1,700–2,000 mA·h) can be charged some 1,000 times, whereas high-capacity NiMH batteries (above 2,500 mA·h) last about 500 cycles. NiCd batteries tend to be rated for 1,000 cycles before their internal resistance permanently increases beyond usable values. Fast charging increases component changes, shortening battery lifespan. If a charger cannot detect when
3381-506: The external part of the circuit. A battery consists of some number of voltaic cells . Each cell consists of two half-cells connected in series by a conductive electrolyte containing metal cations . One half-cell includes electrolyte and the negative electrode, the electrode to which anions (negatively charged ions) migrate; the other half-cell includes electrolyte and the positive electrode, to which cations (positively charged ions ) migrate. Cations are reduced (electrons are added) at
3450-535: The fastest charging and energy delivery, discharging all its energy into a load in 10 to 20 seconds. In 2024 a prototype battery for electric cars that could charge from 10% to 80% in five minutes was demonstrated, and a Chinese company claimed that car batteries it had introduced charged 10% to 80% in 10.5 minutes—the fastest batteries available—compared to Tesla's 15 minutes to half-charge. Battery life (or lifetime) has two meanings for rechargeable batteries but only one for non-chargeables. It can be used to describe
3519-422: The high temperature and humidity associated with medical autoclave sterilization. Standard-format batteries are inserted into battery holder in the device that uses them. When a device does not uses standard-format batteries, they are typically combined into a custom battery pack which holds multiple batteries in addition to features such as a battery management system and battery isolator which ensure that
SECTION 50
#17327797231493588-402: The highest share of the dry cell rechargeable market. NiMH has replaced NiCd in most applications due to its higher capacity, but NiCd remains in use in power tools , two-way radios , and medical equipment . In the 2000s, developments include batteries with embedded electronics such as USBCELL , which allows charging an AA battery through a USB connector, nanoball batteries that allow for
3657-429: The large-scale use of batteries to collect and store energy from the grid or a power plant and then discharge that energy at a later time to provide electricity or other grid services when needed. Grid scale energy storage (either turnkey or distributed) are important components of smart power supply grids. Batteries convert chemical energy directly to electrical energy . In many cases, the electrical energy released
3726-520: The length of time a device can run on a fully charged battery—this is also unambiguously termed "endurance". For a rechargeable battery it may also be used for the number of charge/discharge cycles possible before the cells fail to operate satisfactorily—this is also termed "lifespan". The term shelf life is used to describe how long a battery will retain its performance between manufacture and use. Available capacity of all batteries drops with decreasing temperature. In contrast to most of today's batteries,
3795-641: The money they lent to VARTA. Along those lines, in August 2024 a compromise was reached: The shareholders lose their stock, the banks write off € 285M of VARTAs debt, Porsche and Tojner make a new combined investment of € 60M and become the owners of VARTA. The deal was based on the Act on the Stabilization and Restructuring Framework for Companies (Gesetz über den Stabilisierungs- und Restrukturierungsrahmen für Unternehmen, StaRUG) (“StaRUG”) from 2021. Under
3864-425: The net emf is the difference between the reduction potentials of the half-reactions . The electrical driving force or Δ V b a t {\displaystyle \displaystyle {\Delta V_{bat}}} across the terminals of a cell is known as the terminal voltage (difference) and is measured in volts . The terminal voltage of a cell that is neither charging nor discharging
3933-422: The number of holding vessels, a stronger charge could be stored, and more power would be available on discharge. Italian physicist Alessandro Volta built and described the first electrochemical battery, the voltaic pile , in 1800. This was a stack of copper and zinc plates, separated by brine-soaked paper disks, that could produce a steady current for a considerable length of time. Volta did not understand that
4002-437: The number of times the battery can be recharged. Most nickel-based batteries are partially discharged when purchased, and must be charged before first use. Newer NiMH batteries are ready to be used when purchased, and have only 15% discharge in a year. Some deterioration occurs on each charge–discharge cycle. Degradation usually occurs because electrolyte migrates away from the electrodes or because active material detaches from
4071-443: The open top and needed careful handling to avoid spillage. Lead–acid batteries did not achieve the safety and portability of the dry cell until the development of the gel battery . A common dry cell is the zinc–carbon battery , sometimes called the dry Leclanché cell , with a nominal voltage of 1.5 volts , the same as the alkaline battery (since both use the same zinc – manganese dioxide combination). A standard dry cell comprises
