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arXiv · 1507.08315

Thermal convection in a liquid metal battery

Yuxin Shen·Oleg Zikanov
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Abstract

Generation of thermal convection flow in the liquid metal battery, a device recently proposed as a promising solution for the problem of the short-term energy storage, is analyzed using a numerical model. It is found that convection caused by Joule heating of electrolyte during charging or discharging is virtually unavoidable. It exists in laboratory prototypes larger than a few cm in size and should become much stronger in larger-scale batteries. The phenomenon needs further investigation in view of its positive (enhanced mixing of reactants) and negative (loss of efficiency and possible disruption of operation due to the flow-induced deformation of the electrolyte layer) effects.

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Yuxin Shen, Oleg Zikanov. 2015-07-29. Thermal convection in a liquid metal battery. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00162-015-0378-1

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