  Generation of thermal convection flow in the liquid metal battery, a device
recently proposed as a promising solution for the problem of the short-term
energy storage, is analyzed using a numerical model. It is found that
convection caused by Joule heating of electrolyte during charging or
discharging is virtually unavoidable. It exists in laboratory prototypes larger
than a few cm in size and should become much stronger in larger-scale
batteries. The phenomenon needs further investigation in view of its positive
(enhanced mixing of reactants) and negative (loss of efficiency and possible
disruption of operation due to the flow-induced deformation of the electrolyte
layer) effects.
