4 replies to this topic

[Adriaan]

It quite frankly amazes me that - with some very few exceptions - anything is still made that uses oldfashioned batteries to provide power. There ARE some exceptions (hearing aids for example) where using batteries makes sense, but on the whole rechargeable powercells are rather more sensible for applications where portable power is needed. I think that it is significant in that respect that some mayor players have switched to using powercells (like Nintendo and its DS, the Gameboy of old ate batteries).

Given the amount of raw material needed to produce a battery, the (chemical) waste material problem they form (heavy metals!) and the cost per unit of energy (for a battery compared to other electricitysources) being amazingly unfavourable.

Given that in the EU there is a lot of mandatory information given om foodstuffs (nutritional content, price per standard weight) to allow consumers to compare products I would propose that it be made mandatory;

1.) to label every electrical appliance that uses batteries be labelled with the average time the appliance can operate on a set of reference batteries

2.) that all batteries be labelled with a standardized power rating (a percentage of performance relative to that of the aforementioned reference batteries)

3.) that in shops price labels have to provide the price per unit of energy the batteries provide (in addition to the price of the batteries) AND the price per unit of mains energy (at the normal consumer price level)



Your opinions please

[Chris Haslego]

Well, I have to admit that I'm not really up to speed with the latest portable power technologies. However, instituting a system as you recommend would give consumers access to a philosophy that engineers use everyday....Life Cycle Costing.

This system that you propose would allow consumers to estimate the true annual cost of operating a portable device. This is happily overlooked by most consumers as they accept batteries as a "necessary evil".

I know that Energizer recently released a new disposable battery technology that is supposed to out perform the traditional alkaline batteries. There is much to be said for rechargeable batteries. But, my experiences with them so far have been less than impressive. I've found that they take a minimal amount of recharges (maybe 15 or 20) and that their charges last less and less time each time they're recharged.

The net effect is that when my wife went to use her digital camera with these batteries, the camera would shut off just before she wanted to take a picture.....this led to an unhappy spouse to say the least.

Does anyone have any updated information on advancements in portable power technology? I'm interested in seeing where this technology is heading.

[Adriaan]

There is much to be said for rechargeable batteries. But, my experiences with them so far have been less than impressive. I've found that they take a minimal amount of recharges (maybe 15 or 20) and that their charges last less and less time each time they're recharged.

Well rechargeable batteries work best if they are COMPLETELY drained before recharging - many chargers do this now in fact - to prevent something known as the "memory effect".

But rechargeable batteries aren't the best solution, built in rechargeable powerpacks are more efficient and powerfull than rechargeable batteries. Plus most appliances use more than one battery and that leads to a lot of wasted space (the battery holder, the space between batteries - except in the case of those 9V blocks -etcetera).

[gvdlans]

Different types of batteries require different treatment. Modern (NiMH) recheargable batteries should not be completely drained before recharging and have almost no memory effect, see for example http://www.starbatte...atteryfaqs.html

This is as opposed to the older generation (NiCd) rechargeable batteries, that also contained the heavy metal cadmium.

[engware]

Hi guys:

The good thing is that hydrogen powered fuel cell applications are coming and they should replace batteries some time down the road.

It won't happen overnight and with no bumps, but it will in the near future ...

Thanks,

Gordan