Design of a miniature flow cell for in situ x-ray imaging of redox flow batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Jervis, Rhodri; Brown, Leon D.; Neville, Tobias P.; Millichamp, Jason; Finegan, Donal P.; Heenan, Thomas M. M.; Brett, Dan J. L.; Shearing, Paul R.

2016-11-01

Flow batteries represent a possible grid-scale energy storage solution, having many advantages such as scalability, separation of power and energy capabilities, and simple operation. However, they can suffer from degradation during operation and the characteristics of the felt electrodes are little understood in terms of wetting, compression and pressure drops. Presented here is the design of a miniature flow cell that allows the use of x-ray computed tomography (CT) to study carbon felt materials in situ and operando, in both lab-based and synchrotron CT. Through application of the bespoke cell it is possible to observe felt fibres, electrolyte and pore phases and therefore enables non-destructive characterisation of an array of microstructural parameters during the operation of flow batteries. Furthermore, we expect this design can be readily adapted to the study of other electrochemical systems.

Design of a miniature flow cell for in situ x-ray imaging of redox flow batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jervis, Rhodri; Brown, Leon D; Neville, Tobias P; Millichamp, Jason; Finegan, Donal P; Heenan, Thomas M M; Brett, Dan J L; Shearing, Paul R

2016-01-01

Flow batteries represent a possible grid-scale energy storage solution, having many advantages such as scalability, separation of power and energy capabilities, and simple operation. However, they can suffer from degradation during operation and the characteristics of the felt electrodes are little understood in terms of wetting, compression and pressure drops. Presented here is the design of a miniature flow cell that allows the use of x-ray computed tomography (CT) to study carbon felt materials in situ and operando , in both lab-based and synchrotron CT. Through application of the bespoke cell it is possible to observe felt fibres, electrolyte and pore phases and therefore enables non-destructive characterisation of an array of microstructural parameters during the operation of flow batteries. Furthermore, we expect this design can be readily adapted to the study of other electrochemical systems. (paper)

A Protocol for Electrochemical Evaluations and State of Charge Diagnostics of a Symmetric Organic Redox Flow Battery

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Duan, Wentao; Vemuri, Rama S.; Hu, Dehong; Yang, Zheng; Wei, Xiaoliang

2017-01-01

Redox flow batteries have been considered as one of the most promising stationary energy storage solutions for improving the reliability of the power grid and deployment of renewable energy technologies. Among the many flow battery chemistries, nonaqueous flow batteries have the potential to achieve high energy density because of the broad voltage windows of nonaqueous electrolytes. However, significant technical hurdles exist currently limiting nonaqueous flow batteries to demonstrate their full potential, such as low redox concentrations, low operating currents, under-explored battery status monitoring, etc. In an attempt to address these limitations, we report a nonaqueous flow battery based on a highly soluble, redox-active organic nitronyl nitroxide radical compound, 2-phenyl-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide (PTIO). This redox materials exhibits an ambipolar electrochemical property with two reversible redox pairs that are moderately separated by a voltage gap of ~1.7 V. Therefore, PTIO can serve as both anolyte and catholyte redox materials to form a symmetric flow battery chemistry, which affords the advantages such as high effective redox concentrations and low irreversible redox material crossover. The PTIO flow battery shows decent electrochemical cyclability under cyclic voltammetry and flow cell conditions; an improved redox concentration of 0.5 M PTIO and operational current density of 20 mA cm-2 were achieved in flow cell tests. Moreover, we show that Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy could measure the PTIO concentrations during the PTIO flow battery cycling and offer reasonably accurate detection of the battery state of charge (SOC) as cross-validated by electron spin resonance measurements. This study suggests FTIR can be used as a reliable online SOC sensor to monitor flow battery status and ensure battery operations stringently in a safe SOC range.

Redox Flow Batteries, a Review

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Knoxville, U. Tennessee; U. Texas Austin; U, McGill; Weber, Adam Z.; Mench, Matthew M.; Meyers, Jeremy P.; Ross, Philip N.; Gostick, Jeffrey T.; Liu, Qinghua

2011-07-15

Redox flow batteries are enjoying a renaissance due to their ability to store large amounts of electrical energy relatively cheaply and efficiently. In this review, we examine the components of redox flow batteries with a focus on understanding the underlying physical processes. The various transport and kinetic phenomena are discussed along with the most common redox couples.

Membrane-less hydrogen bromine flow battery

Science.gov (United States)

Braff, William A.; Bazant, Martin Z.; Buie, Cullen R.

2013-08-01

In order for the widely discussed benefits of flow batteries for electrochemical energy storage to be applied at large scale, the cost of the electrochemical stack must come down substantially. One promising avenue for reducing stack cost is to increase the system power density while maintaining efficiency, enabling smaller stacks. Here we report on a membrane-less hydrogen bromine laminar flow battery as a potential high-power density solution. The membrane-less design enables power densities of 0.795 W cm-2 at room temperature and atmospheric pressure, with a round-trip voltage efficiency of 92% at 25% of peak power. Theoretical solutions are also presented to guide the design of future laminar flow batteries. The high-power density achieved by the hydrogen bromine laminar flow battery, along with the potential for rechargeable operation, will translate into smaller, inexpensive systems that could revolutionize the fields of large-scale energy storage and portable power systems.

Battery operated preconcentration-assisted lateral flow assay.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Cheonjung; Yoo, Yong Kyoung; Han, Sung Il; Lee, Junwoo; Lee, Dohwan; Lee, Kyungjae; Hwang, Kyo Seon; Lee, Kyu Hyoung; Chung, Seok; Lee, Jeong Hoon

2017-07-11

Paper-based analytical devices (e.g. lateral flow assays) are highly advantageous as portable diagnostic systems owing to their low costs and ease of use. Because of their low sensitivity and detection limits for biomolecules, these devices have several limitations in applications for real-field diagnosis. Here, we demonstrate a paper-based preconcentration enhanced lateral flow assay using a commercial β-hCG-based test. Utilizing a simple 9 V battery operation with a low power consumption of approximately 81 μW, we acquire a 25-fold preconcentration factor, demonstrating a clear sensitivity enhancement in the colorimetric lateral flow assay; consequently, clear colors are observed in a rapid kit test line, which cannot be monitored without preconcentration. This device can also facilitate a semi-quantitative platform using the saturation value and/or color intensity in both paper-based colorimetric assays and smartphone-based diagnostics.

A comparative study of all-vanadium and iron-chromium redox flow batteries for large-scale energy storage

Science.gov (United States)

Zeng, Y. K.; Zhao, T. S.; An, L.; Zhou, X. L.; Wei, L.

2015-12-01

The promise of redox flow batteries (RFBs) utilizing soluble redox couples, such as all vanadium ions as well as iron and chromium ions, is becoming increasingly recognized for large-scale energy storage of renewables such as wind and solar, owing to their unique advantages including scalability, intrinsic safety, and long cycle life. An ongoing question associated with these two RFBs is determining whether the vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) or iron-chromium redox flow battery (ICRFB) is more suitable and competitive for large-scale energy storage. To address this concern, a comparative study has been conducted for the two types of battery based on their charge-discharge performance, cycle performance, and capital cost. It is found that: i) the two batteries have similar energy efficiencies at high current densities; ii) the ICRFB exhibits a higher capacity decay rate than does the VRFB; and iii) the ICRFB is much less expensive in capital costs when operated at high power densities or at large capacities.

Redox-Flow Batteries: From Metals to Organic Redox-Active Materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Winsberg, Jan; Hagemann, Tino; Janoschka, Tobias; Hager, Martin D; Schubert, Ulrich S

2017-01-16

Research on redox-flow batteries (RFBs) is currently experiencing a significant upturn, stimulated by the growing need to store increasing quantities of sustainably generated electrical energy. RFBs are promising candidates for the creation of smart grids, particularly when combined with photovoltaics and wind farms. To achieve the goal of "green", safe, and cost-efficient energy storage, research has shifted from metal-based materials to organic active materials in recent years. This Review presents an overview of various flow-battery systems. Relevant studies concerning their history are discussed as well as their development over the last few years from the classical inorganic, to organic/inorganic, to RFBs with organic redox-active cathode and anode materials. Available technologies are analyzed in terms of their technical, economic, and environmental aspects; the advantages and limitations of these systems are also discussed. Further technological challenges and prospective research possibilities are highlighted. © 2016 The Authors. Published by Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.

Distribution of electrolytes in a flow battery

Science.gov (United States)

Darling, Robert Mason; Smeltz, Andrew; Junker, Sven Tobias; Perry, Michael L.

2017-12-26

A method of determining a distribution of electrolytes in a flow battery includes providing a flow battery with a fixed amount of fluid electrolyte having a common electrochemically active specie, a portion of the fluid electrolyte serving as an anolyte and a remainder of the fluid electrolyte serving as a catholyte. An average oxidation state of the common electrochemically active specie is determined in the anolyte and the catholyte and, responsive to the determined average oxidation state, a molar ratio of the common electrochemically active specie between the anolyte and the catholyte is adjusted to increase an energy discharge capacity of the flow battery for the determined average oxidation state.

From Lithium-Ion to Sodium-Ion Batteries: Advantages, Challenges, and Surprises.

Science.gov (United States)

Nayak, Prasant Kumar; Yang, Liangtao; Brehm, Wolfgang; Adelhelm, Philipp

2018-01-02

Mobile and stationary energy storage by rechargeable batteries is a topic of broad societal and economical relevance. Lithium-ion battery (LIB) technology is at the forefront of the development, but a massively growing market will likely put severe pressure on resources and supply chains. Recently, sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) have been reconsidered with the aim of providing a lower-cost alternative that is less susceptible to resource and supply risks. On paper, the replacement of lithium by sodium in a battery seems straightforward at first, but unpredictable surprises are often found in practice. What happens when replacing lithium by sodium in electrode reactions? This review provides a state-of-the art overview on the redox behavior of materials when used as electrodes in lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries, respectively. Advantages and challenges related to the use of sodium instead of lithium are discussed. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Membrane-less hydrogen bromine flow battery

OpenAIRE

Braff, W. A.; Bazant, M. Z.; Buie, C. R.

2014-01-01

In order for the widely discussed benefits of flow batteries for electrochemical energy storage to be applied at large scale, the cost of the electrochemical stack must come down substantially. One promising avenue for reducing stack cost is to increase the system power density while maintaining efficiency, enabling smaller stacks. Here we report on a membrane-less, hydrogen bromine laminar flow battery as a potential high power density solution. The membrane-less design enables power densiti...

A Membrane‐Free Redox Flow Battery with Two Immiscible Redox Electrolytes

Science.gov (United States)

Navalpotro, Paula; Palma, Jesus; Anderson, Marc

2017-01-01

Abstract Flexible and scalable energy storage solutions are necessary for mitigating fluctuations of renewable energy sources. The main advantage of redox flow batteries is their ability to decouple power and energy. However, they present some limitations including poor performance, short‐lifetimes, and expensive ion‐selective membranes as well as high price, toxicity, and scarcity of vanadium compounds. We report a membrane‐free battery that relies on the immiscibility of redox electrolytes and where vanadium is replaced by organic molecules. We show that the biphasic system formed by one acidic solution and one ionic liquid, both containing quinoyl species, behaves as a reversible battery without any membrane. This proof‐of‐concept of a membrane‐free battery has an open circuit voltage of 1.4 V with a high theoretical energy density of 22.5 Wh L−1, and is able to deliver 90 % of its theoretical capacity while showing excellent long‐term performance (coulombic efficiency of 100 % and energy efficiency of 70 %). PMID:28658538

A Membrane-Free Redox Flow Battery with Two Immiscible Redox Electrolytes.

Science.gov (United States)

Navalpotro, Paula; Palma, Jesus; Anderson, Marc; Marcilla, Rebeca

2017-10-02

Flexible and scalable energy storage solutions are necessary for mitigating fluctuations of renewable energy sources. The main advantage of redox flow batteries is their ability to decouple power and energy. However, they present some limitations including poor performance, short-lifetimes, and expensive ion-selective membranes as well as high price, toxicity, and scarcity of vanadium compounds. We report a membrane-free battery that relies on the immiscibility of redox electrolytes and where vanadium is replaced by organic molecules. We show that the biphasic system formed by one acidic solution and one ionic liquid, both containing quinoyl species, behaves as a reversible battery without any membrane. This proof-of-concept of a membrane-free battery has an open circuit voltage of 1.4 V with a high theoretical energy density of 22.5 Wh L -1 , and is able to deliver 90 % of its theoretical capacity while showing excellent long-term performance (coulombic efficiency of 100 % and energy efficiency of 70 %). © 2017 The Authors. Published by Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.

Investigating improvements on redox flow batteries

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Swartbooi, AM

2006-09-01

Full Text Available storage devices coupled to most of their applications. Lead-acid batteries have long been used as the most economical option to store electricity in many small scale applications, but lately more interest have been shown in redox flow batteries. The low...

Critical safety features of the vanadium redox flow battery

Science.gov (United States)

Whitehead, A. H.; Rabbow, T. J.; Trampert, M.; Pokorny, P.

2017-05-01

In this work the behaviour of the vanadium redox flow battery is examined under a variety of short-circuit conditions (e.g. with and without the pumps stopping as a result of the short). In contrast to other battery types, only a small proportion of the electroactive material, in a flow battery, is held between the electrodes at any given time. Therefore, together with the relatively low energy density of the vanadium electrolyte, the immediate release of energy, which occurs as a result of electrical shorting, is somewhat limited. The high heat capacity of the aqueous electrolyte is also beneficial in limiting the temperature rise. It will be seen that the flow battery is therefore considerably safer than other battery types, in this respect.

A biomimetic redox flow battery based on flavin mononucleotide

OpenAIRE

Orita, A; Verde, MG; Sakai, M; Meng, YS

2016-01-01

The versatility in design of redox flow batteries makes them apt to efficiently store energy in large-scale applications at low cost. The discovery of inexpensive organic electroactive materials for use in aqueous flow battery electrolytes is highly attractive, but is thus far limited. Here we report on a flow battery using an aqueous electrolyte based on the sodium salt of flavin mononucleotide. Flavins are highly versatile electroactive molecules, which catalyse a multitude of redox reactio...

Experimental investigation on lithium-ion battery thermal management based on flow boiling in mini-channel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

An, Zhoujian; Jia, Li; Li, Xuejiao; Ding, Yong

2017-01-01

Highlights: • A new type of BTM system based on flow boiling in mini-channel are presented. • Uniform temperature and volume distribution of battery module are obtained. • The temperatures of battery cell are maintained around 40 °C. • There exists an appropriate Re number range for boiling heat transfer in mini-channel. - Abstract: In order to guarantee the safety and prolong the lifetime of lithium-ion power battery within electric vehicles, thermal management system is essential. A new type of thermal management system based on flow boiling in mini-channel utilizing dielectric hydrofluoroether liquid which boiling point is 34 °C is proposed. The cooling experiments for battery module are carried out at different discharge rates and flow Re number. The cooling effect and the influence of battery cooling on the electrochemical characteristics are concerned. The experimental results show that the thermal management can efficiently reduce maximum temperature of battery module and surface maximum temperature difference. A relatively uniform temperature and voltage distributions are provided within the battery module at higher discharge rate benefit from the advantage of boiling heat transfer with uniform temperature distribution on cold plate. It is shown that the voltage decreases with the increase of Re number of fluid due to the reducing of temperature. There exist slight fluctuations of voltage distribution because of the non-uniformity of temperature distribution within the battery module at higher discharge rates. For different discharge rate, there also exists an appropriate Re number range during which the mode of heat transfer is mainly in boiling heat transfer mode and the cooling result can be greatly improved.

The performance of a soluble lead-acid flow battery and its comparison to a static lead-acid battery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, C.P.; Sharkh, S.M.; Li, X.; Walsh, F.C.; Zhang, C.N.; Jiang, J.C.

2011-01-01

Highlights: → We compared the electrochemical characteristics of two types of the batteries. → SLAFB shows as good performance as SLAB under the same current density. → The cycle life of two batteries is strongly influenced by the depth of discharge. → The cycle life of SLAFB can be extended by treatment with hydrogen peroxide. - Abstract: The electrochemistry of static lead-acid and soluble lead-acid flow batteries is summarised and the differences between the two batteries are highlighted. A general comparison of the performance of an unoptimised soluble lead-acid flow laboratory cell and a commercial lead-acid battery during charge and discharge is reported. The influence of the depth of discharge on cycle life for both batteries is also considered. The flow battery was found to have a better charge efficiency than the static one, but the cells were found to have comparable energy efficiencies. The self-discharge characteristics of the soluble lead-acid battery were also measured and compared to reported values for a commercial static battery. Some self-discharge of the soluble lead-acid flow battery is observed during prolonged periods on open-circuit but the battery could recover its normal performance after a single charge-discharge cycle.

Optimal Sizing of Vanadium Redox Flow Battery Systems for Residential Applications Based on Battery Electrochemical Characteristics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xinan Zhang

2016-10-01

Full Text Available The penetration of solar photovoltaic (PV systems in residential areas contributes to the generation and usage of renewable energy. Despite its advantages, the PV system also creates problems caused by the intermittency of renewable energy. As suggested by researchers, such problems deteriorate the applicability of the PV system and have to be resolved by employing a battery energy storage system (BESS. With concern for the high investment cost, the choice of a cost-effective BESS with proper sizing is necessary. To this end, this paper proposes the employment of a vanadium redox flow battery (VRB, which possesses a long cycle life and high energy efficiency, for residential users with PV systems. It further proposes methods of computing the capital and maintenance cost of VRB systems and evaluating battery efficiency based on VRB electrochemical characteristics. Furthermore, by considering the cost and efficiency of VRB, the prevalent time-of-use electricity price, the solar feed-in tariff, the solar power profile and the user load pattern, an optimal sizing algorithm for VRB systems is proposed. Simulation studies are carried out to show the effectiveness of the proposed methods.

Techno-Economic Modeling and Analysis of Redox Flow Battery Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jens Noack

2016-08-01

Full Text Available A techno-economic model was developed to investigate the influence of components on the system costs of redox flow batteries. Sensitivity analyses were carried out based on an example of a 10 kW/120 kWh vanadium redox flow battery system, and the costs of the individual components were analyzed. Particular consideration was given to the influence of the material costs and resistances of bipolar plates and energy storage media as well as voltages and electric currents. Based on the developed model, it was possible to formulate statements about the targeted optimization of a developed non-commercial vanadium redox flow battery system and general aspects for future developments of redox flow batteries.

Efficiency improvement of an all-vanadium redox flow battery by harvesting low-grade heat

Science.gov (United States)

Reynard, Danick; Dennison, C. R.; Battistel, Alberto; Girault, Hubert H.

2018-06-01

Redox flow batteries (RFBs) are rugged systems, which can withstand several thousand cycles and last many years. However, they suffer from low energy density, low power density, and low efficiency. Integrating a Thermally Regenerative Electrochemical Cycle (TREC) into the RFB, it is possible to mitigate some of these drawbacks. The TREC takes advantage of the temperature dependence of the cell voltage to convert heat directly into electrical energy. Here, the performance increase of a TREC-RFB is investigated using two kinds of all-vanadium electrolyte chemistries: one containing a typical concentration of sulfuric acid and one containing a large excess of hydrochloric acid. The results show that the energy density of the system was increased by 1.3Wh L-1 and 0.8Wh L-1, respectively and the overall energy efficiency also increased by 9 and 5 percentage points, respectively. The integration of the heat exchangers necessary to change the battery temperature is readily facilitated by the design of the redox flow battery, which already utilizes fluid circulation loops.

A biomimetic redox flow battery based on flavin mononucleotide.

Science.gov (United States)

Orita, Akihiro; Verde, Michael G; Sakai, Masanori; Meng, Ying Shirley

2016-10-21

The versatility in design of redox flow batteries makes them apt to efficiently store energy in large-scale applications at low cost. The discovery of inexpensive organic electroactive materials for use in aqueous flow battery electrolytes is highly attractive, but is thus far limited. Here we report on a flow battery using an aqueous electrolyte based on the sodium salt of flavin mononucleotide. Flavins are highly versatile electroactive molecules, which catalyse a multitude of redox reactions in biological systems. We use nicotinamide (vitamin B3) as a hydrotropic agent to enhance the water solubility of flavin mononucleotide. A redox flow battery using flavin mononucleotide negative and ferrocyanide positive electrolytes in strong base shows stable cycling performance, with over 99% capacity retention over the course of 100 cycles. We hypothesize that this is enabled due to the oxidized and reduced forms of FMN-Na being stabilized by resonance structures.

A biomimetic redox flow battery based on flavin mononucleotide

Science.gov (United States)

Orita, Akihiro; Verde, Michael G.; Sakai, Masanori; Meng, Ying Shirley

2016-10-01

The versatility in design of redox flow batteries makes them apt to efficiently store energy in large-scale applications at low cost. The discovery of inexpensive organic electroactive materials for use in aqueous flow battery electrolytes is highly attractive, but is thus far limited. Here we report on a flow battery using an aqueous electrolyte based on the sodium salt of flavin mononucleotide. Flavins are highly versatile electroactive molecules, which catalyse a multitude of redox reactions in biological systems. We use nicotinamide (vitamin B3) as a hydrotropic agent to enhance the water solubility of flavin mononucleotide. A redox flow battery using flavin mononucleotide negative and ferrocyanide positive electrolytes in strong base shows stable cycling performance, with over 99% capacity retention over the course of 100 cycles. We hypothesize that this is enabled due to the oxidized and reduced forms of FMN-Na being stabilized by resonance structures.

Advanced porous electrodes with flow channels for vanadium redox flow battery

Science.gov (United States)

Bhattarai, Arjun; Wai, Nyunt; Schweiss, Ruediger; Whitehead, Adam; Lim, Tuti M.; Hng, Huey Hoon

2017-02-01

Improving the overall energy efficiency by reducing pumping power and improving flow distribution of electrolyte, is a major challenge for developers of flow batteries. The use of suitable channels can improve flow distribution through the electrodes and reduce flow resistance, hence reducing the energy consumption of the pumps. Although several studies of vanadium redox flow battery have proposed the use of bipolar plates with flow channels, similar to fuel cell designs, this paper presents the use of flow channels in the porous electrode as an alternative approach. Four types of electrodes with channels: rectangular open channel, interdigitated open cut channel, interdigitated circular poked channel and cross poked circular channels, are studied and compared with a conventional electrode without channels. Our study shows that interdigitated open channels can improve the overall energy efficiency up to 2.7% due to improvement in flow distribution and pump power reduction while interdigitated poked channel can improve up to 2.5% due to improvement in flow distribution.

Cost-driven materials selection criteria for redox flow battery electrolytes

Science.gov (United States)

Dmello, Rylan; Milshtein, Jarrod D.; Brushett, Fikile R.; Smith, Kyle C.

2016-10-01

Redox flow batteries show promise for grid-scale energy storage applications but are presently too expensive for widespread adoption. Electrolyte material costs constitute a sizeable fraction of the redox flow battery price. As such, this work develops a techno-economic model for redox flow batteries that accounts for redox-active material, salt, and solvent contributions to the electrolyte cost. Benchmark values for electrolyte constituent costs guide identification of design constraints. Nonaqueous battery design is sensitive to all electrolyte component costs, cell voltage, and area-specific resistance. Design challenges for nonaqueous batteries include minimizing salt content and dropping redox-active species concentration requirements. Aqueous battery design is sensitive to only redox-active material cost and cell voltage, due to low area-specific resistance and supporting electrolyte costs. Increasing cell voltage and decreasing redox-active material cost present major materials selection challenges for aqueous batteries. This work minimizes cost-constraining variables by mapping the battery design space with the techno-economic model, through which we highlight pathways towards low price and moderate concentration. Furthermore, the techno-economic model calculates quantitative iterations of battery designs to achieve the Department of Energy battery price target of 100 per kWh and highlights cost cutting strategies to drive battery prices down further.

Redox‐Flow Batteries: From Metals to Organic Redox‐Active Materials

Science.gov (United States)

Winsberg, Jan; Hagemann, Tino; Janoschka, Tobias; Hager, Martin D.

2016-01-01

Abstract Research on redox‐flow batteries (RFBs) is currently experiencing a significant upturn, stimulated by the growing need to store increasing quantities of sustainably generated electrical energy. RFBs are promising candidates for the creation of smart grids, particularly when combined with photovoltaics and wind farms. To achieve the goal of “green”, safe, and cost‐efficient energy storage, research has shifted from metal‐based materials to organic active materials in recent years. This Review presents an overview of various flow‐battery systems. Relevant studies concerning their history are discussed as well as their development over the last few years from the classical inorganic, to organic/inorganic, to RFBs with organic redox‐active cathode and anode materials. Available technologies are analyzed in terms of their technical, economic, and environmental aspects; the advantages and limitations of these systems are also discussed. Further technological challenges and prospective research possibilities are highlighted. PMID:28070964

Characterization of vanadium flow battery

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bindner, H.; Ekman, C.; Gehrke, O.; Isleifsson, F.

2010-10-15

This report summarizes the work done at Risoe DTU testing a vanadium flow battery as part of the project 'Characterisation of Vanadium Batteries' (ForskEl project 6555) with the partners PA Energy A/S and OI Electric A/S under the Danish PSO energy research program. A 15kW/120kWh vanadium battery has been installed as part of the distributed energy systems experimental facility, SYSLAB, at Risoe DTU. A test programme has been carried out to get hands-on experience with the technology, to characterize the battery from a power system point of view and to assess it with respect to integration of wind energy in the Danish power system. The battery has been in operation for 18 months. During time of operation the battery has not shown signs of degradation of performance. It has a round-trip efficiency at full load of approximately 60% (depending on temperature and SOC). The sources of the losses are power conversion in cell stacks/electrolyte, power converter, and auxiliary power consumption from pumps and controller. The response time for the battery is limited at 20kW/s by the ramp rate of the power converter. The battery can thus provide power and frequency support for the power system. Vanadium battery is a potential technology for storage based services to the power system provided investment and O and M cost are low enough and long term operation is documented. (Author)

Redox active polymers and colloidal particles for flow batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Gavvalapalli, Nagarjuna; Moore, Jeffrey S.; Rodriguez-Lopez, Joaquin; Cheng, Kevin; Shen, Mei; Lichtenstein, Timothy

2018-05-29

The invention provides a redox flow battery comprising a microporous or nanoporous size-exclusion membrane, wherein one cell of the battery contains a redox-active polymer dissolved in the non-aqueous solvent or a redox-active colloidal particle dispersed in the non-aqueous solvent. The redox flow battery provides enhanced ionic conductivity across the electrolyte separator and reduced redox-active species crossover, thereby improving the performance and enabling widespread utilization. Redox active poly(vinylbenzyl ethylviologen) (RAPs) and redox active colloidal particles (RACs) were prepared and were found to be highly effective redox species. Controlled potential bulk electrolysis indicates that 94-99% of the nominal charge on different RAPs is accessible and the electrolysis products are stable upon cycling. The high concentration attainable (>2.0 M) for RAPs in common non-aqueous battery solvents, their electrochemical and chemical reversibility, and their hindered transport across porous separators make them attractive materials for non-aqueous redox flow batteries based on size-selectivity.

A material flow of lithium batteries in Taiwan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, T.C.; You, S.J.; Yu, B.S.; Yao, K.F.

2009-01-01

Li batteries, including secondary and cylindrical/button primary Li batteries, are used worldwide in computers, communications and consumer electronics products. However, there are several dangerous issues that occur during the manufacture, shipping, and storage of Li batteries. This study analyzes the material flow of lithium batteries and their valuable heavy metals in Taiwan for the year 2006 by material flow analysis. According to data from the Taiwan Environmental Protection Administration, Taiwan External Trade Development Council, Bureau of Foreign Trade, Directorate General of Customs, and the Li batteries manufactures/importers/exporters. It was found that 2,952,696 kg of Li batteries was input into Taiwan for the year 2006, including 2,256,501 kg of imported Li batteries and 696,195 kg of stock Li batteries in 2005. In addition, 1,113,867 and 572,215 kg of Li batteries was domestically produced and sold abroad, revealing that 3,494,348 kg of different types of Li batteries was sold in Taiwan. Of these domestically sold batteries, 504,663 and 146,557 kg were treated domestically and abroad. Thus, a total of 2,843,128 kg of Li batteries was stored by individual/industry users or illegally disposed. In addition, it was also observed that 2,120,682 kg of heavy metals contained in Li batteries, including Ni, Co, Al, Cu and Ni, was accumulated in Taiwan, with a recycled value of 38.8 million USD. These results suggest that these heavy metals should be recovered by suitable collection, recycling and reuse procedures

Liquid Quinones for Solvent-Free Redox Flow Batteries.

Science.gov (United States)

Shimizu, Akihiro; Takenaka, Keisuke; Handa, Naoyuki; Nokami, Toshiki; Itoh, Toshiyuki; Yoshida, Jun-Ichi

2017-11-01

Liquid benzoquinone and naphthoquinone having diethylene glycol monomethyl ether groups are designed and synthesized as redox active materials that dissolve supporting electrolytes. The Li-ion batteries based on the liquid quinones using LiBF 4 /PC show good performance in terms of voltage, capacity, energy efficiency, and cyclability in both static and flow modes. A battery is constructed without using intentionally added organic solvent, and its high energy density (264 W h L -1 ) demonstrates the potential of solvent-free organic redox flow batteries using liquid active materials. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Cascade redox flow battery systems

Science.gov (United States)

Horne, Craig R.; Kinoshita, Kim; Hickey, Darren B.; Sha, Jay E.; Bose, Deepak

2014-07-22

A reduction/oxidation ("redox") flow battery system includes a series of electrochemical cells arranged in a cascade, whereby liquid electrolyte reacts in a first electrochemical cell (or group of cells) before being directed into a second cell (or group of cells) where it reacts before being directed to subsequent cells. The cascade includes 2 to n stages, each stage having one or more electrochemical cells. During a charge reaction, electrolyte entering a first stage will have a lower state-of-charge than electrolyte entering the nth stage. In some embodiments, cell components and/or characteristics may be configured based on a state-of-charge of electrolytes expected at each cascade stage. Such engineered cascades provide redox flow battery systems with higher energy efficiency over a broader range of current density than prior art arrangements.

Rebalancing electrolytes in redox flow battery systems

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, On Kok; Pham, Ai Quoc

2014-12-23

Embodiments of redox flow battery rebalancing systems include a system for reacting an unbalanced flow battery electrolyte with a rebalance electrolyte in a first reaction cell. In some embodiments, the rebalance electrolyte may contain ferrous iron (Fe.sup.2+) which may be oxidized to ferric iron (Fe.sup.3+) in the first reaction cell. The reducing ability of the rebalance reactant may be restored in a second rebalance cell that is configured to reduce the ferric iron in the rebalance electrolyte back into ferrous iron through a reaction with metallic iron.

Redox Species of Redox Flow Batteries: A Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Pan, Feng; Wang, Qing

2015-11-18

Due to the capricious nature of renewable energy resources, such as wind and solar, large-scale energy storage devices are increasingly required to make the best use of the renewable power. The redox flow battery is considered suitable for large-scale applications due to its modular design, good scalability and flexible operation. The biggest challenge of the redox flow battery is the low energy density. The redox active species is the most important component in redox flow batteries, and the redox potential and solubility of redox species dictate the system energy density. This review is focused on the recent development of redox species. Different categories of redox species, including simple inorganic ions, metal complexes, metal-free organic compounds, polysulfide/sulfur and lithium storage active materials, are reviewed. The future development of redox species towards higher energy density is also suggested.

Redox Species of Redox Flow Batteries: A Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Feng Pan

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Due to the capricious nature of renewable energy resources, such as wind and solar, large-scale energy storage devices are increasingly required to make the best use of the renewable power. The redox flow battery is considered suitable for large-scale applications due to its modular design, good scalability and flexible operation. The biggest challenge of the redox flow battery is the low energy density. The redox active species is the most important component in redox flow batteries, and the redox potential and solubility of redox species dictate the system energy density. This review is focused on the recent development of redox species. Different categories of redox species, including simple inorganic ions, metal complexes, metal-free organic compounds, polysulfide/sulfur and lithium storage active materials, are reviewed. The future development of redox species towards higher energy density is also suggested.

Redox flow batteries with serpentine flow fields: Distributions of electrolyte flow reactant penetration into the porous carbon electrodes and effects on performance

Science.gov (United States)

Ke, Xinyou; Prahl, Joseph M.; Alexander, J. Iwan D.; Savinell, Robert F.

2018-04-01

Redox flow batteries with flow field designs have been demonstrated to boost their capacities to deliver high current density and power density in medium and large-scale energy storage applications. Nevertheless, the fundamental mechanisms involved with improved current density in flow batteries with serpentine flow field designs have been not fully understood. Here we report a three-dimensional model of a serpentine flow field over a porous carbon electrode to examine the distributions of pressure driven electrolyte flow penetrations into the porous carbon electrodes. We also estimate the maximum current densities associated with stoichiometric availability of electrolyte reactant flow penetrations through the porous carbon electrodes. The results predict reasonably well observed experimental data without using any adjustable parameters. This fundamental work on electrolyte flow distributions of limiting reactant availability will contribute to a better understanding of limits on electrochemical performance in flow batteries with serpentine flow field designs and should be helpful to optimizing flow batteries.

A metal-free organic-inorganic aqueous flow battery

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huskinson, B; Marshak, MP; Suh, C; Er, S; Gerhardt, MR; Galvin, CJ; Chen, XD; Aspuru-Guzik, A; Gordon, RG; Aziz, MJ

2014-01-08

As the fraction of electricity generation from intermittent renewable sources-such as solar or wind-grows, the ability to store large amounts of electrical energy is of increasing importance. Solid-electrode batteries maintain discharge at peak power for far too short a time to fully regulate wind or solar power output(1,2). In contrast, flow batteries can independently scale the power (electrode area) and energy (arbitrarily large storage volume) components of the system by maintaining all of the electro-active species in fluid form(3-5). Wide-scale utilization of flow batteries is, however, limited by the abundance and cost of these materials, particularly those using redox-active metals and precious-metal electrocatalysts(6,7). Here we describe a class of energy storage materials that exploits the favourable chemical and electro-chemical properties of a family of molecules known as quinones. The example we demonstrate is ametal-free flow battery based on the redox chemistry of 9,10-anthraquinone-2,7-disulphonic acid (AQDS). AQDS undergoes extremely rapid and reversible two-electron two-proton reduction on a glassy carbon electrode in sulphuric acid. An aqueous flow battery with inexpensive carbon electrodes, combining the quinone/hydroquinone couple with the Br-2/Br- redox couple, yields a peak galvanic power density exceeding 0.6 W cm(-2) at 1.3 A cm(-2). Cycling of this quinone-bromide flow battery showed >99 per cent storage capacity retention per cycle. The organic anthraquinone species can be synthesized from inexpensive commodity chemicals(8). This organic approach permits tuning of important properties such as the reduction potential and solubility by adding functional groups: for example, we demonstrate that the addition of two hydroxy groups to AQDS increases the open circuit potential of the cell by 11% and we describe a pathway for further increases in cell voltage. The use of p-aromatic redox-active organic molecules instead of redox-active metals

High-energy redox-flow batteries with hybrid metal foam electrodes.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Min-Sik; Lee, Nam-Jin; Lee, Seung-Wook; Kim, Ki Jae; Oh, Duk-Jin; Kim, Young-Jun

2014-07-09

A nonaqueous redox-flow battery employing [Co(bpy)3](+/2+) and [Fe(bpy)3](2+/3+) redox couples is proposed for use in large-scale energy-storage applications. We successfully demonstrate a redox-flow battery with a practical operating voltage of over 2.1 V and an energy efficiency of 85% through a rational cell design. By utilizing carbon-coated Ni-FeCrAl and Cu metal foam electrodes, the electrochemical reactivity and stability of the nonaqueous redox-flow battery can be considerably enhanced. Our approach intoduces a more efficient conversion of chemical energy into electrical energy and enhances long-term cell durability. The cell exhibits an outstanding cyclic performance of more than 300 cycles without any significant loss of energy efficiency. Considering the increasing demands for efficient energy storage, our achievement provides insight into a possible development pathway for nonaqueous redox-flow batteries with high energy densities.

Performance Modeling of a Vanadium Redox Flow Battery during Discharging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, W.W.; He, Y.L.; Li, Y.S.

2015-01-01

A two-dimensional quasi-steady-state model is presented to simulate coupled mass-species-charge transfer and electrochemical reactions in all vanadium redox flow battery. Emphasis is located on examining the influences of applied current density, initial vanadium concentration, initial acid concentration and electrolyte flow rate on overpotentials in both electrodes, ohmic loss in electrolyte phase as well as battery discharging voltage. It is indicated that overpotential in negative electrode is the dominant factor causing the loss of battery discharging voltage at relatively lower or higher state of charge, while ohmic loss in electrolyte phase is dominant when discharging at moderate state of charge. Increasing initial vanadium concentration, the battery discharging voltage is significantly increased due to the reduced overpotentials in both electrodes. With the increase in initial acid concentration, the battery discharging voltage is also obviously increased because of increased open circuit voltage and decreased ohmic loss in electrolyte phase. As the electrolyte flow rate increases, the total discharging time is extended due to the retarded concentration polarization and the battery discharging voltage is obviously increased at lower state of charge

Improved electrolyte for zinc-bromine flow batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, M. C.; Zhao, T. S.; Wei, L.; Jiang, H. R.; Zhang, R. H.

2018-04-01

Conventional zinc bromide electrolytes offer low ionic conductivity and often trigger severe zinc dendrite growth in zinc-bromine flow batteries. Here we report an improved electrolyte modified with methanesulfonic acid, which not only improves the electrolyte conductivity but also ameliorates zinc dendrite. Experimental results also reveal that the kinetics and reversibility of Zn2+/Zn and Br2/Br- are improved in this modified electrolyte. Moreover, the battery's internal resistance is significantly reduced from 4.9 to 2.0 Ω cm2 after adding 1 M methanesulfonic acid, thus leading to an improved energy efficiency from 64% to 75% at a current density of 40 mA cm-2. More impressively, the battery is capable of delivering an energy efficiency of about 78% at a current density of as high as 80 mA cm-2 when the electrode is replaced by a thermally treated one. Additionally, zinc dendrite growth is found to be effectively suppressed in methanesulfonic acid supported media, which, as a result, enables the battery to be operated for 50 cycles without degradation, whereas the one without methanesulfonic acid suffers from significant decay after only 40 cycles, primarily due to severe zinc dendrite growth. These superior results indicate methanesulfonic acid is a promising supporting electrolyte for zinc-bromine flow batteries.

Towards a thermally regenerative all-copper redox flow battery

OpenAIRE

Peljo, Pekka; Lloyd, David; Nguyet, Doan; Majaneva, Marko; Kontturi, Kyosti

2014-01-01

An all-copper redox flow battery based on strong complexation of Cu+ with acetonitrile is demonstrated, exhibiting reasonable battery performance. More interestingly, the battery can be charged by heat sources of 100 degrees C, by distilling off the acetonitrile. This destabilizes the Cu+ complex, leading to recovery of the starting materials.

Towards a thermally regenerative all-copper redox flow battery.

Science.gov (United States)

Peljo, Pekka; Lloyd, David; Doan, Nguyet; Majaneva, Marko; Kontturi, Kyösti

2014-02-21

An all-copper redox flow battery based on strong complexation of Cu(+) with acetonitrile is demonstrated, exhibiting reasonable battery performance. More interestingly, the battery can be charged by heat sources of 100 °C, by distilling off the acetonitrile. This destabilizes the Cu(+) complex, leading to recovery of the starting materials.

Real-time monitoring of capacity loss for vanadium redox flow battery

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Zhongbao; Bhattarai, Arjun; Zou, Changfu; Meng, Shujuan; Lim, Tuti Mariana; Skyllas-Kazacos, Maria

2018-06-01

The long-term operation of the vanadium redox flow battery is accompanied by ion diffusion across the separator and side reactions, which can lead to electrolyte imbalance and capacity loss. The accurate online monitoring of capacity loss is therefore valuable for the reliable and efficient operation of vanadium redox flow battery system. In this paper, a model-based online monitoring method is proposed to detect capacity loss in the vanadium redox flow battery in real time. A first-order equivalent circuit model is built to capture the dynamics of the vanadium redox flow battery. The model parameters are online identified from the onboard measureable signals with the recursive least squares, in seeking to keep a high modeling accuracy and robustness under a wide range of working scenarios. Based on the online adapted model, an observer is designed with the extended Kalman Filter to keep tracking both the capacity and state of charge of the battery in real time. Experiments are conducted on a lab-scale battery system. Results suggest that the online adapted model is able to simulate the battery behavior with high accuracy. The capacity loss as well as the state of charge can be estimated accurately in a real-time manner.

Critical transport issues for improving the performance of aqueous redox flow batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, X. L.; Zhao, T. S.; An, L.; Zeng, Y. K.; Wei, L.

2017-01-01

As the fraction of electricity generated from intermittent renewable sources (such as solar and wind) grows, developing reliable energy storage technologies to store electrical energy in large scale is of increasing importance. Redox flow batteries are now enjoying a renaissance and regarded as a leading technology in providing a well-balanced solution for current daunting challenges. In this article, state-of-the-art studies of the complex multicomponent transport phenomena in aqueous redox flow batteries, with a special emphasis on all-vanadium redox flow batteries, are reviewed and summarized. Rather than elaborating on the details of previous experimental and numerical investigations, this article highlights: i) the key transport issues in each battery's component that need to be tackled so that the rate capability and cycling stability of flow batteries can be significantly improved, ii) the basic mechanisms that control the active species/ion/electron transport behaviors in each battery's component, and iii) the key experimental and numerical findings regarding the correlations between the multicomponent transport processes and battery performance.

