Why can’t we store AC in Batteries instead of DC?
Electrical energy is not stored directly in a battery. The battery stores electrical energy in the form of chemical energy.
Imagine that an alternating current (AC) is supplied directly to a rechargeable battery, with the negative terminal of the AC source connected to the negative terminal of the battery and the positive terminal of the AC source connected to the positive terminal of the battery. The current starts flowing. But something goes wrong.
Alternating Current (AC) changes its polarities (i.e. it flows in two directions). That is, in the one-half cycle of the AC waveform, current flows in one direction, but flows in the opposite direction during the other half cycle.
During the positive half cycle of the AC, conventional current flows to the battery through Cathode, and it gets charging. But when the AC gets to the negative half cycle, the current direction reverses, thereby leading to a discharge of the battery. And so on.
In the end, the positive half cycle of the AC that is charging the battery cancels out the negative half cycle that is discharging the battery. So, the battery does not get charged.
In fact, if the Alternating Current (AC) continues to supply the battery, it could damage it.
To prevent the discharge of the battery caused by the negative half cycle of the AC, the battery terminals would have to be changed as the AC alternates from Positive to Negative half cycle. That is, the battery terminals would have to change as the AC changes. This will have to be done at the same frequency as the AC.
It means,if the frequency of the AC is 60Hz, the battery terminals would have to be changed 60 times in one second. Do you think this is possible? Not at all. Or probably not yet.
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