Batteries are getting to be used more widely hence the increase in battery technology. The use of mobile phones and other portable equipment is increasing the demand for batteries each day. The battery technology includes the establishment of lithium-ion batteries that are rechargeable. Lithium-ion technology is developing to cater to the high need for batteries and provide new cell types and batteries. The battery technology aims at making new designs that are friendly to the environment. This paper gives an analysis of li-ion battery technology, how it works to renew energy, its growth over time, its pros, and cons and describes its applications.
Li-ion batteries are popular in electric vehicles and portable electronics. During discharge, lithium ions flow via an electrolyte from the positive terminal to the negative terminal then backward amid charging. The bunch use infused lithium combinations on the electrodes. The batteries can have large voltage and charging storage per unit volume and unit mass. The compound used as an electrolyte is ether.
The cathode determines the characteristics of a battery. The kind of active material coating the cathode determines the voltage and capacity of a battery. The lithium ions are contained in the active material. Lithium-ion batteries separate the anode from the cathode using a separator to enhance the flow of current.
Lithium batteries are enabling growth in technology by reducing greenhouse gases and decarbonization. They are the choice of various solutions for energy storage, and they replace fuel energy with renewable energy from solar and wind. Electric vehicles do not have emissions, but they use electricity from a renewable source. Therefore, they have an impact on the climate as the car and batteries are manufactured. This means that emission is moved from a pipe to another hence the need for more regulations to get rid of environmental pollution.
There are several advantages of Li-ion batteries. There is less self-discharge when the battery is idle. Once the battery is not under usage, there is less self-discharge (Huang et al. 11251). Li-ion batteries have a minimum or low maintenance costs. Most other batteries have a high cost of maintenance and ownership, unlike Li-ion batteries. Lithium-ion batteries have a long lifespan. An average battery with a large capacity can last for eight or more years.
A lithium-ion battery does not need watering or having to monitor the water levels. This lowers the need for maintenance to have the battery functional. Lithium-ion batteries have a higher energy density. The battery can last for long between charges, and all the time, they maintain a higher output of current. High energy density is needed since we spend more time on mobile phones (Dong et al. 7475). A lithium-ion battery is made to ensure we are on always, and we spend less time charging the batteries.
Lithium-ion batteries come in many different sizes and shapes- giving users several options to look at and choose as per their needs. Li-ion batteries give many environmental benefits than other sources of fossil fuel. We can see an effect in reducing the emission of carbon with the increasing number of electric vehicles. Reducing gas use in cleaning machines enables the business to be sustainable and gives a long-term cost.
The lithium-ion batteries have flaws too. The batteries are inflammable; they can easily catch fire. Therefore, they need proper protection to make sure they do not explode into flames at the slightest inconvenience (Liu et al. 21479). The technological batteries are also considered more expensive to purchase than their supplements.
Although the batteries have been in use for many years, they can be treated like immature technology in the highly developing world. There is a need for better technology to give solutions to the available batteries. Lithium-ion has the potential to be the major battery for storage in renewable energy. It is attributed to a longer lifespan, high energy, and power density (Kim et al. 2951).
There have problems in Tibet related to lithium mine in the surrounding areas. In 2016, fish were found dead on River Liqi due to much poisonous chemical from the leaking mine. The mining activity of lime pollutes water, which leads to the death of livestock and fish after drinking the water. It has also been reported that lithium operations in South America damage the soil used by farmers to graze their livestock. With time, Li-ion batteries drop their ability to hold a charge. The reduction in capacity is not reversible. The loss of capacity reduces the time it will run a product.
Apart from running mobile phone apps, lithium-ion batteries have many other applications. The top uses are to facilitate daily activities and to provide important support during emergencies. Li-ion batteries are used in electric vehicles and hybrid-electric vehicles. These are the possible solutions to decrease emissions related to transportation and fuel consumption. They give a solution to be comfortable and explore remote areas by providing stable, long-lasting, and reliable power (Manthiram, 1065). The batteries with less size and weight can power the electric or RV vehicle.
Lithium batteries are used to power marine motors. Since mixing electricity and water is dangerous, lithium gives you a solution by letting you focus on having fun in the water. It gives an upgraded rechargeable battery that offers long service in the water with less weight than the traditional batteries. Li-ion battery is dependable to power both small and large home conveniences in the yacht. Lithium batteries provide storage for solar power. When using solar panels, lithium batteries are a good match because they charge fast and appropriately. Lithium batteries require less resistance charging provided by the solar panels (Park et al. 892).
Lithium batteries are used in emergency power backups. The lithium battery gives protection from loss of power or power instability during an emergency. It provides almost immediate power to run the machine it is linked to. The urgency of power backup is crucial to medical technology, computers, and communication technology. The rechargeable li0ion batteries are used in mobile phones and laptop computers. They are light and small; hence they can tolerate changes in temperature, movements and give power when in use. They charge fast, long-lasting, and effective and portable power banks.
In conclusion, the lithium-ion battery helps to renew energy. Lithium batteries are long-lasting, light-weight, and they come in a wide range of sizes. They require little maintenance compared to their counterparts. Lithium batteries are used in alarm systems, electric vehicles, power banks, mobile phones, water yachts, and many more. Lithium technology is, therefore, a great deal in the growing world.
References
Dong, Xiaoli, et al. “Flexible aqueous lithium‐ion battery with high safety and large volumetric energy density.” Angewandte Chemie International Edition 55.26 (2016): 7474-7477.
Huang, Yanghang, et al. “A safe and fast-charging lithium-ion battery anode using MXene supported Li 3 VO 4.” Journal of Materials Chemistry A 7.18 (2019): 11250-11256.
