APPLICATION NOTE
10
Figure 7: Simulation result of Alkaline AA cell
Figure 8: Simulation result of Alkaline AA cell at different temperatures
Figure 8 shows the simulation results for the discharging rate of Alkaline AA cell at 0, 25,
and 100°C temperatures corresponding to the green,red and blue color traces respectively.
Limitations of the Models
The circuits presented in this chapter trade off accuracy with simplicity and simulation time. There are several
cases where the simulated and actual results vary significantly.
Rest time of Alkaline batteries not considered: In practice, Alkaline cells are sometimes used in 2 to 8
hour shifts followed by rest time for the remainder of the day. This rest time allows the cell to recover part
of its discharge capacity. This phenomenon is not specifically modeled, and when simulated with the
alkaline subcircuit, the observed capacity may be up to 25% short over a cell's actual performance. Using
the Alkaline models in these patterns will give a conservative estimate of capacity.
Internal resistance at low discharge rates to low terminals not considered: When a battery is discharged to
a low terminal voltage level and then disconnected from the load, the battery voltage will recover to some
higher level in an hour or so. This phenomenon is accounted for in these models when they are
discharged at high current levels then left to rest. When the models are used at low discharge rates to low
