CAREER: Multiphase magnetohydrodynamic mixing models for liquid metal battery applications

PI: Kelley， Douglas提案号：1552182这个CAREER提案的目标是探索流体动力学对使用液态金属作为电极的电池性能的重要影响。这种电池对于间歇性能源的电网（如基于可再生能源的电网）的能量存储应用具有很大的前景。PI建议使用在较低温度下（约160摄氏度）的液态合金，而不是目前使用的在550摄氏度范围内操作的合金。从传输现象的角度来看电池的行为，其中流体流动，质量和传热限制了电池的性能。先前的工作主要集中在材料和化学方面。在液态金属电池中，流体流动将反应物带到约10毫米的界面，在这里，初级反应为电池充电和放电，去除反应物质，并防止形成不需要的固体。在这项工作中要解决的问题包括：哪个边界层-粘性，热，或电磁-介导质量输运？流动如何影响固相的生长和侵蚀？固相如何影响流动？尺寸和宽高比如何影响输入和输出之间的关系？传质速率如何取决于温差和电流密度？

PI: Kelley, Douglas Proposal Number: 1552182The goal of this CAREER proposal is to explore the fluid dynamics effects that are important in the performance of batteries that utilize liquid metals as electrodes. Such batteries hold a strong promise for energy storage applications on an electrical grid with intermittent energy sources, such as one based on renewable energy sources. The PI proposes to use alloys that are liquid at lower temperatures (at about 160C) instead of currently applied options, where operations at temperatures in the range of 550C are used. The battery behavior is viewed from the transport phenomena point of view, where fluid flow, mass and heat transfer are limiting the battery performance. Prior work has focused on materials and chemistry. In a liquid metal battery, fluid flow brings reactants about 10 mm to the interface where primary reactions charge and discharge the battery, removes reacted material, and prevents the formation of undesirable solids. The questions to be addressed in this work include: Which boundary layer - viscous, thermal, or electromagnetic - mediates mass transport? How does flow affect growth and erosion of solid phases? How do solid phases affect flow? How do size and aspect ratio affect the relationship between inputs and outputs? How does the mass transfer rate depend on temperature difference and current density?