Membrane development for vanadium redox flow batteries.

Science.gov (United States)

Schwenzer, Birgit; Zhang, Jianlu; Kim, Soowhan; Li, Liyu; Liu, Jun; Yang, Zhenguo

2011-10-17

Large-scale energy storage has become the main bottleneck for increasing the percentage of renewable energy in our electricity grids. Redox flow batteries are considered to be among the best options for electricity storage in the megawatt range and large demonstration systems have already been installed. Although the full technological potential of these systems has not been reached yet, currently the main problem hindering more widespread commercialization is the high cost of redox flow batteries. Nafion, as the preferred membrane material, is responsible for about 11% of the overall cost of a 1 MW/8 MWh system. Therefore, in recent years two main membrane related research threads have emerged: 1) chemical and physical modification of Nafion membranes to optimize their properties with regard to vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) application; and 2) replacement of the Nafion membranes with different, less expensive materials. This review summarizes the underlying basic scientific issues associated with membrane use in VRFBs and presents an overview of membrane-related research approaches aimed at improving the efficiency of VRFBs and making the technology cost-competitive. Promising research strategies and materials are identified and suggestions are provided on how materials issues could be overcome.

Characterization of vanadium flow battery. Revised

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bindner, H.; Ekman, C.; Gehrke, O.; Isleifsson, F.

2011-02-15

This report summarizes the work done at Risoe-DTU testing a vanadium flow battery as part of the project ''Characterisation of Vanadium Batteries'' (ForskEl project 6555) with the partners PA Energy A/S and OI Electric A/S under the Danish PSO energy research program. A 15kW/120kWh vanadium battery has been installed as part of the distributed energy systems experimental facility, SYSLAB, at Risoe DTU. A test programme has been carried out to get hands-on experience with the technology, to characterize the battery from a power system point of view and to assess it with respect to integration of wind energy in the Danish power system. The battery has been in operation for 18 months. During time of operation the battery has not shown signs of degradation of performance. It has a round-trip efficiency at full load of approximately 60% (depending on temperature and SOC). The sources of the losses are power conversion in cell stacks/electrolyte, power converter, and auxiliary power consumption from pumps and controller. The efficiency was not influenced by the cycling of the battery. The response time for the battery is limited at 20kW/s by the ramp rate of the power converter. The battery can thus provide power and frequency support for the power system. The battery was operated together with a 11kW stall-regulated Gaia wind turbine to smooth the output of the wind turbine and during the tests the battery proved capable of firming the output of the wind turbine. Vanadium battery is a potential technology for storage based services to the power system provided investment and O and M cost are low enough and long term operation is documented. (Author)

Bi-functional effects of lengthening aliphatic chain of phthalimide-based negative redox couple and its non-aqueous flow battery performance at stack cell

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Hyun-seung; Hwang, Seunghae; Kim, Youngjin; Ryu, Ji Heon; Oh, Seung M.; Kim, Ki Jae

2018-04-01

Effects of lengthening an aliphatic chain of a phthalimide-based negative redox couple for non-aqueous flow batteries are examined. The working voltage and solubility of N-butylphthalimide are 0.1 V lower and four times greater (2.0 M) than those of methyl-substituted phthalimide. These enhanced properties are attributed to a lower packing density. Consequently, the energy density of the proposed redox couple is greatly enhanced from butyl substitution. Furthermore, the results of the stack flow cell test with N,N,N',N'-tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine positive redox couple show advantageous features of this non-aqueous flow battery system: a stable Coulombic efficiency and high working voltage.

Assessment of the development of a battery charging infrastructure for a redox flow battery based electromobility concept; Bewertung des Aufbaus einer Ladeinfrastruktur fuer eine Redox-Flow-Batteriebasierte Elektromobilitaet

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arpad Funke, Simon; Wietschel, Martin [Fraunhofer-Institut fuer System- und Innovationsforschung (ISI), Karlsruhe (Germany). Competence Center Energietechnologien und Energiesysteme

2012-07-01

Apart from the high acquisition cost, the major obstacles to widespread use of electric-powered vehicles today are long battery charging times and limited mileage. Rechargeable batteries might be a solution. The publication investigates a potential infrastructure for electric-powered vehicles based on so-called redox flow batteries. Redox flow batteries are characterized in that active materials are dissolved in liquid electrolyte and are stored outside the cell. Batteries are recharged by exchanging charged electrolyte for discharged electrolyte, which can be done in fuel stations. Redox flow batteries have the drawback of low energy and power density and were hardly ever considered for mobile applications so far. A technical analysis of RFB technology identified the vanadium oxygen redox flow fuel cell (VOFC) as a promising version. It provides higher energy density than conventional redox flow batteries, but development is still in an early stage. Assuming a 'best case' scenario, a refuelling infrastructure for VOFC vehicles was developed and compared with battery-powered vehicles (BEV) and fuel cell vehicles (FVEV). It was found that electromobility based on VOFC may be a promising alternative to current electromobility concepts. (orig./AKB) [German] Neben den Anschaffungsausgaben stehen lange Ladezeiten und eine beschraenkte Reichweite dem heutigen Einsatz von Elektrofahrzeugen oft entgegen. Eine moegliche Abhilfe koennten betankbare Batterien leisten. In der vorliegenden Arbeit soll ein moeglicher Infrastrukturaufbau fuer Elektrofahrzeuge mit sogenannten Redox-Flow-Batterien untersucht werden. Redox-Flow-Batterien besitzen die Eigenschaft, dass aktive Materialien geloest in Fluessigelektrolyten ausserhalb der Zelle gespeichert werden. Dieser Aufbau ermoeglicht das Aufladen der Batterie, indem der entladene Elektrolyt durch geladenen ausgetauscht wird. Dieser Tausch kann an einer Tankstelle durchgefuehrt werden. Ein wesentlicher Nachteil von Redox-Flow

Numerical modeling of an all vanadium redox flow battery.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Clausen, Jonathan R.; Brunini, Victor E.; Moffat, Harry K.; Martinez, Mario J.

2014-01-01

We develop a capability to simulate reduction-oxidation (redox) flow batteries in the Sierra Multi-Mechanics code base. Specifically, we focus on all-vanadium redox flow batteries; however, the capability is general in implementation and could be adopted to other chemistries. The electrochemical and porous flow models follow those developed in the recent publication by [28]. We review the model implemented in this work and its assumptions, and we show several verification cases including a binary electrolyte, and a battery half-cell. Then, we compare our model implementation with the experimental results shown in [28], with good agreement seen. Next, a sensitivity study is conducted for the major model parameters, which is beneficial in targeting specific features of the redox flow cell for improvement. Lastly, we simulate a three-dimensional version of the flow cell to determine the impact of plenum channels on the performance of the cell. Such channels are frequently seen in experimental designs where the current collector plates are borrowed from fuel cell designs. These designs use a serpentine channel etched into a solid collector plate.

Cost and performance prospects for composite bipolar plates in fuel cells and redox flow batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Minke, Christine; Hickmann, Thorsten; dos Santos, Antonio R.; Kunz, Ulrich; Turek, Thomas

2016-02-01

Carbon-polymer-composite bipolar plates (BPP) are suitable for fuel cell and flow battery applications. The advantages of both components are combined in a product with high electrical conductivity and good processability in convenient polymer forming processes. In a comprehensive techno-economic analysis of materials and production processes cost factors are quantified. For the first time a technical cost model for BPP is set up with tight integration of material characterization measurements.

Redox Flow Batteries, Hydrogen and Distributed Storage.

Science.gov (United States)

Dennison, C R; Vrubel, Heron; Amstutz, Véronique; Peljo, Pekka; Toghill, Kathryn E; Girault, Hubert H

2015-01-01

Social, economic, and political pressures are causing a shift in the global energy mix, with a preference toward renewable energy sources. In order to realize widespread implementation of these resources, large-scale storage of renewable energy is needed. Among the proposed energy storage technologies, redox flow batteries offer many unique advantages. The primary limitation of these systems, however, is their limited energy density which necessitates very large installations. In order to enhance the energy storage capacity of these systems, we have developed a unique dual-circuit architecture which enables two levels of energy storage; first in the conventional electrolyte, and then through the formation of hydrogen. Moreover, we have begun a pilot-scale demonstration project to investigate the scalability and technical readiness of this approach. This combination of conventional energy storage and hydrogen production is well aligned with the current trajectory of modern energy and mobility infrastructure. The combination of these two means of energy storage enables the possibility of an energy economy dominated by renewable resources.

Graphene-based battery electrodes having continuous flow paths

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Jiguang; Xiao, Jie; Liu, Jun; Xu, Wu; Li, Xiaolin; Wang, Deyu

2014-05-24

Some batteries can exhibit greatly improved performance by utilizing electrodes having randomly arranged graphene nanosheets forming a network of channels defining continuous flow paths through the electrode. The network of channels can provide a diffusion pathway for the liquid electrolyte and/or for reactant gases. Metal-air batteries can benefit from such electrodes. In particular Li-air batteries show extremely high capacities, wherein the network of channels allow oxygen to diffuse through the electrode and mesopores in the electrode can store discharge products.

Flow Batteries for Microfluidic Networks – Configuring An Electroosmotic Pump for Non-Terminal Positions

Science.gov (United States)

He, Chiyang; Lu, Joann J.; Jia, Zhijian; Wang, Wei; Wang, Xiayan; Dasgupta, Purnendu K.; Liu, Shaorong

2011-01-01

A micropump provides flow and pressure for a lab-on-chip device, just as a battery supplies current and voltage for an electronic system. Numerous micropumps have been developed, but none is as versatile as a battery. One cannot easily insert a micropump into a nonterminal position of a fluidic line without affecting the rest of the fluidic system, one cannot simply connect several micropumps in series to enhance the pressure output, etc. In this work we develop a flow battery (or pressure power supply) to address this issue. A flow battery consists of a +EOP (in which the liquid flows in the same direction as the field gradient) and a −EOP (in which the liquid flows opposite to the electric field gradient), and the outlet of the +EOP is directly connected to the inlet of the −EOP. An external high voltage is applied to this outlet-inlet joint via a short gel-filled capillary that allows ions but not bulk liquid flow, while the +EOP’s inlet and the −EOP’s outlet (the flow battery’s inlet and outlet) are grounded. This flow battery can be deployed anywhere in a fluidic network without electrically affecting the rest of the system. Several flow batteries can be connected in series to enhance the pressure output to drive HPLC separations. In a fluidic system powered by flow batteries, a hydraulic Ohm’s law can be applied to analyze system pressures and flow rates. PMID:21375230

Bi-functional effects of lengthening aliphatic chain of phthalimide-based negative redox couple and its non-aqueous flow battery performance at stack cell

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hyun-seung Kim

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Effects of lengthening an aliphatic chain of a phthalimide-based negative redox couple for non-aqueous flow batteries are examined. The working voltage and solubility of N-butylphthalimide are 0.1 V lower and four times greater (2.0 M than those of methyl-substituted phthalimide. These enhanced properties are attributed to a lower packing density. Consequently, the energy density of the proposed redox couple is greatly enhanced from butyl substitution. Furthermore, the results of the stack flow cell test with N,N,N′,N′-tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine positive redox couple show advantageous features of this non-aqueous flow battery system: a stable Coulombic efficiency and high working voltage.

High-energy density nonaqueous all redox flow lithium battery enabled with a polymeric membrane.

Science.gov (United States)

Jia, Chuankun; Pan, Feng; Zhu, Yun Guang; Huang, Qizhao; Lu, Li; Wang, Qing

2015-11-01

Redox flow batteries (RFBs) are considered one of the most promising large-scale energy storage technologies. However, conventional RFBs suffer from low energy density due to the low solubility of the active materials in electrolyte. On the basis of the redox targeting reactions of battery materials, the redox flow lithium battery (RFLB) demonstrated in this report presents a disruptive approach to drastically enhancing the energy density of flow batteries. With LiFePO4 and TiO2 as the cathodic and anodic Li storage materials, respectively, the tank energy density of RFLB could reach ~500 watt-hours per liter (50% porosity), which is 10 times higher than that of a vanadium redox flow battery. The cell exhibits good electrochemical performance under a prolonged cycling test. Our prototype RFLB full cell paves the way toward the development of a new generation of flow batteries for large-scale energy storage.

High–energy density nonaqueous all redox flow lithium battery enabled with a polymeric membrane

Science.gov (United States)

Jia, Chuankun; Pan, Feng; Zhu, Yun Guang; Huang, Qizhao; Lu, Li; Wang, Qing

2015-01-01

Redox flow batteries (RFBs) are considered one of the most promising large-scale energy storage technologies. However, conventional RFBs suffer from low energy density due to the low solubility of the active materials in electrolyte. On the basis of the redox targeting reactions of battery materials, the redox flow lithium battery (RFLB) demonstrated in this report presents a disruptive approach to drastically enhancing the energy density of flow batteries. With LiFePO4 and TiO2 as the cathodic and anodic Li storage materials, respectively, the tank energy density of RFLB could reach ~500 watt-hours per liter (50% porosity), which is 10 times higher than that of a vanadium redox flow battery. The cell exhibits good electrochemical performance under a prolonged cycling test. Our prototype RFLB full cell paves the way toward the development of a new generation of flow batteries for large-scale energy storage. PMID:26702440

Anthraquinone with Tailored Structure for Nonaqueous Metal-Organic Redox Flow Battery

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Wei; Xu, Wu; Cosimbescu, Lelia; Choi, Daiwon; Li, Liyu; Yang, Zhenguo

2012-06-08

A nonaqueous, hybrid metal-organic redox flow battery based on tailored anthraquinone structure is demonstrated to have an energy efficiency of {approx}82% and a specific discharge energy density similar to aqueous redox flow batteries, which is due to the significantly improved solubility of anthraquinone in supporting electrolytes.

Optimal power flow management for distributed energy resources with batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tazvinga, Henerica; Zhu, Bing; Xia, Xiaohua

2015-01-01

Highlights: • A PV-diesel-battery hybrid system is proposed. • Model minimizes fuel and battery wear costs. • Power flows are analysed in a 24-h period. • Results provide a practical platform for decision making. - Abstract: This paper presents an optimal energy management model of a solar photovoltaic-diesel-battery hybrid power supply system for off-grid applications. The aim is to meet the load demand completely while satisfying the system constraints. The proposed model minimizes fuel and battery wear costs and finds the optimal power flow, taking into account photovoltaic power availability, battery bank state of charge and load power demand. The optimal solutions are compared for cases when the objectives are weighted equally and when a larger weight is assigned to battery wear. A considerable increase in system operational cost is observed in the latter case owing to the increased usage of the diesel generator. The results are important for decision makers, as they depict the optimal decisions considered in the presence of trade-offs between conflicting objectives

Chloride supporting electrolytes for all-vanadium redox flow batteries.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Soowhan; Vijayakumar, M; Wang, Wei; Zhang, Jianlu; Chen, Baowei; Nie, Zimin; Chen, Feng; Hu, Jianzhi; Li, Liyu; Yang, Zhenguo

2011-10-28

This paper examines vanadium chloride solutions as electrolytes for an all-vanadium redox flow battery. The chloride solutions were capable of dissolving more than 2.3 M vanadium at varied valence states and remained stable at 0-50 °C. The improved stability appeared due to the formation of a vanadium dinuclear [V(2)O(3)·4H(2)O](4+) or a dinuclear-chloro complex [V(2)O(3)Cl·3H(2)O](3+) in the solutions over a wide temperature range. The all-vanadium redox flow batteries with the chloride electrolytes demonstrated excellent reversibility and fairly high efficiencies. Only negligible, if any, gas evolution was observed. The improved energy capacity and good performance, along with the ease in heat management, would lead to substantial reduction in capital cost and life-cycle cost, making the vanadium chloride redox flow battery a promising candidate for stationary applications. This journal is © the Owner Societies 2011

Molecular Engineering with Organic Carbonyl Electrode Materials for Advanced Stationary and Redox Flow Rechargeable Batteries.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Qing; Zhu, Zhiqiang; Chen, Jun

2017-12-01

Organic carbonyl electrode materials that have the advantages of high capacity, low cost and being environmentally friendly, are regarded as powerful candidates for next-generation stationary and redox flow rechargeable batteries (RFBs). However, low carbonyl utilization, poor electronic conductivity and undesired dissolution in electrolyte are urgent issues to be solved. Here, we summarize a molecular engineering approach for tuning the capacity, working potential, concentration of active species, kinetics, and stability of stationary and redox flow batteries, which well resolves the problems of organic carbonyl electrode materials. As an example, in stationary batteries, 9,10-anthraquinone (AQ) with two carbonyls delivers a capacity of 257 mAh g -1 (2.27 V vs Li + /Li), while increasing the number of carbonyls to four with the formation of 5,7,12,14-pentacenetetrone results in a higher capacity of 317 mAh g -1 (2.60 V vs Li + /Li). In RFBs, AQ, which is less soluble in aqueous electrolyte, reaches 1 M by grafting -SO 3 H with the formation of 9,10-anthraquinone-2,7-disulphonic acid, resulting in a power density exceeding 0.6 W cm -2 with long cycling life. Therefore, through regulating substituent groups, conjugated structures, Coulomb interactions, and the molecular weight, the electrochemical performance of carbonyl electrode materials can be rationally optimized. This review offers fundamental principles and insight into designing advanced carbonyl materials for the electrodes of next-generation rechargeable batteries. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Systems and methods for rebalancing redox flow battery electrolytes

Science.gov (United States)

Pham, Ai Quoc; Chang, On Kok

2015-03-17

Various methods of rebalancing electrolytes in a redox flow battery system include various systems using a catalyzed hydrogen rebalance cell configured to minimize the risk of dissolved catalyst negatively affecting flow battery performance. Some systems described herein reduce the chance of catalyst contamination of RFB electrolytes by employing a mediator solution to eliminate direct contact between the catalyzed membrane and the RFB electrolyte. Other methods use a rebalance cell chemistry that maintains the catalyzed electrode at a potential low enough to prevent the catalyst from dissolving.

Multiple-membrane multiple-electrolyte redox flow battery design

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Yushan; Gu, Shuang; Gong, Ke

2017-05-02

A redox flow battery is provided. The redox flow battery involves multiple-membrane (at least one cation exchange membrane and at least one anion exchange membrane), multiple-electrolyte (one electrolyte in contact with the negative electrode, one electrolyte in contact with the positive electrode, and at least one electrolyte disposed between the two membranes) as the basic characteristic, such as a double-membrane, triple electrolyte (DMTE) configuration or a triple-membrane, quadruple electrolyte (TMQE) configuration. The cation exchange membrane is used to separate the negative or positive electrolyte and the middle electrolyte, and the anion exchange membrane is used to separate the middle electrolyte and the positive or negative electrolyte.

Zinc Bromide Flow Battery Installation for Islanding and Backup Power

Science.gov (United States)

2017-08-09

demonstrates the energy security and cost benefits of implementing a Zn/Br Flow Battery-based ESS at the Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) located at...user will be realized through the system’s peak shaving mode. This benefit was also used to calculate the operational cost reductions when using the...EW-201242) Zinc Bromide Flow Battery Installation for Islanding and Backup Power August 2017 This document has been cleared for public release

A High-Current, Stable Nonaqueous Organic Redox Flow Battery

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wei, Xiaoliang; Duan, Wentao; Huang, Jinhua; Zhang, Lu; Li, Bin; Reed, David; Xu, Wu; Sprenkle, Vincent; Wang, Wei

2016-10-14

Nonaqueous redox flow batteries are promising in pursuit of high-energy storage systems owing to the broad voltage window, but currently are facing key challenges such as poor cycling stability and lack of suitable membranes. Here we report a new nonaqueous all-organic flow chemistry that demonstrates an outstanding cell cycling stability primarily because of high chemical persistency of the organic radical redox species and their good compatibility with the supporting electrolyte. A feasibility study shows that Daramic® and Celgard® porous separators can lead to high cell conductivity in flow cells thus producing remarkable cell efficiency and material utilization even at high current operations. This result suggests that the thickness and pore size are the key performance-determining factors for porous separators. With the greatly improved flow cell performance, this new flow system largely addresses the above mentioned challenges and the findings may greatly expedite the development of durable nonaqueous flow batteries.

Optimization of a Vanadium Redox Flow Battery with Hydrogen generation

OpenAIRE

Wrang, Daniel

2016-01-01

We consider the modelling and optimal control of energy storage systems, in this study a Vanadium Redox Flow Battery. Such a battery can be introduced in the electrical grid to be charged when demand is low and discharged when demand is high, increasing the overall efficiency of the network while reducing costs and emission of greenhouse gases. The model of the battery proposed in this study is less complex than the majority of models on batteries and energy storage systems found in literatur...

Li-ion battery recycling and cobalt flow analysis in Japan

OpenAIRE

Asari, Misuzu; Sakai, Shin-ichi

2013-01-01

Batteries sometimes contain precious or toxic substances (e.g. nickel, cobalt, lead, mercury, cadmium). However, the collection and recycling rate of small batteries were low in Japan.　We focus on cobalt in lithium ion (Li-ion) batteries and conduct chemical analysis, questioner survey and flow analysis in Japan.Results of chemical analysis showed that the concentration of cobalt in Li-ion batteries was around 20% regardless of the year manufactured or the manufacturer. As a result of the con...

Innovative model-based flow rate optimization for vanadium redox flow batteries

Science.gov (United States)

König, S.; Suriyah, M. R.; Leibfried, T.

2016-11-01

In this paper, an innovative approach is presented to optimize the flow rate of a 6-kW vanadium redox flow battery with realistic stack dimensions. Efficiency is derived using a multi-physics battery model and a newly proposed instantaneous efficiency determination technique. An optimization algorithm is applied to identify optimal flow rates for operation points defined by state-of-charge (SoC) and current. The proposed method is evaluated against the conventional approach of applying Faraday's first law of electrolysis, scaled to the so-called flow factor. To make a fair comparison, the flow factor is also optimized by simulating cycles with different charging/discharging currents. It is shown through the obtained results that the efficiency is increased by up to 1.2% points; in addition, discharge capacity is also increased by up to 1.0 kWh or 5.4%. Detailed loss analysis is carried out for the cycles with maximum and minimum charging/discharging currents. It is shown that the proposed method minimizes the sum of losses caused by concentration over-potential, pumping and diffusion. Furthermore, for the deployed Nafion 115 membrane, it is observed that diffusion losses increase with stack SoC. Therefore, to decrease stack SoC and lower diffusion losses, a higher flow rate during charging than during discharging is reasonable.

A Quaternized Polysulfone Membrane for Zinc-Bromine Redox Flow Battery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mingqiang Li

2014-01-01

Full Text Available A quaternized polysulfone (QNPSU composite membrane is fabricated for zinc-bromine redox flow battery. The structure of the membrane is examined by FT-IR spectra and SEM. The conductivity of the membrane is tested by electrochemical analyzer. After a zinc-bromine battery with this composite membrane is operated at different voltage while charging and at different current while discharging to examine the performance of the membrane, it is found that the discharge voltage was 0.9672 V and the power density was 6 mW/cm2 at a current of 0.1 A, which indicated that the novel composite membrane is a promising material for the flow battery.

Anthraquinone with tailored structure for a nonaqueous metal-organic redox flow battery.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Wei; Xu, Wu; Cosimbescu, Lelia; Choi, Daiwon; Li, Liyu; Yang, Zhenguo

2012-07-07

A nonaqueous, hybrid metal-organic redox flow battery based on tailored anthraquinone structure is demonstrated to have an energy efficiency of ~82% and a specific discharge energy density similar to those of aqueous redox flow batteries, which is due to the significantly improved solubility of anthraquinone in supporting electrolytes.

Ruthenium based redox flow battery for solar energy storage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chakrabarti, Mohammed Harun; Roberts, Edward Pelham Lindfield; Bae, Chulheung; Saleem, Muhammad

2011-01-01

Research highlights: → Undivided redox flow battery employing porous graphite felt electrodes was used. → Ruthenium acetylacetonate dissolved in acetonitrile was the electrolyte. → Charge/discharge conditions were determined for both 0.02 M and 0.1 M electrolytes. → Optimum power output of 0.180 W was also determined for 0.1 M electrolyte. → 55% voltage efficiency was obtained when battery was full of electrolytes. -- Abstract: The technical performance for the operation of a stand alone redox flow battery system for solar energy storage is presented. An undivided reactor configuration has been employed along with porous graphite felt electrodes and ruthenium acetylacetonate as electrolyte in acetonitrile solvent. Limiting current densities are determined for concentrations of 0.02 M and 0.1 M ruthenium acetylacetonate. Based on these, operating conditions for 0.02 M ruthenium acetylacetonate are determined as charging current density of 7 mA/cm 2 , charge electrolyte superficial velocity of 0.0072 cm/s (through the porous electrodes), discharge current density of 2 mA/cm 2 and discharge electrolyte superficial velocity of 0.0045 cm/s. An optimum power output of 35 mW is also obtained upon discharge at 2.1 mA/cm 2 . With an increase in the concentration of ruthenium species from 0.02 M to 0.1 M, the current densities and power output are higher by a factor of five approximately (at same superficial velocities) due to higher mass transport phenomenon. Moreover at 0.02 M concentration the voltage efficiency is better for battery full of electrolytes prior to charging (52.1%) in comparison to an empty battery (40.5%) due to better mass transport phenomenon. Voltage efficiencies are higher as expected at concentrations of 0.1 M ruthenium acetylacetonate (55% when battery is full of electrolytes and 48% when empty) showing that the all-ruthenium redox flow battery has some promise for future applications in solar energy storage. Some improvements for the

Radical Compatibility with Nonaqueous Electrolytes and Its Impact on an All-Organic Redox Flow Battery.

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Xiaoliang; Xu, Wu; Huang, Jinhua; Zhang, Lu; Walter, Eric; Lawrence, Chad; Vijayakumar, M; Henderson, Wesley A; Liu, Tianbiao; Cosimbescu, Lelia; Li, Bin; Sprenkle, Vincent; Wang, Wei

2015-07-20

Nonaqueous redox flow batteries hold the promise of achieving higher energy density because of the broader voltage window than aqueous systems, but their current performance is limited by low redox material concentration, cell efficiency, cycling stability, and current density. We report a new nonaqueous all-organic flow battery based on high concentrations of redox materials, which shows significant, comprehensive improvement in flow battery performance. A mechanistic electron spin resonance study reveals that the choice of supporting electrolytes greatly affects the chemical stability of the charged radical species especially the negative side radical anion, which dominates the cycling stability of these flow cells. This finding not only increases our fundamental understanding of performance degradation in flow batteries using radical-based redox species, but also offers insights toward rational electrolyte optimization for improving the cycling stability of these flow batteries. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Study of flow behavior in all-vanadium redox flow battery using spatially resolved voltage distribution

Science.gov (United States)

Bhattarai, Arjun; Wai, Nyunt; Schweiss, Rüdiger; Whitehead, Adam; Scherer, Günther G.; Ghimire, Purna C.; Nguyen, Tam D.; Hng, Huey Hoon

2017-08-01

Uniform flow distribution through the porous electrodes in a flow battery cell is very important for reducing Ohmic and mass transport polarization. A segmented cell approach can be used to obtain in-situ information on flow behaviour, through the local voltage or current mapping. Lateral flow of current within the thick felts in the flow battery can hamper the interpretation of the data. In this study, a new method of segmenting a conventional flow cell is introduced, which for the first time, splits up both the porous felt as well as the current collector. This dual segmentation results in higher resolution and distinct separation of voltages between flow inlet to outlet. To study the flow behavior for an undivided felt, monitoring the OCV is found to be a reliable method, instead of voltage or current mapping during charging and discharging. Our approach to segmentation is simple and applicable to any size of the cell.

A Protocol for Electrochemical Evaluations and State of Charge Diagnostics of a Symmetric Organic Redox Flow Battery.

Science.gov (United States)

Duan, Wentao; Vemuri, Rama S; Hu, Dehong; Yang, Zheng; Wei, Xiaoliang

2017-02-13

Redox flow batteries have been considered as one of the most promising stationary energy storage solutions for improving the reliability of the power grid and deployment of renewable energy technologies. Among the many flow battery chemistries, non-aqueous flow batteries have the potential to achieve high energy density because of the broad voltage windows of non-aqueous electrolytes. However, significant technical hurdles exist currently limiting non-aqueous flow batteries to demonstrate their full potential, such as low redox concentrations, low operating currents, under-explored battery status monitoring, etc. In an attempt to address these limitations, we recently reported a non-aqueous flow battery based on a highly soluble, redox-active organic nitronyl nitroxide radical compound, 2-phenyl-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide (PTIO). This redox material exhibits an ambipolar electrochemical property, and therefore can serve as both anolyte and catholyte redox materials to form a symmetric flow battery chemistry. Moreover, we demonstrated that Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy could measure the PTIO concentrations during the PTIO flow battery cycling and offer reasonably accurate detection of the battery state of charge (SOC), as cross-validated by electron spin resonance (ESR) measurements. Herein we present a video protocol for the electrochemical evaluation and SOC diagnosis of the PTIO symmetric flow battery. With a detailed description, we experimentally demonstrated the route to achieve such purposes. This protocol aims to spark more interests and insights on the safety and reliability in the field of non-aqueous redox flow batteries.

Towards an all-copper redox flow battery based on a copper-containing ionic liquid.

Science.gov (United States)

Schaltin, Stijn; Li, Yun; Brooks, Neil R; Sniekers, Jeroen; Vankelecom, Ivo F J; Binnemans, Koen; Fransaer, Jan

2016-01-07

The first redox flow battery (RFB), based on the all-copper liquid metal salt [Cu(MeCN)4][Tf2N], is presented. Liquid metal salts (LMS) are a new type of ionic liquid that functions both as solvent and electrolyte. Non-aqueous electrolytes have advantages over water-based solutions, such as a larger electrochemical window and large thermal stability. The proof-of-concept is given that LMSs can be used as the electrolyte in RFBs. The main advantage of [Cu(MeCN)4][Tf2N] is the high copper concentration, and thus high charge and energy densities of 300 kC l(-1) and 75 W h l(-1) respectively, since the copper(i) ions form an integral part of the electrolyte. A Coulombic efficiency up to 85% could be reached.

Lithium-Based High Energy Density Flow Batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Bugga, Ratnakumar V. (Inventor); West, William C. (Inventor); Kindler, Andrew (Inventor); Smart, Marshall C. (Inventor)

2014-01-01

Systems and methods in accordance with embodiments of the invention implement a lithium-based high energy density flow battery. In one embodiment, a lithium-based high energy density flow battery includes a first anodic conductive solution that includes a lithium polyaromatic hydrocarbon complex dissolved in a solvent, a second cathodic conductive solution that includes a cathodic complex dissolved in a solvent, a solid lithium ion conductor disposed so as to separate the first solution from the second solution, such that the first conductive solution, the second conductive solution, and the solid lithium ionic conductor define a circuit, where when the circuit is closed, lithium from the lithium polyaromatic hydrocarbon complex in the first conductive solution dissociates from the lithium polyaromatic hydrocarbon complex, migrates through the solid lithium ionic conductor, and associates with the cathodic complex of the second conductive solution, and a current is generated.

A novel iron-lead redox flow battery for large-scale energy storage

Science.gov (United States)

Zeng, Y. K.; Zhao, T. S.; Zhou, X. L.; Wei, L.; Ren, Y. X.

2017-04-01

The redox flow battery (RFB) is one of the most promising large-scale energy storage technologies for the massive utilization of intermittent renewables especially wind and solar energy. This work presents a novel redox flow battery that utilizes inexpensive and abundant Fe(II)/Fe(III) and Pb/Pb(II) redox couples as redox materials. Experimental results show that both the Fe(II)/Fe(III) and Pb/Pb(II) redox couples have fast electrochemical kinetics in methanesulfonic acid, and that the coulombic efficiency and energy efficiency of the battery are, respectively, as high as 96.2% and 86.2% at 40 mA cm-2. Furthermore, the battery exhibits stable performance in terms of efficiencies and discharge capacities during the cycle test. The inexpensive redox materials, fast electrochemical kinetics and stable cycle performance make the present battery a promising candidate for large-scale energy storage applications.

Redox flow batteries. Already an alternative storage solution for hybrid PV mini-grids?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vetter, Matthias; Dennenmoser, Martin; Schwunk, Simon; Smolinka, Tom [Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE), Freiburg (Germany); Doetsch, Christian; Berthold, Sascha [Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology (UMSICHT), Oberhausen (Germany); Tuebke, Jens; Noack, Jens [Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology (ICT), Karlsruhe (Germany)

2010-07-01

Due to the flexible scalability of the power to energy ratio redox flow batteries are a suitable solution for quite a lot of decentralized applications. E.g. the autonomy time of a stand-alone system or mini-grid can be raised by increasing the tank size of the redox flow battery. In this paper the test site ''Rappenecker Hof'' in the black forest is used as an example for simulation based life cycle cost analyses of a vanadium redox flow battery integrated in an autonomous hybrid PV system. Two cases with lead acid batteries are considered as benchmarks for economic viability of the redox flow battery solution in such applications. At the moment a 1 KW / 6 kWh system for decentralized solutions is developed and will be installed in the ''Solarhaus'' in Freiburg. The main results of the cell stack and system design as well as performance data are presented. Furthermore simulation models and the model based development of the ''Smart Redox flow Control'' are described. For the optimized integration of the storage unit in the energy system a communication interface for exchanging data with the supervisory energy management system is introduced. On this basis a SOC forecast according to a given demand profile can be determined. (orig.)

High-Performance Oligomeric Catholytes for Effective Macromolecular Separation in Nonaqueous Redox Flow Batteries.

Science.gov (United States)

Hendriks, Koen H; Robinson, Sophia G; Braten, Miles N; Sevov, Christo S; Helms, Brett A; Sigman, Matthew S; Minteer, Shelley D; Sanford, Melanie S

2018-02-28

Nonaqueous redox flow batteries (NRFBs) represent an attractive technology for energy storage from intermittent renewable sources. In these batteries, electrical energy is stored in and extracted from electrolyte solutions of redox-active molecules (termed catholytes and anolytes) that are passed through an electrochemical flow cell. To avoid battery self-discharge, the anolyte and catholyte solutions must be separated by a membrane in the flow cell. This membrane prevents crossover of the redox active molecules, while simultaneously allowing facile transport of charge-balancing ions. A key unmet challenge for the field is the design of redox-active molecule/membrane pairs that enable effective electrolyte separation while maintaining optimal battery properties. Herein, we demonstrate the development of oligomeric catholytes based on tris(dialkylamino)cyclopropenium (CP) salts that are specifically tailored for pairing with size-exclusion membranes composed of polymers of intrinsic microporosity (PIMs). Systematic studies were conducted to evaluate the impact of oligomer size/structure on properties that are crucial for flow battery performance, including cycling stability, charge capacity, solubility, electron transfer kinetics, and crossover rates. These studies have led to the identification of a CP-derived tetramer in which these properties are all comparable, or significantly improved, relative to the monomeric counterpart. Finally, a proof-of-concept flow battery is demonstrated by pairing this tetrameric catholyte with a PIM membrane. After 6 days of cycling, no crossover is detected, demonstrating the promise of this approach. These studies provide a template for the future design of other redox-active oligomers for this application.

Assessment of the use of vanadium redox flow batteries for energy storage and fast charging of electric vehicles in gas stations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cunha, Álvaro; Brito, F.P.; Martins, Jorge; Rodrigues, Nuno; Monteiro, Vitor; Afonso, João L.; Ferreira, Paula

2016-01-01

A network of conveniently located fast charging stations is one of the possibilities to facilitate the adoption of Electric Vehicles (EVs). This paper assesses the use of fast charging stations for EVs in conjunction with VRFBs (Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries). These batteries are charged during low electricity demand periods and then supply electricity for the fast charging of EVs during day, thus implementing a power peak shaving process. Flow batteries have unique characteristics which make them especially attractive when compared with conventional batteries, such as their ability to decouple rated power from rated capacity, as well as their greater design flexibility and nearly unlimited life. Moreover, their liquid nature allows their installation inside deactivated underground gas tanks located at gas stations, enabling a smooth transition of gas stations' business model towards the emerging electric mobility paradigm. A project of a VRFB system to fast charge EVs taking advantage of existing gas stations infrastructures is presented. An energy and cost analysis of this concept is performed, which shows that, for the conditions tested, the project is technologically and economically viable, although being highly sensitive to the investment costs and to the electricity market conditions. - Highlights: • Assessment of Vanadium Redox Flow Battery use for EV fast charge in gas stations. • This novel system proposal allows power peak shaving and use of deactivated gas tanks. • Philosophy allows seamless business transition towards the Electric Mobility paradigm. • Project is technologically and economically viable, although with long payback times. • Future Cost cuts due to technology maturation will consolidate project attractiveness.

Unbiased, complete solar charging of a neutral flow battery by a single Si photocathode

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wedege, Kristina; Bae, Dowon; Dražević, Emil

2018-01-01

Solar redox flow batteries have attracted attention as a possible integrated technology for simultaneous conversion and storage of solar energy. In this work, we review current efforts to design aqueous solar flow batteries in terms of battery electrolyte capacity, solar conversion efficiency...... and depth of solar charge. From a materials cost and design perspective, a simple, cost-efficient, aqueous solar redox flow battery will most likely incorporate only one semiconductor, and we demonstrate here a system where a single photocathode is accurately matched to the redox couples to allow...... for a complete solar charge. The single TiO2 protected Si photocathode with a catalytic Pt layer can fully solar charge a neutral TEMPO-sulfate/ferricyanide battery with a cell voltage of 0.35 V. An unbiased solar conversion efficiency of 1.6% is obtained and this system represents a new strategy in solar RFBs...

Double-membrane triple-electrolyte redox flow battery design

Science.gov (United States)

Yushan, Yan; Gu, Shuang; Gong, Ke

2018-03-13

A redox flow battery is provided having a double-membrane (one cation exchange membrane and one anion exchange membrane), triple-electrolyte (one electrolyte in contact with the negative electrode, one electrolyte in contact with the positive electrode, and one electrolyte positioned between and in contact with the two membranes). The cation exchange membrane is used to separate the negative or positive electrolyte and the middle electrolyte, and the anion exchange membrane is used to separate the middle electrolyte and the positive or negative electrolyte. This design physically isolates, but ionically connects, the negative electrolyte and positive electrolyte. The physical isolation offers great freedom in choosing redox pairs in the negative electrolyte and positive electrolyte, making high voltage of redox flow batteries possible. The ionic conduction drastically reduces the overall ionic crossover between negative electrolyte and positive one, leading to high columbic efficiency.

Reversible chemical delithiation/lithiation of LiFePO4: towards a redox flow lithium-ion battery.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Qizhao; Li, Hong; Grätzel, Michael; Wang, Qing

2013-02-14

Reversible chemical delithiation/lithiation of LiFePO(4) was successfully demonstrated using ferrocene derivatives, based on which a novel energy storage system--the redox flow lithium-ion battery (RFLB), was devised by integrating the operation flexibility of a redox flow battery and high energy density of a lithium-ion battery. Distinct from the recent semi-solid lithium rechargeable flow battery, the energy storage materials of RFLB stored in separate energy tanks remain stationary upon operation, giving us a fresh perspective on building large-scale energy storage systems with higher energy density and improved safety.

An application of actinide elements for a redox flow battery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shiokawa, Yoshinobu; Yamana, Hajimu; Moriyama, Hirotake

2000-01-01

The electrochemical properties of U, Np, Pu and Am were discussed from the viewpoint of cell active materials. From the thermodynamic properties and the kinetics of electrode reactions, it is found that neptunium in the aqueous system can be utilized as an active material of the redox flow battery for the electric power storage. A new neptunium redox battery is proposed in the present article: the galvanic cell is expressed by (-)|Np 3+ , Np 4+ |NpO 2 + , NpO 2 2+ |(+). The neptunium battery is expected to have more excellent charge and discharge performance than the current vanadium battery, whereas the thermodynamic one of the former is comparable to the latter. For the development of a uranium redox battery, the application of the redox reactions in the non-aqueous solvents is essential. (author)

Performance enhancement of iron-chromium redox flow batteries by employing interdigitated flow fields

Science.gov (United States)

Zeng, Y. K.; Zhou, X. L.; Zeng, L.; Yan, X. H.; Zhao, T. S.

2016-09-01

The catalyst for the negative electrode of iron-chromium redox flow batteries (ICRFBs) is commonly prepared by adding a small amount of Bi3+ ions in the electrolyte and synchronously electrodepositing metallic particles onto the electrode surface at the beginning of charge process. Achieving a uniform catalyst distribution in the porous electrode, which is closely related to the flow field design, is critically important to improve the ICRFB performance. In this work, the effects of flow field designs on catalyst electrodeposition and battery performance are investigated. It is found that compared to the serpentine flow field (SFF) design, the interdigitated flow field (IFF) forces the electrolyte through the porous electrode between the neighboring channels and enhances species transport during the processes of both the catalyst electrodeposition and iron/chromium redox reactions, thus enabling a more uniform catalyst distribution and higher mass transport limitation. It is further demonstrated that the energy efficiency of the ICRFB with the IFF reaches 80.7% at a high current density (320 mA cm-2), which is 8.2% higher than that of the ICRFB with the SFF. With such a high performance and intrinsically low-cost active materials, the ICRFB with the IFF offers a great promise for large-scale energy storage.

