Battery technologies have drastically evolved throughout the years and are still continuously progressing. Without the reliable batteries we know today, we wouldn’t be able to utilize the gadgets that are popular in this modern era. As gadgets and devices evolve, battery technology must keep up to provide long-lasting power. Understanding the history behind modern battery technologies allows us to see the impact they have on businesses around the world.
The research behind battery technology goes as far back as the early 1700s and the term “battery” was coined by Benjamin Franklin when he was describing charged glass plates. This was a milestone that soon dictated the course of battery technology throughout the next decades. Luigi Galvani, an Italian physician, physicist, philosopher, and biologist, also presented the basics of research that other scientists would later use to improve battery technologies in the future.
Around the 1800s, renowned Italian physicist Alessandro Volta was considered one of the pioneers in the discovery of batteries and methane. He also studied the Voltaic Pile which was the most efficient method of producing and using electricity at the time. This discovery would be called the “wet battery cell” and it was capable of producing a steady electrical current. After this, Daniell Cell was then introduced as a battery that can last nearly a century.
Towards the 1830s, battery technologies have been modified and improved dramatically thanks to many scientists doing their fair share of research for progress. Some of them created batteries that combined both hydrogen and oxygen, while others used electric currents to form more reliable sources. However, it was not until 1859 that French inventor Gaston Plante developed the first usable lead-acid battery which many of us still use today.
In the wake of the 19th century, battery technologies have achieved numerous milestones with the help of many passionate scientists. The great Thomas Edison invented a way to store energy using alkaline batteries which many of us also use today. In 1949, Canadian chemical engineer Lew Urry developed a small alkaline battery for the famous battery company, Eveready Battery Co.
The Present and Future
The evolution of battery technologies is the ticket to a brighter future with all breakthroughs achieved by many electric companies all over the world. There are three types of batteries today that can exponentially improve the world now and in the future. Lithium-ion batteries are the best examples of this since they can provide an efficient energy supply for different types of applications.
Another type of battery that we can look forward to in the future is lithium-sulfur battery cells. Although these batteries are not as popular as lithium-ion batteries, many companies are currently doing their best to provide the best type of research to improve and modify this type of battery technology.
The third and last type of battery cell that we can expect in the future is solid batteries. Although this type of battery is still currently being studied and developed, its advantages can surpass other types of cells in the market because it is denser and has a lower discharge capacity. We can expect that these battery cells will propel a brighter future, this means that many technologies and industries will likely thrive with the help of the battery technologies we have today.