Lycoming wrote:...so it's just a battery, in which case the first link is incredibly misleading because it implies that the salt water is the energy source.
As far as I can tell, yes...I think.
In the first link the video gives no information at all, and the associated text states " the flow cell system derives it's energy from the electrochemical reaction created by two electrolyte solutions." This is such a general statement that it is almost as informative as the video. I can't remember any specific chemical combinations, it has been 20 years since I studied this stuff, so bear with me.
Electrolytes are solutions of ions. Table salt is composed of two ions, sodium which carries a positive charge, and chlorine which carries a negative charge. When water is absent they combine to form the solid crystalline structure that we shake on our food, but when dissolved in water the ions separate and move freely within the water. There are many other substances that exist as salts, for example potassium phosphate. Therefore in this two electrolyte solution the sodium is now free to interact with the phosphate and the potassium is free to interact with the chloride. Now whether or not there is a reaction depends not only upon the ions but also their concentrations as well as temperature and pressure. If such interaction does take place a new salt will be formed which will then precipitate out of solution until dynamic equilibrium is established, again dependent upon temperature and pressure.
So they have a two electrolyte solution...whoopsie f-ing doo. They have provided an eighth grade general science description of a cutting edge technology...my BS detector is on high alert.
The second link, however is a little more informative. " "Lithium poly sulfide flow cathodes of this architecture exhibit electrochemical activity that is distributed throughout the volume of flow electrodes rather than being confined to surfaces of stationary current collectors." It sounds as if the electrolyte solution literally flows through the electrode, as that electrode is composed of nano particles.
Now I do not know the commentators or their relationships to the people behind the salt water car project, but if this is a knowledgable response to criticism, then I would have to say that this project centers on battery design rather than the chemical reaction. Support for my opinion is also provided in the header of the video "Quant-e Sportlimousine with nanoFLOWCELL drive.
I must make it clear that I am attempting to put the clues together without much information.