Redox flow batteries based on supporting solutions containing chloride

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Liyu; Kim, Soowhan; Yang, Zhenguo; Wang, Wei; Zhang, Jianlu; Chen, Baowei; Nie, Zimin; Xia, Guanguang

2014-01-14

Redox flow battery systems having a supporting solution that contains Cl.sup.- ions can exhibit improved performance and characteristics. Furthermore, a supporting solution having mixed SO.sub.4.sup.2- and Cl.sup.- ions can provide increased energy density and improved stability and solubility of one or more of the ionic species in the catholyte and/or anolyte. According to one example, a vanadium-based redox flow battery system is characterized by an anolyte having V.sup.2+ and V.sup.3+ in a supporting solution and a catholyte having V.sup.4+ and V.sup.5+ in a supporting solution. The supporting solution can contain Cl.sup.- ions or a mixture of SO.sub.4.sup.2- and Cl.sup.- ions.

Redox flow batteries based on supporting solutions containing chloride

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Liyu; Kim, Soowhan; Yang, Zhenguo; Wang, Wei; Nie, Zimin; Chen, Baowei; Zhang, Jianlu; Xia, Guanguang

2017-11-14

Redox flow battery systems having a supporting solution that contains Cl.sup.- ions can exhibit improved performance and characteristics. Furthermore, a supporting solution having mixed SO.sub.4.sup.2- and Cl.sup.- ions can provide increased energy density and improved stability and solubility of one or more of the ionic species in the catholyte and/or anolyte. According to one example, a vanadium-based redox flow battery system is characterized by an anolyte having V.sup.2+ and V.sup.3+ in a supporting solution and a catholyte having V.sup.4+ and V.sup.5+ in a supporting solution. The supporting solution can contain Cl.sup.- ions or a mixture of SO.sub.4.sup.2- and Cl.sup.- ions.

Improved radical stability of viologen anolytes in aqueous organic redox flow batteries.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Bo; Tang, Yijie; Luo, Jian; Grove, Grant; Guo, Yisong; Liu, T Leo

2018-05-09

A high voltage (1.38 V) total organic aqueous redox flow battery is reported using 1,1'-bis[3-(trimethylammonio)propyl]-4,4'-bipyridinium tetrachloride ((NPr)2V) as an anolyte and 4-trimethylammonium-TEMPO chloride (NMe-TEMPO) as a catholyte. The exceptional radical stability of [(NPr)2V]+˙ enabled the flow battery in achieving 97.48% capacity retention for 500 cycles and a power density of 128.2 mW cm-2.

Recent developments in organic redox flow batteries: A critical review

Science.gov (United States)

Leung, P.; Shah, A. A.; Sanz, L.; Flox, C.; Morante, J. R.; Xu, Q.; Mohamed, M. R.; Ponce de León, C.; Walsh, F. C.

2017-08-01

Redox flow batteries (RFBs) have emerged as prime candidates for energy storage on the medium and large scales, particularly at the grid scale. The demand for versatile energy storage continues to increase as more electrical energy is generated from intermittent renewable sources. A major barrier in the way of broad deployment and deep market penetration is the use of expensive metals as the active species in the electrolytes. The use of organic redox couples in aqueous or non-aqueous electrolytes is a promising approach to reducing the overall cost in long-term, since these materials can be low-cost and abundant. The performance of such redox couples can be tuned by modifying their chemical structure. In recent years, significant developments in organic redox flow batteries has taken place, with the introduction of new groups of highly soluble organic molecules, capable of providing a cell voltage and charge capacity comparable to conventional metal-based systems. This review summarises the fundamental developments and characterization of organic redox flow batteries from both the chemistry and materials perspectives. The latest advances, future challenges and opportunities for further development are discussed.

Vanadium Redox Flow Battery : Sizing of VRB in electrified heavy construction equipment

OpenAIRE

Zimmerman, Nathan

2014-01-01

In an effort to reduce global emissions by electrifying vehicles and machines with internal combustion engines has led to the development of batteries that are more powerful and efficient than the common lead acid battery.  One of the most popular batteries being used for such an installation is lithium ion, but due to its short effective usable lifetime, charging time, and costs has driven researcher to other technologies to replace it.  Vanadium redox flow batteries have come into the spotl...

A solar rechargeable flow battery based on photoregeneration of two soluble redox couples.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Ping; Cao, Yu-liang; Li, Guo-Ran; Gao, Xue-Ping; Ai, Xin-Ping; Yang, Han-Xi

2013-05-01

Storable sunshine, reusable rays: A solar rechargeable redox flow battery is proposed based on the photoregeneration of I(3)(-)/I(-) and [Fe(C(10)H(15))(2)](+)/Fe(C(10)H(15))(2) soluble redox couples, which can be regenerated by flowing from a discharged redox flow battery (RFB) into a dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) and then stored in tanks for subsequent RFB applications This technology enables effective solar-to-chemical energy conversion. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Multi-physics Model for the Aging Prediction of a Vanadium Redox Flow Battery System

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Merei, Ghada; Adler, Sophie; Magnor, Dirk; Sauer, Dirk Uwe

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Present a multi-physics model of vanadium redox-flow battery. • This model is essential for aging prediction. • It is applicable for VRB system of different power and capacity ratings. • Good results comparing with current research in this field. - Abstract: The all-vanadium redox-flow battery is an attractive candidate to compensate the fluctuations of non-dispatchable renewable energy generation. While several models for vanadium redox batteries have been described yet, no model has been published, which is adequate for the aging prediction. Therefore, the present paper presents a multi-physics model which determines all parameters that are essential for an aging prediction. In a following paper, the corresponding aging model of vanadium redox flow battery (VRB) is described. The model combines existing models for the mechanical losses and temperature development with new approaches for the batteries side reactions. The model was implemented in Matlab/Simulink. The modeling results presented in the paper prove to be consistent with the experimental results of other research groups

A high-energy-density redox flow battery based on zinc/polyhalide chemistry.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Liqun; Lai, Qinzhi; Zhang, Jianlu; Zhang, Huamin

2012-05-01

Zn and the Art of Battery Development: A zinc/polyhalide redox flow battery employs Br(-) /ClBr(2-) and Zn/Zn(2+) redox couples in its positive and negative half-cells, respectively. The performance of the battery is evaluated by charge-discharge cycling tests and reveals a high energy efficiency of 81%, based on a Coulombic efficiency of 96% and voltage efficiency of 84%. The new battery technology can provide high performance and energy density at an acceptable cost. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Polyoxovanadate-alkoxide clusters as multi-electron charge carriers for symmetric non-aqueous redox flow batteries.

Science.gov (United States)

VanGelder, L E; Kosswattaarachchi, A M; Forrestel, P L; Cook, T R; Matson, E M

2018-02-14

Non-aqueous redox flow batteries have emerged as promising systems for large-capacity, reversible energy storage, capable of meeting the variable demands of the electrical grid. Here, we investigate the potential for a series of Lindqvist polyoxovanadate-alkoxide (POV-alkoxide) clusters, [V 6 O 7 (OR) 12 ] (R = CH 3 , C 2 H 5 ), to serve as the electroactive species for a symmetric, non-aqueous redox flow battery. We demonstrate that the physical and electrochemical properties of these POV-alkoxides make them suitable for applications in redox flow batteries, as well as the ability for ligand modification at the bridging alkoxide moieties to yield significant improvements in cluster stability during charge-discharge cycling. Indeed, the metal-oxide core remains intact upon deep charge-discharge cycling, enabling extremely high coulombic efficiencies (∼97%) with minimal overpotential losses (∼0.3 V). Furthermore, the bulky POV-alkoxide demonstrates significant resistance to deleterious crossover, which will lead to improved lifetime and efficiency in a redox flow battery.

Model-based design and optimization of vanadium redox flow batteries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koenig, Sebastian

2017-07-19

This work targets on increasing the efficiency of the Vanadium Redox Flow Battery (VRFB) using a model-based approach. First, a detailed instruction for setting up a VRFB model on a system level is given. Modelling of open-circuit-voltage, ohmic overpotential, concentration overpotential, Vanadium crossover, shunt currents as well as pump power demand is presented. All sub-models are illustrated using numerical examples. Using experimental data from three battery manufacturers, the voltage model validated. The identified deviations reveal deficiencies in the literature model. By correctly deriving the mass transfer coefficients and adapting the effective electrode area, these deficiencies are eliminated. The validated battery model is then deployed in an extensive design study. By varying the electrode area between 1000 and 4000 cm{sup 2} and varying the design of the electrolyte supply channel, twenty-four different cell designs are created using finite element analysis. These designs are subsequently simulated in 40-cell stacks deployed in systems with a single stack and systems with a three-stack string. Using the simulation results, the impact of different design parameters on different loss mechanisms is investigated. While operating the VRFB, the electrolyte flow rate is the most important operational parameter. A novel, model-based optimization strategy is presented and compared to established flow rate control strategies. Further, a voltage controller is introduced which delays the violation of cell voltage limits by controlling the flow rate as long as the pump capacity is not fully exploited.

Model-based design and optimization of vanadium redox flow batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koenig, Sebastian

2017-01-01

This work targets on increasing the efficiency of the Vanadium Redox Flow Battery (VRFB) using a model-based approach. First, a detailed instruction for setting up a VRFB model on a system level is given. Modelling of open-circuit-voltage, ohmic overpotential, concentration overpotential, Vanadium crossover, shunt currents as well as pump power demand is presented. All sub-models are illustrated using numerical examples. Using experimental data from three battery manufacturers, the voltage model validated. The identified deviations reveal deficiencies in the literature model. By correctly deriving the mass transfer coefficients and adapting the effective electrode area, these deficiencies are eliminated. The validated battery model is then deployed in an extensive design study. By varying the electrode area between 1000 and 4000 cm 2 and varying the design of the electrolyte supply channel, twenty-four different cell designs are created using finite element analysis. These designs are subsequently simulated in 40-cell stacks deployed in systems with a single stack and systems with a three-stack string. Using the simulation results, the impact of different design parameters on different loss mechanisms is investigated. While operating the VRFB, the electrolyte flow rate is the most important operational parameter. A novel, model-based optimization strategy is presented and compared to established flow rate control strategies. Further, a voltage controller is introduced which delays the violation of cell voltage limits by controlling the flow rate as long as the pump capacity is not fully exploited.

Fe-V redox flow batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Liyu; Kim, Soowhan; Yang, Zhenguo; Wang, Wei; Zhang, Jianlu; Chen, Baowei; Nie, Zimin; Xia, Guanguang

2014-07-08

A redox flow battery having a supporting solution that includes Cl.sup.- anions is characterized by an anolyte having V.sup.2+ and V.sup.3+ in the supporting solution, a catholyte having Fe.sup.2+ and Fe.sup.3+ in the supporting solution, and a membrane separating the anolyte and the catholyte. The anolyte and catholyte can have V cations and Fe cations, respectively, or the anolyte and catholyte can each contain both V and Fe cations in a mixture. Furthermore, the supporting solution can contain a mixture of SO.sub.4.sup.2- and Cl.sup.- anions.

Lattice Boltzmann modeling of transport phenomena in fuel cells and flow batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Ao; Shyy, Wei; Zhao, Tianshou

2017-06-01

Fuel cells and flow batteries are promising technologies to address climate change and air pollution problems. An understanding of the complex multiscale and multiphysics transport phenomena occurring in these electrochemical systems requires powerful numerical tools. Over the past decades, the lattice Boltzmann (LB) method has attracted broad interest in the computational fluid dynamics and the numerical heat transfer communities, primarily due to its kinetic nature making it appropriate for modeling complex multiphase transport phenomena. More importantly, the LB method fits well with parallel computing due to its locality feature, which is required for large-scale engineering applications. In this article, we review the LB method for gas-liquid two-phase flows, coupled fluid flow and mass transport in porous media, and particulate flows. Examples of applications are provided in fuel cells and flow batteries. Further developments of the LB method are also outlined.

Performance of a vanadium redox flow battery with a VANADion membrane

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou, X.L.; Zhao, T.S.; An, L.; Zeng, Y.K.; Zhu, X.B.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Performance of the VANADion membrane in flow batteries is evaluated. • The battery with present membrane shows good rate capability. • The battery with present membrane offers good capacity retention. • The high performance and low cost make the membrane promising in VRFBs. - Abstract: Conventional vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs) using Nafion 115 suffered from issues associated with high ohmic resistance and high capital cost. In this work, we report a commercial membrane (VANADion), consisting of a porous layer and a dense Nafion layer, as a promising alternative to Nafion 115. In the dual-layer structure, the porous layer (∼210 μm) can offer a high ionic conductivity and the dense Nafion layer (∼20 μm) can depress the convective flow of electrolyte through the membrane. By comparing with the conventional Nafion 115 in a VRFB, it is found that the change from the conventional Nafion 115 to the composite one results in an increase in the energy efficiency from 71.3% to 76.2% and an increase in the electrolyte utilization from 54.1% to 68.4% at a current density of as high as 240 mA cm"−"2. In addition, although two batteries show the comparable cycling performance at current densities ranging from 80 mA cm"−"2 to 240 mA cm"−"2, the composite membrane is estimated to be significantly cheaper than the conventional Nafion 115 due to the fact that the porous layer is rather cost-effective and the dense Nafion layer is rather thin. The impressive combination of desirable performance and low cost makes this composite membrane highly promising in the VRFB applications.

Flow Battery Solution for Smart Grid Applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

none,

2014-11-30

To address future grid requirements, a U.S. Department of Energy ARRA Storage Demonstration program was launched in 2009 to commercialize promising technologies needed for stronger and more renewables-intensive grids. Raytheon Ktech and EnerVault received a cost-share grant award from the U.S. Department of Energy to develop a grid-scale storage system based on EnerVault’s iron-chromium redox flow battery technology.

Operating a redox flow battery with a negative electrolyte imbalance

Science.gov (United States)

Pham, Quoc; Chang, On; Durairaj, Sumitha

2015-03-31

Loss of flow battery electrode catalyst layers during self-discharge or charge reversal may be prevented by establishing and maintaining a negative electrolyte imbalance during at least parts of a flow battery's operation. Negative imbalance may be established and/or maintained actively, passively or both. Actively establishing a negative imbalance may involve detecting an imbalance that is less negative than a desired threshold, and processing one or both electrolytes until the imbalance reaches a desired negative level. Negative imbalance may be effectively established and maintained passively within a cell by constructing a cell with a negative electrode chamber that is larger than the cell's positive electrode chamber, thereby providing a larger quantity of negative electrolyte for reaction with positive electrolyte.

Evaluation of electrolytes for redox flow battery applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chakrabarti, M.H.; Dryfe, R.A.W.; Roberts, E.P.L.

2007-01-01

A number of redox systems have been investigated in this work with the aim of identifying electrolytes suitable for testing redox flow battery cell designs. The criteria for the selection of suitable systems were fast electrochemical kinetics and minimal cross-contamination of active electrolytes. Possible electrolyte systems were initially selected based on cyclic voltammetry data. Selected systems were then compared by charge/discharge experiments using a simple H-type cell. The all-vanadium electrolyte system has been developed as a commercial system and was used as the starting point in this study. The performance of the all-vanadium system was significantly better than an all-chromium system which has recently been reported. Some metal-organic and organic redox systems have been reported as possible systems for redox flow batteries, with cyclic voltammetry data suggesting that they could offer near reversible kinetics. However, Ru(acac) 3 in acetonitrile could only be charged efficiently to 9.5% of theoretical charge, after which irreversible side reactions occurred and [Fe(bpy) 3 ](ClO 4 ) 2 in acetonitrile was found to exhibit poor charge/discharge performance

Dynamic electro-thermal modeling of all-vanadium redox flow battery with forced cooling strategies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wei, Zhongbao; Zhao, Jiyun; Xiong, Binyu

2014-01-01

Highlights: • A dynamic electro-thermal model is proposed for VRB with forced cooling. • The Foster network is adopted to model the battery cooling process. • Both the electrolyte temperature and terminal voltage can be accurately predicted. • The flow rate of electrolyte and coolant significantly impact battery performance. - Abstract: The present study focuses on the dynamic electro-thermal modeling for the all-vanadium redox flow battery (VRB) with forced cooling strategies. The Foster network is adopted to dynamically model the heat dissipation of VRB with heat exchangers. The parameters of Foster network are extracted by fitting the step response of it to the results of linearized CFD model. Then a complete electro-thermal model is proposed by coupling the heat generation model, Foster network and electrical model. Results show that the established model has nearly the same accuracy with the nonlinear CFD model in electrolyte temperature prediction but drastically improves the computational efficiency. The modeled terminal voltage is also benchmarked with the experimental data under different current densities. The electrolyte temperature is found to be significantly influenced by the flow rate of coolant. As compared, although the electrolyte flow rate has unremarkable impact on electrolyte temperature, its effect on system pressure drop and battery efficiency is significant. Increasing the electrolyte flow rate improves the coulombic efficiency, voltage efficiency and energy efficiency simultaneously but at the expense of higher pump power demanded. An optimal flow rate exists for each operating condition to maximize the system efficiency

All-Fullerene-Based Cells for Nonaqueous Redox Flow Batteries.

Science.gov (United States)

Friedl, Jochen; Lebedeva, Maria A; Porfyrakis, Kyriakos; Stimming, Ulrich; Chamberlain, Thomas W

2018-01-10

Redox flow batteries have the potential to revolutionize our use of intermittent sustainable energy sources such as solar and wind power by storing the energy in liquid electrolytes. Our concept study utilizes a novel electrolyte system, exploiting derivatized fullerenes as both anolyte and catholyte species in a series of battery cells, including a symmetric, single species system which alleviates the common problem of membrane crossover. The prototype multielectron system, utilizing molecular based charge carriers, made from inexpensive, abundant, and sustainable materials, principally, C and Fe, demonstrates remarkable current and energy densities and promising long-term cycling stability.

Fundamental studies of uranium and neptunium redox flow batteries (II)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shiokawa, Y.; Yamamura, T.; Watanabe, N.

2002-01-01

The atomic power generation entails production of so-called minor actinides and accumulation of depleted uranium. The theoretical and experimental investigations are underway to transmute minor actinides for minimizing the long-term radiotoxicity and reducing the radioactive waste. The utilization, however, would be alternative means. The actinide redox couples, An(VI)/An(V) and An(IV)/An(III), have excellent properties as battery active materials. Here j the uranium and neptunium redox flow batteries for the electric power storage are discussed from the electrochemical properties of U, Np, Pu and Am [1,2]. One of the required properties for the batteries for electric power storage is high energy efficiency, which is defined by the ratio of the discharge energy to the charge energy. These energies are dependent on the rapidness of kinetics in the electrode reactions, namely the standard rate constants and also the internal resistance of the battery

Architecture for improved mass transport and system performance in redox flow batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Houser, Jacob; Pezeshki, Alan; Clement, Jason T.; Aaron, Douglas; Mench, Matthew M.

2017-05-01

In this work, electrochemical performance and parasitic losses are combined in an overall system-level efficiency metric for a high performance, all-vanadium redox flow battery. It was found that pressure drop and parasitic pumping losses are relatively negligible for high performance cells, i.e., those capable of operating at a high current density while at a low flow rate. Through this finding, the Equal Path Length (EPL) flow field architecture was proposed and evaluated. This design has superior mass transport characteristics in comparison with the standard serpentine and interdigitated designs at the expense of increased pressure drop. An Aspect Ratio (AR) design is discussed and evaluated, which demonstrates decreased pressure drop compared to the EPL design, while maintaining similar electrochemical performance under most conditions. This AR design is capable of leading to improved system energy efficiency for flow batteries of all chemistries.

Thermal performance of mini-channel liquid cooled cylinder based battery thermal management for cylindrical lithium-ion power battery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao, Jiateng; Rao, Zhonghao; Li, Yimin

2015-01-01

Highlights: • A new kind of cooling method for cylindrical batteries based on mini-channel liquid cooled cylinder (LCC) is proposed. • The capacity of reducing the T max is limited through increasing the mass flow rate. • The capability of heat dissipation is enhanced first and then weaken along with the rising of entrance size. - Abstract: Battery thermal management is a very active research focus in recent years because of its great essentiality for electric vehicles. In order to maintain the maximum temperature and local temperature difference in appropriate range, a new kind of cooling method for cylindrical batteries which is based on mini-channel liquid cooled cylinder is proposed in this paper. The effects of channel quantity, mass flow rate, flow direction and entrance size on the heat dissipation performance were investigated numerically. The results showed that the maximum temperature can be controlled under 40 °C for 42,110 cylindrical batteries when the number of mini-channel is no less than four and the inlet mass flow rate is 1 × 10 −3 kg/s. Considering both the maximum temperature and local temperature difference, the cooling style by liquid cooled cylinder can demonstrate advantages compared to natural convection cooling only when the channel number is larger than eight. The capability of reducing the maximum temperature is limited through increasing the mass flow rate. The capacity of heat dissipation is enhanced first and then weakened along with the rising of entrance size, when the inlet mass flow rate is constant

Molecular Materials for Nonaqueous Flow Batteries with a High Coulombic Efficiency and Stable Cycling.

Science.gov (United States)

Milton, Margarita; Cheng, Qian; Yang, Yuan; Nuckolls, Colin; Hernández Sánchez, Raúl; Sisto, Thomas J

2017-12-13

This manuscript presents a working redox battery in organic media that possesses remarkable cycling stability. The redox molecules have a solubility over 1 mol electrons/liter, and a cell with 0.4 M electron concentration is demonstrated with steady performance >450 cycles (>74 days). Such a concentration is among the highest values reported in redox flow batteries with organic electrolytes. The average Coulombic efficiency of this cell during cycling is 99.868%. The stability of the cell approaches the level necessary for a long lifetime nonaqueous redox flow battery. For the membrane, we employ a low cost size exclusion cellulose membrane. With this membrane, we couple the preparation of nanoscale macromolecular electrolytes to successfully avoid active material crossover. We show that this cellulose-based membrane can support high voltages in excess of 3 V and extreme temperatures (-20 to 110 °C). These extremes in temperature and voltage are not possible with aqueous systems. Most importantly, the nanoscale macromolecular platforms we present here for our electrolytes can be readily tuned through derivatization to realize the promise of organic redox flow batteries.

3D-printed conductive static mixers enable all-vanadium redox flow battery using slurry electrodes

Science.gov (United States)

Percin, Korcan; Rommerskirchen, Alexandra; Sengpiel, Robert; Gendel, Youri; Wessling, Matthias

2018-03-01

State-of-the-art all-vanadium redox flow batteries employ porous carbonaceous materials as electrodes. The battery cells possess non-scalable fixed electrodes inserted into a cell stack. In contrast, a conductive particle network dispersed in the electrolyte, known as slurry electrode, may be beneficial for a scalable redox flow battery. In this work, slurry electrodes are successfully introduced to an all-vanadium redox flow battery. Activated carbon and graphite powder particles are dispersed up to 20 wt% in the vanadium electrolyte and charge-discharge behavior is inspected via polarization studies. Graphite powder slurry is superior over activated carbon with a polarization behavior closer to the standard graphite felt electrodes. 3D-printed conductive static mixers introduced to the slurry channel improve the charge transfer via intensified slurry mixing and increased surface area. Consequently, a significant increase in the coulombic efficiency up to 95% and energy efficiency up to 65% is obtained. Our results show that slurry electrodes supported by conductive static mixers can be competitive to state-of-the-art electrodes yielding an additional degree of freedom in battery design. Research into carbon properties (particle size, internal surface area, pore size distribution) tailored to the electrolyte system and optimization of the mixer geometry may yield even better battery properties.

Neue Elektrolyte zur Steigerung der Energiedichte einer nicht-wässrigen Vanadium-Acetylacetonat-Redox-Flow-Batterie

OpenAIRE

Herr, Tatjana

2015-01-01

Die Redox-Flow-Batterie ist eine vielversprechende Speicherungsmöglichkeit für stationäre Anwendungen. Bei dieser Batterie wird die Energie in einem flüssigen Elektrolyt gespeichert, wobei die Energiedichte von der Konzentration und dem Potentialfenster der gelösten redoxaktiven Substanz abhängt. Zur Steigerung der Energiedichte einer nicht-wässrigen Vanadium-Acetylacetonat-Redox-Flow-Batterie wurden organische Lösungsmittel, welche ein Potentialfenster bis zu 5 V aufweisen, und Lösungsmittel...

A high-performance carbon nanoparticle-decorated graphite felt electrode for vanadium redox flow batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wei, L.; Zhao, T.S.; Zhao, G.; An, L.; Zeng, L.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Propose a carbon nanoparticle-decorated graphite felt electrode for VRFBs. • The energy efficiency is up to 84.8% at 100 mA cm"−"2. • The new electrode allows the peak power density to reach 508 mW cm"−"2. - Abstract: Increasing the performance of vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs), especially the energy efficiency and power density, is critically important to reduce the system cost to a level for widespread commercialization. Unlike conventional VRFBs with flow-through structure, in this work we create a VRFB featuring a flow-field structure with a carbon nanoparticle-decorated graphite felt electrode for the battery. This novel structure, exhibiting a significantly reduced ohmic loss through reducing electrode thickness, an increased surface area and improved electrocatalytic activity by coating carbon nanoparticles, allows the energy efficiency up to 84.8% at a current density of as high as 100 mA cm"−"2 and the peak power density to reach a value of 508 mW cm"−"2. In addition, it is demonstrated that the battery with this proposed structure exhibits a substantially improved rate capability and capacity retention as opposed to conventional flow-through structured battery with thick graphite felt electrodes.

All-Vanadium Dual Circuit Redox Flow Battery for Renewable Hydrogen Generation and Desulfurisation

OpenAIRE

Peljo, Pekka Eero; Vrubel, Heron; Amstutz, Veronique; Pandard, Justine; Morgado, Joana; Santasalo-Aarnio, Annukka; Lloyd, David; Gumy, Frederic; Dennison, C R; Toghill, Kathryn; Girault, Hubert

2016-01-01

An all-vanadium dual circuit redox flow battery is an electrochemical energy storage system capable to function as a conventional battery, but also to produce hydrogen and perform desulfurization when surplus of electricity is available by chemical discharge of the battery electrolytes. The hydrogen reactor chemically discharging the negative electrolyte has been designed and scaled up to kW scale, while different options to discharge the positive electrolyte have been evaluated, including ox...

Aqueous Lithium-Iodine Solar Flow Battery for the Simultaneous Conversion and Storage of Solar Energy.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Mingzhe; McCulloch, William D; Beauchamp, Damian R; Huang, Zhongjie; Ren, Xiaodi; Wu, Yiying

2015-07-08

Integrating both photoelectric-conversion and energy-storage functions into one device allows for the more efficient solar energy usage. Here we demonstrate the concept of an aqueous lithium-iodine (Li-I) solar flow battery (SFB) by incorporation of a built-in dye-sensitized TiO2 photoelectrode in a Li-I redox flow battery via linkage of an I3(-)/I(-) based catholyte, for the simultaneous conversion and storage of solar energy. During the photoassisted charging process, I(-) ions are photoelectrochemically oxidized to I3(-), harvesting solar energy and storing it as chemical energy. The Li-I SFB can be charged at a voltage of 2.90 V under 1 sun AM 1.5 illumination, which is lower than its discharging voltage of 3.30 V. The charging voltage reduction translates to energy savings of close to 20% compared to conventional Li-I batteries. This concept also serves as a guiding design that can be extended to other metal-redox flow battery systems.

Treatment of graphite felt by modified Hummers method for the positive electrode of vanadium redox flow battery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, Xiaoxin; Xu, Hongfeng; Shen, Yang; Xu, Pengcheng; Lu, Lu; Fu, Jie; Zhao, Hong

2014-01-01

A novel and highly effective treatment based on modified Hummers method was firstly used to improve the electrochemical activity of graphite felt as the positive electrode in all-vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB). The graphite felt was treated by the modified Hummers method and characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The electrochemical performance of the prepared electrode was evaluated through cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Results show that graphite felt treated by modified Hummers method exhibits excellent electrocatalytic activity and reaction rate to vanadium redox couples. In our research, the hydrogen electrode and H 2 replaced the graphite felt and V 2+ /V 3+ couple in the negative side in the VRFB performance test. The coulombic, voltage, and energy efficiencies of the VRFB with the as-prepared electrodes at 50 mA cm −2 are 95.0%, 81.3%, and 77.2%, respectively. These values are much higher than those of the cell-assembled graphite felt electrodes that were conventionally and thermally treated. The graphite felt treated by the modified Hummers method carries more hydrophilic groups, such as–OH, on its defects, which is advantageous in facilitating the redox reaction of vanadium ions, thereby improving the operation efficiency of the vanadium redox flow battery

New Class of Flow Batteries for Terrestrial and Aerospace Energy Storage Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Bugga, Ratnakumar V.; West, William C.; Kindler, Andrew; Smart, Marshall C.

2013-01-01

Future sustainable energy generation technologies such as photovoltaic and wind farms require advanced energy storage systems on a massive scale to make the alternate (green) energy options practical. The daunting requirements of such large-scale energy systems such as long operating and cycle life, safety, and low cost are not adequately met by state-of-the-art energy storage technologies such as vanadium flow cells, lead-acid, and zinc-bromine batteries. Much attention is being paid to redox batteries specifically to the vanadium redox battery (VRB) due to their simplicity, low cost, and good life characteristics compared to other related battery technologies. NASA is currently seeking high-specific- energy and long-cycle-life rechargeable batteries in the 10-to-100-kW range to support future human exploration missions, such as planetary habitats, human rovers, etc. The flow batteries described above are excellent candidates for these applications, as well as other applications that propose to use regenerative fuel cells. A new flow cell technology is proposed based on coupling two novel electrodes in the form of solvated electron systems (SES) between an alkali (or alkaline earth) metal and poly aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), separated by an ionically conducting separator. The cell reaction involves the formation of such SES with a PAH of high voltage in the cathode, while the alkali (or alkaline earth metal) is reduced from such an MPAH complex in the anode half-cell. During recharge, the reactions are reversed in both electrodes. In other words, the alkali (alkaline earth) metal ion simply shuttles from one M-PAH complex (SES) to another, which are separated by a metal-ion conducting solid or polymer electrolyte separator. As an example, the concept was demonstrated with Li-naphthalene//Li DDQ (DDQ is 2,3-Dichloro-5,6-dicyano- 1,4-benzoquinone) separated by lithium super ion conductor, either ceramic or polymer (solid polymer or gel polymer) electrolytes. The

First-principles molecular dynamics simulation study on electrolytes for use in redox flow battery

Science.gov (United States)

Choe, Yoong-Kee; Tsuchida, Eiji; Tokuda, Kazuya; Ootsuka, Jun; Saito, Yoshihiro; Masuno, Atsunobu; Inoue, Hiroyuki

2017-11-01

Results of first-principles molecular dynamics simulations carried out to investigate structural aspects of electrolytes for use in a redox flow battery are reported. The electrolytes studied here are aqueous sulfuric acid solutions where its property is of importance for dissolving redox couples in redox flow battery. The simulation results indicate that structural features of the acid solutions depend on the concentration of sulfuric acid. Such dependency arises from increase of proton dissociation from sulfuric acid.

A Thermally-Regenerative Ammonia-Based Flow Battery for Electrical Energy Recovery from Waste Heat.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Xiuping; Rahimi, Mohammad; Gorski, Christopher A; Logan, Bruce

2016-04-21

Large amounts of low-grade waste heat (temperatures energy can be converted to electricity in battery systems. To improve reactor efficiency, a compact, ammonia-based flow battery (AFB) was developed and tested at different solution concentrations, flow rates, cell pairs, and circuit connections. The AFB achieved a maximum power density of 45 W m(-2) (15 kW m(-3) ) and an energy density of 1260 Wh manolyte (-3) , with a thermal energy efficiency of 0.7 % (5 % relative to the Carnot efficiency). The power and energy densities of the AFB were greater than those previously reported for thermoelectrochemical and salinity-gradient technologies, and the voltage or current could be increased using stacked cells. These results demonstrated that an ammonia-based flow battery is a promising technology to convert low-grade thermal energy to electricity. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

High Performance Hydrogen/Bromine Redox Flow Battery for Grid-Scale Energy Storage

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cho, KT; Ridgway, P; Weber, AZ; Haussener, S; Battaglia, V; Srinivasan, V

2012-01-01

The electrochemical behavior of a promising hydrogen/bromine redox flow battery is investigated for grid-scale energy-storage application with some of the best redox-flow-battery performance results to date, including a peak power of 1.4 W/cm(2) and a 91% voltaic efficiency at 0.4 W/cm(2) constant-power operation. The kinetics of bromine on various materials is discussed, with both rotating-disk-electrode and cell studies demonstrating that a carbon porous electrode for the bromine reaction can conduct platinum-comparable performance as long as sufficient surface area is realized. The effect of flow-cell designs and operating temperature is examined, and ohmic and mass-transfer losses are decreased by utilizing a flow-through electrode design and increasing cell temperature. Charge/discharge and discharge-rate tests also reveal that this system has highly reversible behavior and good rate capability. (C) 2012 The Electrochemical Society. [DOI: 10.1149/2.018211jes] All rights reserved.

Neural Network Predictive Control for Vanadium Redox Flow Battery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hai-Feng Shen

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The vanadium redox flow battery (VRB is a nonlinear system with unknown dynamics and disturbances. The flowrate of the electrolyte is an important control mechanism in the operation of a VRB system. Too low or too high flowrate is unfavorable for the safety and performance of VRB. This paper presents a neural network predictive control scheme to enhance the overall performance of the battery. A radial basis function (RBF network is employed to approximate the dynamics of the VRB system. The genetic algorithm (GA is used to obtain the optimum initial values of the RBF network parameters. The gradient descent algorithm is used to optimize the objective function of the predictive controller. Compared with the constant flowrate, the simulation results show that the flowrate optimized by neural network predictive controller can increase the power delivered by the battery during the discharge and decrease the power consumed during the charge.

Redox flow batteries having multiple electroactive elements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Wei; Li, Liyu; Yang, Zhenguo; Nie, Zimin

2018-05-01

Introducing multiple redox reactions with a suitable voltage range can improve the energy density of redox flow battery (RFB) systems. One example includes RFB systems utilizing multiple redox pairs in the positive half cell, the negative half cell, or in both. Such RFB systems can have a negative electrolyte, a positive electrolyte, and a membrane between the negative electrolyte and the positive electrolyte, in which at least two electrochemically active elements exist in the negative electrolyte, the positive electrolyte, or both.

Polyoxometalate active charge-transfer material for mediated redox flow battery

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anderson, Travis Mark; Hudak, Nicholas; Staiger, Chad; Pratt, Harry

2017-01-17

Redox flow batteries including a half-cell electrode chamber coupled to a current collecting electrode are disclosed herein. In a general embodiment, a separator is coupled to the half-cell electrode chamber. The half-cell electrode chamber comprises a first redox-active mediator and a second redox-active mediator. The first redox-active mediator and the second redox-active mediator are circulated through the half-cell electrode chamber into an external container. The container includes an active charge-transfer material. The active charge-transfer material has a redox potential between a redox potential of the first redox-active mediator and a redox potential of the second redox-active mediator. The active charge-transfer material is a polyoxometalate or derivative thereof. The redox flow battery may be particularly useful in energy storage solutions for renewable energy sources and for providing sustained power to an electrical grid.

A multi-electron redox mediator for redox-targeting lithium-sulfur flow batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Guochun; Yang, Liuqing; Jiang, Xi; Zhang, Tianran; Lin, Haibin; Yao, Qiaofeng; Lee, Jim Yang

2018-02-01

The lithium-sulfur flow battery (LSFB) is a new addition to the rechargeable lithium flow batteries (LFBs) where sulfur or a sulfur compound is used as the cathode material against the lithium anode. We report here our evaluation of an organic sulfide - dimethyl trisulfide (DMTS), as 1) a catholyte of a LFB and 2) a multi-electron redox mediator for discharging and charging a solid sulfur cathode without any conductive additives. The latter configuration is also known as the redox-targeting lithium-sulfur flow battery (RTLSFB). The LFB provides an initial discharge capacity of 131.5 mAh g-1DMTS (1.66 A h L-1), which decreases to 59 mAh g-1DMTS (0.75 A h L-1) after 40 cycles. The RTLSFB delivers a significantly higher application performance - initial discharge capacity of 1225.3 mAh g-1sulfur (3.83 A h L-1), for which 1030.9 mAh g-1sulfur (3.23 A h L-1) is still available after 40 cycles. The significant increase in the discharge and charge duration of the LFB after sulfur addition indicates that DMTS is better used as a redox mediator in a RTLSFB than as a catholyte in a LFB.

Aqueous electrolytes for redox flow battery systems

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Tianbiao; Li, Bin; Wei, Xiaoliang; Nie, Zimin; Wang, Wei; Liu, Jun; Sprenkle, Vincent L.

2017-10-17

An aqueous redox flow battery system includes an aqueous catholyte and an aqueous anolyte. The aqueous catholyte may comprise (i) an optionally substituted thiourea or a nitroxyl radical compound and (ii) a catholyte aqueous supporting solution. The aqueous anolyte may comprise (i) metal cations or a viologen compound and (ii) an anolyte aqueous supporting solution. The catholyte aqueous supporting solution and the anolyte aqueous supporting solution independently may comprise (i) a proton source, (ii) a halide source, or (iii) a proton source and a halide source.

Adaptive estimation of state of charge and capacity with online identified battery model for vanadium redox flow battery

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Zhongbao; Tseng, King Jet; Wai, Nyunt; Lim, Tuti Mariana; Skyllas-Kazacos, Maria

2016-11-01

Reliable state estimate depends largely on an accurate battery model. However, the parameters of battery model are time varying with operating condition variation and battery aging. The existing co-estimation methods address the model uncertainty by integrating the online model identification with state estimate and have shown improved accuracy. However, the cross interference may arise from the integrated framework to compromise numerical stability and accuracy. Thus this paper proposes the decoupling of model identification and state estimate to eliminate the possibility of cross interference. The model parameters are online adapted with the recursive least squares (RLS) method, based on which a novel joint estimator based on extended Kalman Filter (EKF) is formulated to estimate the state of charge (SOC) and capacity concurrently. The proposed joint estimator effectively compresses the filter order which leads to substantial improvement in the computational efficiency and numerical stability. Lab scale experiment on vanadium redox flow battery shows that the proposed method is highly authentic with good robustness to varying operating conditions and battery aging. The proposed method is further compared with some existing methods and shown to be superior in terms of accuracy, convergence speed, and computational cost.

A coupled three dimensional model of vanadium redox flow battery for flow field designs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yin, Cong; Gao, Yan; Guo, Shaoyun; Tang, Hao

2014-01-01

A 3D (three-dimensional) model of VRB (vanadium redox flow battery) with interdigitated flow channel design is proposed. Two different stack inlet designs, single-inlet and multi-inlet, are structured in the model to study the distributions of fluid pressure, electric potential, current density and overpotential during operation of VRB cell. Electrolyte flow rate and stack channel dimension are proved to be the critical factors affecting flow distribution and cell performance. The model developed in this paper can be employed to optimize both VRB stack design and system operation conditions. Further improvements of the model concerning current density and electrode properties are also suggested in the paper. - Highlights: • A coupled three-dimensional model of vanadium redox flow cell is proposed. • Interdigitated flow channels with two different manifold designs are simulated. • Manifold structure affects uniformity of distribution patterns significantly. • Increased electrolyte flow rate improves cell performance for both designs. • Decreased channel size and enlarged land width enhance cell voltage

Strategies for enhancing electrochemical activity of carbon-based electrodes for all-vanadium redox flow batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Flox, Cristina; Skoumal, Marcel; Rubio-Garcia, Javier; Andreu, Teresa; Morante, Juan Ramón

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Improved reactions at the positive electrode in all-vanadium redox flow batteries. ► Graphene-derived and PAN-modified electrodes have been successfully prepared. ► Modification with bimetallic CuPt 3 nanocubes yielded the best catalytic behavior. ► N and O-containing groups enhances the vanadium flow battery performance. - Abstract: Two strategies for improving the electroactivity towards VO 2+ /VO 2 + redox pair, the limiting process in all-vanadium redox flow batteries (VFBs), were presented. CuPt 3 nanoparticles supported onto graphene substrate and nitrogen and oxygen polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-functionalized electrodes materials have been evaluated. The morphology, composition, electrochemical properties of all electrodes prepared was characterized with field emission-scanning electrode microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and cell charge–discharge test. The presence of the CuPt 3 nanocubes and nitrogen and oxygen functionalities enhance the electrocatalytic activity of the electrodes materials accelerating the oxygen and electron transfer processes. The battery performance was also evaluated using PAN-functionalized electrodes exhibiting a high of energy efficiency of 84% (at current density 20 mA cm −2 ) up to 30th cycle, indicating a promising alternative for improving the VFB

Transient behavior of redox flow battery connected to circuit based on global phase structure

Science.gov (United States)

Mannari, Toko; Hikihara, Takashi

A Redox Flow Battery (RFB) is one of the promising energy storage systems in power grid. An RFB has many advantages such as a quick response, a large capacity, and a scalability. Due to these advantages, an RFB can operate in mixed time scale. Actually, it has been demonstrated that an RFB can be used for load leveling, compensating sag, and smoothing the output of the renewable sources. An analysis on transient behaviors of an RFB is a key issue for these applications. An RFB is governed by electrical, chemical, and fluid dynamics. The hybrid structure makes the analysis difficult. To analyze transient behaviors of an RFB, the exact model is necessary. In this paper, we focus on a change in a concentration of ions in the electrolyte, and simulate the change with a model which is mainly based on chemical kinetics. The simulation results introduces transient behaviors of an RFB in a response to a load variation. There are found three kinds of typical transient behaviors including oscillations. As results, it is clarified that the complex transient behaviors, due to slow and fast dynamics in the system, arise by the quick response to load.

