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39.No.18.~~.2659-2664,
1994
j Pergnmon copyrishtQ 1994ElEvicrscinreLtd.
Prinud
inGnat Britain.AUrighlcrrmcd
0013~4666/9457.00+0.00
Abstract-The transported entropy and the Thomson coefficient for charge conducting ions are needed
to predict reversible heat effects in batteries. Transported entropies and Thomson coefficients have been
calculated from Seebeck coefficients of the cell Fe&, T1)1Me 18” alumina 1Me 1Fe@, 7”) for Na and K
(Me). The result is S&+ = 56 f 3 JK-’ mol-’ at SOOK, with a Thomson coefficient rN.+ = 30
f 2 J K-’ mol-’ in the temperature interval 333-773 K. The transported entropy of Na+ did not change
by freezing Na at 370. The results for K+ are identical to those of Na+, within the accuracy of the
experiments. The Thomson coefficient derived from measurements at different values of T, was consistent
with the observed variation in emfwith AT for a given Tl. The reversible heat changes at the electrodes
have been calculated for sodium sulphur and potassium sulphur batteries. During discharge both bat-
teries produce a net reversible heat, the production always being largest at the alkali metal anode. At the
cathode, the heat effect becomes relatively small when the composition of Na and S is within the one
phase region. A change in composition from the one phase to the two phase region is expected to lead to
changes in local temperature gradients. The systems were described by the electric work method, a
method which has practical advantages compared to other electrochemical methods.
Key words: transported entropy, sulphur battery, heat production, electric work method.
2659
2660 S. KJILWRUP RATKJEet al.
with sodium in the molten and solid state, and cell stant electric current (in A). The mass changes are
(b): rigidly connected to the electric current through the
cell. On the left side Na is consumed, so that
Fe@, T1)) K([) I (K-)/Y-alumina I K(I) I Fe(s, TJ (b) dn,,(l)/dt = - I/F (in mols-‘), and on the right
with liquid potassium in the electrode com- side we produce Na according to dn,,(2)/dt = I/F,
partments. The electrolyte of cell (b) was prepared by where F is the faraday constant. The volume change
replacing sodium ions in the crystal lattice of the /?“- which accompanies these changes produces the
alumina by potassium ions according to ref.[8]. mechanical work, p dv/dt:
The thermoelectric power of cell (a) was described
by irreversible thermodynamics[9]. The electric
work method of Hertz and Ratkje[lO] may be better P $ =PC- k,(T,) + VdT,)l $
suited than irreversible thermodynamics for a
description of thermocells. The electric work method so that the total work supplied to the system is equal
involves summing over the delocalised changes in to
the cell, and does not use flux equations with con-
stant phenomenlogical coefficients. The result is a dW
more direct description of the physical events taking - = -El + PCUT,) - GX.Jl ;. (2)
dt
place in the cell. To demonstrate the advantages of
the electric work method, we shall apply it in this The last term is small compared to the first term to
context and compare the treatment to previous the right.
treatments[9]. The local internal energy change also follows the
mass variation. For the internal energy change at the
cathode and anode we have the following total
change per unit time:
2. PRINCIPLES
1 r-----1 I
To
I I
Na20.6A1203 11 Na Fe
NaI SNa ’ %Ja I
I
[ 1 1 11. (10)
DEGUSSA, Germany.
The bridge between the electrodes, sodium or pot-
+ G,Me - TMe+) ~ln~-~
assium p-alumina, was dipped into the electrode
liquids. Dipping into each electrode chamber were
Second order terms in I are neglected. By expanding also stainless steel sheathed Ni/Cr-Ni/Al thermocou-
the logarithm we have [T, ln(T,/T,) - AT] = ples (type K). This allowed temperature recordings
[l/Z(AT/T,) AT] and: (within + 0.1 K), as well as emf measurements
( + 1 mV) at the same position. The cell assembly is
EF shown in Fig. 2. The right electrode of each cell was
8 = E = Kk. 1 - %+, 1) + w,,,, - Gk+) +?
