Modeling of sodium/metal chloride batteries

The performance of sodium/iron-chloride cells is modeled to determine the effect of a high ratio of solid electrolyte surface area to cell capacity. Preliminary studies show that electrolyte configurations of either multiple tubes joined to a header or compartmented flat structures result in high-performance cells. A detailed calculation of the performance of 215 Ah cells of the latter configuration shows cell specific energy of 187 Wh/kg and a specific power of 293 W/kg. A 61.6 kWh battery of these cells designed for the GM-G Van would weigh only 416 kg and have a volume of only 283 L. These calculated performances greatly exceed the experimental performances of conventional cells having a single tubular electrolyte