# Salt Battery **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 13, 2003, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-battery/174888 "2003-05-13T05:06:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-battery/174888/1 "2003-05-13T05:06:59Z")
Years ago, I remember reading an article about a new feature that was supposed to be in VW’s. It was called something like a “Shatz Salt Battery” or something like that. I don’t remember exactly how it worked, but the idea that VW had, was that the salt battery would store heat, and then when the car was started, it’d pump the heat into the exhaust, causing the catalytic converter to warm up quicker, thus lowering the car’s emissions. Anybody know exactly what the thing’s called, how it works, and if VW ever used it on their cars? ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-battery/174888/2 "2003-05-13T15:35:37Z")
Bueller? Anyone at all? ---
**Author:** ![NotMrKnowItAll](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/6bbea6/32.png) [@NotMrKnowItAll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NotMrKnowItAll)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-battery/174888/3 "2003-05-13T15:47:29Z")
Sorry I don’t know about that. Here’s a link to Sandia’s sunlab where they talk briefly about molten nitrate salts being used to store thermal enery. [The Tower of Power](http://www.energylan.sandia.gov/sunlab/overview.htm#tower) ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-battery/174888/4 "2003-05-13T20:01:37Z")
I just know you can be arrested for salt and battery. Then they put you in a dry cell. ---
**Author:** ![bbeaty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c0e974/32.png) [@bbeaty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bbeaty)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2003, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-battery/174888/5 "2003-05-14T01:57:12Z")
Sounds like the “eutectic salt” used for heat storage in solar heating systems [http://www.google.com/search?q=“glauber’s+salt”+eutectic](http://www.google.com/search?q=%22glauber's+salt%22+eutectic) ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2003, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-battery/174888/6 "2003-05-14T05:26:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bbeaty \* > \*\*Sounds like the “eutectic salt” used for heat storage in solar heating systems > > [http://www.google.com/search?q=“glauber’s+salt”+eutectic](http://www.google.com/search?q=%22glauber's+salt%22+eutectic) \*\* Yeah, and from what I can glean from google that seems to be it. However, I can’t seem to find any links from anyone giving detailed instructions on how to build the things or who’s selling them. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2003, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-battery/174888/7 "2003-05-14T05:56:32Z")
You’re thinking of the [molten salt/carbonate fuel cell](http://www.onri.go.jp/Labo/fuelcell/index_e.html). VW and lots of others looked into this technology a few years ago but decided it’s not ready for prime time. Development is still going on. ---
**Author:** ![donkeyoatey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47c2d/32.png) [@donkeyoatey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/donkeyoatey)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2003, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-battery/174888/8 "2003-05-14T10:26:26Z")
Is the [VCI converter](http://www.hr.doe.gov/energy100/trans/50.html) what you’re thinking of **Tuckerfan**? ---
**Author:** ![donkeyoatey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47c2d/32.png) [@donkeyoatey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/donkeyoatey)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2003, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-battery/174888/9 "2003-05-14T10:29:44Z")
> [@](#): > > VCI Converter technology was licensed to Benteler Industries, Inc. of Grand Rapids, Michigan, a major automobile manufacturer supplier, in 1996 and Benteler expects to have their BENCHMARC Converters ready for installation in model 2003 cars. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2003, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-battery/174888/10 "2003-05-14T13:40:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by donkeyoatey \* > \*\*Is the [VCI converter](http://www.hr.doe.gov/energy100/trans/50.html) what you’re thinking of **Tuckerfan**? \*\* That’s it exactly.