Multimode battery (marine system applications)

A novel aluminum-based seawater battery for marine applications is described. The battery is operable at multiple power levels. The low power is derived from an aluminum-inert cathode bipolar battery by flow of seawater through the cells. The high power is derived by online mixing of hydrogen peroxide with the seawater electrolyte. The low/high power switching is reversible, and the power level can be controlled either by the concentration of the oxidant and/or by its flow rate into the battery. This has demonstrated the potential operation of a cell stack at multiple power levels by varying the cell chemistry. Preliminary design modeling of a battery capable of delivering 1 kW and 20 kW, each for a period of three hours, is presented.<
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