Thermally and electromagnetically driven flow in liquid metal battery and their effects on ionic /atomic transport

Liquid metal battery (LMB) is considered a promising grid-level energy storage technology due to its low cost, long lifespan, and feasible amplification. As an all-liquid battery, the mechanisms and effects of its internal flow still need to be further studied. In this work, we establish two-dimensional (2D) axisymmetric models coupling both the thermal field and electromagnetic field based on Li|LiCl-KCl|Bi system. The fluid motions inside the batteries driven by temperature field, electromagnetic field, and coupled field are analyzed contrastively, revealing the dominant role of thermal convection. Moreover, the effects of the flow driven by different physical fields on the electrochemical reaction process are investigated. Those results are of great significance for further understanding the electrochemical process of LMB and other battery systems and optimizing the battery performance.