Talk:Nickel-cadmium battery

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Ok, I believe everything I added in my revision to be factual, but I did most of this research for a paper I wrote for chemistry class three years ago. There are a couple of things which I'm not sure haven't changed since then, hence "as of 2000". Things to be improved include the comparison to other types of batteries (perhaps a general comparison of batteries deserves its own article) and it could use some external links. CyborgTosser 00:25, 14 May 2004 (UTC)

I think the environmental aspect should me mentioned more. In many markets NiCd cells are phased out for this reason. 217.210.121.213 02:10, 14 Jan 2005 (UTC)
Well, given that this is Wikipedia, you know what to do :) ! Gather the facts, organize them into a neutral point of view, and have at it! (And I certainly agree that cadmium is a serious environmental neurotoxin, worthy of attentyion here; that's certainly a big part of the reason behind the shift to NiMH cells.)
Atlant 16:58, 14 Jan 2005 (UTC)
Well I could sure use some more help knowing the enviormental aspects of the batteries. 71.226.121.41 21:31, 3 January 2006 (UTC) JCP

Contents

[edit] Merge

We could treat common features to all nickel-cadmium batteries in common sections in the article and differences in nickel-cadmium type´s specific sections (one for vented, other for sealed).

Or we could fix the mess this article has become rather then add more bloat to it. The article on vented cells is there because vented cells are very different from sealed cells. Trying to merge them while dealing with the differences would make this article even longer and confusing. --Miikka Raninen 06:39, 2 June 2007 (UTC)
Since no further discussion has been forthcoming on this subject for some time, I'm removing the merge-tags from these pages. --Miikka Raninen 07:31, 24 October 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Emergency lighting

I'm not aware of NiCd batteries being used in emergency lighting. All the wall-mounted emergency lights I've seen in the U.S. use maintenance-free gelled electrolyte lead-acid batteries. I'm not sure why; it may be required by fire codes. It may also be due to the nasty tendency of NiCd batteries to grow dendrites and short themselves out, which could lead to tragedy in the case of emergency lighting in public buildings. --QuicksilverT @ 23:44, 18 November 2005 (UTC)

  • I also believe that in some emergencies, some people may not have the time to discharge the Ni-CD battery before recharging it. (unsigned comment from anon)

[edit] Comparison to other batteries

Could we add a comparison to Lithium Ion batteries? I know there's already a little blurb in the article mentioning Li-Ion, but it's short and in another section. Eptin

[edit] Possible trademark infringement

NICAD is a trademark of SAFT America Inc., Valdosta, GA, for nickel cadmium products. It should not be used as a generic short name for these batteries. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Lnthomp (talk • contribs) .

ITYWF that the trademark is actually owned by the main French Parent company SAFT.
I B Wright 11:34, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] a little grammar problem

I'm not an expert on batteries and don't feel I can do the correction, but the following sentence is ungrammatical and confusing: "Safety Procedures: Never short circuit the battery. By dropping, hitting or denting the battery does damage that is often irreparable"

PERHAPS the intended meaning is "Never short circuit the battery. Dropping, hitting, or denting the battery does damage that is often irreparable." This, however, fails to explain HOW one could short circuit the battery.

Someone knowledgeable should do the re-write.

—The preceding unsigned comment was added by 70.242.139.138 (talk • contribs) .

Done -- see what you think now.
Atlant 14:15, 19 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Wh/Kg NiCd

Something seems wrong. The table says that the energy density of NiCd Batteries is 30 Wh/Kg. Too low, it is the same as lead batteries. In various sites, I find 40-60 Wh/kg or 45-80 Wh Kg. Can someone check this point?

