Design analysis of an aluminum-air battery for vehicle operations. Transportation systems research

The objective of the study reported was to perform a detailed configuration analysis of an aluminum-air battery, evaluate various automobile propulsion systems utilizing the Al-air battery, and estimate the performance and cost of vehicles incorporating these propulsion systems. A preliminary engineering design is performed. A physical model and a cell-performance model of a conceptual mass-produced Al-air battery were constructed and work together to characterize the battery system. The physical battery model is based on a specific battery design concept and defines the mass and volume of a complete Al-air battery system. The cell-performance model simulates the electrical and electrochemical characteristics of the battery. The physical model and two versions of the cell-performance model - near-term and optimistic - were used in a vehicle-conversion analysis to evaluate three automotive propulsion systems - Al-air battery only, Al-air battery/secondary battery, and Al-air battery/flywheel. (LEW)