New Alkali Metal Flow Battery for Terrestrial and Aerospace Energy Storage Applications

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — This seedling task is to develop new lithium-based flow batteries that will provide several fold improvements in specific energy, cost, simplicity and lifetimes,...

Optimal Sizing of Vanadium Redox Flow Battery Systems for Residential Applications Based on Battery Electrochemical Characteristics

OpenAIRE

Xinan Zhang; Yifeng Li; Maria Skyllas-Kazacos; Jie Bao

2016-01-01

The penetration of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems in residential areas contributes to the generation and usage of renewable energy. Despite its advantages, the PV system also creates problems caused by the intermittency of renewable energy. As suggested by researchers, such problems deteriorate the applicability of the PV system and have to be resolved by employing a battery energy storage system (BESS). With concern for the high investment cost, the choice of a cost-effective BESS with prop...

Zelle und Zellstack einer Redox-Flow-Batterie

OpenAIRE

Seipp, Thorsten; Berthold, Sascha; Burfeind, Jens; Kopietz, Lukas

2015-01-01

Source: WO15007543A1 [EN] The invention illustrates and describes a cell (1) of a redox flow battery, having at least one cell frame element (2, 3, 4), a diaphragm (15) and two electrodes (5), wherein the at least one cell frame element (2, 3, 4), the diaphragm (15) and the two electrodes (5) surround two cell interior spaces (10) which are separate from one another, wherein at least four separate channels (6, 7, 8, 9) are provided in the at least one cell frame element (2, 3, 4) such that di...

Unleashing the Power and Energy of LiFePO4-Based Redox Flow Lithium Battery with a Bifunctional Redox Mediator.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Yun Guang; Du, Yonghua; Jia, Chuankun; Zhou, Mingyue; Fan, Li; Wang, Xingzhu; Wang, Qing

2017-05-10

Redox flow batteries, despite great operation flexibility and scalability for large-scale energy storage, suffer from low energy density and relatively high cost as compared to the state-of-the-art Li-ion batteries. Here we report a redox flow lithium battery, which operates via the redox targeting reactions of LiFePO 4 with a bifunctional redox mediator, 2,3,5,6-tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine, and presents superb energy density as the Li-ion battery and system flexibility as the redox flow battery. The battery has achieved a tank energy density as high as 1023 Wh/L, power density of 61 mW/cm 2 , and voltage efficiency of 91%. Operando X-ray absorption near-edge structure measurements were conducted to monitor the evolution of LiFePO 4 , which provides insightful information on the redox targeting process, critical to the device operation and optimization.

TEMPO-based catholyte for high-energy density nonaqueous redox flow batteries.

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Xiaoliang; Xu, Wu; Vijayakumar, Murugesan; Cosimbescu, Lelia; Liu, Tianbiao; Sprenkle, Vincent; Wang, Wei

2014-12-03

A TEMPO-based non-aqueous electrolyte with the TEMPO concentration as high as 2.0 m is demonstrated as a high-energy-density catholyte for redox flow battery applications. With a hybrid anode, Li|TEMPO flow cells using this electrolyte deliver an energy efficiency of ca. 70% and an impressively high energy density of 126 W h L(-1) . © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

The quasi-steady state of all-vanadium redox flow batteries: A scale analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sharma, A.K.; Vynnycky, M.; Ling, C.Y.; Birgersson, E.; Han, M.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • We present a transient 2D model for a VRFB (conservation of species and charge); • Carry out scale analysis of the species conservation equation; • Derive the condition characterizing the quasi-steadiness of VRFB operation; • Verify it by comparing charge-discharge curve with transient simulations. - Abstract: In general, mathematical models for all-vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFB) that seek to capture the transport phenomena are transient in nature. In this paper, we carry out scale analysis of VRFB operation and derive the conditions when it can be assumed to be quasi-steady state in nature, i.e., time-dependence only through a boundary condition. We find that it is true for typical tank volume and flow rate employed for VRFBs. The proposed analysis is generic and can also be employed for other types of redox flow batteries

Mass transport enhancement in redox flow batteries with corrugated fluidic networks

Science.gov (United States)

Lisboa, Kleber Marques; Marschewski, Julian; Ebejer, Neil; Ruch, Patrick; Cotta, Renato Machado; Michel, Bruno; Poulikakos, Dimos

2017-08-01

We propose a facile, novel concept of mass transfer enhancement in flow batteries based on electrolyte guidance in rationally designed corrugated channel systems. The proposed fluidic networks employ periodic throttling of the flow to optimally deflect the electrolytes into the porous electrode, targeting enhancement of the electrolyte-electrode interaction. Theoretical analysis is conducted with channels in the form of trapezoidal waves, confirming and detailing the mass transport enhancement mechanism. In dilute concentration experiments with an alkaline quinone redox chemistry, a scaling of the limiting current with Re0.74 is identified, which compares favourably against the Re0.33 scaling typical of diffusion-limited laminar processes. Experimental IR-corrected polarization curves are presented for high concentration conditions, and a significant performance improvement is observed with the narrowing of the nozzles. The adverse effects of periodic throttling on the pumping power are compared with the benefits in terms of power density, and an improvement of up to 102% in net power density is obtained in comparison with the flow-by case employing straight parallel channels. The proposed novel concept of corrugated fluidic networks comes with facile fabrication and contributes to the improvement of the transport characteristics and overall performance of redox flow battery systems.

Patents on Membranes Based on Non-Fluorinated Polymers for Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, So-Won; Kim, Tae-Ho; Cha, Sang-Ho

2017-07-10

Vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs) have received considerable attention as large-scale electrochemical energy storage systems. In particular, VRFBs offer a higher power and energy density than other RFBs and mitigate undesirable performance fading, such as inevitable ion crossover, because of the unique advantage that only the vanadium ion is employed as the active species in the two electrolytes. The key constituent of VRFBs is a separator to conduct protons and prevent cross-mixing of the positive and negative electrolytes. For this purpose, ion exchange membranes like sulfonated polymer membranes can be used. Although this type of membrane does not have ion exchange groups, it can achieve an ion exchange capacity by the formation of pores. This review highlights the patents on the preparation of non-fluorinated membranes (sulfonated aromatic polymer membranes and porous membranes) as alternatives to high-cost perfluorinated polymers and their VRFB performance. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

A dynamic performance model for redox-flow batteries involving soluble species

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shah, A.A.; Watt-Smith, M.J.; Walsh, F.C.

2008-01-01

A transient modelling framework for a vanadium redox-flow battery (RFB) is developed and experiments covering a range of vanadium concentration and electrolyte flow rate are conducted. The two-dimensional model is based on a comprehensive description of mass, charge and momentum transport and conservation, and is combined with a global kinetic model for reactions involving vanadium species. The model is validated against the experimental data and is used to study the effects of variations in concentration, electrolyte flow rate and electrode porosity. Extensions to the model and future work are suggested

Hybrid anodes for redox flow batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Wei; Xiao, Jie; Wei, Xiaoliang; Liu, Jun; Sprenkle, Vincent L.

2015-12-15

RFBs having solid hybrid electrodes can address at least the problems of active material consumption, electrode passivation, and metal electrode dendrite growth that can be characteristic of traditional batteries, especially those operating at high current densities. The RFBs each have a first half cell containing a first redox couple dissolved in a solution or contained in a suspension. The solution or suspension can flow from a reservoir to the first half cell. A second half cell contains the solid hybrid electrode, which has a first electrode connected to a second electrode, thereby resulting in an equipotential between the first and second electrodes. The first and second half cells are separated by a separator or membrane.

Validating and improving a zero-dimensional stack voltage model of the Vanadium Redox Flow Battery

Science.gov (United States)

König, S.; Suriyah, M. R.; Leibfried, T.

2018-02-01

Simple, computationally efficient battery models can contribute significantly to the development of flow batteries. However, validation studies for these models on an industrial-scale stack level are rarely published. We first extensively present a simple stack voltage model for the Vanadium Redox Flow Battery. For modeling the concentration overpotential, we derive mass transfer coefficients from experimental results presented in the 1990s. The calculated mass transfer coefficient of the positive half-cell is 63% larger than of the negative half-cell, which is not considered in models published to date. Further, we advance the concentration overpotential model by introducing an apparent electrochemically active electrode surface which differs from the geometric electrode area. We use the apparent surface as fitting parameter for adapting the model to experimental results of a flow battery manufacturer. For adapting the model, we propose a method for determining the agreement between model and reality quantitatively. To protect the manufacturer's intellectual property, we introduce a normalization method for presenting the results. For the studied stack, the apparent electrochemically active surface of the electrode is 41% larger than its geometrical area. Hence, the current density in the diffusion layer is 29% smaller than previously reported for a zero-dimensional model.

A Sustainable Redox-Flow Battery with an Aluminum-Based, Deep-Eutectic-Solvent Anolyte.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Changkun; Ding, Yu; Zhang, Leyuan; Wang, Xuelan; Zhao, Yu; Zhang, Xiaohong; Yu, Guihua

2017-06-19

Nonaqueous redox-flow batteries are an emerging energy storage technology for grid storage systems, but the development of anolytes has lagged far behind that of catholytes due to the major limitations of the redox species, which exhibit relatively low solubility and inadequate redox potentials. Herein, an aluminum-based deep-eutectic-solvent is investigated as an anolyte for redox-flow batteries. The aluminum-based deep-eutectic solvent demonstrated a significantly enhanced concentration of circa 3.2 m in the anolyte and a relatively low redox potential of 2.2 V vs. Li + /Li. The electrochemical measurements highlight that a reversible volumetric capacity of 145 Ah L -1 and an energy density of 189 Wh L -1 or 165 Wh kg -1 have been achieved when coupled with a I 3 - /I - catholyte. The prototype cell has also been extended to the use of a Br 2 -based catholyte, exhibiting a higher cell voltage with a theoretical energy density of over 200 Wh L -1 . The synergy of highly abundant, dendrite-free, multi-electron-reaction aluminum anodes and environmentally benign deep-eutectic-solvent anolytes reveals great potential towards cost-effective, sustainable redox-flow batteries. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Characterization of Vanadium Flow Battery

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bindner, Henrik W.; Krog Ekman, Claus; Gehrke, Oliver

of wind energy in the Danish power system. The battery has been in operation for 18 months. During time of operation the battery has not shown signs of degradation of performance. It has a round-trip efficiency at full load of approximately 60% (depending on temperature and SOC). The sources of the losses...... are power conversion in cell stacks/electrolyte, power converter, and auxiliary power consumption from pumps and controller. The response time for the battery is limited at...

A study of tiron in aqueous solutions for redox flow battery application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu Yan; Wen Yuehua; Cheng Jie; Cao Gaoping; Yang Yusheng

2010-01-01

In this study, the electrochemical behavior of tiron in aqueous solutions and the influence of pH were investigated. A change of pH mainly produces the following results. In acidic solutions of pH below 4, the electrode reaction of tiron exhibits a simple process at a relatively high potential with a favorable quasi-reversibility. The tiron redox reaction exhibits fast electrode kinetics and a diffusion-controlled process. In solutions of pH above 4, the electrode reaction of tiron tends to be complicated. Thus, acidic aqueous solutions of pH below 4 are favorable for the tiron as active species of a redox flow battery (RFB). Constant-current electrolysis shows that a part of capacity is irreversible and the structure of tiron is changed for the first electrolysis, which may result from an ECE process for the tiron electro-oxidation. Thus, the tiron needs an activation process for the application of a RFB. Average coulombic and energy efficiencies of the tiron/Pb battery are 93 and 82%, respectively, showing that self-discharge is small during the short-term cycling. The preliminary exploration shows that the tiron is electrochemically promising for redox flow battery application.

Composite Nafion 117-TMSP membrane for Fe-Cr redox flow battery applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Haryadi, E-mail: haryadi@polban.ac.id [Department of Chemical Engineering, PoliteknikNegeri Bandung Indonesia (Indonesia); Gunawan, Y. B.; Harjogi, D. [Department of Electronic Engineering, PoliteknikNegeri Bandung Indonesia (Indonesia); Mursid, S. P. [Department of Energy Engineering, PoliteknikNegeri Bandung. Jl. GegerkalongHilir, Ds, Ciwaruga, Bandung, West Java Indonesia (Indonesia)

2016-04-19

The modification of Nafion 117 - TMSP (trimethoxysylilprophanthiol) composite membrane has been conducted by in-situ sol-gel method followed by characterization of structural and properties of material using spectroscopic techniques. The performance of composite membrane has then been examined in the single stack module of Fe-Cr Redox Flow Battery. It was found that the introduction of silica from TMSP through sol-gel process within the Nafion 117 membrane produced composite membrane that has slightly higher proton conductivity values as compared to the pristine of Nafion 117 membrane observed by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The degree of swelling of water in the composite membrane demonstrated greatly reduced than a pristine Nafion 117 signifying low water cross over. The SEM-EDX measurements indicated that there was no phase separation occurred suggesting that silica nanoparticles are distributed homogeneously within the composite membrane. The composite membrane used as separator in the system of Fe-Cr Redox Flow Battery revealed no cross mixing (crossover) occurred between anolyte and catholyte in the system as observed from the total voltage measurements that closed to the theoretical value. The battery efficiency generally increased as the volume of the electrolytes enlarged.

Composite Nafion 117-TMSP membrane for Fe-Cr redox flow battery applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haryadi; Gunawan, Y. B.; Harjogi, D.; Mursid, S. P.

2016-01-01

The modification of Nafion 117 - TMSP (trimethoxysylilprophanthiol) composite membrane has been conducted by in-situ sol-gel method followed by characterization of structural and properties of material using spectroscopic techniques. The performance of composite membrane has then been examined in the single stack module of Fe-Cr Redox Flow Battery. It was found that the introduction of silica from TMSP through sol-gel process within the Nafion 117 membrane produced composite membrane that has slightly higher proton conductivity values as compared to the pristine of Nafion 117 membrane observed by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The degree of swelling of water in the composite membrane demonstrated greatly reduced than a pristine Nafion 117 signifying low water cross over. The SEM-EDX measurements indicated that there was no phase separation occurred suggesting that silica nanoparticles are distributed homogeneously within the composite membrane. The composite membrane used as separator in the system of Fe-Cr Redox Flow Battery revealed no cross mixing (crossover) occurred between anolyte and catholyte in the system as observed from the total voltage measurements that closed to the theoretical value. The battery efficiency generally increased as the volume of the electrolytes enlarged.

Dynamic modelling of hydrogen evolution effects in the all-vanadium redox flow battery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shah, A.A.; Al-Fetlawi, H.; Walsh, F.C.

2010-01-01

A model for hydrogen evolution in an all-vanadium redox flow battery is developed, coupling the dynamic conservation equations for charge, mass and momentum with a detailed description of the electrochemical reactions. Bubble formation at the negative electrode is included in the model, taking into account the attendant reduction in the liquid volume and the transfer of momentum between the gas and liquid phases, using a modified multiphase-mixture approach. Numerical simulations are compared to experimental data for different vanadium concentrations and mean linear electrolyte flow rates, demonstrating good agreement. Comparisons to simulations with negligible hydrogen evolution demonstrate the effect of gas evolution on the efficiency of the battery. The effects of reactant concentration, flow rate, applied current density and gas bubble diameter on hydrogen evolution are investigated. Significant variations in the gas volume fraction and the bubble velocity are predicted, depending on the operating conditions.

Investigation of local environments in Nafion-SiO(2) composite membranes used in vanadium redox flow batteries.

Science.gov (United States)

Vijayakumar, M; Schwenzer, Birgit; Kim, Soowhan; Yang, Zhenguo; Thevuthasan, S; Liu, Jun; Graff, Gordon L; Hu, Jianzhi

2012-04-01

Proton conducting polymer composite membranes are of technological interest in many energy devices such as fuel cells and redox flow batteries. In particular, polymer composite membranes, such as SiO(2) incorporated Nafion membranes, are recently reported as highly promising for the use in redox flow batteries. However, there is conflicting reports regarding the performance of this type of Nafion-SiO(2) composite membrane in the redox flow cell. This paper presents results of the analysis of the Nafion-SiO(2) composite membrane used in a vanadium redox flow battery by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier Transform Infra Red (FTIR) spectroscopy, and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy. The XPS study reveals the chemical identity and environment of vanadium cations accumulated at the surface. On the other hand, the (19)F and (29)Si NMR measurement explores the nature of the interaction between the silica particles, Nafion side chains and diffused vanadium cations. The (29)Si NMR shows that the silica particles interact via hydrogen bonds with the sulfonic groups of Nafion and the diffused vanadium cations. Based on these spectroscopic studies, the chemical environment of the silica particles inside the Nafion membrane and their interaction with diffusing vanadium cations during flow cell operations are discussed. This study discusses the origin of performance degradation of the Nafion-SiO(2) composite membrane materials in vanadium redox flow batteries. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Untersuchung alternativer Elektrolyte und Membranen für die Vanadium-Redox-Flow-Batterie sowie die Kopplung der Batterie mit der photoelektrochemischen Wasserspaltung

OpenAIRE

Schley (geb. Baumgarten), Julia

2017-01-01

Für die Leistung einer Vanadium-Redox-Flow-Batterie (VRFB) sind die Funktionskomponenten Elektrode, Separator und Elektrolyt von entscheidender Bedeutung. In der konventionellen VRFB wird als Elektrolyt meist ein Vanadiumsulfatsalz, das in Schwefelsäure gelöst ist, verwendet. Da dieses aber nur eine begrenzte Löslichkeit aufweist, ist die Energiedichte der Batterie ebenfalls begrenzt. In der vorliegenden Arbeit wurde deshalb ein HCl-Elektrolytsystem untersucht, das eine erhöhte Löslichkeit fü...

Nuclear battery materials and application of nuclear batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hao Shaochang; Lu Zhenming; Fu Xiaoming; Liang Tongxiang

2006-01-01

Nuclear battery has lots of advantages such as small volume, longevity, environal stability and so on, therefore, it was widely used in aerospace, deep-sea, polar region, heart pacemaker, micro-electromotor and other fields etc. The application of nuclear battery and the development of its materials promote each other. In this paper the development and the latest research progress of nuclear battery materials has been introduced from the view of radioisotope, electric energy conversion and encapsulation. And the current and potential applications of the nuclear battery are also summarized. (authors)

Elucidating effects of cell architecture, electrode material, and solution composition on overpotentials in redox flow batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pezeshki, Alan M.; Sacci, Robert L.; Delnick, Frank M.; Aaron, Douglas S.; Mench, Matthew M.

2017-01-01

An improved method for quantitative measurement of the charge transfer, finite diffusion, and ohmic overpotentials in redox flow batteries using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy is presented. The use of a pulse dampener in the hydraulic circuit enables the collection of impedance spectra at low frequencies with a peristaltic pump, allowing the measurement of finite diffusion resistances at operationally relevant flow rates. This method is used to resolve the rate-limiting processes for the V 2+ /V 3+ redox couple on carbon felt and carbon paper electrodes in the vanadium redox flow battery. Carbon felt was limited by both charge transfer and ohmic resistance, while carbon paper was limited by charge transfer, finite diffusion, and ohmic resistances. The influences of vanadium concentration and flow field design also are quantified.

The influence of operational parameters on the performance of an undivided zinc–cerium flow battery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leung, P.K.; Ponce de Leon, C.; Walsh, F.C.

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► The performance of an undivided zinc–cerium flow battery under different conditions of temperature, concentration and electrolyte flow rate, was evaluated. ► Mixed electrolytes were considered; methanesulfonate and sulfate anions were tested. ► In a 30 min charge/discharge at 20 mA cm −2 , charge and energy efficiencies were 82% and 72%, respectively. ► After 4 h charge, the conversion of Ce(III) to Ce(IV) became less efficient with the oxygen evolution reaction becoming more favored. ► After a larger number of cycles the carbon felt electrode was electro- and chemically-oxidized by Ce(IV) leading to degradation of the positive electrode. - Abstract: An undivided zinc–cerium redox flow battery was studied under a wide range of operational conditions, including: (i) electrolyte composition; the concentrations of ([Zn 2+ ], [Ce 3+ ] and [H + ]), (ii) current density (0–80 mA cm −2 ), (iii) electrolyte flow linear velocity (0.64–7.0 cm s −1 ) and (iv) temperature (20–60 °C). The charge efficiency increased at higher current densities and at higher electrolyte flow velocities. Unlike the divided zinc–cerium system, the charge–discharge performance decreased at higher temperature, since oxygen evolution became increasingly favored at the positive electrode. The use of a low acid concentration led to a poor conversion of Ce(III) to Ce(IV) ions during the discharge cycle. Mixed electrolytes containing methanesulfonate and sulfate anions have been evaluated at a high Ce(III) ion concentration, e.g. 0.4 mol dm −3 . After charging the battery for 4 h, the conversion of Ce(III) to Ce(IV) ions became less efficient over time due to a greater fraction of the current being used in oxygen evolution. Critical aspects for improvements in the battery performance are considered.

Elimination of active species crossover in a room temperature, neutral pH, aqueous flow battery using a ceramic NaSICON membrane

Science.gov (United States)

Allcorn, Eric; Nagasubramanian, Ganesan; Pratt, Harry D.; Spoerke, Erik; Ingersoll, David

2018-02-01

Flow batteries are an attractive technology for energy storage of grid-scale renewables. However, performance issues related to ion-exchange membrane (IEM) fouling and crossover of species have limited the success of flow batteries. In this work we propose the use of the solid-state sodium-ion conductor NaSICON as an IEM to fully eliminate active species crossover in room temperature, aqueous, neutral pH flow batteries. We measure the room temperature conductivity of NaSICON at 2.83-4.67 mS cm-1 and demonstrate stability of NaSICON in an aqueous electrolyte with conductivity values remaining near 2.5 mS cm-1 after 66 days of exposure. Charge and discharge of a full H-cell battery as well as symmetric cycling in a flow battery configuration using NaSICON as an IEM in both cases demonstrates the capability of the solid-state IEM. Extensive analysis of aged cells through electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and UV-vis spectroscopy show no contaminant species having crossed over the NaSICON membrane after 83 days of exposure, yielding an upper limit to the permeability of NaSICON of 4 × 10-10 cm2 min-1. The demonstration of NaSICON as an IEM enables a wide new range of chemistries for application to flow batteries that would previously be impeded by species crossover and associated degradation.

Redox-Flow-Batterie mit außenliegender Versorgungsleitung

OpenAIRE

Seipp, Thorsten; Dötsch, Christian; Berthold, Sascha

2011-01-01

A redox flow battery (1, 1') is presented and described, having at least one cell frame (4) surrounding a cell interior space (7) and having at least one supply line (2, 2') provided outside the cell frame (4) for supplying electrolyte to the cell interior space (7) and/or at least one disposal line (3, 3') provided outside the cell frame (4) for removing electrolyte from the cell interior space (4). In order to make greater degrees of freedom available in designing the cell so as to provide ...

A novel flow battery: A lead acid battery based on an electrolyte with soluble lead(II). Part IX: Electrode and electrolyte conditioning with hydrogen peroxide

Science.gov (United States)

Collins, John; Li, Xiaohong; Pletcher, Derek; Tangirala, Ravichandra; Stratton-Campbell, Duncan; Walsh, Frank C.; Zhang, Caiping

Extended cycling of a soluble lead acid battery can lead to problems due to an imbalance in the coulombic efficiency leading to deposits of Pb and PbO2 on the electrodes. Periodic addition of hydrogen peroxide to the electrolyte of the soluble lead acid flow battery largely overcomes several operational problems seen during extended cycling, using a 10 cm × 10 cm parallel plate flow cell. It is shown that this treatment greatly extends the number of cycles that can be achieved with a reasonable energy-, voltage-, and charge efficiency of 54-66%, 71%, and 77-91%.

A novel flow battery: A lead acid battery based on an electrolyte with soluble lead(II). Part IX: Electrode and electrolyte conditioning with hydrogen peroxide

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Collins, John; Stratton-Campbell, Duncan [C-Tech Innovation Ltd., Capenhurst, Chester CH1 6EH (United Kingdom); Li, Xiaohong; Tangirala, Ravichandra; Walsh, Frank C.; Zhang, Caiping [Energy Technology Research Group, School of Engineering Sciences, University of Southampton, Highfield, University Road, Southampton SO17 1BJ (United Kingdom); Pletcher, Derek [Electrochemistry and Surface Science Group, School of Chemistry, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ (United Kingdom)

2010-05-01

Extended cycling of a soluble lead acid battery can lead to problems due to an imbalance in the coulombic efficiency leading to deposits of Pb and PbO2 on the electrodes. Periodic addition of hydrogen peroxide to the electrolyte of the soluble lead acid flow battery largely overcomes several operational problems seen during extended cycling, using a 10 cm x 10 cm parallel plate flow cell. It is shown that this treatment greatly extends the number of cycles that can be achieved with a reasonable energy-, voltage-, and charge efficiency of 54-66%, 71%, and 77-91%. (author)

Review of material research and development for vanadium redox flow battery applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parasuraman, Aishwarya; Lim, Tuti Mariana; Menictas, Chris; Skyllas-Kazacos, Maria

2013-01-01

The vanadium redox flow battery (VRB) is one of the most promising electrochemical energy storage systems deemed suitable for a wide range of renewable energy applications that are emerging rapidly to reduce the carbon footprint of electricity generation. Though the Generation 1 Vanadium redox flow battery (G1 VRB) has been successfully implemented in a number of field trials and demonstration projects around the world, it suffers from low energy density that limits its use to stationary applications. Extensive research is thus being carried out to improve its energy density and enhance its performance to enable mobile applications while simultaneously trying to minimize the cost by employing cost effective stack materials and effectively controlling the current operating procedures. The vast bulk of this research was conducted at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Sydney during the period 1985–2005, with a large number of other research groups contributing to novel membrane and electrode material development since then. This paper presents a historical overview of materials research and development for the VRB at UNSW, highlighting some of the significant findings that have contributed to improving the battery's performance over the years. Relevant work in this field by other research groups in recent times has also been reviewed and discussed

Rapid detection of the positive side reactions in vanadium flow batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Le; Li, Zhaohua; Xi, Jingyu; Zhou, Haipeng; Wu, Zenghua; Qiu, Xinping

2017-01-01

Highlights: • A method for rapid measurement of the positive side reactions in VFB is presented. • The SOC of positive electrolytes can be detected with resolution of 0.002%. • Side reaction ratios at different charge currents, flow rates are obtained. - Abstract: We present an optical detection method for rapid measurement of the positive side reactions in vanadium flow batteries (VFB). By measuring the transmittance of the positive electrolytes in VFB, the states of charge (SOC) of the positive electrolytes can be detected at very high resolution (better than 0.002% in the SOC range from 98% to 100%), due to the nonlinear transmittance spectra caused by the interactions between V(IV) and V(V) ions. The intensity of the positive side reactions of a VFB can be rapidly measured by a few steps, attributing to the fact that the positive side reactions occur only during the high voltage charging process. The ratios of the positive side reactions at different charge currents and different flow rates are obtained while causing no damage to the battery. This optical detection method can rapidly determine the optimal parameters of the VFB system, providing new means for studying the electrochemical reactions in the VFB system and rapid test in industrial production of VFBs.

Elucidating effects of cell architecture, electrode material, and solution composition on overpotentials in redox flow batteries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pezeshki, Alan M. [Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States); Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Sacci, Robert L. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Delnick, Frank M. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Aaron, Douglas S. [Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States); Mench, Matthew M. [Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States); Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

2017-01-16

Here, an improved method for quantitative measurement of the charge transfer, finite diffusion, and ohmic overpotentials in redox flow batteries using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy is presented. The use of a pulse dampener in the hydraulic circuit enables the collection of impedance spectra at low frequencies with a peristaltic pump, allowing the measurement of finite diffusion resistances at operationally relevant flow rates. This method is used to resolve the rate-limiting processes for the V²⁺/V³⁺ redox couple on carbon felt and carbon paper electrodes in the vanadium redox flow battery. Carbon felt was limited by both charge transfer and ohmic resistance, while carbon paper was limited by charge transfer, finite diffusion, and ohmic resistances. The influences of vanadium concentration and flow field design also are quantified.

Thermal analysis and two-directional air flow thermal management for lithium-ion battery pack

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Kuahai; Yang, Xi; Cheng, Yongzhou; Li, Changhao

2014-12-01

Thermal management is a routine but crucial strategy to ensure thermal stability and long-term durability of the lithium-ion batteries. An air-flow-integrated thermal management system is designed in the present study to dissipate heat generation and uniformize the distribution of temperature in the lithium-ion batteries. The system contains of two types of air ducts with independent intake channels and fans. One is to cool the batteries through the regular channel, and the other minimizes the heat accumulations in the middle pack of batteries through jet cooling. A three-dimensional anisotropic heat transfer model is developed to describe the thermal behavior of the lithium-ion batteries with the integration of heat generation theory, and validated through both simulations and experiments. Moreover, the simulations and experiments show that the maximum temperature can be decreased to 33.1 °C through the new thermal management system in comparison with 42.3 °C through the traditional ones, and temperature uniformity of the lithium-ion battery packs is enhanced, significantly.

Copper nanoparticle-deposited graphite felt electrodes for all vanadium redox flow batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wei, L.; Zhao, T.S.; Zeng, L.; Zhou, X.L.; Zeng, Y.K.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Copper nanoparticle is proposed as electrocatalyst for VRFBs for the first time. • Propose a binder-free copper nanoparticle decorated electrode. • The energy efficiency is up to 80.1% at 300 mA cm"−"2, enhancing more than 17%. • High stability and capacity retention are achieved by battery with copper catalyst. - Abstract: A copper nanoparticle deposited graphite felt electrode for all vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs) is developed and tested. It is found that the copper catalyst enables a significant improvement in the electrochemical kinetics of the V"3"+/V"2"+ redox reaction. The battery’s utilization of the electrolyte and energy efficiency are found to be as high as 83.7% and 80.1%, at a current density of 300 mA cm"−"2, which are 53.1% and 17.8% higher than those of the battery without the catalyst. Moreover, the present battery shows a good stability during the cycle test. The results suggest that the inexpensive copper nanoparticle catalyst without tedious preparation process offers a great promise for VRFB application.

State of charge monitoring of vanadium redox flow batteries using half cell potentials and electrolyte density

Science.gov (United States)

Ressel, Simon; Bill, Florian; Holtz, Lucas; Janshen, Niklas; Chica, Antonio; Flower, Thomas; Weidlich, Claudia; Struckmann, Thorsten

2018-02-01

The operation of vanadium redox flow batteries requires reliable in situ state of charge (SOC) monitoring. In this study, two SOC estimation approaches for the negative half cell are investigated. First, in situ open circuit potential measurements are combined with Coulomb counting in a one-step calibration of SOC and Nernst potential which doesn't need additional reference SOCs. In-sample and out-of-sample SOCs are estimated and analyzed, estimation errors ≤ 0.04 are obtained. In the second approach, temperature corrected in situ electrolyte density measurements are used for the first time in vanadium redox flow batteries for SOC estimation. In-sample and out-of-sample SOC estimation errors ≤ 0.04 demonstrate the feasibility of this approach. Both methods allow recalibration during battery operation. The actual capacity obtained from SOC calibration can be used in a state of health model.

Three-dimensional Nitrogen-Doped Reduced Graphene Oxide/Carbon Nanotube Composite Catalysts for Vanadium Flow Batteries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fu, Shaofang [School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Washington State University, WA, 99164 USA.; Zhu, Chengzhou [School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Washington State University, WA, 99164 USA.; Song, Junhua [School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Washington State University, WA, 99164 USA.; Engelhard, Mark H. [Environmental Molecular Science Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99354 USA.; Du, Dan [School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Washington State University, WA, 99164 USA.; Lin, Yuehe [School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Washington State University, WA, 99164 USA.; Environmental Molecular Science Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99354 USA.

2017-02-22

The development of vanadium redox flow battery is limited by the sluggish kinetics of the reaction, especially the cathodic VO2+/VO2+ redox couples. Therefore, it is vital to develop new electrocatalyst with enhanced activity to improve the battery performance. Herein, we first synthesized the hydrogel precursor by a facile hydrothermal method. After the following carbonization, nitrogen-doped reduced graphene oxide/carbon nanotube composite was obtained. By virtue of the large surface area and good conductivey, which are ensured by the unique hybrid structure, as well as the proper nitrogen doping, the as-prepared composite presents enhanced catalytic performance toward the VO2+/VO2+ redox reaction. We also demonstrated the composite with carbon nanotube loading of 2 mg/mL exhibits the highest activity and remarkable stability in aqueous solution due to the strong synergy between reduced graphene oxide and carbon nanotubes, indicating that this composite might show promising applications in vanadium redox flow battery.

Material and energy flows in the materials production, assembly, and end-of-life stages of the automotive lithium-ion battery life cycle

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dunn, J.B.; Gaines, L.; Barnes, M.; Wang, M.; Sullivan, J. (Energy Systems)

2012-06-21

This document contains material and energy flows for lithium-ion batteries with an active cathode material of lithium manganese oxide (LiMn{sub 2}O{sub 4}). These data are incorporated into Argonne National Laboratory's Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use in Transportation (GREET) model, replacing previous data for lithium-ion batteries that are based on a nickel/cobalt/manganese (Ni/Co/Mn) cathode chemistry. To identify and determine the mass of lithium-ion battery components, we modeled batteries with LiMn{sub 2}O{sub 4} as the cathode material using Argonne's Battery Performance and Cost (BatPaC) model for hybrid electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, and electric vehicles. As input for GREET, we developed new or updated data for the cathode material and the following materials that are included in its supply chain: soda ash, lime, petroleum-derived ethanol, lithium brine, and lithium carbonate. Also as input to GREET, we calculated new emission factors for equipment (kilns, dryers, and calciners) that were not previously included in the model and developed new material and energy flows for the battery electrolyte, binder, and binder solvent. Finally, we revised the data included in GREET for graphite (the anode active material), battery electronics, and battery assembly. For the first time, we incorporated energy and material flows for battery recycling into GREET, considering four battery recycling processes: pyrometallurgical, hydrometallurgical, intermediate physical, and direct physical. Opportunities for future research include considering alternative battery chemistries and battery packaging. As battery assembly and recycling technologies develop, staying up to date with them will be critical to understanding the energy, materials, and emissions burdens associated with batteries.

Material and Energy Flows in the Materials Production, Assembly, and End-of-Life Stages of the Automotive Lithium-Ion Battery Life Cycle

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dunn, Jennifer B. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Gaines, Linda [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Barnes, Matthew [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Sullivan, John L. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Wang, Michael [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)

2014-01-01

This document contains material and energy flows for lithium-ion batteries with an active cathode material of lithium manganese oxide (LiMn₂O₄). These data are incorporated into Argonne National Laboratory’s Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use in Transportation (GREET) model, replacing previous data for lithium-ion batteries that are based on a nickel/cobalt/manganese (Ni/Co/Mn) cathode chemistry. To identify and determine the mass of lithium-ion battery components, we modeled batteries with LiMn₂O₄ as the cathode material using Argonne’s Battery Performance and Cost (BatPaC) model for hybrid electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, and electric vehicles. As input for GREET, we developed new or updated data for the cathode material and the following materials that are included in its supply chain: soda ash, lime, petroleum-derived ethanol, lithium brine, and lithium carbonate. Also as input to GREET, we calculated new emission factors for equipment (kilns, dryers, and calciners) that were not previously included in the model and developed new material and energy flows for the battery electrolyte, binder, and binder solvent. Finally, we revised the data included in GREET for graphite (the anode active material), battery electronics, and battery assembly. For the first time, we incorporated energy and material flows for battery recycling into GREET, considering four battery recycling processes: pyrometallurgical, hydrometallurgical, intermediate physical, and direct physical. Opportunities for future research include considering alternative battery chemistries and battery packaging. As battery assembly and recycling technologies develop, staying up to date with them will be critical to understanding the energy, materials, and emissions burdens associated with batteries.

Renewable hydrogen generation from a dual-circuit redox flow battery

OpenAIRE

Amstutz, Veronique; Toghill, Kathryn Ellen; Powlesland, Francis; Vrubel, Heron; Comninellis, Christos; Hu, Xile; Girault, Hubert H.

2014-01-01

Redox flow batteries (RFBs) are particularly well suited for storing the intermittent excess supply of renewable electricity; so-called “junk” electricity. Conventional RFBs are charged and discharged electrochemically, with electricity stored as chemical energy in the electrolytes. In the RFB system reported here, the electrolytes are conventionally charged but are then chemically discharged over catalytic beds in separate external circuits. The catalytic reaction of particular interest gene...

Monitoring electrolyte concentrations in redox flow battery systems

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, On Kok; Sopchak, David Andrew; Pham, Ai Quoc; Kinoshita, Kimio

2015-03-17

Methods, systems and structures for monitoring, managing electrolyte concentrations in redox flow batteries are provided by introducing a first quantity of a liquid electrolyte into a first chamber of a test cell and introducing a second quantity of the liquid electrolyte into a second chamber of the test cell. The method further provides for measuring a voltage of the test cell, measuring an elapsed time from the test cell reaching a first voltage until the test cell reaches a second voltage; and determining a degree of imbalance of the liquid electrolyte based on the elapsed time.

Capacity Decay Mitigation by Asymmetric Positive/Negative Electrolyte Volumes in Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Jong Ho; Park, Jung Jin; Park, O Ok; Yang, Jung Hoon

2016-11-23

Capacity decay in vanadium redox flow batteries during charge-discharge cycling has become an important issue because it lowers the practical energy density of the battery. The battery capacity tends to drop rapidly within the first tens of cycles and then drops more gradually over subsequent cycles during long-term operation. This paper analyzes and discusses the reasons for this early capacity decay. The imbalanced crossover rate of vanadium species was found to remain high until the total difference in vanadium concentration between the positive and negative electrolytes reached almost 1 mol dm -3 . To minimize the initial crossover imbalance, we introduced an asymmetric volume ratio between the positive and negative electrolytes during cell operation. Changing this ratio significantly reduced the capacity fading rate of the battery during the early cycles and improved its capacity retention at steady state. As an example, the practical energy density of the battery increased from 15.5 to 25.2 Wh L -1 simply after reduction of the positive volume by 25 %. © 2016 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Energy efficiency of neptunium redox battery in comparison with vanadium battery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamamura, T.; Watanabe, N.; Shiokawa, Y.

2006-01-01

A neptunium ion possesses two isostructural and reversible redox couples (Np 3+ /Np 4+ and NpO 2 + /NpO 2 2+ ) and is therefore suitable as an active material for a redox-flow battery. Since the plastic formed carbon (PFC) is known to show the largest k values for Np(IV)/Np(III) and Np(V)/Np(VI) reactions among various carbon electrodes, a cell was constructed by using the PFC, with the circulation induced by bubbling gas through the electrolyte. In discharge experiments with a neptunium and a vanadium battery using the cell, the former showed a lower voltage loss which suggests a smaller reaction overvoltage. Because of the high radioactivity of the neptunium, it was difficult to obtain sufficient circulation required for the redox-flow battery, therefore a model for evaluating the energy efficiency of the redox-flow battery was developed. By using the known k values for neptunium and vanadium electrode reactions at PFC electrodes, the energy efficiency of the neptunium battery was calculated to be 99.1% at 70 mA cm -2 , which exceeds that of the vanadium battery by ca. 16%

Multikilowatt hydrogen-nickel oxide battery system

Science.gov (United States)

Dunlop, J. D.

1985-01-01

The potential of the H2-NiO battery for terrestrial applications was assessed. A multicell design approach that differs significantly from the aerospace individual pressure vessel was used. A number of experimental 100-Ah cells were built to evaluate the new design concepts and components. The experimental cells provided the input needed for a multicell battery design. It is found that new multicell H2-NiO battery has a number of potential advantages for aerospace applications such as the manned space station. The advantages are discussed, and a design concept is presented for a multikilowatt battery in a lightweight pressure vessel.

1,3-Dioxolane, tetrahydrofuran, acetylacetone and dimethyl sulfoxide as solvents for non-aqueous vanadium acetylacetonate redox-flow-batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Herr, T.; Noack, J.; Fischer, P.; Tübke, J.

2013-01-01

Highlights: • Four solvents were employed in a non-aqueous redox flow battery system. • Coulombic efficiencies of 85.9–98.5% and energy efficiencies of 26.6–43.6% were achieved. • Discharge power density was enhanced up to 0.080 mW cm −2 . • Solubility of V(acac) 3 was increased to 0.8 M compared to the acetonitrile system. -- Abstract: A non-aqueous vanadium acetylacetonate redox flow battery with different organic solvents and tetrabutylammonium hexafluorophosphate has been investigated. Cyclic voltammograms show three redox couples in 1,3-dioxolane, tetrahydrofuran, acetylacetone and two redox couples in dimethyl sulfoxide. Cell potentials between 2.21 and 2.61 V are measured, depending on the solvent used. Impedance Spectroscopy has been used to determine rate limiting step in the non-aqueous redox flow battery. Experiments in a charge–discharge test cell yielded coulombic and energy efficiencies of 85.9–98.5% and 26.6–43.6%, respectively

The developments and challenges of cerium half-cell in zinc–cerium redox flow battery for energy storage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xie, Zhipeng; Liu, Qingchao; Chang, Zhiwen; Zhang, Xinbo

2013-01-01

Zinc–cerium redox flow batteries (ZCBs) are emerging as a very promising new technology with the potential to store a large amount of energy economically and efficiently, thanking to its highest thermodynamic open-circuit cell voltage among all the currently studied aqueous redox flow batteries. However, there are numerous scientific and technical challenges that must be overcome if this alluring promise is to turn into reality, from designing the battery structure, to optimizing the electrolyte compositions and elucidating the complex chemical reactions that occur during charge and discharge. This review article is the first summary of the most significant developments and challenges of cerium half-cell and the current understanding of their chemistry. We are certain that this review will be of great interest to audience over a broad range, especially in fields of energy storage, electrochemistry, and chemical engineering

A low-cost iron-cadmium redox flow battery for large-scale energy storage

Science.gov (United States)

Zeng, Y. K.; Zhao, T. S.; Zhou, X. L.; Wei, L.; Jiang, H. R.

