Quite. Unfortunately, most devices that use modern batteries have the battery sealed inside with an onboard charging system, such that when the battery wears out, the device becomes e-waste. There are many standard, or semistandard sizes of cylindrical lithium-ion cells, and devices could be designed for field-replaceable versions, but the only product category where it’s common is high-performance flashlights.
Even in common consumer form factors, there have been improvements. Here’s a test of one of the best alkaline AAs. Note how the capacity drops as the load increases - by a factor of about six at 3 Amps. Contrast the Eneloop NiMH rechargeable, which has less capacity under light load, but barely loses any at 3 Amps and can handle 10 Amps while retaining most of its capacity.
The best Li-ions in a form factor similar to AA, called 14500 have even better performance with over 5 Watt-hours of energy, but devices have to be designed for them since the voltage is much higher; putting one in most devices designed for AA will result in damage, if not fire.
There are many standard, or semistandard sizes of cylindrical lithium-ion cells, and devices could be designed for field-replaceable versions, but the only product category where it’s common is high-performance flashlights.
An important thing to keep in mind is that most cylindrical lithium batteries don’t have protection circuitry since they expect the device itself to have it, so if the battery shorts out while outside the device, that’s a really big problem. Same with many RC/drone batteries. I guess manufacturers could embed the protection circuit in one of the terminals but that’s expensive so surprise surprise no one does it.
Rectangular batteries used in older phones and laptops do have built in protection, but there’s also no real standard sizes and shapes. The closest thing might be the Fairphone or Framework Laptop batteries, at least those companies probably wouldn’t care if someone else started making third party batteries of the same form factor until it becomes a de facto standard. Kind of like how everyone cloned IBM’s PC until it became the standard.
I guess manufacturers could embed the protection circuit in one of the terminals but that’s expensive so surprise surprise no one does it.
Battery OEMs don’t do it, but adding a protection circuit to the end is extremely common in the flashlight industry. Ideally, the springs in the battery compartment provide some flexibility about battery length so both bare and protected cells work.
Quite. Unfortunately, most devices that use modern batteries have the battery sealed inside with an onboard charging system, such that when the battery wears out, the device becomes e-waste. There are many standard, or semistandard sizes of cylindrical lithium-ion cells, and devices could be designed for field-replaceable versions, but the only product category where it’s common is high-performance flashlights.
Even in common consumer form factors, there have been improvements. Here’s a test of one of the best alkaline AAs. Note how the capacity drops as the load increases - by a factor of about six at 3 Amps. Contrast the Eneloop NiMH rechargeable, which has less capacity under light load, but barely loses any at 3 Amps and can handle 10 Amps while retaining most of its capacity.
The best Li-ions in a form factor similar to AA, called 14500 have even better performance with over 5 Watt-hours of energy, but devices have to be designed for them since the voltage is much higher; putting one in most devices designed for AA will result in damage, if not fire.
An important thing to keep in mind is that most cylindrical lithium batteries don’t have protection circuitry since they expect the device itself to have it, so if the battery shorts out while outside the device, that’s a really big problem. Same with many RC/drone batteries. I guess manufacturers could embed the protection circuit in one of the terminals but that’s expensive so surprise surprise no one does it.
Rectangular batteries used in older phones and laptops do have built in protection, but there’s also no real standard sizes and shapes. The closest thing might be the Fairphone or Framework Laptop batteries, at least those companies probably wouldn’t care if someone else started making third party batteries of the same form factor until it becomes a de facto standard. Kind of like how everyone cloned IBM’s PC until it became the standard.
Battery OEMs don’t do it, but adding a protection circuit to the end is extremely common in the flashlight industry. Ideally, the springs in the battery compartment provide some flexibility about battery length so both bare and protected cells work.