What is a laptop battery? How do laptop batteries work and how many types are there?

The battery is an important part for a laptop, helping users to carry the device anywhere to use without being too dependent on the charger. So do you know exactly what laptop batteries are and how many types they have? Let’s find out now!

What is a laptop battery?

A battery is a piece of hardware that provides power for a laptop to operate without having to be plugged in directly to use it like a desktop computer.

This part stores energy in the form of chemicals, in addition to laptops, the battery is also an important equipment on most other types of portable devices such as phones, tablets, …

Laptop battery is composed of the following parts:

• Cell : Each Cell is a small battery, usually Li-ion or Li-po.
• Board : Is the part that contains the information that helps the laptop to identify the right battery. At the same time, this is also a place to store protection circuits, charging circuits, power chips, relays, and contacts to transfer energy to active devices.
• Shell : This part is responsible for linking and protecting battery cells and electrical circuits into a unified block.

Working principle

Laptop batteries store electrical energy in a chemical form and transfer it to the device through junctions . Besides, this part can be recharged when the energy is exhausted, different from the batteries in products such as: wristwatches, wall clocks, …

However, this does not mean that laptop batteries can be used forever. Because over many times of charging, the battery will wear out, or we often call it the “battery bottle” phenomenon, causing the usage time to be reduced or not be able to charge anymore.

Correlation between battery cell and usage time

Theoretically, a laptop battery with more battery cells means a larger capacity and longer battery life, which is absolutely true. However, in practice, the battery life depends on many different factors.

In addition to cell parameters, equally important factors determining battery life on laptops are also CPU processing performance, smart battery saving features equipped on each specific product. .

For those reasons, when choosing to buy a laptop, besides paying attention to the specifications of the battery, the number of cells, etc., you also need to pay attention to other technologies that are equipped to get the most suitable choice.

Popular laptop batteries

Nickel-Cadmium Battery

Nickel-Cadmium was invented in 1899 , is a rechargeable battery and is used for devices such as laptops, drills,… This type of battery has two electrodes: a negative end made of cadmium, a positive end made of cadmium. Nickel Hydroxide and inside contains an electrolyte solution, usually Potassium Hydroxide.

The great advantage of Nickel-Cadmium batteries is that they have high endurance, consistent output voltage. In addition, this type of battery can hold more power and can perform well in harsh conditions compared to other batteries.

However, batteries have the disadvantage that they are very toxic and pollute the environment . Moreover, the cost of Nickel-Cadmium batteries is also quite high, causing the price of laptops to increase, and this type of battery also emits a lot of heat when operating, affecting the use of the device.

Nickel Metal Hydride Battery

The Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) battery is also a rechargeable battery, similar to Nickel-Cadmium. But the main difference is that this type of battery uses an electrolyte solution of hydride to replace cadmium, which is harmful to the environment as well as to user health.

Therefore, the advantage of NiMH batteries is that they are more environmentally friendly and also have a larger capacity (2-3 times) than Nickel-Cadmium batteries of the same size. However, this type of battery has the disadvantage of being fast, the capacity decreases after many times of charging.

Lithium Ion Battery

Lithium Ion batteries are rechargeable and they use electrodes made of compounds with a layered crystal structure. Li ions will penetrate the spaces between the layers during battery charging or discharging and promote a chemical reaction, generating energy.

This type of battery also has 2 poles. In particular, the anode is made of metal oxide compounds such as: LiCoO2, LiMnO2,… and the cathode is made of graphite. Li-ion batteries are often used for mobile electrical devices such as laptops, smartphones, tablets, cameras, etc.

Lithium Ion batteries have the great advantage that there is no memory effect , so they can work more durable and longer. In addition, large capacity and low price are also factors that make this battery widely used in the market.

However, if used incorrectly, this type of battery can cause an explosion, because they are very flammable. Besides, the battery capacity will also decrease gradually after each charge, greatly affecting the user experience.

Lithium Polymer

Lithium Polymer batteries have the same operating principle as Lithium Ion, but they use a solid electrolyte . This part is shaped like a thin piece of plastic, which is responsible for coupling the two poles of the battery and allowing them to exchange ions to generate electricity.

Lithium Polymer is a type of battery that is applied high technology and is widely used in devices such as backup batteries, laptops, tablets, high-end phones,… Besides, this type of battery is also available. in the transportation, aviation or medical industries.

Lithium Polymer batteries possess many advantages such as: good heat resistance, high capacity, variety of shapes and sizes. However, the production cost of this type of battery is quite high, which makes the price of the product also increase, in addition, they are still bottled if used incorrectly.

Hope the above article has provided you with useful knowledge. If you still have any questions, leave a comment for advice!