2016-10-01

The redox flow battery (RFB) is one of the most promising large-scale energy storage technologies that offer a potential solution to the intermittency of renewable sources such as wind and solar. The prerequisite for widespread utilization of RFBs is low capital cost. In this work, an iron-cadmium redox flow battery (Fe/Cd RFB) with a premixed iron and cadmium solution is developed and tested. It is demonstrated that the coulombic efficiency and energy efficiency of the Fe/Cd RFB reach 98.7% and 80.2% at 120 mA cm-2, respectively. The Fe/Cd RFB exhibits stable efficiencies with capacity retention of 99.87% per cycle during the cycle test. Moreover, the Fe/Cd RFB is estimated to have a low capital cost of 108 kWh-1 for 8-h energy storage. Intrinsically low-cost active materials, high cell performance and excellent capacity retention equip the Fe/Cd RFB to be a promising solution for large-scale energy storage systems.

Primary and secondary battery consumption trends in Sweden 1996-2013: method development and detailed accounting by battery type.

Science.gov (United States)

Patrício, João; Kalmykova, Yuliya; Berg, Per E O; Rosado, Leonardo; Åberg, Helena

2015-05-01

In this article, a new method based on Material Flow Accounting is proposed to study detailed material flows in battery consumption that can be replicated for other countries. The method uses regularly available statistics on import, industrial production and export of batteries and battery-containing electric and electronic equipment (EEE). To promote method use by other scholars with no access to such data, several empirically results and their trends over time, for different types of batteries occurrence among the EEE types are provided. The information provided by the method can be used to: identify drivers of battery consumption; study the dynamic behavior of battery flows - due to technology development, policies, consumers behavior and infrastructures. The method is exemplified by the study of battery flows in Sweden for years 1996-2013. The batteries were accounted, both in units and weight, as primary and secondary batteries; loose and integrated; by electrochemical composition and share of battery use between different types of EEE. Results show that, despite a fivefold increase in the consumption of rechargeable batteries, they account for only about 14% of total use of portable batteries. Recent increase in digital convergence has resulted in a sharp decline in the consumption of primary batteries, which has now stabilized at a fairly low level. Conversely, the consumption of integrated batteries has increased sharply. In 2013, 61% of the total weight of batteries sold in Sweden was collected, and for the particular case of alkaline manganese dioxide batteries, the value achieved 74%. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of additives on the stability of electrolytes for all-vanadium redox flow batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Jianlu; Li, Liyu; Nie, Zimin; Chen, Baowei; Vijayakumar, M.; Kim, Soowhan; Wang, Wei; Schwenzer, Birgit; Liu, Jun; Yang, Zhenguo

2011-01-01

The stability of the electrolytes for all-vanadium redox flow battery was investigated with ex-situ heating/cooling treatment and in-situ flow-battery testing methods. The effects of inorganic and organic additives have been studied. The additives containing the ions of potassium, phosphate, and polyphosphate are not suitable stabilizing agents because of their reactions with V(V) ions, forming precipitates of KVSO6 or VOPO4. Of the chemicals studied, polyacrylic acid and its mixture with CH3SO3H are the most promising stabilizing candidates which can stabilize all the four vanadium ions (V2+, V3+, VO2+, and VO2+) in electrolyte solutions up to 1.8 M. However, further effort is needed to obtain a stable electrolyte solution with >1.8 M V5+ at temperatures higher than 40 C.

Modeling the effect of shunt current on the charge transfer efficiency of an all-vanadium redox flow battery

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yong-Song; Ho, Sze-Yuan; Chou, Han-Wen; Wei, Hwa-Jou

2018-06-01

In an all-vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB), a shunt current is inevitable owing to the electrically conductive electrolyte that fills the flow channels and manifolds connecting cells. The shunt current decreases the performance of a VRFB stack as well as the energy conversion efficiency of a VRFB system. To understand the shunt-current loss in a VRFB stack with various designs and operating conditions, a mathematical model is developed to investigate the effects of the shunt current on battery performance. The model is calibrated with experimental data under the same operating conditions. The effects of the battery design, including the number of cells, state of charge (SOC), operating current, and equivalent resistance of the electrolytes in the flow channels and manifolds, on the shunt current are analyzed and discussed. The charge-transfer efficiency is calculated to investigate the effects of the battery design parameters on the shunt current. When the cell number is increased from 5 to 40, the charge transfer efficiency is decreased from 0.99 to a range between 0.76 and 0.88, depending on operating current density. The charge transfer efficiency can be maintained at higher than 0.9 by limiting the cell number to less than 20.

Experimental Testing Procedures and Dynamic Model Validation for Vanadium Redox Flow Battery Storage System

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Baccino, Francesco; Marinelli, Mattia; Nørgård, Per Bromand

2013-01-01

The paper aims at characterizing the electrochemical and thermal parameters of a 15 kW/320 kWh vanadium redox flow battery (VRB) installed in the SYSLAB test facility of the DTU Risø Campus and experimentally validating the proposed dynamic model realized in Matlab-Simulink. The adopted testing...... efficiency of the battery system. The test procedure has general validity and could also be used for other storage technologies. The storage model proposed and described is suitable for electrical studies and can represent a general model in terms of validity. Finally, the model simulation outputs...

A dynamic model-based estimate of the value of a vanadium redox flow battery for frequency regulation in Texas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fares, Robert L.; Meyers, Jeremy P.; Webber, Michael E.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • A model is implemented to describe the dynamic voltage of a vanadium flow battery. • The model is used with optimization to maximize the utility of the battery. • A vanadium flow battery’s value for regulation service is approximately $1500/kW. - Abstract: Building on past work seeking to value emerging energy storage technologies in grid-based applications, this paper introduces a dynamic model-based framework to value a vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) participating in Texas’ organized electricity market. Our model describes the dynamic behavior of a VRFB system’s voltage and state of charge based on the instantaneous charging or discharging power required from the battery. We formulate an optimization problem that incorporates the model to show the potential value of a VRFB used for frequency regulation service in Texas. The optimization is implemented in Matlab using the large-scale, interior-point, nonlinear optimization algorithm, with the objective function gradient, nonlinear constraint gradients, and Hessian matrix specified analytically. Utilizing market prices and other relevant data from the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), we find that a VRFB system used for frequency regulation service could be worth approximately $1500/kW

A highly permeable and enhanced surface area carbon-cloth electrode for vanadium redox flow batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, X. L.; Zhao, T. S.; Zeng, Y. K.; An, L.; Wei, L.

2016-10-01

In this work, a high-performance porous electrode, made of KOH-activated carbon-cloth, is developed for vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs). The macro-scale porous structure in the carbon cloth formed by weaving the carbon fibers in an ordered manner offers a low tortuosity (∼1.1) and a broad pore distribution from 5 μm to 100 μm, rendering the electrode a high hydraulic permeability and high effective ionic conductivity, which are beneficial for the electrolyte flow and ion transport through the porous electrode. The use of KOH activation method to create nano-scale pores on the carbon-fiber surfaces leads to a significant increase in the surface area for redox reactions from 2.39 m2 g-1 to 15.4 m2 g-1. The battery assembled with the present electrode delivers an energy efficiency of 80.1% and an electrolyte utilization of 74.6% at a current density of 400 mA cm-2, as opposed to an electrolyte utilization of 61.1% achieved by using a conventional carbon-paper electrode. Such a high performance is mainly attributed to the combination of the excellent mass/ion transport properties and the high surface area rendered by the present electrode. It is suggested that the KOH-activated carbon-cloth electrode is a promising candidate in redox flow batteries.

All-Iron Redox Flow Battery Tailored for Off-Grid Portable Applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Tucker, Michael C; Phillips, Adam; Weber, Adam Z

2015-12-07

An all-iron redox flow battery is proposed and developed for end users without access to an electricity grid. The concept is a low-cost battery which the user assembles, discharges, and then disposes of the active materials. The design goals are: (1) minimize upfront cost, (2) maximize discharge energy, and (3) utilize non-toxic and environmentally benign materials. These are different goals than typically considered for electrochemical battery technology, which provides the opportunity for a novel solution. The selected materials are: low-carbon-steel negative electrode, paper separator, porous-carbon-paper positive electrode, and electrolyte solution containing 0.5 m Fe2 (SO4 )3 active material and 1.2 m NaCl supporting electrolyte. With these materials, an average power density around 20 mW cm(-2) and a maximum energy density of 11.5 Wh L(-1) are achieved. A simple cost model indicates the consumable materials cost US$6.45 per kWh(-1) , or only US$0.034 per mobile phone charge. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Silicene for Na-ion battery applications

KAUST Repository

Zhu, Jiajie; Schwingenschlö gl, Udo

2016-01-01

Na-ion batteries are promising candidates to replace Li-ion batteries in large scale applications because of the advantages in natural abundance and cost of Na. Silicene has potential as the anode in Li-ion batteries but so far has not received

Mixed-Metal, Structural, and Substitution Effects of Polyoxometalates on Electrochemical Behavior in a Redox Flow Battery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pratt, Harry D.; Pratt, William R.; Fang, Xikui; Hudak, Nicholas S.; Anderson, Travis M.

2014-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Testing of a flow battery with polyoxometalates. • Coulombic efficiency of 83% for an iron-based compound. • Both size and charge density influence battery performance. - Abstract: A pair of redox flow batteries containing polyoxometalates was tested as part of an ongoing program in stationary energy storage. The iron-containing dimer, (SiFe 3 W 9 (OH) 3 O 34 ) 2 (OH) 3 11− , cycled between (SiFe 3 W 9 (OH) 3 O 34 ) 2 (OH) 3 11− /(SiFe 3 W 9 (OH) 3 O 34 ) 2 (OH) 3 14− and (SiFe 3 W 9 (OH) 3 O 34 ) 2 (OH) 3 17− /(SiFe 3 W 9 (OH) 3 O 34 ) 2 (OH) 3 14− for the positive and negative electrode, respectively. This compound demonstrated a coulombic efficiency of 83% after 20 cycles with an electrochemical yield (measured discharge capacity as a percentage of theoretical capacity) of 55%. Cyclic voltammetry on the Lindqvist ion, cis-V 2 W 4 O 19 4− , showed quasi-reversible vanadium electrochemistry, but tungsten reduction was mostly irreversible. In a flow cell configuration, cis-V 2 W 4 O 19 4− had a coulombic efficiency of 45% (for a two-electron process) and an electrochemical yield of 16% after 20 cycles. The poor performance of cis-V 2 W 4 O 19 4− was attributed primarily to its higher charge density. Collectively, the results showed that both polyoxometalate size and charge density are both important parameters to consider in battery material performance

A review of nickel hydrogen battery technology

Science.gov (United States)

Smithrick, John J.; Odonnell, Patricia M.

1995-01-01

This paper on nickel hydrogen batteries is an overview of the various nickel hydrogen battery design options, technical accomplishments, validation test results and trends. There is more than one nickel hydrogen battery design, each having its advantage for specific applications. The major battery designs are individual pressure vessel (IPV), common pressure vessel (CPV), bipolar and low pressure metal hydride. State-of-the-art (SOA) nickel hydrogen batteries are replacing nickel cadmium batteries in almost all geosynchronous orbit (GEO) applications requiring power above 1 kW. However, for the more severe low earth orbit (LEO) applications (greater than 30,000 cycles), the current cycle life of 4000 to 10,000 cycles at 60 percent DOD should be improved. A NASA Lewis Research Center innovative advanced design IPV nickel hydrogen cell led to a breakthrough in cycle life enabling LEO applications at deep depths of discharge (DOD). A trend for some future satellites is to increase the power level to greater than 6 kW. Another trend is to decrease the power to less than 1 kW for small low cost satellites. Hence, the challenge is to reduce battery mass, volume and cost. A key is to develop a light weight nickel electrode and alternate battery designs. A common pressure vessel (CPV) nickel hydrogen battery is emerging as a viable alternative to the IPV design. It has the advantage of reduced mass, volume and manufacturing costs. A 10 Ah CPV battery has successfully provided power on the relatively short lived Clementine Spacecraft. A bipolar nickel hydrogen battery design has been demonstrated (15,000 LEO cycles, 40 percent DOD). The advantage is also a significant reduction in volume, a modest reduction in mass, and like most bipolar designs, features a high pulse power capability. A low pressure aerospace nickel metal hydride battery cell has been developed and is on the market. It is a prismatic design which has the advantage of a significant reduction in volume and a

Macromolecular Design Strategies for Preventing Active-Material Crossover in Non-Aqueous All-Organic Redox-Flow Batteries.

Science.gov (United States)

Doris, Sean E; Ward, Ashleigh L; Baskin, Artem; Frischmann, Peter D; Gavvalapalli, Nagarjuna; Chénard, Etienne; Sevov, Christo S; Prendergast, David; Moore, Jeffrey S; Helms, Brett A

2017-02-01

Intermittent energy sources, including solar and wind, require scalable, low-cost, multi-hour energy storage solutions in order to be effectively incorporated into the grid. All-Organic non-aqueous redox-flow batteries offer a solution, but suffer from rapid capacity fade and low Coulombic efficiency due to the high permeability of redox-active species across the battery's membrane. Here we show that active-species crossover is arrested by scaling the membrane's pore size to molecular dimensions and in turn increasing the size of the active material above the membrane's pore-size exclusion limit. When oligomeric redox-active organics (RAOs) were paired with microporous polymer membranes, the rate of active-material crossover was reduced more than 9000-fold compared to traditional separators at minimal cost to ionic conductivity. This corresponds to an absolute rate of RAO crossover of less than 3 μmol cm -2  day -1 (for a 1.0 m concentration gradient), which exceeds performance targets recently set forth by the battery industry. This strategy was generalizable to both high and low-potential RAOs in a variety of non-aqueous electrolytes, highlighting the versatility of macromolecular design in implementing next-generation redox-flow batteries. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Computational design of molecules for an all-quinone redox flow battery.

Science.gov (United States)

Er, Süleyman; Suh, Changwon; Marshak, Michael P; Aspuru-Guzik, Alán

2015-02-01

Inspired by the electron transfer properties of quinones in biological systems, we recently showed that quinones are also very promising electroactive materials for stationary energy storage applications. Due to the practically infinite chemical space of organic molecules, the discovery of additional quinones or other redox-active organic molecules for energy storage applications is an open field of inquiry. Here, we introduce a high-throughput computational screening approach that we applied to an accelerated study of a total of 1710 quinone (Q) and hydroquinone (QH 2 ) ( i.e. , two-electron two-proton) redox couples. We identified the promising candidates for both the negative and positive sides of organic-based aqueous flow batteries, thus enabling an all-quinone battery. To further aid the development of additional interesting electroactive small molecules we also provide emerging quantitative structure-property relationships.

Bifunctional redox flow battery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wen, Y.H.; Cheng, J.; Xun, Y.; Ma, P.H.; Yang, Y.S.

2008-01-01

A new bifunctional redox flow battery (BRFB) system, V(III)/V(II)-L-cystine(O 2 ), was systematically investigated by using different separators. It is shown that during charge, water transfer is significantly restricted with increasing the concentration of HBr when the Nafion 115 cation exchange membrane is employed. The same result can be obtained when the gas diffusion layer (GDL) hot-pressed separator is used. The organic electro-synthesis is directly correlated with the crossover of vanadium. When employing the anion exchange membrane, the electro-synthesis efficiency is over 96% due to a minimal crossover of vanadium. When the GDL hot-pressed separator is applied, the crossover of vanadium and water transfer are noticeably prevented and the electro-synthesis efficiency of over 99% is obtained. Those impurities such as vanadium ions and bromine can be eliminated through the purification of organic electro-synthesized products. The purified product is identified to be L-cysteic acid by IR spectrum. The BRFB shows a favorable discharge performance at a current density of 20 mA cm -2 . Best discharge performance is achieved by using the GDL hot-pressed separator. The coulombic efficiency of 87% and energy efficiency of about 58% can be obtained. The cause of major energy losses is mainly associated with the cross-contamination of anodic and cathodic active electrolytes

High-energy-density, aqueous, metal-polyiodide redox flow batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Bin; Nie, Zimin; Wang, Wei; Liu, Jun; Sprenkle, Vincent L.

2017-08-29

Improved metal-based redox flow batteries (RFBs) can utilize a metal and a divalent cation of the metal (M.sup.2+) as an active redox couple for a first electrode and electrolyte, respectively, in a first half-cell. For example, the metal can be Zn. The RFBs can also utilize a second electrolyte having I.sup.-, anions of I.sub.x (for x.gtoreq.3), or both in an aqueous solution, wherein the I.sup.- and the anions of I.sub.x (for x.gtoreq.3) compose an active redox couple in a second half-cell.

Microwave-assisted preparation of carbon nanofiber-functionalized graphite felts as electrodes for polymer-based redox-flow batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Schwenke, A. M.; Janoschka, T.; Stolze, C.; Martin, N.; Hoeppener, S.; Schubert, U. S.

2016-12-01

A simple and fast microwave-assisted protocol to functionalize commercially available graphite felts (GFs) with carbon nanofibers (CNFs) for the application as electrode materials in redox-flow batteries (RFB) is demonstrated. As catalyst for the CNF synthesis nickel acetate is applied and ethanol serves as the carbon source. By the in-situ growth of CNFs, the active surface of the electrodes is increased by a factor of 50, which is determined by the electrochemical double layer capacities of the obtained materials. Furthermore, the morphology of the CNF-coating is investigated by scanning electron microscopy. Subsequently, the functionalized electrodes are applied in a polymer-based redox-flow battery (pRFB) using a TEMPO- and a viologen polymer as active materials. Due to the increased surface area as compared to an untreated graphite felt electrode, the current rating is improved by about 45% at 80 mA cm-2 and, furthermore, a decrease in overpotentials is observed. Thus, using this microwave-assisted synthesis approach, CNF-functionalized composite electrodes are prepared with a very simple protocol suitable for real life applications and an improvement of the overall performance of the polymer-based redox-flow battery is demonstrated.

Measurement of the Structure and Molecular Dynamics of Ionic Solutions for Redox Flow Battery

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Zhixia; Robertson, Lily; Moore, Jeffery; Zhang, Yang

Redox flow battery (RFB) is a promising electrical energy storage technology with great potential to finally realize alternative energy sources for the next-generation vehicles and at grid scales. The design of RFB is unique as the power scales separately from the energy capacity. The latter depends on the size of storage tanks and the concentration of the active materials. Redox-active organic molecules are excellent candidates with high synthetic tunability for both redox properties as well as, importantly, solubility. However, upon increasing concentrations, the flow cell has less cycling stability and more capacity fade. Further, after charging the battery, the viscosity increases while the ionic conductivity decreases, and thus the cell becomes overall ineffective. To understand the mechanism of the increased viscosity, we performed differential scanning calorimetry, wide and small angle X-rays scattering, and quasi-elastic neutron scattering measurements. Herein, we will present the measurement results and relative analysis.

Determining the Limiting Current Density of Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries

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Jen-Yu Chen

2014-09-01

Full Text Available All-vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs are used as energy storage systems for intermittent renewable power sources. The performance of VRFBs depends on materials of key components and operating conditions, such as current density, electrolyte flow rate and electrolyte composition. Mass transfer overpotential is affected by the electrolyte flow rate and electrolyte composition, which is related to the limiting current density. In order to investigate the effect of operating conditions on mass transport overpotential, this study established a relationship between the limiting current density and operating conditions. First, electrolyte solutions with different states of charge were prepared and used for a single cell to obtain discharging polarization curves under various operating conditions. The experimental results were then analyzed and are discussed in this paper. Finally, this paper proposes a limiting current density as a function of operating conditions. The result helps predict the effect of operating condition on the cell performance in a mathematical model.

Organic Redox Species in Aqueous Flow Batteries: Redox Potentials, Chemical Stability and Solubility

Science.gov (United States)

Wedege, Kristina; Dražević, Emil; Konya, Denes; Bentien, Anders

2016-01-01

Organic molecules are currently investigated as redox species for aqueous low-cost redox flow batteries (RFBs). The envisioned features of using organic redox species are low cost and increased flexibility with respect to tailoring redox potential and solubility from molecular engineering of side groups on the organic redox-active species. In this paper 33, mainly quinone-based, compounds are studied experimentially in terms of pH dependent redox potential, solubility and stability, combined with single cell battery RFB tests on selected redox pairs. Data shows that both the solubility and redox potential are determined by the position of the side groups and only to a small extent by the number of side groups. Additionally, the chemical stability and possible degradation mechanisms leading to capacity loss over time are discussed. The main challenge for the development of all-organic RFBs is to identify a redox pair for the positive side with sufficiently high stability and redox potential that enables battery cell potentials above 1 V. PMID:27966605

Organic Redox Species in Aqueous Flow Batteries: Redox Potentials, Chemical Stability and Solubility

Science.gov (United States)

Wedege, Kristina; Dražević, Emil; Konya, Denes; Bentien, Anders

2016-12-01

Organic molecules are currently investigated as redox species for aqueous low-cost redox flow batteries (RFBs). The envisioned features of using organic redox species are low cost and increased flexibility with respect to tailoring redox potential and solubility from molecular engineering of side groups on the organic redox-active species. In this paper 33, mainly quinone-based, compounds are studied experimentially in terms of pH dependent redox potential, solubility and stability, combined with single cell battery RFB tests on selected redox pairs. Data shows that both the solubility and redox potential are determined by the position of the side groups and only to a small extent by the number of side groups. Additionally, the chemical stability and possible degradation mechanisms leading to capacity loss over time are discussed. The main challenge for the development of all-organic RFBs is to identify a redox pair for the positive side with sufficiently high stability and redox potential that enables battery cell potentials above 1 V.

Primary and secondary battery consumption trends in Sweden 1996–2013: Method development and detailed accounting by battery type

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patrício, João; Kalmykova, Yuliya; Berg, Per E.O.; Rosado, Leonardo; Åberg, Helena

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Developed MFA method was validated by the national statistics. • Exponential increase of EEE sales leads to increase in integrated battery consumption. • Digital convergence is likely to be a cause for primary batteries consumption decline. • Factors for estimation of integrated batteries in EE are provided. • Sweden reached the collection rates defined by European Union. - Abstract: In this article, a new method based on Material Flow Accounting is proposed to study detailed material flows in battery consumption that can be replicated for other countries. The method uses regularly available statistics on import, industrial production and export of batteries and battery-containing electric and electronic equipment (EEE). To promote method use by other scholars with no access to such data, several empirically results and their trends over time, for different types of batteries occurrence among the EEE types are provided. The information provided by the method can be used to: identify drivers of battery consumption; study the dynamic behavior of battery flows – due to technology development, policies, consumers behavior and infrastructures. The method is exemplified by the study of battery flows in Sweden for years 1996–2013. The batteries were accounted, both in units and weight, as primary and secondary batteries; loose and integrated; by electrochemical composition and share of battery use between different types of EEE. Results show that, despite a fivefold increase in the consumption of rechargeable batteries, they account for only about 14% of total use of portable batteries. Recent increase in digital convergence has resulted in a sharp decline in the consumption of primary batteries, which has now stabilized at a fairly low level. Conversely, the consumption of integrated batteries has increased sharply. In 2013, 61% of the total weight of batteries sold in Sweden was collected, and for the particular case of alkaline manganese

Primary and secondary battery consumption trends in Sweden 1996–2013: Method development and detailed accounting by battery type

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Patrício, João, E-mail: joao.patricio@chalmers.se [Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, 412 96 Gothenburg (Sweden); Kalmykova, Yuliya; Berg, Per E.O.; Rosado, Leonardo [Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, 412 96 Gothenburg (Sweden); Åberg, Helena [The Faculty of Education, University of Gothenburg, 40530 Gothenburg (Sweden)

2015-05-15

Highlights: • Developed MFA method was validated by the national statistics. • Exponential increase of EEE sales leads to increase in integrated battery consumption. • Digital convergence is likely to be a cause for primary batteries consumption decline. • Factors for estimation of integrated batteries in EE are provided. • Sweden reached the collection rates defined by European Union. - Abstract: In this article, a new method based on Material Flow Accounting is proposed to study detailed material flows in battery consumption that can be replicated for other countries. The method uses regularly available statistics on import, industrial production and export of batteries and battery-containing electric and electronic equipment (EEE). To promote method use by other scholars with no access to such data, several empirically results and their trends over time, for different types of batteries occurrence among the EEE types are provided. The information provided by the method can be used to: identify drivers of battery consumption; study the dynamic behavior of battery flows – due to technology development, policies, consumers behavior and infrastructures. The method is exemplified by the study of battery flows in Sweden for years 1996–2013. The batteries were accounted, both in units and weight, as primary and secondary batteries; loose and integrated; by electrochemical composition and share of battery use between different types of EEE. Results show that, despite a fivefold increase in the consumption of rechargeable batteries, they account for only about 14% of total use of portable batteries. Recent increase in digital convergence has resulted in a sharp decline in the consumption of primary batteries, which has now stabilized at a fairly low level. Conversely, the consumption of integrated batteries has increased sharply. In 2013, 61% of the total weight of batteries sold in Sweden was collected, and for the particular case of alkaline manganese

Utilizing a vanadium redox flow battery to avoid wind power deviation penalties in an electricity market

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Turker, Burak; Arroyo Klein, Sebastian; Komsiyska, Lidiya; Trujillo, Juan José; Bremen, Lueder von; Kühn, Martin; Busse, Matthias

2013-01-01

Highlights: • Vanadium redox flow battery utilized for wind power grid integration was studied. • Technical and financial analyses at single wind farm level were performed. • 2 MW/6 MW h VRFB is suitable for mitigating power deviations for a 10 MW wind farm. • Economic incentives might be required in the short-term until the VRFB prices drop. - Abstract: Utilizing a vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) for better market integration of wind power at a single wind farm level was evaluated. A model which combines a VRFB unit and a medium sized (10 MW) wind farm was developed and the battery was utilized to compensate for the deviations resulting from the forecast errors in an electricity market bidding structure. VRFB software model which was introduced in our previous paper was integrated with real wind power data, power forecasts and market data based on the Spanish electricity market. Economy of the system was evaluated by financial assessments which were done by considering the VRFB costs and the amount of deviation penalty payments resulting from forecast inaccuracies

Non-isothermal modelling of the all-vanadium redox flow battery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al-Fetlawi, H.; Shah, A.A.; Walsh, F.C.

2009-01-01

An non-isothermal model for the all-vanadium redox flow battery (RFB) is presented. The two-dimensional model is based on a comprehensive description of mass, charge, energy and momentum transport and conservation, and is combined with a global kinetic model for reactions involving vanadium species. Heat is generated as a result of activation losses, electrochemical reaction and ohmic resistance. Numerical simulations demonstrate the effects of changes in the operating temperature on performance. It is shown that variations in the electrolyte flow rate and the magnitude of the applied current substantially alter the charge/discharge characteristics, the temperature rise and the distribution of temperature. The influence of heat losses on the charge/discharge behaviour and temperature distribution is investigated. Conditions for localised heating and membrane degradation are discussed.

Latest position in battery techniques

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Staeger, H J

1960-03-17

A short survey of the development of electrochemical properties as batteries is followed by an account of the construction, properties, and fields of application of lead, iron--nickel, and silver--zinc batteries, and their more recent developments, such as the hollow-rod plates in lead batteries, sintered plates, and sealed batteries. The work in progress on fuel cells is discussed and different practical cells are compared. There is no battery which is the best for all applications, each system has its own advantages or disadvantages. The lead battery in its different forms still remains the most universally applied.

In-situ investigation of hydrogen evolution behavior in vanadium redox flow batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wei, L.; Zhao, T.S.; Xu, Q.; Zhou, X.L.; Zhang, Z.H.

2017-01-01

Highlights: • An in-situ method to investigate hydrogen evolution in VRFBs is developed. • The rate of hydrogen evolution during battery operation is quantified. • The gas evolution behaviors in the charge process of VRFBs are observed. - Abstract: In this work, we conceived and fabricated a three-electrode electrochemical cell and transparent vanadium redox flow battery to in-situ investigate the hydrogen evolution reaction during battery operation. Experimental results show that operating temperature has a strong influence on the HER rate. In particular, compared with V"3"+ reduction reaction, HER is more sensitive to temperature variation. It is also found that, contrary to the conventional wisdom that side reactions occur at the late stage of the charge process, H_2 evolves at a relatively low SOC. About 0.26 and 1.94 mL H_2 were collected at an early (SOC lower than 20%) and end of the charge process, respectively, suggesting that attention to the hydrogen formation at the negative electrode in the early charge process should also be paid to during long-term battery operations. Moreover, the produced hydrogen gas at the negative side prefers to form macroscopically observable bubbles onto the electrode surface, covering the active sites for vanadium redox reactions, while oxygen evolution (including CO_2 production) at the positive side corrodes electrode surface and introduces certain oxygen-containing functional groups.

Investigation on the electrode process of the Mn(II)/Mn(III) couple in redox flow battery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xue Fangqin; Wang Yongliang; Wang Wenhong; Wang Xindong

2008-01-01

The Mn(II)/Mn(III) couple has been recognized as a potential anode for redox flow batteries to take the place of the V(IV)/V(V) in all-vanadium redox battery (VRB) and the Br 2 /Br - in sodium polysulfide/bromine (PSB) because it has higher standard electrode potential. In this study, the electrochemical behavior of the Mn(II)/Mn(III) couple on carbon felt and spectral pure graphite were investigated by cyclic voltammetry, steady polarization curve, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, transient potential-step experiment, X-ray diffraction and charge-discharge experiments. Results show that the Mn(III) disproportionation reaction phenomena is obvious on the carbon felt electrode while it is weak on the graphite electrode owing to its fewer active sites. The reaction mechanism on carbon felt was discussed in detail. The reversibility of Mn(II)/Mn(III) is best when the sulfuric acid concentration is 5 M on the graphite electrode. Performance of a RFB employing Mn(II)/Mn(III) couple as anolyte active species and V(III)/V(II) as catholyte ones was evaluated with constant-current charge-discharge tests. The average columbic efficiency is 69.4% and the voltage efficiency is 90.4% at a current density of 20 mA cm -2 . The whole energy efficiency is 62.7% close to that of the all-vanadium battery and the average discharge voltage is about 14% higher than that of an all-vanadium battery. The preliminary exploration shows that the Mn(II)/Mn(III) couple is electrochemically promising for redox flow battery

Levelized cost of energy and sensitivity analysis for the hydrogen-bromine flow battery

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Nirala; McFarland, Eric W.

2015-08-01

The technoeconomics of the hydrogen-bromine flow battery are investigated. Using existing performance data the operating conditions were optimized to minimize the levelized cost of electricity using individual component costs for the flow battery stack and other system units. Several different configurations were evaluated including use of a bromine complexing agent to reduce membrane requirements. Sensitivity analysis of cost is used to identify the system elements most strongly influencing the economics. The stack lifetime and round-trip efficiency of the cell are identified as major factors on the levelized cost of electricity, along with capital components related to hydrogen storage, the bipolar plate, and the membrane. Assuming that an electrocatalyst and membrane with a lifetime of 2000 cycles can be identified, the lowest cost market entry system capital is 220 kWh-1 for a 4 h discharge system and for a charging energy cost of 0.04 kWh-1 the levelized cost of the electricity delivered is 0.40 kWh-1. With systems manufactured at large scales these costs are expected to be lower.

A three-dimensional model for negative half cell of the vanadium redox flow battery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ma Xiangkun; Zhang Huamin; Xing Feng

2011-01-01

A stationary, isothermal, three-dimensional model for negative half cell of the vanadium redox flow battery is developed, which is based on the comprehensive conservation laws, such as charge, mass and momentum, together with a kinetic model for reaction involving vanadium species. The model is validated against the results calculated by the available two-dimensional model. With the given geometry of the negative half cell, the distributions of velocity, concentration, overpotential and transfer current density in the sections that are perpendicular and parallel to the applied current are studied. It is shown that the distribution of the electrolyte velocity in the electrode has significant impact on the distribution of concentration, overpotential and transfer current density. The lower velocity in the electrode will cause the higher overpotential, further result in the side reaction and corrosion of key materials locally. The development of the design of the vanadium redox flow battery is discussed, and the further research is proposed.

Examination of Amine-Functionalised Anion-Exchange Membranes for Possible Use in the All-Vanadium Redox Flow Battery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mallinson, Sarah L.; Varcoe, John R.; Slade, Robert C.T.

2014-01-01

The applicability of amine-functionalised anion-exchange membranes (AEMs) for use in the all-vanadium redox flow battery has been studied. A selection of radiation-grafted aminated membranes functionalised with dimethylamine, trimethylamine or diazabicyclo(2,2,2)octane were extensively tested. The success of each grafting process was confirmed by Raman and infrared spectroscopies, titrimetry and ionic conductivity measurements. The amine-functionalised membranes were found to have poor thermo-oxidative stability and high vanadium cation permeabilities. The results highlight the importance of balancing ionic conductivity with vanadium cation permeability and indicate that amine-based functional groups may not be suitably stable for the membranes to remain true AEMs when in use in the all-vanadium redox flow battery

A review of nickel hydrogen battery technology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Smithrick, J.J.; Odonnell, P.M.

1995-05-01

This paper on nickel hydrogen batteries is an overview of the various nickel hydrogen battery design options, technical accomplishments, validation test results and trends. There is more than one nickel hydrogen battery design, each having its advantage for specific applications. The major battery designs are individual pressure vessel (IPV), common pressure vessel (CPV), bipolar and low pressure metal hydride. State-of-the-art (SOA) nickel hydrogen batteries are replacing nickel cadmium batteries in almost all geosynchronous orbit (GEO) applications requiring power above 1 kW. However, for the more severe low earth orbit (LEO) applications (greater than 30,000 cycles), the current cycle life of 4000 to 10,000 cycles at 60 percent DOD should be improved. A NASA Lewis Research Center innovative advanced design IPV nickel hydrogen cell led to a breakthrough in cycle life enabling LEO applications at deep depths of discharge (DOD). A trend for some future satellites is to increase the power level to greater than 6 kW. Another trend is to decrease the power to less than 1 kW for small low cost satellites. Hence, the challenge is to reduce battery mass, volume and cost. A key is to develop a light weight nickel electrode and alternate battery designs. A common pressure vessel (CPV) nickel hydrogen battery is emerging as a viable alternative to the IPV design. It has the advantage of reduced mass, volume and manufacturing costs. A 10 Ah CPV battery has successfully provided power on the relatively short lived Clementine Spacecraft. A bipolar nickel hydrogen battery design has been demonstrated (15,000 LEO cycles, 40 percent DOD). The advantage is also a significant reduction in volume, a modest reduction in mass, and like most bipolar designs, features a high pulse power capability. A low pressure aerospace nickel metal hydride battery cell has been developed and is on the market.

An Approach Toward Replacing Vanadium: A Single Organic Molecule for the Anode and Cathode of an Aqueous Redox-Flow Battery.

Science.gov (United States)

Janoschka, Tobias; Friebe, Christian; Hager, Martin D; Martin, Norbert; Schubert, Ulrich S

2017-04-01

By combining a viologen unit and a 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidin-1-oxyl (TEMPO) radical in one single combi-molecule, an artificial bipolar redox-active material, 1-(4-(((1-oxyl-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidin-4-yl)oxy)carbonyl)benzyl)-1'-methyl-[4,4'-bipyridine]-1,1'-diium-chloride ( VIOTEMP ), was created that can serve as both the anode (-0.49 V) and cathode (0.67 V vs. Ag/AgCl) in a water-based redox-flow battery. While it mimics the redox states of flow battery metals like vanadium, the novel aqueous electrolyte does not require strongly acidic media and is best operated at pH 4. The electrochemical properties of VIOTEMP were investigated by using cyclic voltammetry, rotating disc electrode experiments, and spectroelectrochemical methods. A redox-flow battery was built and the suitability of the material for both electrodes was demonstrated through a polarity-inversion experiment. Thus, an organic aqueous electrolyte system being safe in case of cross contamination is presented.

A redox-flow battery with an alloxazine-based organic electrolyte

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Kaixiang; Gómez-Bombarelli, Rafael; Beh, Eugene S.; Tong, Liuchuan; Chen, Qing; Valle, Alvaro; Aspuru-Guzik, Alán; Aziz, Michael J.; Gordon, Roy G.

2016-09-01

Redox-flow batteries (RFBs) can store large amounts of electrical energy from variable sources, such as solar and wind. Recently, redox-active organic molecules in aqueous RFBs have drawn substantial attention due to their rapid kinetics and low membrane crossover rates. Drawing inspiration from nature, here we report a high-performance aqueous RFB utilizing an organic redox compound, alloxazine, which is a tautomer of the isoalloxazine backbone of vitamin B2. It can be synthesized in high yield at room temperature by single-step coupling of inexpensive o-phenylenediamine derivatives and alloxan. The highly alkaline-soluble alloxazine 7/8-carboxylic acid produces a RFB exhibiting open-circuit voltage approaching 1.2 V and current efficiency and capacity retention exceeding 99.7% and 99.98% per cycle, respectively. Theoretical studies indicate that structural modification of alloxazine with electron-donating groups should allow further increases in battery voltage. As an aza-aromatic molecule that undergoes reversible redox cycling in aqueous electrolyte, alloxazine represents a class of radical-free redox-active organics for use in large-scale energy storage.

Electrochemical investigation of tetravalent uranium β-diketones for active materials of all-uranium redox flow battery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamamura, Tomoo; Shiokawa, Yoshinobu; Ikeda, Yasuhisa

2002-01-01

For active materials of the all-uranium redox flow battery for the power storage, tetravalent uranium β-diketones were investigated. The electrode reactions of U(ba) 4 and U(btfa) 4 were examined in comparison with that of U(acac) 4 , where ba denotes benzoylacetone, btfa benzoyltrifluoroacetone and acac acetylacetone. The cyclic voltammograms of U(ba) 4 and U(btfa) 4 solutions indicate that there are two series of redox reactions corresponding to the complexes with different coordination numbers of four and three. The electrode kinetics of the U(IV)/U(III) redox reactions for btfa complexes is examined. The obtained result supports that the uranium β-diketone complexes examined in the present study will serve as excellent active materials for negative electrolyte in the redox flow battery. (author)

Polyarene mediators for mediated redox flow battery

Science.gov (United States)

Delnick, Frank M.; Ingersoll, David; Liang, Chengdu

2018-01-02

The fundamental charge storage mechanisms in a number of currently studied high energy redox couples are based on intercalation, conversion, or displacement reactions. With exception to certain metal-air chemistries, most often the active redox materials are stored physically in the electrochemical cell stack thereby lowering the practical gravimetric and volumetric energy density as a tradeoff to achieve reasonable power density. In a general embodiment, a mediated redox flow battery includes a series of secondary organic molecules that form highly reduced anionic radicals as reaction mediator pairs for the reduction and oxidation of primary high capacity redox species ex situ from the electrochemical cell stack. Arenes are reduced to stable anionic radicals that in turn reduce a primary anode to the charged state. The primary anode is then discharged using a second lower potential (more positive) arene. Compatible separators and solvents are also disclosed herein.

A low pressure bipolar nickel-hydrogen battery

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Golben, M.; Nechev, K.; DaCosta, D.H.; Rosso, M.J.

1997-12-01

Ergenics is developing a low pressure high power rechargeable battery for electric vehicles and other large battery applications. The Hy-Stor{trademark} battery couples a bipolar nickel-hydrogen electrochemical system with the high energy storage density of metal hydride technology. In addition to its long cycle life, high specific power, and energy density, this battery offers safety and economic advantages over other rechargeable batteries. Results from preliminary testing of the first Hy-Stor battery are presented.

Microfluidic redox battery.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jin Wook; Goulet, Marc-Antoni; Kjeang, Erik

2013-07-07

A miniaturized microfluidic battery is proposed, which is the first membraneless redox battery demonstrated to date. This unique concept capitalizes on dual-pass flow-through porous electrodes combined with stratified, co-laminar flow to generate electrical power on-chip. The fluidic design is symmetric to allow for both charging and discharging operations in forward, reverse, and recirculation modes. The proof-of-concept device fabricated using low-cost materials integrated in a microfluidic chip is shown to produce competitive power levels when operated on a vanadium redox electrolyte. A complete charge/discharge cycle is performed to demonstrate its operation as a rechargeable battery, which is an important step towards providing sustainable power to lab-on-a-chip and microelectronic applications.

