Primary aluminum-air flow battery for high-power applications: Optimization of power and self-discharge

Original scientific paper

Authors

  • Dayatri Bolaños-Picado Departamento de Ingeniería Química and Centro de Electroquímica y Energía Química (CELEQ), Universidad de Costa Rica, 11501 2060, Sabanilla de Montes de Oca, San José, Costa Rica. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0665-020X
  • Cindy Torres 1Departamento de Ingeniería Química and 3Centro de Investigación en Ciencia e Ingeniería de Materiales (CICIMA), 11501 2060, Sabanilla de Montes de Oca, San José, Costa Rica. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8312-0814
  • Diego González-Flores Centro de Electroquímica y Energía Química (CELEQ), Centro de Investigación en Ciencia e Ingeniería de Materiales (CICIMA) y Escuela de Química, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0403-2494

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5599/jese.2075

Keywords:

Ammonium metavanadate, conversion coatings, aluminum alloys, forced flow, primary power source, backup battery

Abstract

Aluminum-air batteries are a front-runner technology in applications requiring a primary energy source. Aluminum-air flow batteries have many advantages, such as high energy density, low price, and recyclability. One of the main challenges with aluminum-air batteries is achieving high power while parasitic corrosion and self-discharge are minimized. In this study, the optimization of an aluminum-air flow cell by multiple-parameters analysis and integration of a four-cell stack are shown. We also studied the incorporation of ammonium metavanadate (NH4VO3) as anticorrosive in 4 mol L-1 KOH electrolyte by discharge and polarization plots. It was concluded that NH4VO3 is an efficient anticorrosive at low currents, but it limits the battery reaction at high-current and high-power applications. Nevertheless, high currents inhibit the corrosion reaction using 4 mol L-1 KOH electrolyte, allowing high power and capacity without anticorrosive additives. The flow in the stack also plays a significant role, and parallel flow is suggested over cascade flow since the latter results in the progressive accumulation of hydrogen as the electrolyte flows through the stack.

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14-11-2023 — Updated on 14-11-2023

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Vol. 13 No. 6 (2023)

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Batteries and supercapacitors

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Primary aluminum-air flow battery for high-power applications: Optimization of power and self-discharge : Original scientific paper. (2023). Journal of Electrochemical Science and Engineering, 13(6), 895-909. https://doi.org/10.5599/jese.2075