Energy Storage and Energy Conversion with Liquid Metals

Elektrochemical cells with liquid metal electrodes are used to measure thermochemical properties (activities) for many years. New applications include energy storage (liquid metal batteries) and energy conversion (AMTEC). The advantages of liquid metals lie in the simple construction of such cells, fast kinetics at the interfaces as well as long lifetime and high cycle numbers of the electrodes.

Research Topics and Exeriments

Liquid Metal Batteries

Liquid metal batteries, i.e. batteries in which both electrodes as well as the electrolyte are in the liquid state, are a ­very promising concept for economic storage. If abundant and cheap active materials can be used in large cells, the predicted total costs per unit stored energy are low and quite competitive.

More

Battery Laboratory

Our battery lab enables the electrochemical investigation of liquid metal electrodes and molten salt electrolytes.
For experiments, small cells are build and tested under argon atmosphere in the glove box.

More

Instabilities in Liquid Metal Batteries

Fluid flows in liquid metal batteries influence their efficiency, but also their safe operation crucially.

More

Experiments with Liquid Metal Battery Cells

In the battery laboratory, different types of cells and different chemistries are tested. Activities, efficiencies and corrosive properties are examined.

More

Experimental Investigation of Orbitally Excited Interfacial Waves in Two- and Three-Layer Systems

Interfacial instabilities have a leading role in the wide field of Magneto­hydro­dynamics. This instability is driven by a complex interaction of strong currents with external ­magnetic fields.

More

AMTEC-D – Alkali-Metal-Thermo-Electric-Con­ver­ter - Type Dresden

Direct energy con­version of heat to electric power with Alkali-Metal-Thermo-Electric-Con­verters (AMTEC) helps to increase resource efficiency and offers various flexible applications. We develop an alternative AMTEC based on liquid metal electrodes to improve life time and performance.

More

Mass transfer in liquid metal batteries

Mass transfer substantially determines the cell voltage of liquid metal batteries.

More

SOLSTICE

Most battery development so far responded to the needs of mobile applications. Such use cases require optimisation for energy density and power capability. Stationary storage prioritises different criteria: long life time and low cost. SOLSTICE has not only the ambition, but also the potential to meet this target.

More

Battery engineering

An optimized cell design is fundamental for a long lifetime of a liquid metal battery.

More

Corrosion

Corrosion is investigated especially in molten salts. Electrochemical approaches are used together with ICP-MS, REM-EDX and others.

More

Radiography of liquid metal batteries

Neutrons and X-rays are used to visualize processes in liquid metal batteries. Cells imaging is performed in operando at temperatures exceeding 600°C.

More

Battery system engineering

Large batteries need to be well insulated in order to reach a high efficiency. At the same time, the insulation should not be too thick because otherwise the cells need to be cooled during operation.

More

Numerical Simulation of Liquid Metal Batteries

Numerical simulation allows a fast and easy study of the operating performance of liquid metal batteries.

More

Projects of the research group on liquid metal batteries

The research group on liquid metal batteries carries out a number of third party funded projects related to high-temperature electrochemistry and battery fluid dynamics.

More