Course 1: Battery Types and Functions

Explore the foundational concepts relating to batteries, including their basic components and electrical properties.

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Time to Complete

3.5 hours

Certificate & Digital Badge

Included Upon Completion

About This Course

This is the first course in the Battery Technician Program and it is also offered individually starting October 4, 2023, for those without the time to commit to an entire program. To register for either the Battery Technician Program or for Battery Types and Functions as an individual course, please use the “register” button at the top of this page.

In this course, learners examine the basic types, components and principles of batteries.

Lessons in this course: 

  1. Batteries from Different Perspectives

  2. Classifications of Batteries

  3. Components of a Single Cell

  4. Lithium-ion Batteries

  5. Lead Acid Batteries

  6. Flow Batteries

Learning Objectives

  • Recognize the varying definitions of a battery from electrochemical, electrical and energy storage perspectives.
  • Recall the basic anatomy of a battery cell.
  • Examine the properties of different battery classes and associate them to applications.
  • List the components of a generic electrochemical cell and describe its functionality. 
  • Define a lithium-ion battery based on its operating principles.  
  • Recognize the main advantages and disadvantages of lithium-ion batteries, identifying their main applications and limitations.  
  • Recognize the electrochemical reactions in a lithium-ion cell.
  • Recall historical milestones in the development of lead acid batteries, as well as their main applications and limitations.  
  • Describe the overcharging reaction and recall the differences between types regarding water loss.  
  • Identify key differences between how lead acid batteries work versus nickel-based or lithium-ion batteries.
  • Recall key points in the history of flow batteries.  
  • Compare the overall design of flow batteries to conventional batteries.  
  • Recognize the advantages and disadvantages of flow batteries.
  • Identify current and potential applications of flow batteries.

Course Format

This online learning experience provides you with interactive content lessons, this includes instructor-led video lectures, a downloadable learning guide, non-graded practice questions and a graded final assessment to test your understanding of the material covered in this course.