MIT working on molten metal battery for grid storage - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: station240
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 05, 2016, 12:51:42 pm
content: http://phys.org/news/2016-01-battery-molten-metals-low-cost-long-lasting.htmlQuoteSeems the battery design they have now works, but there is one more thing they need.Quote

author: HAL-42b
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 05, 2016, 01:00:34 pm
content: Temperatures still too high.What will be the power expenditure of keeping the batteries molten?What happens if the battery leaks?What happens in case of water ingress? Water and molten metal don't go together very well. I don't even mention Lithium.Who will be allowed to store this much molten Lead when electronics manufacturers aren't even allowed lead in solder?

author: Kleinstein
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 05, 2016, 02:34:47 pm
content: The high temperature will cause some power loss, but not much in large installations. An other competing battery technology is sodium - sulfur also needs to be kept hot to work, though not that high in temperature. So this technology will not work for small units, but large units (e.g. 10 tons and up).Using lead is not a problem, as for these large installations recycling is usually not a problem. Something like 10 t of lead that such a battery may use have a value significant value. So they will not forget to recycle. So it would not even be a problem if the would use more toxic materials like mercury or cadmium. The bismuth may also be the more problematic part than lead.Sealing the battery is needed to keep water and oxygen out. So you have to protect is from getting wet anyway - water will evaporate before even coming in. As such a system stores a large amount of energy, there is always a chance for a strong reaction is case of a breakdown - but there is no way around that if you store energy. If the battery should leak, the heat insulation is one of the first things to break down. So leaking lead or salt will solidify - leaking sodium / lithium might burn.

author: DenzilPenberthy
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 05, 2016, 03:04:41 pm
content: Quote from: station240 on February 05, 2016, 12:51:42 pmThey need to talk to a manufacturer of spark plugs. They figured that out a long time ago (after a lot of work).

author: HAL-42b
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 05, 2016, 03:35:26 pm
content: Quote from: Kleinstein on February 05, 2016, 02:34:47 pmIn large installations (say 100 batteries 10 tons each) the leaking heat will be so much that humans won't be able to walk in for maintenance. If you provide ventilation you are defeating the reason for isolating it in the first place.It will require handling with remote controlled cranes. Like soaking pits in steel manufacturing.

author: IanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 05, 2016, 03:45:28 pm
content: Quote from: HAL-42b on February 05, 2016, 03:35:26 pmNot at all. Anything that needs to stay hot will be insulated to prevent heat loss.If you visit a furnace in a chemical plant or oil refinery you will find you can stand right next to it and comfortably touch the outside with your hand in spite of it being a flaming inferno just a few inches away on the inside.

author: Noize
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 07, 2016, 02:36:11 am
content: Donald Sadoway is a great professor. O0 The physics is explained here.https://www.ted.com/talks/donald_sadoway_the_missing_link_to_renewable_energy?language=en