Design Considerations for Small Low-Power Rechargeable Batteries

2 Design Considerations for Small Low-Power Rechargeable Batteries 

Many combinations of electrode material and electrolyte can yield a cell. A few hundred possible cells are required to design a high-power battery. An Ni-Cd cell can be used in the design of a low-power rechargeable battery to power small electronic devices such as a minicomputer, musical recorders, and flash lamps for cameras. For a compact rechargeable battery, two components of the battery contribute to the mass and volume. First, the chemicals and materials used in the development of the battery strictly determine the physical parameters. Second, the mass and size of the packaging materials affect these parameters. 

One can write the expressions for mass or weight and for volume of the battery as follows  

Total mass = [mass of chemicals used] + [mass of structural materials] (5.1) 

Total volume = [volume of chemicals] + [volume of structural materials] (5.2) 

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