Electrode Nanostructures in Lithium‐Based Batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Mahmood, Nasir

2014-01-01

Lithium‐based batteries possessing energy densities much higher than those of the conventional batteries belong to the most promising class of future energy devices. However, there are some fundamental issues related to their electrodes which are big roadblocks in their applications to electric vehicles (EVs). Nanochemistry has advantageous roles to overcome these problems by defining new nanostructures of electrode materials. This review article will highlight the challenges associated with these chemistries both to bring high performance and longevity upon considering the working principles of the various types of lithium‐based (Li‐ion, Li‐air and Li‐S) batteries. Further, the review discusses the advantages and challenges of nanomaterials in nanostructured electrodes of lithium‐based batteries, concerns with lithium metal anode and the recent advancement in electrode nanostructures. PMID:27980896

Online state of charge and model parameter co-estimation based on a novel multi-timescale estimator for vanadium redox flow battery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wei, Zhongbao; Lim, Tuti Mariana; Skyllas-Kazacos, Maria; Wai, Nyunt; Tseng, King Jet

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Battery model parameters and SOC co-estimation is investigated. • The model parameters and OCV are decoupled and estimated independently. • Multiple timescales are adopted to improve precision and stability. • SOC is online estimated without using the open-circuit cell. • The method is robust to aging levels, flow rates, and battery chemistries. - Abstract: A key function of battery management system (BMS) is to provide accurate information of the state of charge (SOC) in real time, and this depends directly on the precise model parameterization. In this paper, a novel multi-timescale estimator is proposed to estimate the model parameters and SOC for vanadium redox flow battery (VRB) in real time. The model parameters and OCV are decoupled and estimated independently, effectively avoiding the possibility of cross interference between them. The analysis of model sensitivity, stability, and precision suggests the necessity of adopting different timescales for each estimator independently. Experiments are conducted to assess the performance of the proposed method. Results reveal that the model parameters are online adapted accurately thus the periodical calibration on them can be avoided. The online estimated terminal voltage and SOC are both benchmarked with the reference values. The proposed multi-timescale estimator has the merits of fast convergence, high precision, and good robustness against the initialization uncertainty, aging states, flow rates, and also battery chemistries.

Balancing Osmotic Pressure of Electrolytes for Nanoporous Membrane Vanadium Redox Flow Battery with a Draw Solute.

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Ligen; Li, Dan; Li, Shuaiqiang; Xu, Zhi; Dong, Junhang; Jing, Wenheng; Xing, Weihong

2016-12-28

Vanadium redox flow batteries with nanoporous membranes (VRFBNM) have been demonstrated to be good energy storage devices. Yet the capacity decay due to permeation of vanadium and water makes their commercialization very difficult. Inspired by the forward osmosis (FO) mechanism, the VRFBNM battery capacity decrease was alleviated by adding a soluble draw solute (e.g., 2-methylimidazole) into the catholyte, which can counterbalance the osmotic pressure between the positive and negative half-cell. No change of the electrolyte volume has been observed after VRFBNM being operated for 55 h, revealing that the permeation of water and vanadium ions was effectively limited. Consequently, the Coulombic efficiency (CE) of nanoporous TiO 2 vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) was enhanced from 93.5% to 95.3%, meanwhile, its capacity decay was significantly suppressed from 60.7% to 27.5% upon the addition of soluble draw solute. Moreover, the energy capacity of the VRFBNM was noticeably improved from 297.0 to 406.4 mAh remarkably. These results indicate balancing the osmotic pressure via the addition of draw solute can restrict pressure-dependent vanadium permeation and it can be established as a promising method for up-scaling VRFBNM application.

UV-Vis spectrophotometry of quinone flow battery electrolyte for in situ monitoring and improved electrochemical modeling of potential and quinhydrone formation.

Science.gov (United States)

Tong, Liuchuan; Chen, Qing; Wong, Andrew A; Gómez-Bombarelli, Rafael; Aspuru-Guzik, Alán; Gordon, Roy G; Aziz, Michael J

2017-12-06

Quinone-based aqueous flow batteries provide a potential opportunity for large-scale, low-cost energy storage due to their composition from earth abundant elements, high aqueous solubility, reversible redox kinetics and their chemical tunability such as reduction potential. In an operating flow battery utilizing 9,10-anthraquinone-2,7-disulfonic acid, the aggregation of an oxidized quinone and a reduced hydroquinone to form a quinhydrone dimer causes significant variations from ideal solution behavior and of optical absorption from the Beer-Lambert law. We utilize in situ UV-Vis spectrophotometry to establish (a), quinone, hydroquinone and quinhydrone molar attenuation profiles and (b), an equilibrium constant for formation of the quinhydrone dimer (K QHQ ) ∼ 80 M -1 . We use the molar optical attenuation profiles to identify the total molecular concentration and state of charge at arbitrary mixtures of quinone and hydroquinone. We report density functional theory calculations to support the quinhydrone UV-Vis measurements and to provide insight into the dimerization conformations. We instrument a quinone-bromine flow battery with a Pd-H reference electrode in order to demonstrate how complexation in both the negative (quinone) and positive (bromine) electrolytes directly impacts measured half-cell and full-cell voltages. This work shows how accounting for electrolyte complexation improves the accuracy of electrochemical modeling of flow battery electrolytes.

Effects of operating temperature on the performance of vanadium redox flow batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, C.; Zhao, T.S.; Xu, Q.; An, L.; Zhao, G.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • The effect of the operating temperature on the VRFB’s performance is studied. • The voltage efficiency and peak power density increases with temperature. • High temperatures aggravate the coulombic efficiency drop and the capacity decay. • The outcomes suggest that thermal management of operating VRFBs is essential. - Abstract: For an operating flow battery system, how the battery’s performance varies with ambient temperatures is of practical interest. To gain an understanding of the general thermal behavior of vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs), we devised and tested a laboratory-scale single VRFB by varying the operating temperature. The voltage efficiency of the VRFB is found to increase from 86.5% to 90.5% at 40 mA/cm 2 when the operating temperature is increased from 15 °C to 55 °C. The peak discharge power density is also observed to increase from 259.5 mW/cm 2 to 349.8 mW/cm 2 at the same temperature increment. The temperature increase, however, leads to a slight decrease in the coulombic efficiency from 96.2% to 93.7% at the same temperature increments. In addition, the capacity degradation rate is found to be higher at higher temperatures

High-Energy-Density Metal-Oxygen Batteries: Lithium-Oxygen Batteries vs Sodium-Oxygen Batteries.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Kyeongse; Agyeman, Daniel Adjei; Park, Mihui; Yang, Junghoon; Kang, Yong-Mook

2017-12-01

The development of next-generation energy-storage devices with high power, high energy density, and safety is critical for the success of large-scale energy-storage systems (ESSs), such as electric vehicles. Rechargeable sodium-oxygen (Na-O 2 ) batteries offer a new and promising opportunity for low-cost, high-energy-density, and relatively efficient electrochemical systems. Although the specific energy density of the Na-O 2 battery is lower than that of the lithium-oxygen (Li-O 2 ) battery, the abundance and low cost of sodium resources offer major advantages for its practical application in the near future. However, little has so far been reported regarding the cell chemistry, to explain the rate-limiting parameters and the corresponding low round-trip efficiency and cycle degradation. Consequently, an elucidation of the reaction mechanism is needed for both lithium-oxygen and sodium-oxygen cells. An in-depth understanding of the differences and similarities between Li-O 2 and Na-O 2 battery systems, in terms of thermodynamics and a structural viewpoint, will be meaningful to promote the development of advanced metal-oxygen batteries. State-of-the-art battery design principles for high-energy-density lithium-oxygen and sodium-oxygen batteries are thus reviewed in depth here. Major drawbacks, reaction mechanisms, and recent strategies to improve performance are also summarized. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Ferroresonant Flux-Coupled Battery Charger

Science.gov (United States)

Mclyman, C. W.

1986-01-01

Portable battery charger operates at about 20 kHz to take advantage of relatively low weight and low acoustical noise of ferroresonant circuits operating in this frequency range. Charger split into stationary unit connected to powerline and mobile unit connected to battery or other load. Power transferred to mobile unit by magnetic coupling between mating transformer halves. Advantage where sparking at electrical connection might pose explosion hazard or where operator disabled and cannot manipulate plug into wall outlet. Likely applications for charger include wheelchairs and robots.

Organic non-aqueous cation-based redox flow batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Lu; Huang, Jinhua; Burrell, Anthony

2018-05-08

The present invention provides a non-aqueous redox flow battery comprising a negative electrode immersed in a non-aqueous liquid negative electrolyte, a positive electrode immersed in a non-aqueous liquid positive electrolyte, and a cation-permeable separator (e.g., a porous membrane, film, sheet, or panel) between the negative electrolyte from the positive electrolyte. During charging and discharging, the electrolytes are circulated over their respective electrodes. The electrolytes each comprise an electrolyte salt (e.g., a lithium or sodium salt), a transition-metal free redox reactant, and optionally an electrochemically stable organic solvent. Each redox reactant is selected from an organic compound comprising a conjugated unsaturated moiety, a boron cluster compound, and a combination thereof. The organic redox reactant of the positive electrolyte comprises a tetrafluorohydroquinone ether compound or a tetrafluorocatechol ether compound.

Kinetic enhancement via passive deposition of carbon-based nanomaterials in vanadium redox flow batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Aaron, Doug; Yeom, Sinchul; Kihm, Kenneth D.; Ashraf Gandomi, Yasser; Ertugrul, Tugrul; Mench, Matthew M.

2017-10-01

Addition of carbon-based nanomaterials to operating flow batteries accomplishes vanadium redox flow battery performance improvement. Initial efforts focus on addition of both pristine graphene and vacuum-filtered reduced graphene oxide (rGO) film on carbon paper supporting electrodes. While the former is unable to withstand convective flow through the porous electrode, the latter shows measurable kinetic improvement, particularly when laid on the polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) side of the electrode; in contrast to the kinetic performance gain, a deleterious impact on mass transport is observed. Based on this tradeoff, further improvement is realized using perforated rGO films placed on the PEM side of the electrodes. Poor mass transport in the dense rGO film prompts identification of a more uniform, passive deposition method. A suspension of rGO flakes or Vulcan carbon black (XC-72R), both boasting two orders-of-magnitude greater specific surface area than that of common carbon electrodes, is added to the electrolyte reservoirs and allowed to passively deposit on the carbon paper or carbon felt supporting electrodes. For common carbon felt electrodes, addition of rGO flakes or XC-72R enables a tripling of current density at the same 80% voltage efficiency.

Recent Progress in the Design of Advanced Cathode Materials and Battery Models for High-Performance Lithium-X (X = O2 , S, Se, Te, I2 , Br2 ) Batteries.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Jiantie; Ma, Jianmin; Fan, Qinghua; Guo, Shaojun; Dou, Shixue

2017-07-01

Recent advances and achievements in emerging Li-X (X = O 2 , S, Se, Te, I 2 , Br 2 ) batteries with promising cathode materials open up new opportunities for the development of high-performance lithium-ion battery alternatives. In this review, we focus on an overview of recent important progress in the design of advanced cathode materials and battery models for developing high-performance Li-X (X = O 2 , S, Se, Te, I 2 , Br 2 ) batteries. We start with a brief introduction to explain why Li-X batteries are important for future renewable energy devices. Then, we summarize the existing drawbacks, major progress and emerging challenges in the development of cathode materials for Li-O 2 (S) batteries. In terms of the emerging Li-X (Se, Te, I 2 , Br 2 ) batteries, we systematically summarize their advantages/disadvantages and recent progress. Specifically, we review the electrochemical performance of Li-Se (Te) batteries using carbonate-/ether-based electrolytes, made with different electrode fabrication techniques, and of Li-I 2 (Br 2 ) batteries with various cell designs (e.g., dual electrolyte, all-organic electrolyte, with/without cathode-flow mode, and fuel cell/solar cell integration). Finally, the perspective on and challenges for the development of cathode materials for the promising Li-X (X = O 2 , S, Se, Te, I 2 , Br 2 ) batteries is presented. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

A plug flow reactor model of a vanadium redox flow battery considering the conductive current collectors

Science.gov (United States)

König, S.; Suriyah, M. R.; Leibfried, T.

2017-08-01

A lumped-parameter model for vanadium redox flow batteries, which use metallic current collectors, is extended into a one-dimensional model using the plug flow reactor principle. Thus, the commonly used simplification of a perfectly mixed cell is no longer required. The resistances of the cell components are derived in the in-plane and through-plane directions. The copper current collector is the only component with a significant in-plane conductance, which allows for a simplified electrical network. The division of a full-scale flow cell into 10 layers in the direction of fluid flow represents a reasonable compromise between computational effort and accuracy. Due to the variations in the state of charge and thus the open circuit voltage of the electrolyte, the currents in the individual layers vary considerably. Hence, there are situations, in which the first layer, directly at the electrolyte input, carries a multiple of the last layer's current. The conventional model overestimates the cell performance. In the worst-case scenario, the more accurate 20-layer model yields a discharge capacity 9.4% smaller than that computed with the conventional model. The conductive current collector effectively eliminates the high over-potentials in the last layers of the plug flow reactor models that have been reported previously.

The development of an all copper hybrid redox flow battery using deep eutectic solvents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lloyd, David; Vainikka, Tuomas; Kontturi, Kyösti

2013-01-01

Highlights: • A novel redox flow battery based on a deep eutectic solvent is reported. • Favourable kinetics of the positive electrode reaction are shown. • The cell potential is 0.7 V. • Coulombic and energy efficiency are 95% and 62% respectively. • A separator based on jellifying the electrolyte using polyvinyl alcohol is reported. -- Abstract: The performance of a redox flow battery based on chlorocuprates dissolved in an ionic liquid analogue is reported at 50 °C. The kinetics of the positive electrode reaction at a graphite electrode are favourable with a heterogeneous rate constant, k 0 , of 9.5 × 10 −4 cm s −1 . Coulombic efficiency was typically 94% and independent of current density. The small cell potential of 0.75 V and slow mass transport result in energy efficiencies of only 52% and 62% at current densities of 10 and 7.5 mA/cm 2 respectively. The successful development of a separator by jellifying the electrolyte using polyvinyl alcohol is reported

Battery Technology Stores Clean Energy

Science.gov (United States)

2008-01-01

Headquartered in Fremont, California, Deeya Energy Inc. is now bringing its flow batteries to commercial customers around the world after working with former Marshall Space Flight Center scientist, Lawrence Thaller. Deeya's liquid-cell batteries have higher power capability than Thaller's original design, are less expensive than lead-acid batteries, are a clean energy alternative, and are 10 to 20 times less expensive than nickel-metal hydride batteries, lithium-ion batteries, and fuel cell options.

A Step-by-Step Design Methodology for a Base Case Vanadium Redox-Flow Battery

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, Mark; Counce, Robert M.; Watson, Jack S.; Zawodzinski, Thomas A.; Kamath, Haresh

2012-01-01

The purpose of this work is to develop an evolutionary procedure to be used by Chemical Engineering students for the base-case design of a Vanadium Redox-Flow Battery. The design methodology is based on the work of Douglas (1985) and provides a profitability analysis at each decision level so that more profitable alternatives and directions can be…

Electrolyte for stable cycling of high-energy lithium sulfur redox flow batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Xiao, Jie; Liu, Jun; Pan, Huilin; Henderson, Wesley A.

2018-04-24

A device comprising: a lithium sulfur redox flow battery comprising an electrolyte composition comprising: (i) a dissolved Li2Sx electroactive salt, wherein x.gtoreq.4; (ii) a solvent selected from dimethyl sulfoxide, tetrahydrofuran, or a mixture thereof; and (iii) a supporting salt at a concentration of at least 2 M, as measured by moles of supporting salt divided by the volume of the solvent without considering the volume change of the electrolyte after dissolving the supporting salt.

Low Permeable Hydrocarbon Polymer Electrolyte Membrane for Vanadium Redox Flow Battery.

Science.gov (United States)

Jung, Ho-Young; Moon, Geon-O; Jung, Seunghun; Kim, Hee Tak; Kim, Sang-Chai; Roh, Sung-Hee

2017-04-01

Polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) confirms the life span of vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB). Products from Dupont, Nafion membrane, is mainly used for PEM in VRFB. However, permeation of vanadium ion occurs because of Nafion’s high permeability. Therefore, the efficiency of VRFB decreases and the prices becomes higher, which hinders VRFB’s commercialization. In order to solve this problem, poly(phenylene oxide) (PPO) is sulfonated for the preparation of low-priced hydrocarbon polymer electrolyte membrane. sPPO membrane is characterized by fundamental properties and VRFB cell test.

Pre-earthquake signals – Part II: Flow of battery currents in the crust

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F. T. Freund

2007-09-01

Full Text Available When rocks are subjected to stress, dormant electronic charge carriers are activated. They turn the stressed rock volume into a battery, from where currents can flow out. The charge carriers are electrons and defect electrons, also known as positive holes or pholes for short. The boundary between stressed and unstressed rock acts as a potential barrier that lets pholes pass but blocks electrons. One can distinguish two situations in the Earth's crust: (i only pholes spread out of a stressed rock volume into the surrounding unstressed rocks. This is expected to lead to a positive surface charge over a wide area around the future epicenter, to perturbations in the ionosphere, to stimulated infrared emission from the ground, to ionization of the near-ground air, to cloud formation and to other phenomena that have been reported to precede major earthquakes. (ii both pholes and electrons flow out of the stressed rock volume along different paths, sideward into the relatively cool upper layers of the crust and downward into the hot lower crust. This situation, which is likely to be realized late in the earthquake preparation process, is necessary for the battery circuit to close and for transient electric currents to flow. If burst-like, these currents should lead to the emission of low frequency electromagnetic radiation. Understanding how electronic charge carriers are stress-activated in rocks, how they spread or flow probably holds the key to deciphering a wide range of pre-earthquake signals. It opens the door to a global earthquake early warning system, provided resources are pooled through a concerted and constructive community effort, including seismologists, with international participation.

Organic non-aqueous cation-based redox flow batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Jansen, Andrew N.; Vaughey, John T.; Chen, Zonghai; Zhang, Lu; Brushett, Fikile R.

2016-03-29

The present invention provides a non-aqueous redox flow battery comprising a negative electrode immersed in a non-aqueous liquid negative electrolyte, a positive electrode immersed in a non-aqueous liquid positive electrolyte, and a cation-permeable separator (e.g., a porous membrane, film, sheet, or panel) between the negative electrolyte from the positive electrolyte. During charging and discharging, the electrolytes are circulated over their respective electrodes. The electrolytes each comprise an electrolyte salt (e.g., a lithium or sodium salt), a transition-metal free redox reactant, and optionally an electrochemically stable organic solvent. Each redox reactant is selected from an organic compound comprising a conjugated unsaturated moiety, a boron cluster compound, and a combination thereof. The organic redox reactant of the positive electrolyte is selected to have a higher redox potential than the redox reactant of the negative electrolyte.

Critical rate of electrolyte circulation for preventing zinc dendrite formation in a zinc-bromine redox flow battery

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Hyeon Sun; Park, Jong Ho; Ra, Ho Won; Jin, Chang-Soo; Yang, Jung Hoon

2016-09-01

In a zinc-bromine redox flow battery, a nonaqueous and dense polybromide phase formed because of bromide oxidation in the positive electrolyte during charging. This formation led to complicated two-phase flow on the electrode surface. The polybromide and aqueous phases led to different kinetics of the Br/Br- redox reaction; poor mixing of the two phases caused uneven redox kinetics on the electrode surface. As the Br/Br- redox reaction was coupled with the zinc deposition reaction, the uneven redox reaction on the positive electrode was accompanied by nonuniform zinc deposition and zinc dendrite formation, which degraded battery stability. A single-flow cell was operated at varying electrolyte circulation rates and current densities. Zinc dendrite formation was observed after cell disassembly following charge-discharge testing. In addition, the flow behavior in the positive compartment was observed by using a transparent version of the cell. At low rate of electrolyte circulation, the polybromide phase clearly separated from the aqueous phase and accumulated at the bottom of the flow frame. In the corresponding area on the negative electrode, a large amount of zinc dendrites was observed after charge-discharge testing. Therefore, a minimum circulation rate should be considered to avoid poor mixing of the positive electrolyte.

Direct Solar Charging of an Organic-Inorganic, Stable, and Aqueous Alkaline Redox Flow Battery with a Hematite Photoanode.

Science.gov (United States)

Wedege, Kristina; Azevedo, João; Khataee, Amirreza; Bentien, Anders; Mendes, Adélio

2016-06-13

The intermittent nature of the sunlight and its increasing contribution to electricity generation is fostering the energy storage research. Direct solar charging of an auspicious type of redox flow battery could make solar energy directly and efficiently dispatchable. The first solar aqueous alkaline redox flow battery using low cost and environmentally safe materials is demonstrated. The electrolytes consist of the redox couples ferrocyanide and anthraquinone-2,7-disulphonate in sodium hydroxide solution, yielding a standard cell potential of 0.74 V. Photovoltage enhancement strategies are demonstrated for the ferrocyanide-hematite junction by employing an annealing treatment and growing a layer of a conductive polyaniline polymer on the electrode surface, which decreases electron-hole recombination. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

An Aqueous Redox-Flow Battery with High Capacity and Power: The TEMPTMA/MV System.

Science.gov (United States)

Janoschka, Tobias; Martin, Norbert; Hager, Martin D; Schubert, Ulrich S

2016-11-07

Redox-flow batteries (RFB) can easily store large amounts of electric energy and thereby mitigate the fluctuating output of renewable power plants. They are widely discussed as energy-storage solutions for wind and solar farms to improve the stability of the electrical grid. Most common RFB concepts are based on strongly acidic metal-salt solutions or poorly performing organics. Herein we present a battery which employs the highly soluble N,N,N-2,2,6,6-heptamethylpiperidinyl oxy-4-ammonium chloride (TEMPTMA) and the viologen derivative N,N'-dimethyl-4,4-bipyridinium dichloride (MV) in a simple and safe aqueous solution as redox-active materials. The resulting battery using these electrolyte solutions has capacities of 54 Ah L -1 , giving a total energy density of 38 Wh L -1 at a cell voltage of 1.4 V. With peak current densities of up to 200 mA cm -2 the TEMPTMA/MV system is a suitable candidate for compact high-capacity and high-power applications. © 2016 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Electrolyte for stable cycling of high-energy lithium sulfur redox flow batteries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xiao, Jie; Liu, Jun; Pan, Huilin; Henderson, Wesley A.

2018-04-24

A device comprising: a lithium sulfur redox flow battery comprising an electrolyte composition comprising: (i) a dissolved Li₂S_x electroactive salt, wherein x.gtoreq.4; (ii) a solvent selected from dimethyl sulfoxide, tetrahydrofuran, or a mixture thereof; and (iii) a supporting salt at a concentration of at least 2 M, as measured by moles of supporting salt divided by the volume of the solvent without considering the volume change of the electrolyte after dissolving the supporting salt.

A numerical model for a thermally-regenerative ammonia-based flow battery using for low grade waste heat recovery

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Weiguang; Shu, Gequn; Tian, Hua; Zhu, Xiuping

2018-06-01

A stationary and a transient two-dimensional models, based on the universal conservation laws and coupled with electrochemical reactions, are firstly applied to describe a single thermally-regenerative ammonia-based flow battery (TR-AFB), and emphasis is placed on studying the effects of reactant concentrations, physical properties of the electrolyte, flow rates and geometric parameters of flow channels on the battery performance. The model includes several experimental parameters measured by cyclic voltammetry (CV), chronoamperometry (CA) and Tafel plot. The results indicate that increasing NH3 concentration has a decisive effect on the improvement of power production and is beneficial to use higher Cu2+ concentrations, but the endurance of membrane and self-discharge need to be considered at the same time. It is also suggested that appropriately reducing the initial Cu(NH3)42+ concentration can promote power and energy densities and mitigate cyclical fluctuation. The relation between the energy and power densities is given, and the models are validated by some experimental data.

Polymer Electrolytes for Lithium/Sulfur Batteries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

The Nam Long Doan

2012-08-01

Full Text Available This review evaluates the characteristics and advantages of employing polymer electrolytes in lithium/sulfur (Li/S batteries. The main highlights of this study constitute detailed information on the advanced developments for solid polymer electrolytes and gel polymer electrolytes, used in the lithium/sulfur battery. This includes an in-depth analysis conducted on the preparation and electrochemical characteristics of the Li/S batteries based on these polymer electrolytes.

An Approach Toward Replacing Vanadium: A Single Organic Molecule for the Anode and Cathode of an Aqueous Redox‐Flow Battery

Science.gov (United States)

Janoschka, Tobias; Friebe, Christian; Hager, Martin D.; Martin, Norbert

2017-01-01

Abstract By combining a viologen unit and a 2,2,6,6‐tetramethylpiperidin‐1‐oxyl (TEMPO) radical in one single combi‐molecule, an artificial bipolar redox‐active material, 1‐(4‐(((1‐oxyl‐2,2,6,6‐tetramethylpiperidin‐4‐yl)oxy)carbonyl)benzyl)‐1′‐methyl‐[4,4′‐bipyridine]‐1,1′‐diium‐chloride (VIOTEMP), was created that can serve as both the anode (−0.49 V) and cathode (0.67 V vs. Ag/AgCl) in a water‐based redox‐flow battery. While it mimics the redox states of flow battery metals like vanadium, the novel aqueous electrolyte does not require strongly acidic media and is best operated at pH 4. The electrochemical properties of VIOTEMP were investigated by using cyclic voltammetry, rotating disc electrode experiments, and spectroelectrochemical methods. A redox‐flow battery was built and the suitability of the material for both electrodes was demonstrated through a polarity‐inversion experiment. Thus, an organic aqueous electrolyte system being safe in case of cross contamination is presented. PMID:28413754

Investigation of power battery thermal management by using mini-channel cold plate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huo, Yutao; Rao, Zhonghao; Liu, Xinjian; Zhao, Jiateng

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Micro-channel cold plate was used for battery thermal management. • Maximum temperature of battery decreased with the increase of channel number. • Effect of flow direction on cooling performance is smaller with the increase of flow rate. • Cooling performance increased with the increase of inlet flow rate. • The increasing trend become smaller when the flow rate is high enough. - Abstract: In order to guarantee the safety and extend the cycle life of Li-ion power batteries within electric vehicles, a mini-channel cold plate-based battery thermal management system is designed to cool a rectangular Li-ion battery. A three-dimensional thermal model of the cooling system was established and the effects of number of channels, flow direction, inlet mass flow rate and ambient temperature on temperature rise and distribution of the battery during the discharge process were investigated. The results suggest that the maximum temperature of the battery decreases with increases in the number of channels and inlet mass flow rate. The effect of flow direction on cooling performance was smaller after mass flow rate increased. The cooling performance improved with the increase of inlet mass flow rate but the increasing trend became smaller, and the mass flow rate as 5 × 10 −4 kg s −1 was optimal. The simulation results will be useful for the design of mini-channel cold plate-based battery thermal management system

Preparation and characterization of hybrid Nafion/silica and Nafion/silica/PTA membranes for redox flow batteries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Glibin, V.; Pupkevich, V.; Svirko, L.; Karamanev, D. [Western Ontario Univ., London, ON (Canada). Dept. of Biochemical and Chemical Engineering

2008-07-01

Redox flow batteries are both efficient and cost-effective. However, the long-term stability of most ion-exchange membranes is limited as a result of the high oxidation rates of ions with high redox potentials. A method of synthesizing multi-component Nafion-silica and Nafion-silica-PTA membranes was presented in this study, which also investigated the electrochemical and ion transport properties of the membranes. Membranes were cast from dimethylformamide (DMFA) solution. The iron ion diffusion kinetics of the Nafion-silica and Nafion-silica PTA membranes were studied by dialysis. Results of the investigation demonstrated that the introduction of silica and phosphotungstic acid (PTA) into the Nafion membrane composition resulted in a significant decrease of ion transfer through the membrane. The addition of PTA also increased membrane permeability to ferric ions. The low iron diffusion coefficient and high ionic conductivity of the Nafion-silica membrane makes it a promising material for use in redox flow batteries. 4 refs., 1 tab., 1 fig.

Organic Redox Species in Aqueous Flow Batteries: Redox Potentials, Chemical Stability and Solubility

OpenAIRE

Kristina Wedege; Emil Dražević; Denes Konya; Anders Bentien

2016-01-01

Organic molecules are currently investigated as redox species for aqueous low-cost redox flow batteries (RFBs). The envisioned features of using organic redox species are low cost and increased flexibility with respect to tailoring redox potential and solubility from molecular engineering of side groups on the organic redox-active species. In this paper 33, mainly quinone-based, compounds are studied experimentially in terms of pH dependent redox potential, solubility and stability, combined ...

Integrating a dual-silicon photoelectrochemical cell into a redox flow battery for unassisted photocharging

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Liao, Shichao; Zong, Xu; Seger, Brian

2016-01-01

Solar rechargeable flow cells (SRFCs) provide an attractive approach for in situ capture and storage of intermittent solar energy via photoelectrochemical regeneration of discharged redox species for electricity generation. However, overall SFRC performance is restricted by inefficient photoelect......Solar rechargeable flow cells (SRFCs) provide an attractive approach for in situ capture and storage of intermittent solar energy via photoelectrochemical regeneration of discharged redox species for electricity generation. However, overall SFRC performance is restricted by inefficient...... photoelectrochemical reactions. Here we report an efficient SRFC based on a dual-silicon photoelectrochemical cell and a quinone/bromine redox flow battery for in situ solar energy conversion and storage. Using narrow bandgap silicon for efficient photon collection and fast redox couples for rapid interface charge...

Effect of L-glutamic acid on the positive electrolyte for all-vanadium redox flow battery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liang, Xinxing; Peng, Sui; Lei, Ying; Gao, Chao; Wang, Nanfang; Liu, Suqin; Fang, Dong

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Amino acid is used as additive for all-vanadium redox flow battery. ► The additive can significantly improve performance of positive electrolyte. ► Mechanism for the improvement is investigated. -- Abstract: L-Glutamic acid is used as an additive for the positive electrolyte of all-vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB), and its effect on the thermal stability and electrochemical activity is investigated. It is found that the addition of L-glutamic can significantly alleviate the precipitation of V 2 O 5 from positive electrolyte. The conservation rate of V(V) ion can be as high as 58% after 2 M V(V) solution being kept in 40 °C for 89 h. Besides, L-glutamic can also improve the mass transport and electrochemical performance of anolyte. A high coulombic efficiency of over 95% and energy efficiency of 74% are obtained. XPS spectra illustrate that L-glutamic can react with the surface of carbon felt electrode and introduce more oxygen-containing and nitrogen-containing groups, which should be responsible for the improvement of electrochemical performance

A review of nickel hydrogen battery technology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Smithrick, J.J.; O`Donnell, P.M. [NASA Lewis Research Center, Cleveland, OH (United States)

1995-12-31

This paper on nickel hydrogen batteries is an overview of the various nickel hydrogen battery design options, technical accomplishments, validation test results and trends. There is more than one nickel hydrogen battery design, each having its advantage for specific applications. The major battery designs are individual pressure vessel (IPV), common pressure vessel (CPV), bipolar and low pressure metal hydride. State-of-the-art (SOA) nickel hydrogen batteries are replacing nickel cadmium batteries in almost all geosynchronous orbit (GEO) applications requiring power above 1 kW. However, for the more severe low earth orbit (LEO) applications (>30,000 cycles), the current cycle life of 4,000 to 10,000 cycles at 60 percent DOD should be improved. A NASA Lewis Research Center innovative advanced design IPV nickel hydrogen cell led to a breakthrough in cycle life enabling LEO applications at deep depths of discharge (DOD). A trend for some future satellites is to increase the power level to greater than 6 kW. Another trend is to decrease the power to less than 1 kW for small low cost satellites. Hence, the challenge is to reduce battery mass, volume and cost. A key is to develop a light weight nickel electrode and alternate battery designs. A common pressure vessel (CPV) nickel hydrogen battery is emerging as a viable alternative to the IPV design. It has the advantage of reduced mass, volume and manufacturing costs. A 10 Ah CPV battery has successfully provided power on the relatively short lived Clementine Spacecraft.

Carbon-free Solid Dispersion LiCoO2 Redox Couple Characterization and Electrochemical Evaluation for All Solid Dispersion Redox Flow Batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qi, Zhaoxiang; Liu, Aaron L.; Koenig, Gary M.

2017-01-01

Highlights: • LiCoO 2 particles can be cycled in carbon-free and binder-free coin cells. • A carbon-free LiCoO 2 suspension is electrochemically oxidized and reduced. • Comparable size LiCoO 2 and Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 suspensions have similar rheological properties. • First demonstration of redox couples with solid suspensions for both electrodes. - Abstract: Semi-solid flow batteries have been reported to have among the highest energy densities for redox flow batteries, however, they rely on percolated carbon networks which increase the electrolyte viscosity significantly. We report the first demonstration of carbon-free redox flow couples comprised of dispersed lithium-ion battery active material suspensions, with sub-micrometer LiCoO 2 (LCO) particles at the cathode and Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 (LTO) particles at the anode. Both electrochemical and rheological properties of the LCO suspensions are reported and compared to previous reports for LTO dispersed electrochemical redox couples. An LTO anode and LCO cathode full cell was constructed and reversible electrochemical redox reaction of the dispersed particles was successfully demonstrated. This carbon-free dispersed lithium-ion active material full cell provides a proof-of-concept for a system that lies between the relatively high viscosity semi-solid flow cells with percolated carbon networks and the relatively low energy density conventional flow cells comprised of dissolved transition metals, providing a system for future study of the trade-off between energy density and viscosity for electrochemical flow cells that rely on solid active materials.

Comparative study for "36 V" vehicle applications: advantages of lead-acid batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Lailler, Patrick; Sarrau, Jean-François; Sarrazin, Christian

From thermal engine equipped vehicles to completely electric ones, evolution of light weight vehicles in the future will take several steps in so far as there is no adequate battery or fuel cell presently available to power these vehicles for "on the road" driving. On the other hand, for city driving, vehicles can be improved a lot in terms of fuel efficiency as well as air pollution, if partly or totally electric propulsion can be developed, manufactured and marketed for appropriate applications. The 36-42 V battery is part of this orientation towards improving the efficiency of thermal vehicles in city driving, while keeping adequate autonomy on the roads. Actually, in city traffic, thermal engines are idle most of the time and stop periods represent a large part of the time spent "driving", using up fuel and polluting air for no use at all. The idea of stopping the engine during these periods, if appropriately managed, might potentially lead to a large improvement in fuel economy as well as air pollution reduction. The association of a higher voltage battery to an alternator-starter device in thermal vehicles, seems to be an interesting way towards that end. In this paper, we are presenting our results of a study we have just completed in relationship with RENAULT & VALEO, supported by the French Ministry of Industry, concerning a comparative evaluation of different automobile energy storage systems, and the definition of specifications as the final step of this study. The main conclusion is that lead-acid will still remain dominant in this role, since its operational cost versus efficiency is by far the lowest of every battery presently considered, more particularly in the less expensive car segments.

Nanostructured Electrocatalysts for All-Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Minjoon; Ryu, Jaechan; Cho, Jaephil

2015-10-01

Vanadium redox reactions have been considered as a key factor affecting the energy efficiency of the all-vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs). This redox reaction determines the reaction kinetics of whole cells. However, poor kinetic reversibility and catalytic activity towards the V(2+)/V(3+) and VO(2+)/VO2(+) redox couples on the commonly used carbon substrate limit broader applications of VRFBs. Consequently, modified carbon substrates have been extensively investigated to improve vanadium redox reactions. In this Focus Review, recent progress on metal- and carbon-based nanomaterials as an electrocatalyst for VRFBs is discussed in detail, without the intention to provide a comprehensive review on the whole components of the system. Instead, the focus is mainly placed on the redox chemistry of vanadium ions at a surface of various metals, different dimensional carbons, nitrogen-doped carbon nanostructures, and metal-carbon composites. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Numerical studies of carbon paper-based vanadium redox flow batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Won, Seongyeon; Oh, Kyeongmin; Ju, Hyunchul

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT: This study analyzed theoretically the effects of a carbon paper (CP)-based electrode on the performance of a vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB). Compared to conventional carbon felt-based electrode materials, the CP-based electrode showed superior characteristics in facilitating the redox reactions of VO"2"+/VO_2"+ and V"2"+/V"3"+ couples, such as better electrochemical activity and higher electronic conductivity. A three-dimensional, non-isothermal VRFB model developed in a previous study was applied to a range of single cell structures equipped with CP-based electrodes and flow channels in the current collectors. The model was then validated using the experimental data measured under the CP- and channel-based VRFB geometries. The model successfully captured the experimental trend that showed a higher discharging performance with increasing number of CP layers used for each electrode. The simulation results clearly showed that the activation overpotentials in the electrodes were reduced significantly using more CP layers, which dominated over the effects of increased mass transport limitation of vanadium ions due to the thicker electrode.

Power Flow Distribution Strategy for Improved Power Electronics Energy Efficiency in Battery Storage Systems: Development and Implementation in a Utility-Scale System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael Schimpe

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Utility-scale battery storage systems typically consist of multiple smaller units contributing to the overall power dispatch of the system. Herein, the power distribution among these units is analyzed and optimized to operate the system with increased energy efficiency. To improve the real-life storage operation, a holistic system model for battery storage systems has been developed that enables a calculation of the energy efficiency. A utility-scale Second-Life battery storage system with a capacity of 3.3 MWh/3 MW is operated and evaluated in this work. The system is in operation for the provision of primary control reserve in combination with intraday trading for controlling the battery state of charge. The simulation model is parameterized with the system data. Results show that losses in power electronics dominate. An operational strategy improving the energy efficiency through an optimized power flow distribution within the storage system is developed. The power flow distribution strategy is based on the reduction of the power electronics losses at no-load/partial-load by minimizing their in-operation time. The simulation derived power flow distribution strategy is implemented in the real-life storage system. Field-test measurements and analysis prove the functionality of the power flow distribution strategy and reveal the reduction of the energy throughput of the units by 7%, as well as a significant reduction of energy losses in the units by 24%. The cost savings for electricity over the system’s lifetime are approximated to 4.4% of its investment cost.

Nanorod niobium oxide as powerful catalysts for an all vanadium redox flow battery.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Bin; Gu, Meng; Nie, Zimin; Wei, Xiaoliang; Wang, Chongmin; Sprenkle, Vincent; Wang, Wei

2014-01-08

A powerful low-cost electrocatalyst, nanorod Nb2O5, is synthesized using the hydrothermal method with monoclinic phases and simultaneously deposited on the surface of a graphite felt (GF) electrode in an all vanadium flow battery (VRB). Cyclic voltammetry (CV) study confirmed that Nb2O5 has catalytic effects toward redox couples of V(II)/V(III) at the negative side and V(IV)/V(V) at the positive side to facilitate the electrochemical kinetics of the vanadium redox reactions. Because of poor conductivity of Nb2O5, the performance of the Nb2O5 loaded electrodes is strongly dependent on the nanosize and uniform distribution of catalysts on GF surfaces. Accordingly, an optimal amount of W-doped Nb2O5 nanorods with minimum agglomeration and improved distribution on GF surfaces are established by adding water-soluble compounds containing tungsten (W) into the precursor solutions. The corresponding energy efficiency is enhanced by ∼10.7% at high current density (150 mA·cm(-2)) as compared with one without catalysts. Flow battery cyclic performance also demonstrates the excellent stability of the as prepared Nb2O5 catalyst enhanced electrode. These results suggest that Nb2O5-based nanorods, replacing expensive noble metals, uniformly decorating GFs holds great promise as high-performance electrodes for VRB applications.

Electrochemical investigation of uranium β-diketonates for all-uranium redox flow battery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamamura, Tomoo; Shiokawa, Yoshinobu; Yamana, Hajimu; Moriyama, Hirotake

2002-01-01

The redox flow battery using uranium as the negative and the positive active materials in polar aprotic solvents was proposed. In order to establish the guiding principle for the uranium compounds as the active materials, the investigation of uranium β-diketonate complexes was conducted on (i) the solubility of active materials, (ii) the electrode reaction of U(VI) and U(IV) β-diketonate complexes and (iii) the estimation of the open circuit voltage of the battery. The solubilities of higher than 0.8 mol dm -3 of U(VI) complexes and higher than 0.4 mol dm -3 of a U(IV) complex were obtained in the solvents. The electrode reactions of U(pta) 4 , UO 2 (dpm) 2 , UO 2 (fod) 2 and UO 2 (pta) 2 were first studied and the redox potentials of uranium β-diketonates were thermodynamically discussed. The open circuit voltage is estimated more than 1 V by using Hacac or Hdpm. The larger open circuit voltage is expected when a ligand with the larger basicity is used

Computational fluid dynamics modeling of a lithium/thionyl chloride battery with electrolyte flow

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gu, W.B.; Wang, C.Y.; Weidner, J.W.; Jungst, R.G.; Nagasubramanian, G.

2000-02-01

A two-dimensional model is developed to simulate discharge of a lithium/thionyl chloride primary battery. As in earlier one-dimensional models, the model accounts for transport of species and charge, and electrode porosity variations and electrolyte flow induced by the volume reduction caused by electrochemical reactions. Numerical simulations are performed using a finite volume method of computational fluid dynamics. The predicted discharge curves for various temperatures show good agreement with published experimental data, and are essentially identical to results published for one-dimensional models. The detailed two-dimensional flow simulations show that the electrolyte is replenished from the cell head space predominantly through the separator into the front of the cathode during most parts of the discharge, especially for higher cell temperatures.

Performance of a vanadium redox flow battery with tubular cell design

Science.gov (United States)

Ressel, Simon; Laube, Armin; Fischer, Simon; Chica, Antonio; Flower, Thomas; Struckmann, Thorsten

2017-07-01

We present a vanadium redox flow battery with a tubular cell design which shall lead to a reduction of cell manufacturing costs and the realization of cell stacks with reduced shunt current losses. Charge/discharge cycling and polarization curve measurements are performed to characterize the single test cell performance. A maximum current density of 70 mAcm-2 and power density of 142 Wl-1 (per cell volume) is achieved and Ohmic overpotential is identified as the dominant portion of the total cell overpotential. Cycling displays Coulomb efficiencies of ≈95% and energy efficiencies of ≈55%. During 113 h of operation a stable Ohmic cell resistance is observed.

