ABSTRACT
Batteries discussed in the last chapter and fuel cells [9.1] and supercapacitors (besides sensors) to be discussed in this chapter belong to the same family of energy conversion devices. They are all based on the fundamentals of electrochemical thermodynamics and kinetics. All the three are needed to serve the wide energy requirements of various devices and systems. A battery is a closed system while a fuel cell is an open system in a thermodynamic sense. Winter and Brodd [9.2] have thoroughly answered the question: “What are Batteries, Fuel Cells and Supercapacitors?”
