Lithium batteries have been available since the 1970s. Technological advances in Lithium battery research have made it the most sought after now. Lithium batteries have a high energy to weight ratio, over 1000 discharge cycles and fast recharging. These batteries are used in mobile phones, security gadgets, drones, electric cars and so on.
Composition of a typical lithium battery cell.
composition of a lithium battery cell
A lithium battery is composed of 4 parts namely;
Cathode: (+ terminal). It is a lithium compound mixed with other materials.
Anode: (+negative terminal). It is a graphite material.
Electrolyte: An organic compound containing lithium salts to transfer lithium ions.
Porous separator: Allows lithium ions to pass through itself but separating the cathode and anode.
Form of Lithium batteries
Pouch lithium cell
Pouch: These forms of lithium batteries look like thin foil bags. They have two terminals at an edge of the porch. They are lightweight and cheap to produce. They are used to power cell phones and some types of laptops.
Prismatic lithium ion cell
Prismatic: these are similar to pouch in form but more robust. The battery cells are placed in rigid rectangular cases. They have threaded terminals which makes building of larger batteries easier. They are used in high energy storage devices such as electric vehicles and home use.
Cylindrical lithium ion cell
Cylindrical: These forms of lithium batteries look like the AA batteries we use in our touch lights and remote controls. However the cylindrical lithium battery form is much larger than a typical AA battery in size. Unlike pouch and prismatic forms of lithium batteries, the sizes of cylindrical lithium batteries are standardized. The most commonly used cylindrical battery size is the 18650 cell. The 18650 cell means that the Lithium battery cell is 18mm in diameter and 65 mm long. There are other standard sizes too like the 14500 cell ( 14mm dia & 50mm length) and the 26650 cell( 26mm dia & 65 mm length). Cylindrical lithium battery cells are used in laptops, power banks, electric cars, solar system and so on.
Liverpool vs Real Madrid. Final UEFA Champions League
It’s Liverpool Vs Real Madrid in the Champions League Final 2021/ 2022 edition.
It was not easy for both teams in the semis.
Liverpool, who thought they had one foot in the final after their first leg win over Villarreal by 2-0 at Anfield got a run for their money after Villarreal levelled up in the first half of the second leg. But just as it happened in the first leg when the scores were still 0-0 at the end of the first half, Villarreal again capitulated in the second half and allowed Liverpool to score 3 goals giving Liverpool a 5-2 win on aggregate. Jurgen Klopp was a relieved man after the game, he knew at a point in the game ,they were almost knocked out.
Real Madrid are getting better and better. Just like their comeback win against Chelsea in the quarters, they also came back to beat inform Manchester City 6-5 on aggregate. Karim Benzema is the joker for Real Madrid. In the quarter final, he scored a hat trick against Chelsea and nailed Chelsea’s coffin with the deciding goal via a penalty in extra time. The same happened with Man City. Manchester City were winning 5-3 on aggregate by the 73rd minute, However Real Madrid Levelled up and once again Karim Benzema nailed City’s coffin with a penalty goal in extra time to win 6-5 on aggregate.
Real Madrid, the 13 time winners, are the favorites to lift the trophy. Liverpool will have to be at their very best and take care of Benzema to stand a chance.
Making your own popcorn at home is fast and easy. All you need is corn grains ( that can pop), butter or vegetable oil, sugar and a cooking pot that has a thick base.
Make sure you purchase popcorn grains. Not all corn grains are suitable for popcorn.
Procedure for making popcorn
Put butter the size of a teaspoon into the cooking pot ,place it on a cooker and melt on medium heat.
Next, put in some popcorn grains and use a spoon to mix with the melted butter.
popcorn mixed with melted butter
Cover the pot and wait for all the corn grains to pop.
Switch off the cooker, open the pot cover and add sugar to the popcorn and stir gently.
sugar added to popcorn
Popcorn is ready to be served.
Further Notes on making popcorn
Make sure you cover the pot while corn is looking otherwise the popcorn will fall to the ground.
Use low to medium heat to cook your popcorn otherwise it might get burnt.
After all the corn has popped, switch off the cooker before adding sugar and mixing with the popcorn. Otherwise the sugar will melt and then burn giving your popcorn a burnt taste.
Don’t put too many corn grains in the pot. The amount of grains you put should barely cover the base of the cooking pot
Mayonnaise is getting expensive these days. I know you have heard you can make it on your own at home. It is true, I have tried it and it worked.
Ingredients you need to make your homemade mayonnaise
Vegetable oil
One egg
Pinch of salt
Sugar to taste
Lemon/vinegar
Vegetable oil should be of good quality, canola oil, Avocado oil, soya oil and the normal vegetable oil will work.
The egg should be fresh and of good quality otherwise mayonnaise will not form. Note that it is the egg and oil that forms the mayonnaise. The rest ingredients are just to give taste/flavour and preserve.
Just a pinch of salt.
You can add sugar to taste.
2 teaspoons of either lemon or vinegar juice should do. It adds flavour and preserves the mayonnaise.
Equipment you will need
Blender/mixer
Any blender or mixer will do.
Procedure of making Mayonnaise (Using a blender)
Put the egg, pinch of salt, two teaspoons of lemon or vinegar Into the blender jar and cover it.
Set the machine to the lowest setting then mix.
Next open the hole provided within the cover of the blender jar, switch on the blender then very slowly pour the vegetable oil into the jar as it mixes.
The sound of the blender will change when the mixture has thickened. That is your homemade mayonnaise.Switch off the blender. Store the mayonnaise in a bottled container and use within 24 hours.
[Optional] You can also add two or more teaspoons of sugar to the mayonnaise and mix for two seconds in the blender if you like.
