Power King

Some Great Battery Related Resources

admin — Fri, 20 May 2011 16:43:01 +0000

Quick listing of some super resources for learning battery-related stuff.

1. Battery University.

Yes, a university. For learning about batteries.

2. Battery and Cell Chemistry.

If you’re into this kind of thing. And let’s face it, who isn’t!
OK well it might be a bit technical for some, but here it is… loads of battery info.

That’s enough to keep you going…!

How Are Batteries Made?

admin — Tue, 10 May 2011 16:02:04 +0000

Given the prevalence of batteries in modern life, it’s remarkable how little people in general know about the manufacturing process behind the creation of batteries.

The “HowStuffWorks” series has produced this interesting introductory peice on YouTube, which will be interesting to the lay person.

Enjoy – in case you weren’t clued up before – now you’re a little less ignorant!

Weird Uses of Batteries…

admin — Wed, 04 May 2011 16:57:22 +0000

A splendidly humourous post here on Instructables.com, with the author asking for interesting possible uses of old batteries!

A few useful suggestions were raised in the comments to the post:

“if they are AA put a few layers of duct tape and shoot them out of an air cannon”.

Great idea! Although not that constructive, it may be said…

A second answer:

“Stack them artistically on top of your dad’s classic Porche so that the acid trails from the leaking batteries make interesting patterns of corrosion down the sides of the car.”

Entertaining, but also not that useful…

There was a blog post on thegoalkeeperco.com recently about some goalkeeper gloves that were going to be created with battery power in them – another interesting use! The idea is supposed to be using batteries in the gloves, in order to power flashing lights and deter or distract opposing players! Now that is an invention that would be fun to see!

Almost as good as this solar powered hat…

Lithium Polymer Batteries – Powering The Electric Car

admin — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 16:18:13 +0000

Electric cars are still today thought of by most people as an invention of the future. Something that we can only dream of in the age of Buck Rogers!

But the rapid innovation of batteries, with batteries now 10 times lighter than previous versions in just recent years, meaning reduced costs, is changing all that. Economic circumstances, the rising prices of traditional fuel, as well as clear environmental considerations are pushing us faster and faster towards the mass arrival of the electric car.

Powered, of course, by the mighty battery!

New generation, super light weight batteries, designed for electric cars are developing faster and faster. It could be an exciting ride!

Lithium Ion Batteries… A bit about how they’re made…

admin — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 18:08:20 +0000

Lithium ion batteries are one of the most important battery types used in general public electronics – many of the devices and appliances we depend on in our daily lives.

Lithium ion batteries are a type of battery that is re-chargeable.

They were first really invented in the 1970s, but the exact date and location is disputed, and in reality there has been an evolution of the battery technology from this time onwards. The mass-market industrial processes used in large corporations nowadays depend on the gradual innovation of corporations and university institutions over almost 40 years.

The indisutrial develpoment process is fascinating.

The Discovery Channel has covered some of this process from the inside of a factory and is worth a few minutes of your time!

Long-life laptop batteries

admin — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 13:31:30 +0000

So, I decided I want to buy myself a new laptop. I’ve had mine for 7 years now and finally decided it was a good time to retire it with dignity But, because the only time I get an interest in technology is when I actually need to buy something, my knowledge was outdated 7 years. I basically wanted a laptop that would have a quality display, a durable keyboard and, most importantly, an outstanding battery because far too often I get stuck in coffee shops seated far away from the power outlet.

But, I somehow didn’t like the idea of getting a double battery because it adds a hump which really irritates me. After investigating on the Internet and talking to friends about feedback, my friend Mark Attwood recommended that I should use a MacBook Pro. – Why? I asked. He told me he was a long-time MacBook user and that the battery on his Mac lasts for approximately 6.5 hours after 2 years of usage, which is an amazing performance if you ask me.

I found out that they actually embed the batteries in the laptop itself now, which provides them with much more space when they don’t have to think conventionally.

You can read more on that here. I’m not writing this as a promotional material for Apple, was just amazed by their innovation. After all, long battery life is in everyones interest.

So just what IS a battery?

admin — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 15:42:12 +0000

First things first then. Power King is all about power – battery power.

But it doesn’t seem quite right to go forward without first clarifying what that actually is.

Batteries are ubiquitous. They are a core part of almost every component of modern life. Where are you now? What are you doing? A famous study found that over 88% of the time, at any time of the day, the average American is no more than 3 feet away from a battery. Think about it – that’s an incredible reach. We couldn’t live the way most of us do without the modern battery.

So what’s a battery? Well let’s not get too technical yet, but in our case we’re talking about electrical batteries. An electrical battery then, is one or more electrochemical cells that are able to convert stored chemical energy to electrical energy.

There are two main sorts of battery, generally speaking. Disposable batteries, or primary batteries, that are made to be used and discarded are one kind. The second kind are the rechargeable kind, also known as secondary batteries.

Ah – so much to say about batteries and the wonderful world of battery production. More to come!