What are the Wh/kg values for dry versus wet NiCd. I know that the NiCd AA cells (which are very light and probably dry or nearly dry) are much lighter than Alkaline or NiMh AA cells. jtankers 18:47, 25 February 2007

Sanyo spec for "dry" cells:

  • 1/3 AA, 110 mAh, 7 g = 16 Wh/Kg
  • C, 3000 mAh, 84 g = 36 Wh/Kg
  • D, 5000 mAh, 150 g = 33 Wh/Kg

Also many cells are available in different capacities, large "wet" cells, as used for starting batteries probably have completely different values. Suckindiesel 02:00, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

Please ignore above figures, which in fact are Ah/Kg.
On the basis that Watts = Volts x Amps, then Ah/Kg x cell voltage = Wh/Kg, therefore:

  • 1/3 AA, 110 mAh, 7 g = 16 Wh/Kg x 1.2 = 19 Wh/Kg
  • C, 3000 mAh, 84 g = 36 Wh/Kg x 1.2 = 43 Wh/Kg
  • D, 5000 mAh, 150 g = 33 Wh/Kg x 1.2 = 40 Wh/Kg

By comparison, large industrial "wet" cells yield different results:

  • SAFT, 1.2-V cell, rail, 435 Ah, 27.7 Kg. Equivalent to 19 Wh/Kg
  • SAFT, 24-V battery, Airbus, 50 Ah, 42 Kg. Equivalent to 29 Wh/Kg

Suckindiesel 20:28, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Cleanup

I'm going to attempt to clean up the article, at least the sections tagged for cleanup. My chemistry is a bit rusty, so I'm starting from the assumption that the facts and figures are correct as stated, and I'm not intentionally going to change any of them. Someone with more recent experience should probably double-check me. Kutulu 18:19, 24 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Reads like manufacturer's promotional literature for NiCads

This article strikes me as badly dated and strongly biased towards nickel-cadmium batteries.

There is no discussion of one of the problems caused by the virtually flat discharge curve -- cell reversal in a multi-cell pack.

I have never experienced the "memory" effect. However, my understanding is that it first showed up with the introduction of rechargeable toothbrushes. (I remember their introduction -- I'm 60.) After a single short use, the toothbrush was returned to its charger. After a while, the batteries would no longer provide full service. Some owners discovered that, if the toothbrush were turned on for an extended interval (this usually occurred by accident, when the toothbrush was accidentally turned on by jostling in a suitcase) -- well past the point where it stopped working -- full capacity would be restored.

GrizzledGeezer 12:38, 13 March 2007 (UTC)

With regared to cell reversal, please feel free to be bold and add information regarding that. And if you feel you can improve the WP:NPOV aspects of the article, have at that, too!
Atlant 13:16, 13 March 2007 (UTC)
Done! added most common problems: overcharge and cell reversal
--Miikka Raninen 21:08, 9 April 2007 (UTC) PS: Oops, another of my IP edits : 84.250.76.65 :P

[edit] nominal voltage of 1.2v

I often see NiCad batteries on the shelves at stores with labeled 1.25v (or multiples of 1.25v) next to NiMH batteries with labeled 1.2v (or multiples of 1.2v). Is the 1.25v designation just marketing or is the nominal voltage of NiCad cells actually a little higher than that of NiMH cells? Hal(unregistered)192.88.165.35 15:14, 21 March 2007(UTC)

To be technically accurate, the official voltage of a nickel-cadmium cell is 1.24 volts. 86.141.194.60 17:46, 15 July 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Ultimate lifetime of AA NiCd vs. NiMH batteries

One of the fastest growing consumer applications of NiCd batteries is in solar-powered lawn accent lights. Are NiMH batteries not used because of higher initial cost? Which would be most likely to last longer in the typical solar-light charge-all-day/discharge-until-dead routine? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 64.30.203.214 (talk) 22:39, 30 March 2007 (UTC).

[edit] Permanent charging

Can one indicate the effects of permanent recharging of rechargable batteries (ie. when a cordless phone is in the recharge base all the time). --Nopetro 20:32, 21 May 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Deleted Sony ENG discussion

I deleted this recent addition:

One point overlooked is the fact that Sony ENG (Electronic News Gathering) equipment that operated from "12V" NiCd batteries had a low voltage cutout that turned the device off at 10.8V This insured that Sony ENG gear would always discharge the NiCd battery to the same voltage level. Sony ENG was very rough on NiCd batteries and battery life was always much less then the 800-1000 charge/discharge cycle life that is often quoted. 400 charge/discharge cycles was the norm. Sony has switched to Lithium-Ion and this is no longer a concern.

because I don't think it is very encyclopedic (why 'one point overlooked'?) It also looks like original research ((WP:OR). Han-Kwang (t) 07:20, 13 January 2008 (UTC)