Battery Glossary

Battery: Two or more electrochemical cells electrically interconnected in an appropriate series/parallel arrangement to provide the required operating voltage and current levels. Under common usage, the term "battery" is often also applied to a single cell.

Cell: An electrochemical system that converts chemical energy into electrical energy.

Capacity: This is amount of energy a battery cell or battery pack actually provides. The higher the capacity the longer the equipment will run on battery power. Usually measured in Amp hours (Ah) or Milliamp hours (mAh).

Battery Charger:This is the process of passing electricity into the battery pack so the pack can be used to provide power when the user is away from mains power

Charger: The conversion of electrical energy, provided in the form of electrical current from an external source, to restore the chemical energy in a cell or battery.

Memory Effect: A phenomenon in which a cell or battery operated in successive cycles to the same, but less than full, depth of discharge temporarily loses the rest of its capacity at normal voltage levels.

Overcharge: The forcing of current through a cell after all the active material has been converted to the charged state, that is, continued charging after reaching 100 percent state-of-charge.

Rechargeable battery: A galvanic battery which, after discharge, may be restored to the fully charged state by the passage of an electrical current through the cell in the opposite direction to that of discharge.

Self-Discharge: The loss of useful capacity of a battery on storage due to internal chemical action (local action).

Li-ion: Lithium Ion. This is one the newest battery types available. It can offer the same power as a Ni-MH battery in a smaller & lighter package. This type does not suffer from 'Memory Effect' but it is expensive to manufacture.

Ni-Cd: Nickel Cadmium. This is one of the oldest battery technologies that are still in use. Usually found only in older equipment or applications that require a high power drain. Very prone to 'Memory Effect'.

Ni-MH: Nickel Metal Hydride. This battery type has virtually replaced the Ni-Cd batteries. This type offers higher capacities, around 30% more than a Ni-Cd cell of the same physical size. This type is also reported to suffer less from 'Memory Effect'.

Battery Float Voltage: A unit for measuring electrical pressure. All batteries provide DC (Direct Current) electricity. It is important to ensure that the equipment you are powering is being provided with the correct volt or else damage may occur.

Watts: A measurement of energy, arrived at by multiplying the voltage by the amperage.

Watt Hours : A common measurement of energy produced in a given amount of time, arrived at by multiplying the voltage by the amp hours.

Battery FAQs

1. What is a battery?

Battery can be any device that stores energy for later use. The word battery is limited to an electrochemical device that converts chemical energy into electricity, by use of a galvanic cell. A galvanic cell is a fairly simple device consisting of two electrodes (an anode and a cathode) and an electrolyte solution. Batteries consist of one or more galvanic cells.

A battery is an electrical storage device. Batteries do not make electricity, they store it. As chemicals in the battery change, electrical energy is stored or released. In rechargeable batteries this process can be repeated many times. Batteries are not 100% efficient - some energy is lost as there are heat and chemical reactions when charging and discharging. If you use 1000 watts from a battery, it might take 1200 watts or more to fully recharge it. Slower charging and discharging rates are more efficient. A battery rated at 180 amp-hours over 6 hours might be rated at 220 AH at the 20-hour rate and 260 AH at the 48-hour rate. Typical efficiency in a lead-acid battery is 85-95%; in alkaline and Ni-Cd battery, it is about 65%.

2.How do I identify my battery?

The first information to provide would be the make and model of the equipment that you require the battery for e.g. Toshiba Satellite Pro 400, or Compaq Presario 1283. Here is also usually a label on the battery, and some of the information on the label will help our sales team to identify your battery quickly.

3.How long will the new main battery power the laptop?

Battery run-time on a laptop is difficult to determine. Actual battery running time depends upon the power demands made by the equipment. The use of the screen, the hard drive and other accessories also results in an additional drain upon the battery, effectively reducing its running time. The total run-time of the battery is also dependent upon the design of the equipment. Generally, a new Hi-Capacity battery will run 30% to 50% longer than the old battery did when it was new

4. How to maximize battery performance?

It is recommended to condition (fully charge and discharge) the new battery few times to allow it to reach its maximum rated capacity. Condition the Ni-MH and Ni-Cd battery at least once a month. It will reduce the memory effect.
Use the battery at least once a month even it was kept in a dry and cool storage. Clean the metal connector (the contact to the notebook, usually in color of gold or silver) by alcohol or Electronics Cleaner Degreaser. It will maintain the good conductivity, which improves the power conduction from battery to Notebook. Fully optimize the Power Management features provided in system BIOS, and Operating System will also improve the battery performance. Consult the user's manual to fully understand the usage of these features.

5.How long does battery last?

The life span of a Notebook battery is about 1.5 to 3 years under normal conditions. As the rechargeable battery begins to die, the user will notice a decline in the running time of the battery