A pile is a fundamental electrochemical energy storage device made by stacking alternating discs of two different metals separated by a conductive, electrolyte-soaked material. While the term originates from the historic voltaic pile, it is still used in older technical literature to describe any primary battery cell. Engineers sometimes use the word informally when referring to fuel cell stacks or large stationary battery assemblies.
We need to check the voltage across the entire pile before connecting it to the load bank.
You will mostly hear this term from older engineers or translated documentation; most crews just say stack or cell.
Related terms
Battery
An energy storage device that converts chemical energy directly into electrical energy.
Battery cell
The fundamental electrochemical unit that makes up a larger battery assembly.
Fuel cell
An electrochemical device that continuously converts the chemical energy of a fuel and an oxidant directly into electrical energy.