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Is there a refillable battery chemistry, where the electrodes are unmodified by the discharge, and when the electrolyte is spent, you just empty it out, and refill with fresh electrolyte?

To me it seems impossible to extract any current without modifying at least one of the electrodes, but maybe someone knows of a chemistry that allows for this.

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    \$\begingroup\$ Hi Bjorn, it sounds like what you are describing is called a "Flow Battery" with the modification of omitting a pump. There is a decent enough wikipedia entry on it, and there is a battery university chapter. \$\endgroup\$
    – pgvoorhees
    Commented Dec 3, 2020 at 12:14
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    \$\begingroup\$ Also see Fuel Cells but they are not easy to do. \$\endgroup\$
    – Chris Stratton
    Commented Dec 3, 2020 at 12:58
  • \$\begingroup\$ @pgvoorhees: Thanks. Yes something similar to a flow battery, but with one electrolyte only, not two. Perhaps it is physically impossible to have a single electrolyte generate current. \$\endgroup\$
    – Björn Morén
    Commented Dec 3, 2020 at 13:11
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    \$\begingroup\$ The second material is going to either be a solid or liquid electrolyte. Gotta have a second material to generate the potential difference required to strip off the electron from your electrolyte. \$\endgroup\$
    – pgvoorhees
    Commented Dec 3, 2020 at 13:57

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