The piston is the powerhouse of the car engine. The piston moves up and down. When the piston travels to the end of its range whether up or down, it is called a stroke.
A car engine is equipped with 4 or more pistons. The movement of these pistons is transferred to the wheels of the car which enables it to move.
For car engines, 4 strokes usually completes the engine circle enabling power to be transmitted to the wheels.
exploded view of a car engine
The four stroke cycle, how it works.
First stroke; intake.
The piston descends, sucking an air-fuel mixture into the cylinder .
The valves open allowing fuel – mixture into the cylinder
2nd stroke; compression.
With all valves closed the piston comes back up, compressing the fuel and air mixture
3rd stroke ; internal combustion.
An electrical spark from the spark plug ignites the compressed fuel and air mixture inside the cylinder causing an internal combustion. The resulting combustion forces the piston to the bottom of the cylinder again. A connecting rod transfers
this power to the crankshaft which in turn transfers power to the wheels which enable the car to move.
4th stroke; exhaust.
The piston comes back up, pushing the burnt fuel and air mixture out through the
open exhaust valves and the exhaust port.
The pistons and connecting systems
For smooth power delivery, A car uses at least 4 pistons. These pistons take turns to fire the engine.
Camshafts are specially shaped
cams that push spring-loaded valves open in turn.
Cam gears and a timing belt or chain
links everything to the crankshaft. The crankshaft translates piston power from the engine to the wheels.
It has counterweights to balance against the
pistons for perfectly smooth revolutions.
The engine block holds the crankshaft
and cylinders, and the cylinder head holds valves, ports, cams, etc.
A geared flywheel sits at one side of the
crankshaft for connection to a transmission.
The basic car engine has four cylinders
arranged in a single row. But there are many other possible configurations, including six, eight and 12 cylinders.
Systems that support the internal combustion process.
Air intake system
Air comes in through an air filter, and then into the intake manifold where it mixes with fuel before being sucked into individual cylinders through intake ports.
Fuel injection system
The fuel pump carries gas from the tank, through a fuel filter, to the engine
where fuel injectors emit a precisely
timed spray of gas into the intake port.
Cooling system
Engines get very hot during operation and
require a cooling system. The cooling system basically consists of a radiator, water pump and cooling channels. Cool water from the radiator is pumped through cooling channels that go around the hot cylinder blocks, cooling the engine in the process. This hot water then passes through the radiator and is cool again for recirculation.
The radiator has a network of small tubes and fins. As hot water passes through these tubes it is cooled with the aid of fins and radiator fans.
Electrical system
This is a complex system that basically consists of the battery, fuses, wiring , coils, spark plugs, and the alternator.
The battery provides the initial electrical connection that enables the car to start. The alternator is like an electric generator. Once the car engine starts running, the alternator basically charges the battery and generates the electricity required for the whole car to function properly
lubricating system
Just like the cooling system, the engine lubricating system basically consists of , engine oil, oil storage, oil lubricating channels, oil filter and oil pump.
The oil pump keeps oil properly
pressurized and flowing.
It pumps the motor oil to lubricate, cool, clean, prevent corrosion of the engine.
The oil filter keeps oil clean from contaminants.
Exhaust system
The exhaust manifold collects gases
from multiple cylinders into one pipe.
Exhaust flows through the catalytic converter, which captures toxic chemicals in engine exhaust. And then out through a muffler that reduces exhaust noise.
PS4 remote play typically means controlling and playing your PS4 console/ games on your PC or mobile phone.
To enable remote play for your PS4 you need the following.
A PS4 console with an active PlayStation account.
A high speed internet connection preferably 5Mbps
Window/ Mac PC or Compatible mobile phone/tablet
Latest version of the remote play app installed on your PC/ mobile device
Preparing your PS4 for Remote Play
Make sure your PS4 software is updated to the latest version. The console automatically does this when connected to the internet. You can also do it manually by going to
SETTINGS, SYSTEM SOFTWARE UPDATE, UPDATE NOW and follow the prompts.
You must have an active PlayStation account. You can go to PlayStation.com and open a new account. Then using your login details, signing to your account in the console.
Activate your console as primary. To do this go to Settings > Account Management > Activate as Your Primary PlayStation 4. Then select Activate.
Enable remote play on your console. From your home screen go to Settings > System > Remote Play, and then turn on Enable Remote Play.
Preparing for PC for Remote Play
Just download and install the latest version of the PS4 remote play app. You can download it HERE.
Preparing your mobile phone/tablet for remote play
Just go to Google PlayStore or your phone’s official app store and type PS Remote Play in the search bar. If a link to download the app comes up then your device is compatible, if not , then your mobile device is incompatible.
How to Connect your PS4 to PC using Remote Play
Switch on your internet
Switch on your PS4 and make sure it is connected to your internet
Check that remote play is enabled on your console.
Switch on your PC and connect it to the internet.
Start the remote play app installed on your PC
On the app choose the PS4 console to connect to
The app will automatically connect your PC to PS4 and you will be able to control your PS4 from your PC.
If the app doesn’t automatically connect, the app will tell you what is wrong. Alternatively you can use the manual link button to connect manually to the console. After clicking the manual link button, follow the instructions shown. You will be told to enter a code generated from your PS4 and enter it into the space provided in the remote play app of your PC.
After the first time connection, you shouldn’t have problems connecting after. You won’t even need the console connected to your TV. Just switch on the console, then start the remote play app on your PC, choose your console on the app then it will automatically connect. Only when problems arise will you need the connected TV to resolve the issue.
If you set the console to standby mode, you can start the PS4 from the remote play app and start gameplay.
To use the PS4 controller on the PC use a compatible USB cable to connect controller to PC