1 fitted with a small nichrome heater with resistance
lOohm and power up to 10 W. It was wound directly
(11) onto the outside of the crucible. The entire cell was
This equation defines the Seebeck coefficient for next mounted inside a Pyrex jacket, sealed to the
AT/T,. atmosphere, filled with dry nitrogen, and placed
inside a standard Kanthal furnace (tube height 92cm
The sum of the heat effects at the electrodes is :
and inner diameter 94 mm).
3.3. Procedure
Seeback coefficients were determined for the ther-
where A,S = SYe,2 - Su,, 1 is the entropy of the cell mocells (a) and (b) at the investigated temperatures
reaction. Equation (12) can also be obtained in cells in the following way. The thermocouple sheaths were
with dissimilar electrodes, such as the sodium- used to measure the emA and the individual thermo-
sulphur cell. The entropy change of the isothermal couple em> were used to find the temperatures of the
cell reaction can be obtained from the fundamental two metal pools. The temperature of one electrode
2662 S. KJELSTIWPRATKJEet al.
Fig. 3. The emfas a function of(T,-T,) in cell (a), T, = 433 K: (m) heating; (+) cooling.
Cells with p-alumina 2663
Table 3. Local heal production per faraday transferred the anode -ql and at the catode -q2,, (one phase
upon discharge of the sodium-sulphur cell, at the anode region) and -q2,” (two phase region) are given in
(-4,) and at the cathode (-q5,, or -q2,,,) as a function of Tables 3 and 4.
temperature
a negligible influence on the value of the transported The transfer of heat, mass, energy and electricity
entropy. This issue deserves further investigation. are issues of primary interest to the engineer doing
process analysis. The main advantage of the electric
work method may be the direct link made between
5.3. Reversible heat changes in Na-sulphur and these properties. We only took advantage of a few of
K-sulphur batteries these aspects in the present work, since we did not
The results in Tables 3 and 4 indicate that local include the time-dependent processes in our calcu-
contributions to the total reversible heat effects in lation.
the batteries show considerable asymmetry.
Consider the discharge of the cells by passage of
one faraday of charge. The anode heat productions 6. CONCLUSIONS
contribute the largest terms. The anode will heat on
cell discharge, more with K than with Na, and more The transported entropy of sodium and potassium
at high temperatures than at low. The cathode heat ions S&,+ and Sk+ in p-alumina have been deter-
production is negative (ie heat is absorbed here). It is mined. We find that Sg,, = SE+ and that rMc+z
seen from Table 3 that the cathode heat absorbtion Cp,Me for the investigated temperature ranges, and
is relatively large when the sulphur electrode is in the that ~~~+ < C,, Mefor lower temperatures. A model
two-phase region, but it is smaller in the one-phase for prediction of these effects is still lacking. The
region. The resulting asymmetry can be compensated results lead to an asymmetric reversible heat pro-
by Joule heating during operation of the battery. duction in alkali-sulphur batteries. The highest
Joule heat is expected mainly in the sulphur elec- asymmetry, and the highest net heat production is
trode and in the p-alumina electrolyte, and may thus obtained with the K-S battery. The electric work
offset the effect of Peltier cooling of the cathode on method may be useful for analysis of electrochemical
discharge, to an extent which depends upon the cells and for calculation of cells in operation.
current and the cell impedance. The same pattern is
repeated when Na is replaced by K (see Table 4). In Acknowledgements-We are grateful to The Royal Society,
both cases, so far as reversible heat effects are con- London and Norwegian Research Council, Oslo for a Vis-
iting Fellowships for Dr Sharivker. We thank Beta
cerned, there should be a net flow in the direction
Research and Development, Derby for supplies of p-
from the anode to the cathode. The transition from alumina samples.
the one-phase to the two-phase region may cause
local temperature instabilities.
The net heat production during discharge is posi-
tive for both batteries, meaning that both batteries REFERENCES
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