Hierarchically structured nanocarbon electrodes for flexible solid lithium batteries

KAUST Repository

Wei, Di; Hiralal, Pritesh; Wang, Haolan; Emrah Unalan, Husnu; Rouvala, Markku; Alexandrou, Ioannis; Andrew, Piers; Ryhä nen, Tapani; Amaratunga, Gehan A.J.

2013-01-01

The ever increasing demand for storage of electrical energy in portable electronic devices and electric vehicles is driving technological improvements in rechargeable batteries. Lithium (Li) batteries have many advantages over other rechargeable

Recent Development of Nanocomposite Membranes for Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sang-Ho Cha

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The vanadium redox flow battery (VRB has received considerable attention due to its long cycle life, flexible design, fast response time, deep-discharge capability, and low pollution emissions in large-scale energy storage. The key component of VRB is an ion exchange membrane that prevents cross mixing of the positive and negative electrolytes by separating two electrolyte solutions, while allowing the conduction of ions. This review summarizes efforts in developing nanocomposite membranes with reduced vanadium ion permeability and improved proton conductivity in order to achieve high performance and long life of VRB systems. Moreover, functionalized nanocomposite membranes will be reviewed for the development of next-generation materials to further improve the performance of VRB, focusing on their properties and performance of VRB.

Graphite-graphite oxide composite electrode for vanadium redox flow battery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Wenyue; Liu Jianguo; Yan Chuanwei

2011-01-01

Highlights: → A new composite electrode is designed for vanadium redox flow battery (VRB). → The graphite oxide (GO) is used as electrode reactions catalyst. → The excellent electrode activity is attributed to the oxygen-containing groups attached on the GO surface. → A catalytic mechanism of the GO towards the redox reactions is presumed. - Abstract: A graphite/graphite oxide (GO) composite electrode for vanadium redox battery (VRB) was prepared successfully in this paper. The materials were characterized with X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The specific surface area was measured by the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller method. The redox reactions of [VO 2 ] + /[VO] 2+ and V 3+ /V 2+ were studied with cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The results indicated that the electrochemical performances of the electrode were improved greatly when 3 wt% GO was added into graphite electrode. The redox peak currents of [VO 2 ] + /[VO] 2+ and V 3+ /V 2+ couples on the composite electrode were increased nearly twice as large as that on the graphite electrode, and the charge transfer resistances of the redox pairs on the composite electrode are also reduced. The enhanced electrochemical activity could be ascribed to the presence of plentiful oxygen functional groups on the basal planes and sheet edges of the GO and large specific surface areas introduced by the GO.

A hydrogen-ferric ion rebalance cell operating at low hydrogen concentrations for capacity restoration of iron-chromium redox flow batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Zeng, Y. K.; Zhao, T. S.; Zhou, X. L.; Zou, J.; Ren, Y. X.

2017-06-01

To eliminate the adverse impacts of hydrogen evolution on the capacity of iron-chromium redox flow batteries (ICRFBs) during the long-term operation and ensure the safe operation of the battery, a rebalance cell that reduces the excessive Fe(III) ions at the positive electrolyte by using the hydrogen evolved from the negative electrolyte is designed, fabricated and tested. The effects of the flow field, hydrogen concentration and H2/N2 mixture gas flow rate on the performance of the hydrogen-ferric ion rebalance cell have been investigated. Results show that: i) an interdigitated flow field based rebalance cell delivers higher limiting current densities than serpentine flow field based one does; ii) the hydrogen utilization can approach 100% at low hydrogen concentrations (≤5%); iii) the apparent exchange current density of hydrogen oxidation reaction in the rebalance cell is proportional to the square root of the hydrogen concentration at the hydrogen concentration from 1.3% to 50%; iv) a continuous rebalance process is demonstrated at the current density of 60 mA cm-2 and hydrogen concentration of 2.5%. Moreover, the cost analysis shows that the rebalance cell is just approximately 1% of an ICRFB system cost.

Hybrid wind power balance control strategy using thermal power, hydro power and flow batteries

OpenAIRE

Gelažanskas, Linas; Baranauskas, Audrius; Gamage, Kelum A.A.; Ažubalis, Mindaugas

2016-01-01

The increased number of renewable power plants pose threat to power system balance. Their intermittent nature makes it very difficult to predict power output, thus either additional reserve power plants or new storage and control technologies are required. Traditional spinning reserve cannot fully compensate sudden changes in renewable energy power generation. Using new storage technologies such as flow batteries, it is feasible to balance the variations in power and voltage within very short...

Material and Energy Flows in the Production of Cathode and Anode Materials for Lithium Ion Batteries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dunn, Jennifer B. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States). Energy Systems Division; James, Christine [Michigan State Univ., East Lansing, MI (United States). Chemical Engineering and Materials Science Dept.; Gaines, Linda G. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States). Energy Systems Division; Gallagher, Kevin [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States). Chemical Sciences and Engineering Division

2014-09-30

The Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions and Energy use in Transportation (GREET) model has been expanded to include four new cathode materials that can be used in the analysis of battery-powered vehicles: lithium nickel cobalt manganese oxide (LiNi_0.4Co_0.2Mn_0.4O₂ [NMC]), lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO₄ [LFP]), lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO₂ [LCO]), and an advanced lithium cathode (0.5Li₂MnO₃∙0.5LiNi_0.44Co_0.25Mn_0.31O₂ [LMR-NMC]). In GREET, these cathode materials are incorporated into batteries with graphite anodes. In the case of the LMR-NMC cathode, the anode is either graphite or a graphite-silicon blend. This report documents the material and energy flows of producing each of these cathode and anode materials from raw material extraction through the preparation stage. For some cathode materials, we considered solid state and hydrothermal preparation methods. Further, we used Argonne National Laboratory’s Battery Performance and Cost (BatPaC) model to determine battery composition (e.g., masses of cathode, anode, electrolyte, housing materials) when different cathode materials were used in the battery. Our analysis concluded that cobalt- and nickel-containing compounds are the most energy intensive to produce.

Material and Energy Flows in the Production of Cathode and Anode Materials for Lithium Ion Batteries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dunn, Jennifer B. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); James, Christine [Michigan State Univ., East Lansing, MI (United States); Gaines, Linda [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Gallagher, Kevin [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Dai, Qiang [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Kelly, Jarod C. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)

2015-09-01

The Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions and Energy use in Transportation (GREET) model has been expanded to include four new cathode materials that can be used in the analysis of battery-powered vehicles: lithium nickel cobalt manganese oxide (LiNi_0.4Co_0.2Mn_0.4O₂ [NMC]), lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO₄ [LFP]), lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO₂ [LCO]), and an advanced lithium cathode (0.5Li₂MnO₃∙0.5LiNi_0.44Co_0.25Mn_0.31O₂ [LMR-NMC]). In GREET, these cathode materials are incorporated into batteries with graphite anodes. In the case of the LMR-NMC cathode, the anode is either graphite or a graphite-silicon blend. Lithium metal is also an emerging anode material. This report documents the material and energy flows of producing each of these cathode and anode materials from raw material extraction through the preparation stage. For some cathode materials, we considered solid state and hydrothermal preparation methods. Further, we used Argonne National Laboratory’s Battery Performance and Cost (BatPaC) model to determine battery composition (e.g., masses of cathode, anode, electrolyte, housing materials) when different cathode materials were used in the battery. Our analysis concluded that cobalt- and nickel-containing compounds are the most energy intensive to produce.

Integrated Inverter And Battery Charger

Science.gov (United States)

Rippel, Wally E.

1988-01-01

Circuit combines functions of dc-to-ac inversion (for driving ac motor in battery-powered vehicle) and ac-to-dc conversion (for charging battery from ac line when vehicle not in use). Automatically adapts to either mode. Design of integrated inverter/charger eliminates need for duplicate components, saves space, reduces weight and cost of vehicle. Advantages in other applications : load-leveling systems, standby ac power systems, and uninterruptible power supplies.

Efficient Electrolytes for Lithium–Sulfur Batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Angulakshmi, Natarajan; Stephan, Arul Manuel

2015-01-01

This review article mainly encompasses on the state-of-the-art electrolytes for lithium–sulfur batteries. Different strategies have been employed to address the issues of lithium–sulfur batteries across the world. One among them is identification of electrolytes and optimization of their properties for the applications in lithium–sulfur batteries. The electrolytes for lithium–sulfur batteries are broadly classified as (i) non-aqueous liquid electrolytes, (ii) ionic liquids, (iii) solid polymer, and (iv) glass-ceramic electrolytes. This article presents the properties, advantages, and limitations of each type of electrolytes. Also, the importance of electrolyte additives on the electrochemical performance of Li–S cells is discussed.

Efficient Electrolytes for Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Natarajan eAngulakshmi

2015-05-01

Full Text Available This review article mainly encompasses on the state-of-the-art electrolytes for lithium–sulfur batteries. Different strategies have been employed to address the issues of lithium-sulfur batteries across the world. One among them is identification of electrolytes and optimization of their properties for the applications in lithium-sulfur batteries. The electrolytes for lithium-sulfur batteries are broadly classified as (i non-aqueous liquid electrolytes, (ii ionic liquids, (iii solid polymer and (iv glass-ceramic electrolytes. This article presents the properties, advantages and limitations of each type of electrolytes. Also the importance of electrolyte additives on the electrochemical performance of Li-S cells is discussed.

Efficient Electrolytes for Lithium–Sulfur Batteries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Angulakshmi, Natarajan [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Politecnico di Torino, Turin (Italy); Stephan, Arul Manuel, E-mail: arulmanuel@gmail.com [Central Electrochemical Research Institute (CSIR-CECRI), Karaikudi (India)

2015-05-21

This review article mainly encompasses on the state-of-the-art electrolytes for lithium–sulfur batteries. Different strategies have been employed to address the issues of lithium–sulfur batteries across the world. One among them is identification of electrolytes and optimization of their properties for the applications in lithium–sulfur batteries. The electrolytes for lithium–sulfur batteries are broadly classified as (i) non-aqueous liquid electrolytes, (ii) ionic liquids, (iii) solid polymer, and (iv) glass-ceramic electrolytes. This article presents the properties, advantages, and limitations of each type of electrolytes. Also, the importance of electrolyte additives on the electrochemical performance of Li–S cells is discussed.

High-Performance Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries with Graphite Felt Electrodes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Trevor J. Davies

2018-01-01

Full Text Available A key objective in the development of vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs is the improvement of cell power density. At present, most commercially available VRFBs use graphite felt electrodes under relatively low compression. This results in a large cell ohmic resistance and limits the maximum power density. To date, the best performing VRFBs have used carbon paper electrodes, with high active area compression pressures, similar to that used in fuel cells. This article investigates the use of felt electrodes at similar compression pressures. Single cells are assembled using compression pressures of 0.2–7.5 bar and tested in a VRFB system. The highest cell compression pressure, combined with a thin Nafion membrane, achieved a peak power density of 669 mW cm−2 at a flow rate of 3.2 mL min−1 per cm2 of active area, more than double the previous best performance from a felt-VRFB. The results suggest that felt electrodes can compete with paper electrodes in terms of performance when under similar compression pressures, which should help guide electrode development and cell optimization in this important energy storage technology.

Gelled-electrolyte batteries for electric vehicles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tuphorn, H. (Accumulatorenfabrik Sonnenschein GmbH, Buedingen (Germany))

1992-09-15

Increasing problems of air pollution have pushed activities of electric vehicle projects world-wide and in spite of projects for developing new battery systems for high energy densities, today lead/acid batteries are almost the single system, ready for technical usage in this application. Valve-regulated lead/acid batteries with gelled electrolyte have the advantage that no maintenance is required and because the gel system does not cause problems with electrolyte stratification, no additional appliances for central filling or acid addition are required, which makes the system simple. Those batteries with high density active masses indicate high endurance results and field tests with 40 VW-CityStromers, equipped with 96 V/160 A h gel batteries with thermal management show good results during four years. In addition, gelled lead acid batteries possess superior high rate performance compared with conventional lead/acid batteries, which guarantees good acceleration results of the car and which makes the system recommendable for application in electric vehicles. (orig.).

Gelled-electrolyte batteries for electric vehicles

Science.gov (United States)

Tuphorn, Hans

Increasing problems of air pollution have pushed activities of electric vehicle projects worldwide and in spite of projects for developing new battery systems for high energy densities, today lead/acid batteries are almost the single system, ready for technical usage in this application. Valve-regulated lead/acid batteries with gelled electrolyte have the advantage that no maintenance is required and because the gel system does not cause problems with electrolyte stratification, no additional appliances for central filling or acid addition are required, which makes the system simple. Those batteries with high density active masses indicate high endurance results and field tests with 40 VW-CityStromers, equipped with 96 V/160 A h gel batteries with thermal management show good results during four years. In addition, gelled lead/acid batteries possess superior high rate performance compared with conventional lead/acid batteries, which guarantees good acceleration results of the car and which makes the system recommendable for application in electric vehicles.

Fuel Cell and Battery Powered Forklifts

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhang, Zhe; Mortensen, Henrik H.; Jensen, Jes Vestervang

2013-01-01

A hydrogen-powered materials handling vehicle with a fuel cell combines the advantages of diesel/LPG and battery powered vehicles. Hydrogen provides the same consistent power and fast refueling capability as diesel and LPG, whilst fuel cells provide energy efficient and zero emission Electric...... propulsion similar to batteries. In this paper, the performance of a forklift powered by PEM fuel cells and lead acid batteries as auxiliary energy source is introduced and investigated. In this electromechanical propulsion system with hybrid energy/power sources, fuel cells will deliver average power...

Mechanistic understanding of monosaccharide-air flow battery electrochemistry

Science.gov (United States)

Scott, Daniel M.; Tsang, Tsz Ho; Chetty, Leticia; Aloi, Sekotilani; Liaw, Bor Yann

Recently, an inexpensive monosaccharide-air flow battery configuration has been demonstrated to utilize a strong base and a mediator redox dye to harness electrical power from the partial oxidation of glucose. Here the mechanistic understanding of glucose oxidation in this unique glucose-air power source is further explored by acid-base titration experiments, 13C NMR, and comparison of results from chemically different redox mediators (indigo carmine vs. methyl viologen) and sugars (fructose vs. glucose) via studies using electrochemical techniques. Titration results indicate that gluconic acid is the main product of the cell reaction, as supported by evidence in the 13C NMR spectra. Using indigo carmine as the mediator dye and fructose as the energy source, an abiotic cell configuration generates a power density of 1.66 mW cm -2, which is greater than that produced from glucose under similar conditions (ca. 1.28 mW cm -2). A faster transition from fructose into the ene-diol intermediate than from glucose likely contributed to this difference in power density.

New developments in battery technology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gray, J

1982-01-01

Practical, high energy density alternatives to the lead-acid battery are considered for both vehicular and utility load-leveling use, in view of year 2000 potential markets. After demonstrating the high costs and low energy densities and life cycles of lead/acid, nickel/iron and nickel/zinc systems, as well as batteries using gaseous electrodes such as the nickel/hydrogen system employed by communication satellites and those taking advantage of light metals like lithium and sodium, a description is given of the design features and operational characteristics of the sodium/sulfur battery. Attention is given to both internal and external sodium volume battery configurations, both of which employ beta alumina as a solid electrolyte with high sodium ion conductivity, and molten sodium and sulfur at 350 C. It is the thermal insulation of the sodium/sulfur battery that makes its application to electric vehicles difficult, despite a very high energy density.

Vanadium Electrolyte Studies for the Vanadium Redox Battery-A Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Skyllas-Kazacos, Maria; Cao, Liuyue; Kazacos, Michael; Kausar, Nadeem; Mousa, Asem

2016-07-07

The electrolyte is one of the most important components of the vanadium redox flow battery and its properties will affect cell performance and behavior in addition to the overall battery cost. Vanadium exists in several oxidation states with significantly different half-cell potentials that can produce practical cell voltages. It is thus possible to use the same element in both half-cells and thereby eliminate problems of cross-contamination inherent in all other flow battery chemistries. Electrolyte properties vary with supporting electrolyte composition, state-of-charge, and temperature and this will impact on the characteristics, behavior, and performance of the vanadium battery in practical applications. This Review provides a broad overview of the physical properties and characteristics of the vanadium battery electrolyte under different conditions, together with a description of some of the processing methods that have been developed to produce vanadium electrolytes for vanadium redox flow battery applications. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Silicene for Na-ion battery applications

KAUST Repository

Zhu, Jiajie

2016-08-19

Na-ion batteries are promising candidates to replace Li-ion batteries in large scale applications because of the advantages in natural abundance and cost of Na. Silicene has potential as the anode in Li-ion batteries but so far has not received attention with respect to Na-ion batteries. In this context, freestanding silicene, a graphene-silicene-graphene heterostructure, and a graphene-silicene superlattice are investigated for possible application in Na-ion batteries, using first-principles calculations. The calculated Na capacities of 954mAh/g for freestanding silicene and 730mAh/g for the graphenesilicene superlattice (10% biaxial tensile strain) are highly competitive and potentials of >0.3 V against the Na/Na potential exceed the corresponding value of graphite. In addition, the diffusion barriers are predicted to be <0.3 eV.

Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Nanotube/Graphite Felts as Advanced Electrode Materials for Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Shuangyin; Zhao, Xinsheng; Cochell, Thomas; Manthiram, Arumugam

2012-08-16

Nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes have been grown, for the first time, on graphite felt (N-CNT/GF) by a chemical vapor deposition approach and examined as an advanced electrode for vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs). The unique porous structure and nitrogen doping of N-CNT/GF with increased surface area enhances the battery performance significantly. The enriched porous structure of N-CNTs on graphite felt could potentially facilitate the diffusion of electrolyte, while the N-doping could significantly contribute to the enhanced electrode performance. Specifically, the N-doping (i) modifies the electronic properties of CNT and thereby alters the chemisorption characteristics of the vanadium ions, (ii) generates defect sites that are electrochemically more active, (iii) increases the oxygen species on CNT surface, which is a key factor influencing the VRFB performance, and (iv) makes the N-CNT electrochemically more accessible than the CNT.

Numerical modelling of a bromide-polysulphide redox flow battery. Part 2: Evaluation of a utility-scale system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scamman, Daniel P.; Roberts, Edward P.L.; Reade, Gavin W.

2009-01-01

Numerical modelling of redox flow battery (RFB) systems allows the technical and commercial performance of different designs to be predicted without costly lab, pilot and full-scale testing. A numerical model of a redox flow battery was used in conjunction with a simple cost model incorporating capital and operating costs to predict the technical and commercial performance of a 120 MWh/15 MW utility-scale polysulphide-bromine (PSB) storage plant for arbitrage applications. Based on 2006 prices, the system was predicted to make a net loss of 0.45 p kWh -1 at an optimum current density of 500 A m -2 and an energy efficiency of 64%. The system was predicted to become economic for arbitrage (assuming no further costs were incurred) if the rate constants of both electrolytes could be increased to 10 -5 m s -1 , for example by using a suitable (low cost) electrocatalyst. The economic viability was found to be strongly sensitive to the costs of the electrochemical cells and the electrical energy price differential. (author)

Friedel-Crafts Crosslinked Highly Sulfonated Polyether Ether Ketone (SPEEK) Membranes for a Vanadium/Air Redox Flow Battery.

Science.gov (United States)

Merle, Géraldine; Ioana, Filipoi Carmen; Demco, Dan Eugen; Saakes, Michel; Hosseiny, Seyed Schwan

2013-12-30

Highly conductive and low vanadium permeable crosslinked sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (cSPEEK) membranes were prepared by electrophilic aromatic substitution for a Vanadium/Air Redox Flow Battery (Vanadium/Air-RFB) application. Membranes were synthesized from ethanol solution and crosslinked under different temperatures with 1,4-benzenedimethanol and ZnCl2 via the Friedel-Crafts crosslinking route. The crosslinking mechanism under different temperatures indicated two crosslinking pathways: (a) crosslinking on the sulfonic acid groups; and (b) crosslinking on the backbone. It was observed that membranes crosslinked at a temperature of 150 °C lead to low proton conductive membranes, whereas an increase in crosslinking temperature and time would lead to high proton conductive membranes. High temperature crosslinking also resulted in an increase in anisotropy and water diffusion. Furthermore, the membranes were investigated for a Vanadium/Air Redox Flow Battery application. Membranes crosslinked at 200 °C for 30 min with a molar ratio between 2:1 (mol repeat unit:mol benzenedimethanol) showed a proton conductivity of 27.9 mS/cm and a 100 times lower VO2+ crossover compared to Nafion.

Radioisotope battery for particular application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shen Tianjian; Liang Daihua; Cai Jianhua; Dai Zhimin; Xia Huihao; Wang Jianhua; Sun Sen; Yu Guojun; Wang Xiao; Wang Dongxing; Liu Xin

2010-01-01

Radioisotope battery, as a new type of power source, was developed in 1960s. It is advantageous in terms of long working life, high reliability, flexibility to rugged environment, maintenance free, and high capacity rate, hence its unique applications in space, isolated terrestrial or ocean spots, deep waters, and medicine. In this paper, we analysz the primary performances and classification of radioisotope thermoelectric generator, as well as characteristic, basic principle,and structure of radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG), which is the most popular in application of radioisotope battery in space, undersea, terrestrial and medicine. A prospect for development and application of radioisotope battery in the 21 st century is given, too. (authors)

Highly stable pyridinium-functionalized cross-linked anion exchange membranes for all vanadium redox flow batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Zeng, L.; Zhao, T. S.; Wei, L.; Zeng, Y. K.; Zhang, Z. H.

2016-11-01

It has recently been demonstrated that the use of anion exchange membranes (AEMs) in vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs) can reduce the migration of vanadium ions through the membrane due to the Donnan exclusion effect among the positively charged functional groups and vanadium ions. However, AEMs are plagued by low chemical stability in harsh chemical environments. Here we propose and fabricate a pyridinium-functionalized cross-linked AEM for VRFBs. The pyridinium-functionalized bromomethylated poly (2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide) exhibits a superior chemical stability as a result of the strengthened internal cross-linking networks and the chemical inertness of the polymer backbone. Therefore, the membrane exhibits littler decay in a harsh environment for 20 days during the course of an ex situ immersion test. A cycling test also demonstrates that the VRFB assembled with the membrane enable to retain 80% of the initial discharge capacity over 537 cycles with a capacity decay rate of 0.037% cycle-1. Meanwhile, the membrane also shows a low vanadium permeability and a reasonably high conductivity in supporting electrolytes. Hence, all the measurements and performance tests reported in this work suggest that the membrane is a promising AEM for redox flow batteries to achieve excellent cycling stability and superior cell performance.

Modeling for Battery Prognostics

Science.gov (United States)

Kulkarni, Chetan S.; Goebel, Kai; Khasin, Michael; Hogge, Edward; Quach, Patrick

2017-01-01

For any battery-powered vehicles (be it unmanned aerial vehicles, small passenger aircraft, or assets in exoplanetary operations) to operate at maximum efficiency and reliability, it is critical to monitor battery health as well performance and to predict end of discharge (EOD) and end of useful life (EOL). To fulfil these needs, it is important to capture the battery's inherent characteristics as well as operational knowledge in the form of models that can be used by monitoring, diagnostic, and prognostic algorithms. Several battery modeling methodologies have been developed in last few years as the understanding of underlying electrochemical mechanics has been advancing. The models can generally be classified as empirical models, electrochemical engineering models, multi-physics models, and molecular/atomist. Empirical models are based on fitting certain functions to past experimental data, without making use of any physicochemical principles. Electrical circuit equivalent models are an example of such empirical models. Electrochemical engineering models are typically continuum models that include electrochemical kinetics and transport phenomena. Each model has its advantages and disadvantages. The former type of model has the advantage of being computationally efficient, but has limited accuracy and robustness, due to the approximations used in developed model, and as a result of such approximations, cannot represent aging well. The latter type of model has the advantage of being very accurate, but is often computationally inefficient, having to solve complex sets of partial differential equations, and thus not suited well for online prognostic applications. In addition both multi-physics and atomist models are computationally expensive hence are even less suited to online application An electrochemistry-based model of Li-ion batteries has been developed, that captures crucial electrochemical processes, captures effects of aging, is computationally efficient

Effect of surface transport properties on the performance of carbon plastic electrodes for flow battery applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun, Xihe; Souier, Tewfik; Chiesa, Matteo; Vassallo, Anthony

2014-01-01

Due to their high electrical conductivity and corrosion resistance, carbon nanotube (MWNT)-high density polyethylene (HDPE) composites are potential candidates to replace traditional activated carbon electrodes for the next generation of fuel-cells, super capacitors and flow batteries. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) is employed to separate the surface conduction from bulk conduction in 15% HDPE-MWNT and 19% carbon black (CB)-HDPE composites for zinc-bromine flow battery electrodes. While exhibiting superior bulk conductivity, the interfacial conductivity of MWNT-filled composites is lower than that of CB-filled composites. High resolution conductive atomic force microscopy (C-AFM) imaging and current-voltage (I-V) spectroscopy were employed to investigate the sub-surface electronic transport of the composite. Unlike the CB-composite, the fraction of conducting MWNTs near the surface is very low compared to their volume fraction. In addition, the non-linear I-V curves reveal the presence of a tunneling junction between the tip and the polymer-coated MWNTs. The tunneling resistance is as high as 1 GΩ, which strongly affects the electronic/electrochemical transfer at the interface of the electrolyte and the surface of the composite, which is evident in the voltammetric and EIS observations

Lithium-air batteries: survey on the current status and perspectives towards automotive applications from a battery industry standpoint

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Myounggu; Sun, Heeyoung; Lee, Hyungbok; Lee, Junesoo [Battery R and D, SK Innovation, Wonchon-dong, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Cho, Jaephil [Interdisciplinary School of Green Energy, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan (Korea, Republic of)

2012-07-15

Li-air rechargeable batteries theoretically have advantages from both secondary batteries and fuel cells, which can be viewed as the best technological blends for automotive applications resolving the so called mileage anxiety problem due to the limited driving range of electrical vehicles based upon Li-ion batteries; this problem is rooted in the intrinsically small energy density of Li-ion batteries. This very scientific trait of Li-air batteries, which is apparently suited to the requirements of batteries for future electric vehicles, has induced quite a strong surge of research recently. This occurrence has motivated the authors to undertake a thorough review in an effort to understand the current status of Li-air battery related technologies. A comprehensive survey from a battery industry standpoint has been conducted on the fundamentals of chemistry, utilized Li-air cell configurations (or types) vs. performance, and major components comprising Li-air batteries using various sources of previously published peer-reviewed journal papers, book chapters, patents, and industrial reports. The survey results are presented here. (Copyright copyright 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

A high-performance dual-scale porous electrode for vanadium redox flow batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, X. L.; Zeng, Y. K.; Zhu, X. B.; Wei, L.; Zhao, T. S.

2016-09-01

In this work, we present a simple and cost-effective method to form a dual-scale porous electrode by KOH activation of the fibers of carbon papers. The large pores (∼10 μm), formed between carbon fibers, serve as the macroscopic pathways for high electrolyte flow rates, while the small pores (∼5 nm), formed on carbon fiber surfaces, act as active sites for rapid electrochemical reactions. It is shown that the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller specific surface area of the carbon paper is increased by a factor of 16 while maintaining the same hydraulic permeability as that of the original carbon paper electrode. We then apply the dual-scale electrode to a vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) and demonstrate an energy efficiency ranging from 82% to 88% at current densities of 200-400 mA cm-2, which is record breaking as the highest performance of VRFB in the open literature.

Effect of electrode intrusion on pressure drop and electrochemical performance of an all-vanadium redox flow battery

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, S.; Jayanti, S.

2017-08-01

In this paper, we present a study of the effect of electrode intrusion into the flow channel in an all-vanadium redox flow battery. Permeability, pressure drop and electrochemical performance have been measured in a cell with active area 100 cm2and 414 cm2 fitted with a carbon felt electrode of thickness of 3, 6 or 9 mm compressed to 1.5, 2.5 or 4 mm, respectively, during assembly. Results show that the pressure drop is significantly higher than what can be expected in the thick electrode case while its electrochemical performance is lower. Detailed flow analysis using computational fluid dynamics simulations in two different flow fields shows that both these results can be attributed to electrode intrusion into the flow channel leading to increased resistance to electrolyte flow through the electrode. A correlation is proposed to evaluate electrode intrusion depth as a function of compression.

Hierarchically structured nanocarbon electrodes for flexible solid lithium batteries

KAUST Repository

Wei, Di

2013-09-01

The ever increasing demand for storage of electrical energy in portable electronic devices and electric vehicles is driving technological improvements in rechargeable batteries. Lithium (Li) batteries have many advantages over other rechargeable battery technologies, including high specific energy and energy density, operation over a wide range of temperatures (-40 to 70. °C) and a low self-discharge rate, which translates into a long shelf-life (~10 years) [1]. However, upon release of the first generation of rechargeable Li batteries, explosions related to the shorting of the circuit through Li dendrites bridging the anode and cathode were observed. As a result, Li metal batteries today are generally relegated to non-rechargeable primary battery applications, because the dendritic growth of Li is associated with the charging and discharging process. However, there still remain significant advantages in realizing rechargeable secondary batteries based on Li metal anodes because they possess superior electrical conductivity, higher specific energy and lower heat generation due to lower internal resistance. One of the most practical solutions is to use a solid polymer electrolyte to act as a physical barrier against dendrite growth. This may enable the use of Li metal once again in rechargeable secondary batteries [2]. Here we report a flexible and solid Li battery using a polymer electrolyte with a hierarchical and highly porous nanocarbon electrode comprising aligned multiwalled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and carbon nanohorns (CNHs). Electrodes with high specific surface area are realized through the combination of CNHs with CNTs and provide a significant performance enhancement to the solid Li battery performance. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.

A Low-Cost and High-Performance Sulfonated Polyimide Proton-Conductive Membrane for Vanadium Redox Flow/Static Batteries.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jinchao; Yuan, Xiaodong; Liu, Suqin; He, Zhen; Zhou, Zhi; Li, Aikui

2017-09-27

A novel side-chain-type fluorinated sulfonated polyimide (s-FSPI) membrane is synthesized for vanadium redox batteries (VRBs) by high-temperature polycondensation and grafting reactions. The s-FSPI membrane has a vanadium ion permeability that is over an order of magnitude lower and has a proton selectivity that is 6.8 times higher compared to those of the Nafion 115 membrane. The s-FSPI membrane possesses superior chemical stability compared to most of the linear sulfonated aromatic polymer membranes reported for VRBs. Also, the vanadium redox flow/static batteries (VRFB/VRSB) assembled with the s-FSPI membranes exhibit stable battery performance over 100- and 300-time charge-discharge cycling tests, respectively, with significantly higher battery efficiencies and lower self-discharge rates than those with the Nafion 115 membranes. The excellent physicochemical properties and VRB performance of the s-FSPI membrane could be attributed to the specifically designed molecular structure with the hydrophobic trifluoromethyl groups and flexible sulfoalkyl pendants being introduced on the main chains of the membrane. Moreover, the cost of the s-FSPI membrane is only one-fourth that of the commercial Nafion 115 membrane. This work opens up new possibilities for fabricating high-performance proton-conductive membranes at low costs for VRBs.

A comparative study on the solubility and stability of p-phenylenediamine-based organic redox couples for non-aqueous flow batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Hyun-seung; Lee, Keon-Joon; Han, Young-Kyu; Ryu, Ji Heon; Oh, Seung M.

2017-04-01

A methyl-substituted p-phenylenediamine (PD), N,N,N‧,N‧-tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine (TMPD), is examined as a positive redox couple with high energy density for non-aqueous Li-flow batteries. Methyl substitution affects the solubility of the redox couple, as the solubility is increased by a factor of ten, to a maximum solubility of 5.0 M in 1.0 M lithium tetrafluoroborate-propylene carbonate supporting electrolyte due to elimination of the hydrogen bonding between the solute molecules. The methyl substitution also enhances the chemical stability of the cation radical and di-cation being generated from PD, as the redox center is shielded by the methyl groups. Furthermore, this organic redox couple demonstrate two-electron redox reactions at 3.2 and 3.8 V (vs. Li/Li+); therefore, the volumetric capacity is twice higher compared to conventional one-electron involved redox couples. In a non-flowing Li/TMPD coin-cell, this organic redox couple demonstrates very stable cycleability as a positive redox couple for non-aqueous flow batteries.

Advances and Future Challenges in Printed Batteries.

Science.gov (United States)

Sousa, Ricardo E; Costa, Carlos M; Lanceros-Méndez, Senentxu

2015-11-01

There is an increasing interest in thin and flexible energy storage devices to meet modern society's needs for applications such as radio frequency sensing, interactive packaging, and other consumer products. Printed batteries comply with these requirements and are an excellent alternative to conventional batteries for many applications. Flexible and microbatteries are also included in the area of printed batteries when fabricated using printing technologies. The main characteristics, advantages, disadvantages, developments, and printing techniques of printed batteries are presented and discussed in this Review. The state-of-the-art takes into account both the research and industrial levels. On the academic level, the research progress of printed batteries is divided into lithium-ion and Zn-manganese dioxide batteries and other battery types, with emphasis on the different materials for anode, cathode, and separator as well as in the battery design. With respect to the industrial state-of-the-art, materials, device formulations, and manufacturing techniques are presented. Finally, the prospects and challenges of printed batteries are discussed. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Zinc composite anode for batteries with solid electrolyte

Science.gov (United States)

Tedjar, F.; Melki, T.; Zerroual, L.

A new negative composite anode for batteries with a solid electrolyte is studied. Using a complex of zinc ammonium chloride mixed with zinc metal powder, the advantage of the Zn/Zn 2+ electrode ( e = -760 mV) is kept while the energy density and the shelf-life of the battery are increased.

Highly catalytic and stabilized titanium nitride nanowire array-decorated graphite felt electrodes for all vanadium redox flow batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, L.; Zhao, T. S.; Zeng, L.; Zeng, Y. K.; Jiang, H. R.

2017-02-01

In this work, we prepare a highly catalytic and stabilized titanium nitride (TiN) nanowire array-decorated graphite felt electrode for all vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs). Free-standing TiN nanowires are synthesized by a two-step process, in which TiO2 nanowires are first grown onto the surface of graphite felt via a seed-assisted hydrothermal method and then converted to TiN through nitridation reaction. When applied to VRFBs, the prepared electrode enables the electrolyte utilization and energy efficiency to be 73.9% and 77.4% at a high current density of 300 mA cm-2, which are correspondingly 43.3% and 15.4% higher than that of battery assembled with a pristine electrode. More impressively, the present battery exhibits good stability and high capacity retention during the cycle test. The superior performance is ascribed to the significant improvement in the electrochemical kinetics and enlarged active sites toward V3+/V2+ redox reaction.

Dual redox catalysts for oxygen reduction and evolution reactions: towards a redox flow Li-O2 battery.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Yun Guang; Jia, Chuankun; Yang, Jing; Pan, Feng; Huang, Qizhao; Wang, Qing

2015-06-11

A redox flow lithium-oxygen battery (RFLOB) by using soluble redox catalysts with good performance was demonstrated for large-scale energy storage. The new device enables the reversible formation and decomposition of Li2O2 via redox targeting reactions in a gas diffusion tank, spatially separated from the electrode, which obviates the passivation and pore clogging of the cathode.

One-Step Cationic Grafting of 4-Hydroxy-TEMPO and its Application in a Hybrid Redox Flow Battery with a Crosslinked PBI Membrane.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Zhenjun; Henkensmeier, Dirk; Chen, Ruiyong

2017-08-24

By using a one-step epoxide ring-opening reaction between 4-hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine 1-oxyl (4-hydroxy-TEMPO) and glycidyltrimethylammonium cation (GTMA + ), we synthesized a cation-grafted TEMPO (g + -TEMPO) and studied its electrochemical performance against a Zn 2+ /Zn anode in a hybrid redox flow battery. To conduct Cl - counter anions, a crosslinked methylated polybenzimidazole (PBI) membrane was prepared and placed between the catholyte and anolyte. Compared to 4-hydroxy-TEMPO, the positively charged g + - TEMPO exhibits enhanced reaction kinetics. Moreover, flow battery tests with g + -TEMPO show improved Coulombic, voltage, and energy efficiencies and cycling stability over 140 cycles. Crossover of active species through the membrane was not detected. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Zinc composite anode for batteries with solid electrolyte

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tedjar, F.; Melki, T.; Zerroual, L. (Setif Univ. (Algeria). Unite de Recherche Electrochimie)

1992-05-01

A new negative composite anode for batteries with a solid electrolyte is studied. Using a complex of zinc ammonium chloride mixed with zinc metal powder, the advantage of the Zn/Zn[sup 2+] electrode (e = -760 mV) is kept while the energy density and the shelf-life of the battery are increased. (orig.).

An improved PNGV modeling and SOC estimation for lithium iron phosphate batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Peng

2017-11-01

Because lithium iron phosphate battery has many advantages, it has been used more and more widely in the field of electric vehicle. The lithium iron phosphate battery, presents the improved PNGV model, and the batteries charge discharge characteristics and pulse charge discharge experiments, identification of parameters of the battery model by interpolation and least square fitting method, to achieve a more accurate modeling of lithium iron phosphate battery, and the extended Calman filter algorithm (EKF) is completed state nuclear power battery (SOC) estimate.

Degradation of all-vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFB) investigated by electrochemical impedance and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy: Part 2 electrochemical degradation

Science.gov (United States)

Derr, Igor; Bruns, Michael; Langner, Joachim; Fetyan, Abdulmonem; Melke, Julia; Roth, Christina

2016-09-01

Electrochemical degradation (ED) of carbon felt electrodes was investigated by cycling of a flow through all-vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) and conducting half-cell measurements with two reference electrodes inside the test bench. ED was detected using half-cell and full-cell electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) at different states of charge (SOC). Reversing the polarity of the battery to recover cell performance was performed with little success. Renewing the electrolyte after a certain amount of cycles restored the capacity of the battery. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) reveals that the amount of surface functional increases by more than a factor of 3 for the negative side as well as for the positive side. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images show a peeling of the fiber surface after cycling the felts, which leads to a loss of electrochemically active surface area (ECSA). Long term cycling shows that ED has a stronger impact on the negative half-cell [V(II)/V(III)] than the positive half-cell [V(IV)/V(V)] and that the negative half-cell is the rate-determining half-cell for the VRFB.

Solution casting Nafion/polytetrafluoroethylene membrane for vanadium redox flow battery application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Teng, Xiangguo; Sun, Cui; Dai, Jicui; Liu, Haiping; Su, Jing; Li, Faqiang

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Nafion/polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) blend membranes were prepared by solution casting method. ► The blend membranes were tested for vanadium redox flow battery (VRB) application. ► The blend membranes show lower vanadium ion permeability than that of recast Nafion membrane. ► In VRB single cell test, the blend membrane shows superior performances than that of pure recast Nafion. -- Abstract: Solution casting method was adopted using Nafion and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) solution to prepare Nafion/PTFE blend membranes for vanadium redox flow battery application. The physicochemical properties of the membranes were characterized by using water uptake, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and thermal analysis (TA). The electrochemical properties of the membranes were examined by using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and single cell test. Despite the high miscibility of PTFE with Nafion, the addition of hydrophobic PTFE reduces the water uptake, ion exchange capacity (IEC) and conductivity of blend membranes. But PTFE can increase the crystallinity, thermal stability of Nafion/PTFE membranes and reduce the vanadium permeability. The blend membrane with PTFE (30 wt%, N 0.7 P 0.3 ) was chosen and investigated for VRB single cell test. The energy efficiency of this VRB with N 0.7 P 0.3 membrane was 85.1% at current density of 50 mA cm −2 , which was superior to that of recast Nafion (r-Nafion) membrane (80.5%). Self-discharge test shows that the decay of open circuit potential of N 0.7 P 0.3 membrane is much lower than that of r-Nafion membrane. More than 50 cycles charge–discharge test proved that the N 0.7 P 0.3 membrane possesses high stability in long time running. Chemical stabilities of the chosen N 0.7 P 0.3 membrane are further proved by soaking the membrane for 3 weeks in highly oxidative V(V) solution. All results suggest that the addition of PTFE is a simple and effective way to

The effects of design parameters on the charge-discharge performance of iron-chromium redox flow batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zeng, Y.K.; Zhao, T.S.; Zhou, X.L.; Zeng, L.; Wei, L.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • The effects of design parameters on the ICRFB performance are investigated. • The energy efficiency of the present ICRFB reaches 80.5% at 480 mA cm"−"2. • The power density reaches 1077 and 694 mW cm"−"2 at 65 and 25 °C, respectively. • The dominant loss of ICRFBs operating at 25 and 65 °C is the ohmic loss. - Abstract: The objective of this work is to understand and identify key design parameters that influence the battery performance of iron-chromium redox flow batteries (ICRFBs). The investigated parameters include the membrane thickness, electrode compression ratio, electrode pretreatment and catalyst loading. Results show that: (i) with a thin NR-211 membrane and a high electrode compression ratio of 62.5%, the operating current density of the ICRFB can reach as high as 480 mA cm"−"2 at an energy efficiency of higher than 80%; (ii) the bismuth catalyst loading has insignificant effect on the battery performance in the range of 0.52–10.45 mg cm"−"2; (iii) the moderately oxidative thermal pretreatment of the electrode improves the energy efficiency compared to the as-received electrode while the electrode prepared with a harsh pretreatment deteriorates the battery performance; and (iv) for the present ICRFBs operating at both 25 °C and 65 °C, the dominant loss is identified to be ohmic loss rather than kinetics loss.

