Interfacing the aluminium-air battery with telecommunications equipment
The tests carried out by British Telecom (BT) on the aluminum-air battery with regard to using the battery in a standby power system are described. The background to BT's interest in the aluminium-air battery is outlined along with the design considerations of a prototype power system to be installed in the switching network. The need for an interfacing DC/DC converter between the battery and the equipment is described, and the converter's novel features and operation are explained.<<ETX>>
Aluminum-air batteries: A review of alloys, electrolytes and design
Abstract High theoretical energy densities of metal battery anode materials have motivated research in this area for several decades. Aluminum in an Al-air battery (AAB) is attractive due to its light weight, wide availability at low cost, and safety. Electrochemical equivalence of aluminum allows for higher charge transfer per ion compared to lithium and other monovalent ions. However, significant challenges have impeded progress towards commercialization, including formation of an aluminum hydroxide surface barrier, high aluminum corrosion rate, and self-discharge susceptibility. Addition of alloying elements is a widely used technique for mitigating these problems in aqueous electrolytes. A number of alloying elements have been evaluated, with typical characteristics such as higher nobility than aluminum, and high overpotential for hydrogen evolution. Over time, a large number of studies have examined alloys across a broad landscape of components and composition in aqueous and ionic liquid electrolytes. This manuscript first takes a broader look at metal-air battery performance before focusing on a summary of data and electrochemical performance for aluminum and aluminum alloys of indium, tin, and/or gallium, and surveys proposed mechanisms driving surface chemistry in alkaline electrolytes on aluminum alloy anodes comprising these materials. AAB performance of ionic liquid and solid-state electrolytes with aluminum anodes is also considered, as results to date support the idea that these designs have the potential to minimize corrosion and enable secondary capability for applications requiring rechargeability.
The Use and Behavior of Aluminum Anodes in Alkaline Primary Batteries
The two‐ to threefold reduction in over‐all theoretical reactant weight (and usually also volume) which results from replacing Zn by Al in alkaline primary batteries could best be preserved in practice with a "self‐regenerating" electrolyte in large (>1 kw) Al‐air (or −O2) power sources, whereas small Al‐air (or −O2 or − ) reserve cells should function best with a consumable solution. Special attention is given to the use of Al in Al‐air cells with porous C or, preferably, porous Ni air cathodes. Anode polarization and current efficiency data are presented for both the self‐regenerating and the consumable electrolytes with and without several effective corrosion inhibitors consisting of alkyldimethylbenzylammonium salts and/or Hg with or without . It is concluded that optimum battery performance would result from the use of some of these inhibitors, as well as from elimination of sulfides and other corrosion accelerators, use of highly pure Al or specially resistant Al‐Mg, Al‐Zn, or Al‐Hg alloys, effective heat removal, operation at high current densities (preferably ≥10 ma/cm2), and anode‐electrolyte separation during periods of inaction.