BAT
Battery
An electrochemical electrical source or storage element represented in a circuit.
SLD / Schematic
Symbols · GB cell
Single battery cell
One electrochemical cell drawn as a single long plate and short plate pair, marking cell-level voltage and polarity.
In plain English
What does Single battery cell mean?
The single cell symbol is one long line for the positive plate and one shorter, often thicker, line for the negative plate. It represents one electrochemical cell, for example a 2 V lead-acid cell or a nominal 3.2 V lithium iron phosphate cell, and is the building block from which battery symbols are composed.
A simple example
It appears on schematics where cell-level detail matters, such as cell monitoring connections, a backup cell on a controller board or a pilot cell for temperature and voltage measurement in a stationary battery. On power single-line diagrams the multi-cell battery symbol is normally used instead.
What the drawings help you do
The symbol shows polarity but not chemistry, capacity or nominal voltage, all of which must be labelled. Drawing one cell does not mean the battery has one cell; check whether the drawing uses a single cell glyph as shorthand for a whole battery.
This particular reference
One electrochemical cell drawn as a single long plate and short plate pair, marking cell-level voltage and polarity. A single cell is one plate pair; the battery symbol repeats plate pairs or adds a dashed line between them to show several cells.
- Terminal
- An identified point where a conductor connects.
- Rating
- A value stating the conditions for which equipment is specified.
- Schematic
- A drawing showing function and connections rather than physical appearance.
Read the source: IEC graphical symbols for diagrams · IEEE/ANSI 315-1975: graphic symbols for electrical and electronics diagrams
Schematic · GB cell
What it represents
The single cell symbol is one long line for the positive plate and one shorter, often thicker, line for the negative plate. It represents one electrochemical cell, for example a 2 V lead-acid cell or a nominal 3.2 V lithium iron phosphate cell, and is the building block from which battery symbols are composed.
It appears on schematics where cell-level detail matters, such as cell monitoring connections, a backup cell on a controller board or a pilot cell for temperature and voltage measurement in a stationary battery. On power single-line diagrams the multi-cell battery symbol is normally used instead.
The symbol shows polarity but not chemistry, capacity or nominal voltage, all of which must be labelled. Drawing one cell does not mean the battery has one cell; check whether the drawing uses a single cell glyph as shorthand for a whole battery.
How to read it
- The longer plate is positive.
- Confirm whether the glyph is a true single cell or a simplified battery.
Information to show or reference
- State chemistry and nominal cell voltage.
- Mark polarity.
- Reference monitoring connections if any.
A distinction that matters
A single cell is one plate pair; the battery symbol repeats plate pairs or adds a dashed line between them to show several cells.
Sources you can follow
These public references support the explanation and provide further detail. Their graphics and downloadable files remain with their publishers.
IEC graphical symbols for diagrams
IEC graphical symbol context for cells and batteries.
IEEE/ANSI 315-1975: graphic symbols for electrical and electronics diagrams
IEEE/ANSI graphic-symbol context for cells.
About this graphic
This illustration was authored independently by Elora Grid to explain the concept. It is not reproduced from a customer drawing, an official standard graphic or a manufacturer CAD file. Its correspondence to an exact IEC or IEEE symbol identifier has not been certified.
SVG and DXF downloads contain this original artwork. DXF uses unscaled drawing units; a GA envelope supplies no product dimensions, clearances or fabrication information. Original artwork is available under CC BY 4.0. Third-party references retain their own terms.
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