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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Rechargeable alkaline zinc/ferricyanide battery, Phase III. Final report, 26 October 1981-18 September 1982

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:6342295

Project effort was concentrated primarily on technical advancement of the alkaline zinc/ferricyanide battery to meet goals of scale-up and demonstration of solid-reactant storage with 1000-cm/sup 2/ full-scale cells; development of a conceptual engineering design for a 50-kW solar-photovoltaic storage system; demonstration of solar acceptance random cycling; and determination of cycle life of cells operating at 70- and 200-mA.h/cm/sup 2/ capacity. These goals were met in the design, fabrication, and cyclic testing of a 1000-cm/sup 2/ cell having a flow aspect ratio of 2:1. After some design optimization, energy efficiency in 2N NaOH at 43/sup 0/C is 74 to 78 percent. Testing has been in conjunction with a crystallizer/reservoir designed with a capacity of 300 mA.h/cm/sup 2/ that delivers solids-free electrolyte to the cell. A conceptual engineering design for a 50-kW solar storage-battery system has been formulated with mass and thermal balances computed. Single-cell (60-cm/sup 2/) cycle life tests are in progress at 35 mA/cm/sup 2/ with 2N NaOH electrolyte with Nafion N-125 separator at 40/sup 0/C. Over 800 cycles at 70 mA.h/cm/sup 2/ capacity with mean energy efficiency of 76.6 +- 2.1 percent have been logged. Mean voltaic and coulombic efficiencies are 83.3 +- 1.8 percent and 92.0 +- 1.8 percent, respectively. Single-cell (60-cm/sup 2/) cycle life tests run under similar conditions at 249 +- 45 mA.h/cm/sup 2/ have logged over 220 cycles with mean energy efficiency of 75.3 +- 5.1 percent. Mean voltaic and coulombic efficiencies are 84.7 +- 2.0 and 89.0 +- 6.0, respectively.

Research Organization:
Lockheed Missiles and Space Co., Palo Alto, CA (USA). Research Labs.
OSTI ID:
6342295
Report Number(s):
SAND-83-7001; ON: DE83010615
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English