DESIGN OF A DOME-SHAPED ALUMINUM WATER BATTERY

Aluminium/water batteries using hydrogen evolving cathodes are one of the candidate batteries for sub-sea application. However, it is imprac tical to use parallel plate construction because the significant incre ase in the anode-cathode gap during long term anodic discharge leads t o unacceptable iR losses. A conceptual design, using a dome-shaped con figuration, is presented and preliminary tests on a prototype show tha t such a battery can ensure constant anode-cathode gap and uniform ano de dissolution. The energy density of such a battery for a two year pe riod is estimated to be 855 Wh kg-1.