In 1834, Sibrandus Stratingh, a Dutch professor from the city of Groningen, created a small electric car powered by rechargeable primary cells. It took more than 150 years before humanity improved battery technology enough to power cars that can travel long distances.
Soon not only passenger electric cars but also trucks will be mass-produced, so if you want to get a class A license, we recommend the truckschool.net. In this review, you will learn how batteries work in Tesla and other well-known electric cars.
Contents
What Kind of Batteries Are in Electric Vehicles?
The batteries in most hybrids and most all-electric cars look pretty much the same and are made up of many battery cells. This metal case contains a long spiral of three thin pressed plates inside the case:
- electrode;
- cathode;
- delimiter.
The electrode and cathode plates are immersed in an organic solvent, often ether, which acts as an electrolyte. The spacer is an extremely thin microporous plastic sheet. The positive electrode is made of lithium cobalt oxide, and the negative electrode is made of graphite. When you charge a battery, lithium ions move through the electrolyte from the positive to the negative electrode and combine with graphite.
The lithium ions from the graphite return to the lithium-cobalt oxide during the discharge. This is the same concept that applies to all other types of batteries. Electric automobiles are no longer a pipe dream since such batteries can store as much electrical energy as chemical lithium-ion batteries. Each of these elements contains 4.2 Volts and about 30 Amps. Another key feature of lithium-ion batteries is their ability to be recharged repeatedly without losing their qualities.
Batteries in a Tesla Electric Car
The capacity of the battery is shown by the ampere value inscribed on it. This refers to its capacity to operate for an extended length of time on a single charge with a steady current intensity. In a nutshell, this refers to how well the current can flow. A unique elemental link can boost both the voltage (energy stored) and the current (flux intensity), or both of these characteristics.
When the batteries are connected in series, the voltage doubles, but the current remains constant. When the batteries are connected in parallel, the current intensity doubles while the voltage remains constant. A Tesla Model S electric car battery contains 7104 cells that are joined in 16 modules to boost both voltage and current strength, yielding 1500 amps and 400 volts.
Tesla Electric Engine
The Tesla Model S is powered by an inductive electric motor, which Nikola Tesla invented over a century ago. The engine is made up of two parts:
- The rotor is a set of conductive rods with damper winding rings at the ends;
- The stator is the fixed part of the motor that interacts with the rotor.
A three-phase alternating current is used to power the stator. This alternating current generates a spinning magnetic field with four poles. The current created by the electricity passing through the stator induces a current on the metal bars of the rotor, causing the currently charged rotor to move. The frequency of the alternating current traveling through the stator determines the rotational speed of the rotor.
When you step on the gas, the frequency of the current increases, and the inverter turns the direct current from the batteries into an alternating current, which drives the motor. It is located exactly next to the motor and can detect the frequency of the current, which influences the rotor speed, as well as the amplitude of the current, which impacts the power output of the rotor.
Differences Between an Internal Combustion Engine and an Electric Motor
The bearings that hold the rotor in place are the sole points of contact. Because there is no longer any contact between the rotor and stator, they are not prone to wear, as opposed to standard motors that employ torque and focus on a certain limited rpm range, usually fewer than 8000 rpm. Tesla’s electric motor can create power at speeds of up to 18,000 rpm, eliminating the need for gears or a torque converter.
Furthermore, unlike a conventional engine, which transforms the forward momentum of the pistons into rotating motion, the induction motor generates just rotational motion, which implies that almost all of it may be converted into forwarding motion simply by contacting the wheels to the road. Internal combustion engines may be as heavy as 270 kg.
The Tesla Model S motor has 362 horsepower and weighs around 32 kg. But keep in mind that all of this current is drawn from a 500-kilogram battery to power the horses. Despite its massive battery, the Tesla Model S provides 610 Nm and 416 horsepower in the maximum configuration, allowing you to sprint to 100 km/h in 4.2 seconds.
According to Tesla, the major concern while discharging all of this energy and whirling the rotor to 18,000 rpm is heat. As a result, the majority of the components, including the motor, frequency drive, and battery pack, are liquid-cooled to prevent overheating.
Prospects for the Development of Electric Vehicle Technologies
Because of its capacity to lessen reliance on fossil fuels, electric vehicle technology is becoming a significant transportation technology. The US Department of Energy announced a stimulus package in 2011 to develop the technology and infrastructure required for a seamless transition from gas-powered automobiles to electric vehicles.
During the projected period, the lithium-ion battery cell market is predicted to rise rapidly. The increased need for battery-powered vehicles such as electric cars and energy storage systems is predicted to drive up the demand for lithium-ion cells. During the projected period, battery-based lithium-ion cells are predicted to increase the most.
According to the filings, the EV battery industry is predicted to increase rapidly throughout the forecast period. Market growth is likely to be driven by strong demand for electric cars, as well as greater public awareness of the usage of electric vehicles for sustainable transportation. Furthermore, the Electric Vehicle (EDV) Technology and Standards Standard (ASME SBTS) for electric and electromechanical motors, energy storage systems, and components supporting such technologies predicts that the global market for electric vehicle batteries would reach 1.5 trillion dollars by 2024.