John Frederic Daniell, British chemist and meteorologist who invented the Daniell cell, which was a great improvement over the voltaic cell used in the early days of battery development.
The voltaic cell, though important as the first source of continuous electricity, is of limited use because it begins losing power rapidly as current is drawn. In 1836 Daniell proposed an improved electric cell that supplied an even current during continuous operation. The Daniell cell gave new impetus to electric research and found many commercial applications. In 1837 Daniell was presented the highest award of the Royal Society, the Copley Medal, for the invention of the Daniell cell.
