Principle of iron box nickel energy storage battery

What is a nickel-iron battery?

A nickel-iron battery, also known as a ‘NiFe’ cell, is a type of secondary battery. It was once popular but fell out of favor with the advent of cheaper lead acid cells. However, there is renewed interest in these batteries due to their environmentally friendly nature, longevity, and tolerance to electrical abuse.

What is the construction of a nickel-iron battery?

The nickel-iron battery construction is shown in Figure. A Nickel-Iron cell has two plates. The active material of the positive plate is Ni (OH) 4 and the negative plate is of iron (Fe). The electrolyte is a solution of potassium hydroxide (KOH) with a small addition of lithium hydrate (LiOH) which increases the capacity of the cell.

Why is a nickel-iron battery connected in series?

Since a single cell produces a very low amount of current and voltage, many cells are connected in series and parallel to increase current and voltage rating of a nickel-iron battery respectively. When the battery is fully charged, its positive plate is of Ni (OH) 4 and its negative plate is of iron (Fe).

What is used as the electrode in nickel-based batteries?

Nickel-based batteries use porous nickel electrode for the deposit of active materials. These batteries were invented in the 19th century and since then many advancements are carried out to improve this technology.

What is the anode material in a nickel-iron battery?

In terms of anode materials, it can be divided into different types. Nickel-iron batteries use iron as the anode material. The cathode of the Nickel-based batteries is nickel hydroxide, and the electrolyte is an alkaline aqueous solution.

What materials are used in a nickel based battery?

In nickel-based batteries, the active materials used are nickel oxyhydroxide as positive electrode, potassium hydroxide solution as electrolyte, and any metal Fe/Cd/Zn, MH, or H2 material as negative electrode.