Page 13 - Battery Reference Book

x Preface
manufacturers on the types and performance charac- available batteries with suitable characteristics and
teristics of the types of battery they can supply. The will find much to interest them throughout the book;
chapter was assembled from material kindly supplied the same applies to the manufacturers of aerospace
to the author following a worldwide survey of bat- and space equipment, the latter including power and
tery producers and their products and represents a back-up equipment in space vehicles and satellites,
considerable body of information which has not been lunar vehicles, etc. Finally, there is the whole field
assembled together in this form elsewhere. of equipment in the new technologies including
Within each Part, chapters are included on all computers and electronics.
available types of primary batteries, secondary The teams of manufacturers of equipment who man-
batteries and batteries available in primary and ufacture all these types of equipment which require
secondary versions. The primary batteries include batteries for their performance include the planners
carbon-zinc, carbon-zinc chloride, mercury-zinc and and designers. These must make decisions on the per-
other mercury types, manganese dioxide-magnesium formance characteristics required in the battery and
perchlorate, magnesium organic, lithium types (sulphur other relevant factors such as operating temperatures,
dioxide, thionyl chloride, vanadium pentoxide, iodine occurrence of vibration and spin, etc., weight, volume,
and numerous other lithium types), thermally pre-use shelf life; these and many other factors play
activated and seawater batteries. Batteries available a part in governing the final selection of the battery
in primary and secondary forms include alkaline type. It is a truism to say that in many cases the piece
manganese, silver-zinc, silver-cadmium, zinc-air of equipment has to be designed around the battery.
and cadmium-air. The secondary batteries discussed Battery manufacturers will also find much to interest
include lead-acid, the nickel types (cadmium, iron, them, for it is they who must design and supply batter-
zinc, hydrogen), zinc-chlorine, sodium-sulphur and ies for equipment producers and who must try to antici-
other fast ion types. pate the future needs of the users, especially in the new
The book will be of interest to battery manufacturers technologies. Battery manufacturers and users alike
and users and the manufacturers of equipment will have an interest in charging techniques and it is
using batteries. The latter will include manufacturers hoped that Part 5 will be of interest to them. The devel-
of domestic equipment, including battery-operated opment of new types of batteries usually demands new
household appliances, power tools, TVs, radios, charger designs, as does in many instances the devel-
computers, toys, manufacturers of emergency power opment of new applications for existing battery types.
and lighting equipment, communications and warning Throughout the book, but particularly in Chapter 1,
beacon and life-saving equipment manufacturers. there is a discussion of the theory behind battery
The manufacturers of medical equipment including operation and this will be of interest to the more
pacemakers and other battery operated implant devices theoretically minded in the user and manufacturer
will find much to interest them, as will the industries and in the academic world. Students and
manufacturers of portable medical and non-medical postgraduates of electrical and engineering science,
recording and logging equipment. There are many and design and manufacture will find much to interest
applications of batteries in the transport industry, them, as will members of the lay public who have an
including uses in conventional vehicles with internal interest in power sources and technology.
combustion engines and in aircraft, and the newer Finally, it is hoped that this will become a source
developments in battery-operated automobiles, fork lift book for anyone interested in the above matters. This
trucks, etc. Manufacturers and users of all types of would include, among others, researchers, journal-
defence equipment ranging from torpedoes to ground- ists, lecturers, writers of scientific articles, government
to-air and air-to-air missiles rely heavily on having agencies and research institutes.