A novel flow channel inspired by classical mathematical function: enhancing output performance and low-grade heat recovery efficiency of thermal regeneration ammonia-based flow battery

Thermal Regeneration Ammonia-based Flow Battery (TRAFB) faces significant challenges in enhancing its output performance and low-grade waste heat recovery efficiency due to limitations in mass transfer and an incomplete understanding of the mass transfer mechanism. To address these issues, this study innovatively introduces a novel sinusoidal wave flow channel (SWFC), which is inspired by the classic mathematical function. The impact of the SWFC on TRAFB performance is thoroughly discussed and compared in detail with the conventional straight flow channel (SFC). Most importantly, this work unveils for the first time the distribution mechanism of the three mass transfer modes in TRAFB, which are convection, diffusion, and electrophoretic mass transfer. The main findings reveal that the mass transfer performance of TRAFB is primarily governed by convection and diffusion, with electrophoretic mass transfer playing a minimal role, and there is a threshold of current density beyond which the dominant mass transfer mechanism transitions from convection to diffusion. The unique design of the SWFC, which induces the Venturi effect, significantly enhances the overall mass transfer performance of the TRAFB due to the distinct local acceleration, achieving a remarkable enhancement in flux of up to 118.48 times. By optimizing the amplitude and period, the battery's output performance can be further enhanced, with the maximum peak power achieved by the SWFC with an amplitude of 0.8 mm and a period of 0.5π, which is 95.63 % over the SFC. Notably, the SWFC also excels in improving the thermoelectric conversion efficiency, particularly at high current densities, achieving an enhancement of up to 9.81 times.