Experimental research on temperature rise and electric characteristics of aluminum air battery under open‐circuit condition for new energy vehicle

Summary Due to lack of systematic research on open‐circuit voltage (OCV) and electrolyte temperature rise characteristics of aluminum air battery, in order to explore the influential factors on the OCV and electrolyte temperature rise of aluminum air battery, in this paper, for the first time, we studied the effects of different ambient temperature conditions, different concentrations of NaOH and KOH electrolyte, and pure aluminum and aluminum alloy on the OCV and electrolyte temperature rise of aluminum air battery. Results show that the OCV of aluminum air battery is obviously affected by ambient temperature conditions, electrolyte concentration, and different anode materials. The OCV range is 1.5 to 1.8 V at 0°C under different KOH‐electrolyte concentrations when aluminum alloy is used as anode material; with the increase of ambient temperature, the OCV will rise, and the range is 1.8 to 1.95 V. The working process of aluminum air battery is accompanied by the phenomenon of heat release, and the temperature rise range of electrolyte will not exceed 7°C when aluminum alloy is used as the anode material; however, the highest temperature of the electrolyte can reach 100°C when pure aluminum is used as the negative electrode material. The results of this study will provide theoretical guidance for designing aluminum air batteries and identifying their optimal operating conditions. The open‐circuit voltage (OCV) and the electrolyte temperature rise are important parameters of aluminium‐air battery. The influence of ambient temperature on OCV and other parameters of aluminium‐air battery is obvious. In the experimental setup, the thermostatic chamber can be used to provide the specified temperature environment of aluminium‐air battery. The OCV and electrolyte temperature rise signals of aluminium‐air battery can be recorded by data acquisition system. The hydrogen generated in the experiment can be collected by using a gas collector. Highlights This is the first systematic study of the effects of various factors on the open‐circuit voltage (OCV) of aluminum air battery. There is rare literature on the temperature rise characteristics of electrolytes for aluminum air batteries. The OCV range is 1.5 to 1.8 V at 0°C, but with the increase of ambient temperature, the OCV will rise, and the range is 1.8 to 1.95 V. The highest temperature of the electrolyte can reach 100°C when pure aluminum is used as the negative electrode material. With the increase of ambient t