Chapter 1 of the book is about primary and secondary batteries which include fuel cells and metal-air cells. Fuel cells and metal-air cells convert the energy of electrochemical reactions directly into low voltage, direct current electricity. Since this conversion does not involve a heat stage, which would impose the constraints of the Carnot cycle, the thermodynamic efficiency can be at least twice that of a thermal power plant.

A battery is a device in which the free energy change of a chemical reaction is converted directly to electrical energy. The essential features are positive and negative active materials, electronic conduction between each active material and a terminal of the battery and ionic conduction between the active materials via the electrolyte and separator. If the active materials are used only once, and are not regenerated by electric current, the battery is a primary one. In this case the positive active material undergoes the electrochemical charge transfer goes that of anodic oxidation. For primary batteries, therefore, the positive and negative active materials can be referred to as cathodic and anodic reactants, respectively. For primary batteries, therefore, the positive and negative active materials can be referred to as cathodic and anodic reactants, respectively.

Alkaline storage batteries may be defined as electrically rechargeable batteries using an alkaline electrolyte generally consisting of a solution of potassium hydroxide. The advantages of an alkaline electrolyte instead of an acid in a storage battery were first perceived by the Swedish inventor Waldemar Jungner in the early 1890s. He realised that using an alkaline electrolyte would make it possible to charge and discharge electrodes under a simple transport of oxygen or hydroxyl ion from one electrode to the other without changing the composition or bulk density of the electrolyte. This would mean that a smaller amount of electrolyte could be used, that the risks for freezing of the electrolyte would be diminished, and, furthermore, that metals could be employed which would be completely inert in the electrolyte. Jungner stated that accumulators based on alkaline electrolytes would be light and mechanically strong and that they would have low stand losses on open circuit.

This chapter discusses room temperature cells with solid electrolytes.