HOW CAN ENERGY BE STORED?

Energy from the Sun is stored in the leaves of plants, but it is also possible to store electrical energy in batteries. Inside a dry-cell battery there is a chemical paste called an electrolyte (which contains charged particles), a positive terminal (or electrode) and a negative terminal. When the battery is put into an electrical circuit, chemical reactions cause electrons to flow out through the negative terminal, through the circuit, and back through the positive terminal. When all the chemical reactions have taken place, the battery is “dead” and has to be replaced or, in the case of some batteries, recharged.

Human beings have been looking for a good way to store energy for a long time. One of the major things that has been holding up electric cars is battery technology — when you compare batteries to gasoline, the differences are huge. For example, a typical electric car might carry 1,000 pounds (454 kg) of lead-acid batteries. Those batteries take several hours to recharge, and might give the car a 100-mile (160-km) range. Two or 3 gallons of gasoline give the same range, weigh less than 30 pounds (13 kg), and you can pump that much gasoline in about a minute. 

Here’s a list of other technologies that people commonly used to store energy. Some of these work in an electric car, while others are better for stationary applications:

Imagine a world where everything that used electricity had to be plugged in. Flashlights, hearing aids, cell phones and other portable devices would be tethered to electrical outlets, rendering them awkward and cumbersome. Cars couldn’t be started with the simple turn of a key; a strenuous cranking would be required to get the pistons moving. Wires would be strung everywhere, creating a safety hazard and an unsightly mess. Thankfully, batteries provide us with a mobile source of power that makes many modern conveniences possible.

While there are many different types of batteries, the basic concept by which they function remains the same. When a device is connected to a battery, a reaction occurs that produces electrical energy. This is known as an electrochemical reaction. Italian physicist Count Alessandro Volta first discovered this process in 1799 when he created a simple battery from metal plates and brine-soaked cardboard or paper. Since then, scientists have greatly improved upon Volta’s original design to create batteries made from a variety of materials that come in a multitude of sizes.

Picture Credit : Google