Different Types of Batteries
Nickel Cadmium
For years, Nickel Cadmium (Ni-Cd) batteries have been the standard technology, but today they are out of date and they are no longer used by new laptops. They are heavy and very susceptible to the’ memory effect.’ It “remembers the old charge when recharging a NiCd battery that has not been fully discharged and goes on there the next time you use it. The memory effect is caused by the crystallization of the substances of the battery and can permanently shorten the lifespan of your battery, even rendering it useless. You should discharge the battery completely and then fully recharge it again at least once every few weeks to avoid it. As this battery contains a toxic material, cadmium, it should always be properly recycled or disposed of.
The cadmium-free alternative for NiCad is  (Ni-MH) batteries. They are less influenced than NiCd by the memory effect and thus need less maintenance and conditioning. However, at very high or low room temperatures, they have issues. And although they use fewer toxic materials (i.e., they do not contain heavy metals), they are still not completely recyclable. Another big distinction between NiCad and NiMH is the higher energy capacity of the NiMH battery than that of NiCads. In other words, the power of a NiMH is roughly twice its NiCad counterpart’s capacity. What this means for you is improved run-time with no added bulk or weight from the battery.
same energy as NiMH, but weigh around 20% to 35% less. Unlike their NiMH and Ni-Cd counterparts, they do not substantially suffer from the memory effect. Their compounds are non-hazardous to 0.0, They need special handling since lithium ignites very quickly. Sadly, at this point in time, few consumer recycling schemes have been set up for Li-ion batteries.
same energy as NiMH, but weigh around 20% to 35% less. Unlike their NiMH and Ni-Cd counterparts, they do not substantially suffer from the memory effect. Their compounds are non-hazardous to 0.0, They need special handling since lithium ignites very quickly. Sadly, at this point in time, few consumer recycling schemes have been set up for Li-ion batteries.
Even if the battery case looks the same unless the laptop has been pre-configured by the manufacturer to accommodate more than one type of battery type, you will not easily upgrade to another battery technology, as the recharging process for each of the three battery types is different.
A battery which has not been used for a long time can discharge itself slowly. A battery needs to be replaced after 500 to 1000 recharges, even with the best of treatment. But when on AC power, it is still not advisable to operate a laptop without the battery—the battery also acts as a large capacitor to protect your AC outlet from voltage peaks.
As manufacturers change their battery shapes every few months, in a couple of years from now you may have trouble finding a new battery for your Only if you plan to use the same laptop many years from now is this something of a problem. Purchase a spare battery now if in doubt – until it’s out of stock.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.