<s>
Beta-alumina	B-Algorithm
solid	I-Algorithm
electrolyte	I-Algorithm
(	O
BASE	O
)	O
is	O
a	O
fast	O
ion	O
conductor	O
material	O
used	O
as	O
a	O
membrane	O
in	O
several	O
types	O
of	O
molten	O
salt	O
electrochemical	O
cell	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
a	O
hard	O
polycrystalline	O
ceramic	O
,	O
which	O
,	O
when	O
prepared	O
as	O
an	O
electrolyte	O
,	O
is	O
complexed	O
with	O
a	O
mobile	O
ion	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
Na+	O
,	O
K+	O
,	O
Li+	O
,	O
Ag+	O
,	O
H+	O
,	O
Pb2+	O
,	O
Sr2+	O
or	O
Ba2+	O
depending	O
on	O
the	O
application	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
can	O
be	O
used	O
in	O
supercapacitors	O
,	O
fuel	O
cells	O
and	O
solid-state	B-Architecture
batteries	I-Architecture
,	O
substituting	O
liquid	O
electrolytes	O
used	O
in	O
for	O
example	O
the	O
lithium-ion	O
battery	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
BASE	O
was	O
first	O
developed	O
by	O
researchers	O
at	O
the	O
Ford	O
Motor	O
Company	O
,	O
in	O
the	O
search	O
for	O
a	O
storage	O
device	O
for	O
electric	O
vehicles	O
while	O
developing	O
the	O
sodium	B-Architecture
–	I-Architecture
sulfur	I-Architecture
battery	I-Architecture
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ford	O
Motor	O
company	O
was	O
interested	O
to	O
use	O
the	O
material	O
in	O
the	O
sodium	B-Architecture
–	I-Architecture
sulfur	I-Architecture
battery	I-Architecture
they	O
were	O
developing	O
for	O
electrical	O
vehicles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
sodium	B-Architecture
–	I-Architecture
sulfur	I-Architecture
battery	I-Architecture
was	O
a	O
topic	O
of	O
intense	O
worldwide	O
interest	O
during	O
the	O
1970s	O
and	O
1980s	O
,	O
but	O
interest	O
in	O
the	O
technology	O
for	O
vehicle	O
use	O
diminished	O
for	O
a	O
variety	O
of	O
technical	O
and	O
economic	O
reasons	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sodium	B-Architecture
–	I-Architecture
sulphur	I-Architecture
batteries	I-Architecture
have	O
a	O
basis	O
of	O
molten	O
salt	O
technology	O
where	O
molten	O
sodium	O
and	O
sulphur	O
are	O
used	O
as	O
the	O
electrodes	O
of	O
the	O
battery	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
heart	O
of	O
a	O
sodium	O
heat	O
engine	O
,	O
a	O
beta	B-Algorithm
alumina	I-Algorithm
ceramic	O
tubular	O
membrane	O
is	O
placed	O
at	O
the	O
centre	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Since	O
the	O
beta	B-Algorithm
alumina	I-Algorithm
electrolyte	O
does	O
not	O
conduct	O
electrons	O
favourably	O
the	O
expansion	O
causes	O
sodium	O
ions	O
across	O
the	O
membrane	O
and	O
the	O
electrons	O
through	O
an	O
external	O
circuit	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
this	O
application	O
beta	B-Algorithm
alumina	I-Algorithm
is	O
especially	O
applicable	O
,	O
since	O
the	O
most	O
efficient	O
features	O
of	O
the	O
heat	O
engine	O
are	O
a	O
result	O
form	O
the	O
properties	O
of	O
the	O
work	O
fluid	O
.	O
</s>
