Battery Performance at Different Temperatures

Overview

Objectives/Goals The objective was to measure how well alkaline batteries perform at different temperatures. Batteries produce electrical energy using a chemical reaction. Since chemical reactions are slower at lower temperatures, a battery should not last as long when it is colder. Methods/Materials A resistor was connected to the battery to act as a load. The voltage across the load and the temperature were measured every 2 minutes and stored in a Data Logger. After the battery discharged, the data were downloaded to a netbook for analysis. From the time dependence of the voltage, the battery's lifetime was determined. The experiment was repeated twice at room temperature, in a refrigerator and in a freezer. Results At room temperature, the battery lasted 8.79 hours. The battery's lifetime decreased to 6.77 hours at 1.4 °C, and it only lasted 1.95 hours at -15 °C. This demonstrated that the battery's performance decreased with decreasing temperature. Conclusions/Discussion The experiment supported the hypothesis that alkaline batteries do not last as long when used at lower temperatures. Since the storage of energy is essential in our technological world, knowing how batteries perform in different environments is important.

Competition history

• CSEF 2012 Electronics & Electromagnetics · Entry J0904

Resources

• CSEF project summary ↗

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