WEEK 2: More Battery Research

This week I researched all the possible battery types I could use to power an electric car.

These included:
- Lead Acid
- Nickel Cadmium
- Nickel Metal Hydride
- Lithium Ion

I found out that Lithium Ion is superior in energy densities but also requires the most protective circuits to prevent catastrophic failure and damage to batteries.
Lead acid has the lowest energy densities which will make them less efficient in a mobile vehicle, but are also one of the safest and cheapest options.
I also found that lead acid, nickel cadmium and nickel metal hydride rechargeable batteries also typically have high self discharge rates, making them unsuitable for use over long periods of time. The self discharge can be as high as 10% in the first day for nickel metal hydride batteries.

I can source lots of 18650 lithium ion batteries from old laptop batteries, which I have been collecting over the past year. This is a cheap alternative to buying new and is more sustainable in recycling old batteries that 80% of them are still good. I have been testing each to record capacity which helps me to maximise efficiency when they are all wired together.