Sea Water Rope Batteries.

Abstract

This research demonstrated the feasibility of supplying approximately 1 watt of electrical power for one year on the sea bed with a novel battery, the rope battery. The proposed battery would look very much like a small diameter wire rope, possibly hundreds of feet long. This unusual shape permits the rope battery to take full advantage of the vastness of the ocean floor and permits at great pressure the steady diffusion of reaction products away from the battery itself. A sea water battery is described consisting of an inner bundle of coated wires which slowly corrode and an outer layer of fine wires which simultaneously provides strength, armor and surface area for slow hydrogen evolution. Two variations are examined. The fuse utilizes magnesium wires and burns slowly from the end. The rope utilizes lithium-zinc alloys and is slowly consumed along its entire length.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 15, 1984
Accession Number
ADA144775

Entities

People

  • M. Walsh

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Alkali Metals
  • Alloys
  • Composite Materials
  • Current Density
  • Diameters
  • Electrochemical Reactions
  • Hydrogen
  • Hydrogen Embrittlement
  • Magnesium
  • Magnesium Alloys
  • Materials
  • Metals
  • Salt Water
  • Sea Water
  • Sea Water Batteries
  • Water
  • Zinc Alloys

Readers

  • Materials Science and Engineering.
  • Mathematics or Statistics
  • Reinforced Composite Materials