4140-631: The original composition of the electrodes can be restored by reverse current. Examples include the lead–acid batteries used in vehicles and lithium-ion batteries used for portable electronics such as laptops and mobile phones . Batteries come in many shapes and sizes, from miniature cells used to power hearing aids and wristwatches to, at the largest extreme, huge battery banks the size of rooms that provide standby or emergency power for telephone exchanges and computer data centers . Batteries have much lower specific energy (energy per unit mass) than common fuels such as gasoline. In automobiles, this
4209-408: The overall utility of electric batteries, reduce energy storage costs, and also reduce pollution/emission impacts due to longer lives. In echelon use of batteries, vehicle electric batteries that have their battery capacity reduced to less than 80%, usually after service of 5–8 years, are repurposed for use as backup supply or for renewable energy storage systems. Grid scale energy storage envisages
SECTION 60
#17327797231494278-698: The pharmaceuticals and specialty chemical businesses were transferred to a new company called Altana , and the electrical business was spun off into a company called CEAG. Herbert Quandt left the company's shares to his children. In 2002, the consumer battery activities (excluding button cells ) were sold to Rayovac . The automotive battery business was acquired by Johnson Controls , and were sold on to Brookfield Business Partners in 2018. The button cell and home energy storage businesses were acquired by Montana Tech Components . In 2019, VARTA acquired back its former consumer battery business from Energizer . By 2006, VARTA AG had sold all its operating divisions, and
4347-440: The reactions of lithium compounds give lithium cells emfs of 3 volts or more. Almost any liquid or moist object that has enough ions to be electrically conductive can serve as the electrolyte for a cell. As a novelty or science demonstration, it is possible to insert two electrodes made of different metals into a lemon , potato, etc. and generate small amounts of electricity. A voltaic pile can be made from two coins (such as
4416-447: The technology uses less expensive, earth-friendly materials such as sodium extracted from seawater. They also have much longer life. Sony has developed a biological battery that generates electricity from sugar in a way that is similar to the processes observed in living organisms. The battery generates electricity through the use of enzymes that break down carbohydrates. The sealed valve regulated lead–acid battery (VRLA battery)
4485-414: The units h . Because of internal resistance loss and the chemical processes inside the cells, a battery rarely delivers nameplate rated capacity in only one hour. Typically, maximum capacity is found at a low C-rate, and charging or discharging at a higher C-rate reduces the usable life and capacity of a battery. Manufacturers often publish datasheets with graphs showing capacity versus C-rate curves. C-rate
4554-428: The voltage was due to chemical reactions. He thought that his cells were an inexhaustible source of energy, and that the associated corrosion effects at the electrodes were a mere nuisance, rather than an unavoidable consequence of their operation, as Michael Faraday showed in 1834. Although early batteries were of great value for experimental purposes, in practice their voltages fluctuated and they could not provide
4623-600: The world's largest battery was built in South Australia by Tesla . It can store 129 MWh. A battery in Hebei Province , China, which can store 36 MWh of electricity was built in 2013 at a cost of $ 500 million. Another large battery, composed of Ni–Cd cells, was in Fairbanks, Alaska . It covered 2,000 square metres (22,000 sq ft)—bigger than a football pitch—and weighed 1,300 tonnes. It
4692-700: Was completed on 2 January 2020. In 2020, the government gave Varta €300 Million for the construction of a production facility for EV lithium-ion batteries , but the company decided to abandon the project two years later to cut cost. In 2023 they cut 800 jobs. An attack on the IT systems in February 2024 forced the production down for one month and prevented the scheduled Annual general meeting in May 2024 which resulted in an exchange loss of some 8,4 %. By June 2024 Varta had accumulated nearly € 500M in debt and informed
4761-840: Was manufactured by ABB to provide backup power in the event of a blackout. The battery can provide 40 MW of power for up to seven minutes. Sodium–sulfur batteries have been used to store wind power . A 4.4 MWh battery system that can deliver 11 MW for 25 minutes stabilizes the output of the Auwahi wind farm in Hawaii. Many important cell properties, such as voltage, energy density, flammability, available cell constructions, operating temperature range and shelf life, are dictated by battery chemistry. A battery's characteristics may vary over load cycle, over charge cycle , and over lifetime due to many factors including internal chemistry, current drain, and temperature. At low temperatures,
#148851