Friedel–Crafts Crosslinked Highly Sulfonated Polyether Ether Ketone (SPEEK Membranes for a Vanadium/Air Redox Flow Battery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Géraldine Merle

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Highly conductive and low vanadium permeable crosslinked sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone (cSPEEK membranes were prepared by electrophilic aromatic substitution for a Vanadium/Air Redox Flow Battery (Vanadium/Air-RFB application. Membranes were synthesized from ethanol solution and crosslinked under different temperatures with 1,4-benzenedimethanol and ZnCl2 via the Friedel–Crafts crosslinking route. The crosslinking mechanism under different temperatures indicated two crosslinking pathways: (a crosslinking on the sulfonic acid groups; and (b crosslinking on the backbone. It was observed that membranes crosslinked at a temperature of 150 °C lead to low proton conductive membranes, whereas an increase in crosslinking temperature and time would lead to high proton conductive membranes. High temperature crosslinking also resulted in an increase in anisotropy and water diffusion. Furthermore, the membranes were investigated for a Vanadium/Air Redox Flow Battery application. Membranes crosslinked at 200 °C for 30 min with a molar ratio between 2:1 (mol repeat unit:mol benzenedimethanol showed a proton conductivity of 27.9 mS/cm and a 100 times lower VO2+ crossover compared to Nafion.

Friedel–Crafts Crosslinked Highly Sulfonated Polyether Ether Ketone (SPEEK) Membranes for a Vanadium/Air Redox Flow Battery

Science.gov (United States)

Merle, Géraldine; Ioana, Filipoi Carmen; Demco, Dan Eugen; Saakes, Michel; Hosseiny, Seyed Schwan

2014-01-01

Highly conductive and low vanadium permeable crosslinked sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (cSPEEK) membranes were prepared by electrophilic aromatic substitution for a Vanadium/Air Redox Flow Battery (Vanadium/Air-RFB) application. Membranes were synthesized from ethanol solution and crosslinked under different temperatures with 1,4-benzenedimethanol and ZnCl2 via the Friedel–Crafts crosslinking route. The crosslinking mechanism under different temperatures indicated two crosslinking pathways: (a) crosslinking on the sulfonic acid groups; and (b) crosslinking on the backbone. It was observed that membranes crosslinked at a temperature of 150 °C lead to low proton conductive membranes, whereas an increase in crosslinking temperature and time would lead to high proton conductive membranes. High temperature crosslinking also resulted in an increase in anisotropy and water diffusion. Furthermore, the membranes were investigated for a Vanadium/Air Redox Flow Battery application. Membranes crosslinked at 200 °C for 30 min with a molar ratio between 2:1 (mol repeat unit:mol benzenedimethanol) showed a proton conductivity of 27.9 mS/cm and a 100 times lower VO2+ crossover compared to Nafion. PMID:24957118

Factors affecting the performance of the Zn-Ce redox flow battery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nikiforidis, Georgios; Cartwright, Rory; Hodgson, David; Hall, David; Berlouis, Leonard

2014-01-01

The Hull Cell was used to investigate the impact of current density j on the morphology and uniformity of zinc electrodeposited from a 2.5 mol dm −3 Zn 2+ solution in 1.5 mol dm −3 methanesulfonic acid at 40 °C onto carbon-composite surfaces. The range of the applied deposition current density used was between 1 mA cm −2 and 100 mA cm −2 . Good, robust deposits were obtained when j ≥ 10 mA cm 2 whereas at j's lower than this, patchy films formed due to the competing hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) on the bare carbon-composite surface. An understanding of these effects and its application in the redox flow battery enabled both the coulombic and cell potential efficiencies to be maintained at relatively high values, 90% and 69% respectively, indicating a successful inhibition of the HER on the fully formed Zn layer. Flow velocity at the low Reynolds number in the cell (Re <200) had little impact on the electrochemical cell performance. Depletion of the cerium species became an issue for long charge times

Modeling aluminum-air battery systems

Science.gov (United States)

Savinell, R. F.; Willis, M. S.

The performance of a complete aluminum-air battery system was studied with a flowsheet model built from unit models of each battery system component. A plug flow model for heat transfer was used to estimate the amount of heat transferred from the electrolyte to the air stream. The effect of shunt currents on battery performance was found to be insignificant. Using the flowsheet simulator to analyze a 100 cell battery system now under development demonstrated that load current, aluminate concentration, and electrolyte temperature are dominant variables controlling system performance. System efficiency was found to decrease as both load current and aluminate concentration increases. The flowsheet model illustrates the interdependence of separate units on overall system performance.

The Salty Science of the Aluminum-Air Battery

Science.gov (United States)

Chasteen, Stephanie V.; Chasteen, N. Dennis; Doherty, Paul

2008-01-01

Fruit batteries and saltwater batteries are excellent ways to explore simple circuits in the classroom. These are examples of air batteries in which metal reacts with oxygen in the air in order to generate free electrons, which flow through an external circuit and do work. Students are typically told that the salt or fruit water acts as an…

The testing of batteries linked to supercapacitors with electrochemical impedance spectroscopy: A comparison between Li-ion and valve regulated lead acid batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Ferg, Ernst; Rossouw, Claire; Loyson, Peter

2013-03-01

For electric vehicles, a supercapacitor can be coupled to the electrical system in order to increase and optimize the energy and power densities of the drive system during acceleration and regenerative breaking. This study looked at the charge acceptance and maximum discharge ability of a valve regulated lead acid (VRLA) and a Li-ion battery connected in parallel to supercapacitors. The test procedure evaluated the advantage of using a supercapacitor at a 2 F:1 Ah ratio with the battery types at various states of charge (SoC). The results showed that about 7% of extra charge was achieved over a 5-s test time for a Li-ion hybrid system at 20% SoC, whereas at the 80% SoC the additional capacity was approximately 16%. While for the VRLA battery hybrid system, an additional charge of up to 20% was achieved when the battery was at 80% SoC, with little or no benefit at the 20% SoC. The advantage of the supercapacitor in parallel with a VRLA battery was noticeable on its discharge ability, where significant extra capacity was achieved for short periods of time for a battery at the 60% and 40% SoC when compared to the Li-ion hybrid system. The study also made use of Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) with a suitable equivalent circuit model to explain, in particular, the internal resistance and capacitance differences observed between the different battery chemistries with and without a supercapacitor.

Liquid metal batteries - materials selection and fluid dynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Weier, T.; Bund, A.; El-Mofid, W.; Horstmann, G. M.; Lalau, C.-C.; Landgraf, S.; Nimtz, M.; Starace, M.; Stefani, F.; Weber, N.

2017-07-01

Liquid metal batteries are possible candidates for massive and economically feasible large-scale stationary storage and as such could be key components of future energy systems based mainly or exclusively on intermittent renewable electricity sources. The completely liquid interior of liquid metal batteries and the high current densities give rise to a multitude of fluid flow phenomena that will primarily influence the operation of future large cells, but might be important for today’s smaller cells as well. The paper at hand starts with a discussion of the relative merits of using molten salts or ionic liquids as electrolytes for liquid metal cells and touches the choice of electrode materials. This excursus into electrochemistry is followed by an overview of investigations on magnetohydrodynamic instabilities in liquid metal batteries, namely the Tayler instability and electromagnetically excited gravity waves. A section on electro-vortex flows complements the discussion of flow phenomena. Focus of the flow related investigations lies on the integrity of the electrolyte layer and related critical parameters.

Bioelectrocatalytic NAD+/NADH inter-conversion: transformation of an enzymatic fuel cell into an enzymatic redox flow battery.

Science.gov (United States)

Quah, Timothy; Milton, Ross D; Abdellaoui, Sofiene; Minteer, Shelley D

2017-07-25

Diaphorase and a benzylpropylviologen redox polymer were combined to create a bioelectrode that can both oxidize NADH and reduce NAD + . We demonstrate how bioelectrocatalytic NAD + /NADH inter-conversion can transform a glucose/O 2 enzymatic fuel cell (EFC) with an open circuit potential (OCP) of 1.1 V into an enzymatic redox flow battery (ERFB), which can be rapidly recharged by operation as an EFC.

Development of Integrally Molded Bipolar Plates for All-Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chih-Hsun Chang

2016-05-01

Full Text Available All-vanadium redox flow batteries (VRBs are potential energy storage systems for renewable power sources because of their flexible design, deep discharge capacity, quick response time, and long cycle life. To minimize the energy loss due to the shunt current, in a traditional design, a flow field is machined on two electrically insulated frames with a graphite plate in between. A traditional bipolar plate (BP of a VRB consists of many components, and thus, the assembly process is time consuming. In this study, an integrally molded BP is designed and fabricated to minimize the manufacturing cost. First, the effects of the mold design and injection parameters on frame formability were analyzed by simulation. Second, a new graphite plate design for integral molding was proposed, and finally, two integrally molded BPs were fabricated and compared. Results show that gate position significantly affects air traps and the maximum volume shrinkage occurs at the corners of a BP. The volume shrinkage can be reduced using a large graphite plate embedded within the frame.

Operando studies of all-vanadium flow batteries: Easy-to-make reference electrode based on silver-silver sulfate

Science.gov (United States)

Ventosa, Edgar; Skoumal, Marcel; Vázquez, Francisco Javier; Flox, Cristina; Morante, Joan Ramon

2014-12-01

In-depth evaluation of the electrochemical performance of all-vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs) under operando conditions requires the insertion of a reliable reference electrode in the battery cell. In this work, an easy-to-make reference electrode based on silver-silver sulfate is proposed and described for VRFBs. The relevance and feasibility of the information obtained by inserting the reference electrode is illustrated with the study of ammoxidized graphite felts. In this case, we show that the kinetic of the electrochemical reaction VO2+/VO2+ is slower than that of V2+/V3+ at the electrode. While the slow kinetics at the positive electrode limits the voltage efficiency, the operating potential of the negative electrode, which is outside the stability widow of water, reduces the coulombic efficiency due to the hydrogen evolution.

An enhancement to Vynnycky's model for the all-vanadium redox flow battery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Ching Liang; Yeoh, Hak Koon; Chakrabarti, Mohammed Harun

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Improvements are made on an existing 1-D stationary VRFB model. • Effects of species concentration and electrolyte flow rate are captured. • Predictions on charge-discharge curves are improved over existing 1-D model. - Abstract: An enhanced one-dimensional (1-D) stationary model for the all-vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) is developed based on an existing 1-D model proposed by Vynnycky [Energy, 36 (2011): 2242 – 2256]. The enhanced model incorporates species conservation equations along with an advection term to describe the concentration changes in the porous electrodes. In addition, a complete Nernst equation, which accounts for proton concentrations in the VRFB is also included to improve the cell voltage prediction without using any arbitrary fitting contact voltage. The enhanced 1-D model is validated against experimental data from the literature and the ability of the model to predict the cell performance is investigated. The cell voltage prediction shows significant improvement over Vynnycky's 1-D model and also compares surprisingly well with higher-dimensional models. This enhanced 1-D model is also capable of capturing the cell performance at different electrolyte flow rates, especially evidenced by the polarization curves. Using both the power based and round-trip efficiencies, the optimal electrolyte flow rate for the VRFB can be determined. This enhanced 1-D model is expected to serve as a useful design tool for the development and optimization of VRFB systems

Modelling the effects of oxygen evolution in the all-vanadium redox flow battery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al-Fetlawi, H.; Shah, A.A.; Walsh, F.C.

2010-01-01

The impact of oxygen evolution and bubble formation on the performance of an all-vanadium redox flow battery is investigated using a two-dimensional, non-isothermal model. The model is based on mass, charge, energy and momentum conservation, together with a kinetic model for the redox and gas-evolving reactions. The multi-phase mixture model is used to describe the transport of oxygen in the form of gas bubbles. Numerical simulations are compared to experimental data, demonstrating good agreement. Parametric studies are performed to investigate the effects of changes in the operating temperature, electrolyte flow rate and bubble diameter on the extent of oxygen evolution. Increasing the electrolyte flow rate is found to reduce the volume of the oxygen gas evolved in the positive electrode. A larger bubble diameter is demonstrated to increase the buoyancy force exerted on the bubbles, leading to a faster slip velocity and a lower gas volume fraction. Substantial changes are observed over the range of reported bubble diameters. Increasing the operating temperature was found to increase the gas volume as a result of the enhanced rate of O 2 evolution. The charge efficiency of the cell drops markedly as a consequence.

Computational Fluid Dynamics Modeling of a Lithium/Thionyl Chloride Battery with Electrolyte Flow

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gu, W.B.; Jungst, Rudolph G.; Nagasubramanian, Ganesan; Wang, C.Y.; Weidner, John.

1999-06-11

A two-dimensional model is developed to simulate discharge of a lithium/thionyl chloride primary battery. The model accounts for not only transport of species and charge, but also the electrode porosity variations and the electrolyte flow induced by the volume reduction caused by electrochemical reactions. Numerical simulations are performed using a finite volume method of computational fluid dynamics. The predicted discharge curves for various temperatures are compared to the experimental data with excellent agreement. Moreover, the simulation results. in conjunction with computer visualization and animation techniques, confirm that cell utilization in the temperature and current range of interest is limited by pore plugging or clogging of the front side of the cathode as a result of LiCl precipitation. The detailed two-dimensional flow simulation also shows that the electrolyte is replenished from the cell header predominantly through the separator into the front of the cathode during most parts of the discharge, especially for higher cell temperatures.

Room Temperature, Hybrid Sodium-Based Flow Batteries with Multi-Electron Transfer Redox Reactions

Science.gov (United States)

Shamie, Jack S.; Liu, Caihong; Shaw, Leon L.; Sprenkle, Vincent L.

2015-01-01

We introduce a new concept of hybrid Na-based flow batteries (HNFBs) with a molten Na alloy anode in conjunction with a flowing catholyte separated by a solid Na-ion exchange membrane for grid-scale energy storage. Such HNFBs can operate at ambient temperature, allow catholytes to have multiple electron transfer redox reactions per active ion, offer wide selection of catholyte chemistries with multiple active ions to couple with the highly negative Na alloy anode, and enable the use of both aqueous and non-aqueous catholytes. Further, the molten Na alloy anode permits the decoupled design of power and energy since a large volume of the molten Na alloy can be used with a limited ion-exchange membrane size. In this proof-of-concept study, the feasibility of multi-electron transfer redox reactions per active ion and multiple active ions for catholytes has been demonstrated. The critical barriers to mature this new HNFBs have also been explored. PMID:26063629

Lithium batteries and other electrochemical storage systems

CERN Document Server

Glaize, Christian

2013-01-01

Lithium batteries were introduced relatively recently in comparison to lead- or nickel-based batteries, which have been around for over 100 years. Nevertheless, in the space of 20 years, they have acquired a considerable market share - particularly for the supply of mobile devices. We are still a long way from exhausting the possibilities that they offer. Numerous projects will undoubtedly further improve their performances in the years to come. For large-scale storage systems, other types of batteries are also worthy of consideration: hot batteries and redox flow systems, for example.

Advanced Thermo-Adsorptive Battery: Advanced Thermo-Adsorptive Battery Climate Control System

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

2011-12-31

HEATS Project: MIT is developing a low-cost, compact, high-capacity, advanced thermoadsorptive battery (ATB) for effective climate control of EVs. The ATB provides both heating and cooling by taking advantage of the materials’ ability to adsorb a significant amount of water. This efficient battery system design could offer up as much as a 30% increase in driving range compared to current EV climate control technology. The ATB provides high-capacity thermal storage with little-to-no electrical power consumption. The ATB is also looking to explore the possibility of shifting peak electricity loads for cooling and heating in a variety of other applications, including commercial and residential buildings, data centers, and telecom facilities.

The Application of the EIS in Li-ion Batteries Measurement

Science.gov (United States)

Zhai, N. S.; Li, M. W.; Wang, W. L.; Zhang, D. L.; Xu, D. G.

2006-10-01

The measurement and determination of the lithium ion battery's electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and the application of EIS to battery classification are researched in this paper. The lithium ion battery gets extensive applications due to its inherent advantages over other batteries. For proper and sustainable performance, it is very necessary to check the uniformity of the lithium ion batteries. In this paper, the equivalent circuit of the lithium ion battery is analyzed; the design of hardware circuit based on DSP and software that calculates the EIS of the lithium ion battery is critically done and evaluated. The parameters of the lithium ion equivalent circuit are determined, the parameter values of li-ion equivalent circuit are achieved by least square method, and the application of Principal Component Analysis (CPA) to the battery classification is analyzed.

The Application of the EIS in Li-ion Batteries Measurement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhai, N S; Li, M W; Wang, W L; Zhang, D L; Xu, D G

2006-01-01

The measurement and determination of the lithium ion battery's electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and the application of EIS to battery classification are researched in this paper. The lithium ion battery gets extensive applications due to its inherent advantages over other batteries. For proper and sustainable performance, it is very necessary to check the uniformity of the lithium ion batteries. In this paper, the equivalent circuit of the lithium ion battery is analyzed; the design of hardware circuit based on DSP and software that calculates the EIS of the lithium ion battery is critically done and evaluated. The parameters of the lithium ion equivalent circuit are determined, the parameter values of li-ion equivalent circuit are achieved by least square method, and the application of Principal Component Analysis (CPA) to the battery classification is analyzed

Hybrid systems with lead-acid battery and proton-exchange membrane fuel cell

Science.gov (United States)

Jossen, Andreas; Garche, Juergen; Doering, Harry; Goetz, Markus; Knaupp, Werner; Joerissen, Ludwig

Hybrid systems, based on a lead-acid battery and a proton-exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) give the possibility to combine the advantages of both technologies. The benefits for different applications are discussed and the practical realisation of such systems is shown. Furthermore a numerical model for such a hybrid system is described and results are shown and discussed. The results show that the combination of lead-acid batteries and PEMFC shows advantages in case of applications with high peak power requirements (i.e. electric scooter) and applications where the fuel cell is used as auxiliary power supply to recharge the battery. The high efficiency of fuel cells at partial load operation results in a good fuel economy for recharging of lead-acid batteries with a fuel cell system.

Efficient and powerful batteries for driverless transportation systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1986-11-01

In driverless transportation systems batteries are playing an essential role. The capacitive operation or cycling of driverless systems require the use of different battery systems. Energy supply concepts have to be based on the perspective functional descriptions. The required data comprise full details on discharging processes (temporal current flows), intermediate and complete charging, ambient temperature ranges (which determine the type of battery to be used), and the minimum discharge voltage. Data on the exchange of batteries as well as on the maximum weight and volume of batteries complete the list of data. Any systems evaluation of the batteries to be used has to take account of the operating conditions.

Composite separators and redox flow batteries based on porous separators

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Bin; Wei, Xiaoliang; Luo, Qingtao; Nie, Zimin; Wang, Wei; Sprenkle, Vincent L.

2016-01-12

Composite separators having a porous structure and including acid-stable, hydrophilic, inorganic particles enmeshed in a substantially fully fluorinated polyolefin matrix can be utilized in a number of applications. The inorganic particles can provide hydrophilic characteristics. The pores of the separator result in good selectivity and electrical conductivity. The fluorinated polymeric backbone can result in high chemical stability. Accordingly, one application of the composite separators is in redox flow batteries as low cost membranes. In such applications, the composite separator can also enable additional property-enhancing features compared to ion-exchange membranes. For example, simple capacity control can be achieved through hydraulic pressure by balancing the volumes of electrolyte on each side of the separator. While a porous separator can also allow for volume and pressure regulation, in RFBs that utilize corrosive and/or oxidizing compounds, the composite separators described herein are preferable for their robustness in the presence of such compounds.

Integrated Photoelectrochemical Solar Energy Conversion and Organic Redox Flow Battery Devices

KAUST Repository

Li, Wenjie

2016-09-21

Building on regenerative photoelectrochemical solar cells and emerging electrochemical redox flow batteries (RFBs), more efficient, scalable, compact, and cost-effective hybrid energy conversion and storage devices could be realized. An integrated photoelectrochemical solar energy conversion and electrochemical storage device is developed by integrating regenerative silicon solar cells and 9,10-anthraquinone-2,7-disulfonic acid (AQDS)/1,2-benzoquinone-3,5-disulfonic acid (BQDS) RFBs. The device can be directly charged by solar light without external bias, and discharged like normal RFBs with an energy storage density of 1.15 Wh L−1 and a solar-to-output electricity efficiency (SOEE) of 1.7 % over many cycles. The concept exploits a previously undeveloped design connecting two major energy technologies and promises a general approach for storing solar energy electrochemically with high theoretical storage capacity and efficiency.

Fuzzy logic-based battery charge controller

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Daoud, A.; Midoun, A.

2006-01-01

Photovoltaic power system are generally classified according to their functional and operational requirements, their component configurations, and how the equipment is connected to other power sources and electrical loads, photovoltaic systems can be designed to provide DC and/or AC power service, can operate interconnected with or independent of the utility grid, and can be connected with other energy sources and energy storage systems. Batteries are often used in PV systems for the purpose of storing energy produced by the PV array during the day, and to supply it to electrical loads as needed (during the night and periods of cloudy weather). The lead acid battery, although know for more than one hundred years, has currently offered the best response in terms of price, energetic efficiency and lifetime. The main function of controller or regulator in PV system is too fully charge the battery without permitting overcharge while preventing reverse current flow at night. If a no-self-regulating solar array is connected to lead acid batteries with no overcharge protection, battery life will be compromised. Simple controllers contain a transistor that disconnects or reconnects the PV in the charging circuit once a pre-set voltage is reached. More sophisticated controllers utilize pulse with modulation (PWM) to assure the battery is being fully charged. The first 70% to 80% of battery capacity is easily replaced, but the last 20% to 30% requires more attention and therefore more complexity. This complexity is avoided by using a skilled operators experience in the form of the rules. Thus a fuzzy control system seeks to control the battery that cannot be controlled well by a conventional control such as PID, PD, PI etc., due to the unavailability of an accurate mathematical model of the battery. In this paper design of an intelligent battery charger, in which the control algorithm is implemented with fuzzy logic is discussed. The digital architecture is implemented with

Studies on membrane for redox flow battery. 9. Crosslinking of the membrane by the electron radiation and durability of the membrane

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohya, Haruhiko; Minamihira, Kazunori; Hwang, Gab-Jin; Kawahara, Takashi; Aihara, Masahiko; Negishi, Youichi; Kang, An-Soo.

1995-01-01

Chlorosulfonated homogeneous and asymmetric cation exchange membranes were tested as separators for the all-vanadium redox flow battery. The membrane was prepared by chlorosulfonation of the polyethylene film in vapour phase. In the case of the polyethylene film of 20 μm thickness used for the homogeneous membrane, area resistivity of 0.5 Ω · cm 2 in 2M KCl aq. solution was reached at 120 min. chlorosulfonation time. In the case of heat laminated 20 μm thick PE film on a neutral porous polyolefin film of 200 μm thickness used for the asymmetric membrane, a minimum area resistivity of 1 Ω · cm 2 in 2M KCl was achieved at 120 min. chlorosulfonation time. The performance evaluation of the membranes as separators in the all-vanadium redox flow battery was also measured. The area resistivity of the membranes in the measuring-cell using charge-discharge current density 63.7 mA/cm 2 was 1.4 Ω · cm 2 and 2.2 Ω · cm 2 for charge and discharge respectively for the homogeneous membrane, and 3.6 Ω · cm 2 and 4.3 Ω · cm 2 for charge discharge cycles respectively for the asymmetric membrane. The chlorosulfonated homogeneous cation exchange membrane was cross-linked by the electron radiation to improve durability of the membrane. The crosslinked membrane which has the high degree of cross-linking, did not shown the mechanical breakage by swelling or shrinking in the acidic vanadium solution, but its area resistivity in the all-vanadium redox flow battery was increased. (author)

Design and research on discharge performance for aluminum-air battery

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Zu; Zhao, Junhong; Cai, Yanping; Xu, Bin

2017-01-01

As a kind of clean energy, the research of aluminum air battery is carried out because aluminum-air battery has advantages of high specific energy, silence and low infrared. Based on the research on operating principle of aluminum-air battery, a novel aluminum-air battery system was designed composed of aluminum-air cell and the circulation system of electrolyte. A system model is established to analyze the polarization curve, the constant current discharge performance and effect of electrolyte concentration on the performance of monomer. The experimental results show that the new energy aluminum-air battery has good discharge performance, which lays a foundation for its application.

ETK's experience in the application of VRLA batteries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Klaric, I. [Ericsson Nikola Tesla d.d., Zagreb (Croatia)

2000-07-01

This paper presents the experience of the company Ericsson Nikola Tesla (ETK) in the application of VRLA batteries. After a short comment on conventional lead acid batteries, the paper explains the reasons for introduction of VRLA batteries and presents our experience considering their quality, performance, hydrogen evolution, safety, service life etc. Stress is put on some internal and external factors which affect useful life, such as positive grid corrosion, ambient temperature and charging voltage. ETK also gained experience in relation to adaptation of some UPS systems to VRLA batteries. The article concludes with the list of important advantages and disadvantages of VRLA batteries compared with the flooded ones. (orig.)

The Application of the EIS in Li-ion Batteries Measurement

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhai, N S [Shenzhen Graduate School, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen (China); Li, M W [Shenzhen Graduate School, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen (China); Wang, W L [Shenzhen BPL instrument Ltd., Shenzhen (China); Zhang, D L [Shenzhen Graduate School, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen (China); Xu, D G [Electrical Engineering and Automation School, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin (China)

2006-10-15

The measurement and determination of the lithium ion battery's electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and the application of EIS to battery classification are researched in this paper. The lithium ion battery gets extensive applications due to its inherent advantages over other batteries. For proper and sustainable performance, it is very necessary to check the uniformity of the lithium ion batteries. In this paper, the equivalent circuit of the lithium ion battery is analyzed; the design of hardware circuit based on DSP and software that calculates the EIS of the lithium ion battery is critically done and evaluated. The parameters of the lithium ion equivalent circuit are determined, the parameter values of li-ion equivalent circuit are achieved by least square method, and the application of Principal Component Analysis (CPA) to the battery classification is analyzed.

Battery charging stations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bergey, M.

1997-12-01

This paper discusses the concept of battery charging stations (BCSs), designed to service rural owners of battery power sources. Many such power sources now are transported to urban areas for recharging. A BCS provides the opportunity to locate these facilities closer to the user, is often powered by renewable sources, or hybrid systems, takes advantage of economies of scale, and has the potential to provide lower cost of service, better service, and better cost recovery than other rural electrification programs. Typical systems discussed can service 200 to 1200 people, and consist of stations powered by photovoltaics, wind/PV, wind/diesel, or diesel only. Examples of installed systems are presented, followed by cost figures, economic analysis, and typical system design and performance numbers.

"Wine-Dark Sea" in an Organic Flow Battery: Storing Negative Charge in 2,1,3-Benzothiadiazole Radicals Leads to Improved Cyclability

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Duan, Wentao; Huang, Jinhua; Kowalski, Jeffrey A.; Shkrob, Ilya A.; Vijayakumar, M.; Walter, Eric; Pan, Baofei; Yang, Zheng; Milshtein, Jarrod D.; Li, Bin; Liao, Chen; Zhang, Zhengcheng; Wang, Wei; Liu, Jun; Moore, Jeffery S.; Brushett, Fikile R.; Zhang, Lu; Wei, Xiaoliang

2017-04-19

A highly soluble, readily accessible, redox-active organic material, 2,1,3-benzothiadiazole, is demonstrated as a novel anolyte material to enable exceptional cyclability in a full-cell organic redox flow battery. This material discovery represents a significant progress toward promising next-generation energy storage.

An alternative low-loss stack topology for vanadium redox flow battery: Comparative assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Moro, Federico; Trovò, Andrea; Bortolin, Stefano; Del, Davide, , Col; Guarnieri, Massimo

2017-02-01

Two vanadium redox flow battery topologies have been compared. In the conventional series stack, bipolar plates connect cells electrically in series and hydraulically in parallel. The alternative topology consists of cells connected in parallel inside stacks by means of monopolar plates in order to reduce shunt currents along channels and manifolds. Channelled and flat current collectors interposed between cells were considered in both topologies. In order to compute the stack losses, an equivalent circuit model of a VRFB cell was built from a 2D FEM multiphysics numerical model based on Comsol®, accounting for coupled electrical, electrochemical, and charge and mass transport phenomena. Shunt currents were computed inside the cells with 3D FEM models and in the piping and manifolds by means of equivalent circuits solved with Matlab®. Hydraulic losses were computed with analytical models in piping and manifolds and with 3D numerical analyses based on ANSYS Fluent® in the cell porous electrodes. Total losses in the alternative topology resulted one order of magnitude lower than in an equivalent conventional battery. The alternative topology with channelled current collectors exhibits the lowest shunt currents and hydraulic losses, with round-trip efficiency higher by about 10%, as compared to the conventional topology.

Electrocatalysis in the vanadium redox flow battery and coupling the redox flow battery with the fuel cell

OpenAIRE

Britz, Anette Beata

2015-01-01

In den Redox-Fluss-Batterien (RFB) bilden die Funktionskomponenten: Elektrode, Membran und Elektrolyt die limitierenden Faktoren für die Leistung der Batterie. Als Elektrodenmaterial werden kohlenstoffbasierte Materialien verwendet. Durch geeignete Modifizierung dieser Elektroden kann die Stromdichte sowie die Energieeffizienz verbessert werden. Die richtige Wahl der Membran kann einem Kapazitätsverlust während der Lade- und Entladezyklen entgegenwirken. In dieser Arbeit wurden die Funktio...

Bioleaching of spent Ni-Cd batteries by continuous flow system: Effect of hydraulic retention time and process load

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao Ling; Yang Dong; Zhu Nanwen

2008-01-01

Spent Ni-Cd batteries bring a severe environmental problem that needs to be solved urgently. A novel continuous flow two-step leaching system based on bioleaching was introduced to dissolve heavy metals in batteries. It consists of an acidifying reactor which was used to culture indigenous thiobacilli and a leaching reactor which was used to leach metals from spent batteries. The indigenous acidophilic thiobacilli in sewage sludge was used as the microorganisms and the sludge itself as culture medium. Bioleaching tests at different hydraulic retention time (HRT) and process load in the leaching reactor were performed. The results showed that the longer the HRT (1, 3, 6, 9 and 15 days) was, the more time required to achieve the complete leaching of Ni, Cd and Co. The maximum dissolution of cadmium and cobalt was achieved at higher pH values (3.0-4.5) while the leaching of nickel hydroxide and nickel in metallic form (Ni 0 ) were obtained separately in different acidity (pH 2.5-3.5). It cost about 25, 30 and more than 40 days to remove all of the three heavy metals with the process load of two, four and eight Ni-Cd batteries under the conditions that the ingoing bio-sulphuric acid was 1 L d -1 and HRT was 3 days

Bioleaching of spent Ni-Cd batteries by continuous flow system: effect of hydraulic retention time and process load.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Ling; Yang, Dong; Zhu, Nan-Wen

2008-12-30

Spent Ni-Cd batteries bring a severe environmental problem that needs to be solved urgently. A novel continuous flow two-step leaching system based on bioleaching was introduced to dissolve heavy metals in batteries. It consists of an acidifying reactor which was used to culture indigenous thiobacilli and a leaching reactor which was used to leach metals from spent batteries. The indigenous acidophilic thiobacilli in sewage sludge was used as the microorganisms and the sludge itself as culture medium. Bioleaching tests at different hydraulic retention time (HRT) and process load in the leaching reactor were performed. The results showed that the longer the HRT (1, 3, 6, 9 and 15 days) was, the more time required to achieve the complete leaching of Ni, Cd and Co. The maximum dissolution of cadmium and cobalt was achieved at higher pH values (3.0-4.5) while the leaching of nickel hydroxide and nickel in metallic form (Ni0) were obtained separately in different acidity (pH 2.5-3.5). It cost about 25, 30 and more than 40 days to remove all of the three heavy metals with the process load of two, four and eight Ni-Cd batteries under the conditions that the ingoing bio-sulphuric acid was 1Ld(-1) and HRT was 3 days.

Bioleaching of spent Ni-Cd batteries by continuous flow system: Effect of hydraulic retention time and process load

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhao Ling; Yang Dong [School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240 (China); Zhu Nanwen [School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240 (China)], E-mail: nwzhu@sina.com

2008-12-30

Spent Ni-Cd batteries bring a severe environmental problem that needs to be solved urgently. A novel continuous flow two-step leaching system based on bioleaching was introduced to dissolve heavy metals in batteries. It consists of an acidifying reactor which was used to culture indigenous thiobacilli and a leaching reactor which was used to leach metals from spent batteries. The indigenous acidophilic thiobacilli in sewage sludge was used as the microorganisms and the sludge itself as culture medium. Bioleaching tests at different hydraulic retention time (HRT) and process load in the leaching reactor were performed. The results showed that the longer the HRT (1, 3, 6, 9 and 15 days) was, the more time required to achieve the complete leaching of Ni, Cd and Co. The maximum dissolution of cadmium and cobalt was achieved at higher pH values (3.0-4.5) while the leaching of nickel hydroxide and nickel in metallic form (Ni{sup 0}) were obtained separately in different acidity (pH 2.5-3.5). It cost about 25, 30 and more than 40 days to remove all of the three heavy metals with the process load of two, four and eight Ni-Cd batteries under the conditions that the ingoing bio-sulphuric acid was 1 L d{sup -1} and HRT was 3 days.

The Salty Science of the Aluminum-Air Battery

Science.gov (United States)

Chasteen, Stephanie V.; Chasteen, N. Dennis; Doherty, Paul

2008-12-01

Fruit batteries and saltwater batteries are excellent ways to explore simple circuits in the classroom. These are examples of air batteries in which metal reacts with oxygen in the air in order to generate free electrons, which flow through an external circuit and do work. Students are typically told that the salt or fruit water acts as an electrolyte to bring electrons from the anode to the cathode. That's true, but it leaves the battery as a black box. Physics teachers often don't have the background to explain the chemistry behind these batteries. We've written this paper to explore the electrochemistry behind an air battery using copper cathode, aluminum anode, and saltwater.

Hydrogen evolution at the negative electrode of the all-vanadium redox flow batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Che-Nan; Delnick, Frank M.; Baggetto, Loïc; Veith, Gabriel M.; Zawodzinski, Thomas A.

2014-02-01

This work demonstrates a quantitative method to determine the hydrogen evolution rate occurring at the negative carbon electrode of the all vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB). Two carbon papers examined by buoyancy measurements yield distinct hydrogen formation rates (0.170 and 0.005 μmol min-1 g-1). The carbon papers have been characterized using electron microscopy, nitrogen gas adsorption, capacitance measurement by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). We find that the specific electrochemical surface area (ECSA) of the carbon material has a strong influence on the hydrogen generation rate. This is discussed in light of the use of high surface area material to obtain high reaction rates in the VRFB.

Optimized batteries for cars with dual electrical architecture

Science.gov (United States)

Douady, J. P.; Pascon, C.; Dugast, A.; Fossati, G.

During recent years, the increase in car electrical equipment has led to many problems with traditional starter batteries (such as cranking failure due to flat batteries, battery cycling etc.). The main causes of these problems are the double function of the automotive battery (starter and service functions) and the difficulties in designing batteries well adapted to these two functions. In order to solve these problems a new concept — the dual-concept — has been developed with two separate batteries: one battery is dedicated to the starter function and the other is dedicated to the service function. Only one alternator charges the two batteries with a separation device between the two electrical circuits. The starter battery is located in the engine compartment while the service battery is located at the rear of the car. From the analysis of new requirements, battery designs have been optimized regarding the two types of functions: (i) a small battery with high specific power for the starting function; for this function a flooded battery with lead-calcium alloy grids and thin plates is proposed; (ii) for the service function, modified sealed gas-recombinant batteries with cycling and deep-discharge ability have been developed. The various advantages of the dual-concept are studied in terms of starting reliability, battery weight, and voltage supply. The operating conditions of the system and several dual electrical architectures have also been studied in the laboratory and the car. The feasibility of the concept is proved.

The lightest organic radical cation for charge storage in redox flow batteries.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Jinhua; Pan, Baofei; Duan, Wentao; Wei, Xiaoliang; Assary, Rajeev S; Su, Liang; Brushett, Fikile R; Cheng, Lei; Liao, Chen; Ferrandon, Magali S; Wang, Wei; Zhang, Zhengcheng; Burrell, Anthony K; Curtiss, Larry A; Shkrob, Ilya A; Moore, Jeffrey S; Zhang, Lu

2016-08-25

In advanced electrical grids of the future, electrochemically rechargeable fluids of high energy density will capture the power generated from intermittent sources like solar and wind. To meet this outstanding technological demand there is a need to understand the fundamental limits and interplay of electrochemical potential, stability, and solubility in low-weight redox-active molecules. By generating a combinatorial set of 1,4-dimethoxybenzene derivatives with different arrangements of substituents, we discovered a minimalistic structure that combines exceptional long-term stability in its oxidized form and a record-breaking intrinsic capacity of 161 mAh/g. The nonaqueous redox flow battery has been demonstrated that uses this molecule as a catholyte material and operated stably for 100 charge/discharge cycles. The observed stability trends are rationalized by mechanistic considerations of the reaction pathways.

Overview of battery technology for HEV

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Smets, S.; Debal, P.; Conte, V.; Alaküla, M.; Santini, D.; Duvall, M.; Winkel, R.; Badin, F.

2006-01-01

Several electric energy storage systems exist with different principles and characteristics. On the other hand, there are also various hybrid electric vehicles with specific requirements. This paper gives an overview of the advantages/disadvantages and practical aspects of battery technologies and

Tuning the Perfluorosulfonic Acid Membrane Morphology for Vanadium Redox-Flow Batteries.

Science.gov (United States)

Vijayakumar, M; Luo, Qingtao; Lloyd, Ralph; Nie, Zimin; Wei, Xiaoliang; Li, Bin; Sprenkle, Vincent; Londono, J-David; Unlu, Murat; Wang, Wei

2016-12-21

The microstructure of perfluorinated sulfonic acid proton-exchange membranes such as Nafion significantly affects their transport properties and performance in a vanadium redox-flow battery (VRB). In this work, Nafion membranes with various equivalent weights ranging from 1000 to 1500 are prepared and the morphology-property-performance relationship is investigated. NMR and small-angle X-ray scattering studies revealed their composition and morphology variances, which lead to major differences in key transport properties related to proton conduction and vanadium-ion permeation. Their performances are further characterized as VRB membranes. On the basis of this understanding, a new perfluorosulfonic acid membrane is designed with optimal pore geometry and thickness, leading to higher ion selectivity and lower cost compared with the widely used Nafion 115. Excellent VRB single-cell performance (89.3% energy efficiency at 50 mA·cm -2 ) was achieved along with a stable cyclical capacity over prolonged cycling.

Integrated Photoelectrochemical Solar Energy Conversion and Organic Redox Flow Battery Devices.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Wenjie; Fu, Hui-Chun; Li, Linsen; Cabán-Acevedo, Miguel; He, Jr-Hau; Jin, Song

2016-10-10

Building on regenerative photoelectrochemical solar cells and emerging electrochemical redox flow batteries (RFBs), more efficient, scalable, compact, and cost-effective hybrid energy conversion and storage devices could be realized. An integrated photoelectrochemical solar energy conversion and electrochemical storage device is developed by integrating regenerative silicon solar cells and 9,10-anthraquinone-2,7-disulfonic acid (AQDS)/1,2-benzoquinone-3,5-disulfonic acid (BQDS) RFBs. The device can be directly charged by solar light without external bias, and discharged like normal RFBs with an energy storage density of 1.15 Wh L -1 and a solar-to-output electricity efficiency (SOEE) of 1.7 % over many cycles. The concept exploits a previously undeveloped design connecting two major energy technologies and promises a general approach for storing solar energy electrochemically with high theoretical storage capacity and efficiency. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Cobalt(II) complexes with azole-pyridine type ligands for non-aqueous redox-flow batteries: Tunable electrochemistry via structural modification

Science.gov (United States)

Armstrong, Craig G.; Toghill, Kathryn E.

2017-05-01

A single species redox flow battery employing a new class of cobalt(II) complexes with 'tunable' tridentate azole-pyridine type ligands is reported. Four structures were synthesised and their electrochemical, physical and battery characteristics were investigated as a function of successive substitution of the ligand terminal pyridyl donors. The Co(II/I) and Co(III/II) couples are stable and quasi-reversible on gold and glassy carbon electrodes, however redox potentials are tunable allowing the cobalt potential difference to be preferentially increased from 1.07 to 1.91 V via pyridine substitution with weaker σ-donating/π-accepting 3,5-dimethylpyrazole groups. The charge-discharge properties of the system were evaluated using an H-type glass cell and graphite rod electrodes. The complexes delivered high Coulombic efficiencies of 89.7-99.8% and very good voltaic efficiencies of 70.3-81.0%. Consequently, energy efficiencies are high at 63.1-80.8%, marking an improvement on other similar non-aqueous systems. Modification of the ligands also improved solubility from 0.18 M to 0.50 M via pyridyl substitution with 3,5-dimethylpyrazole, though the low solubility of the complexes limits the overall energy capacity to between 2.58 and 12.80 W h L-1. Preliminary flow cell studies in a prototype flow cell are also demonstrated.

Redox-assisted Li+-storage in lithium-ion batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang Qizhao; Wang Qing

2016-01-01

Interfacial charge transfer is the key kinetic process dictating the operation of lithium-ion battery. Redox-mediated charge propagations of the electronic (e − and h + ) and ionic species (Li + ) at the electrode–electrolyte interface have recently gained increasing attention for better exploitation of battery materials. This article briefly summarises the energetic and kinetic aspects of lithium-ion batteries, and reviews the recent progress on various redox-assisted Li + storage approaches. From molecular wiring to polymer wiring and from redox targeting to redox flow lithium battery, the role of redox mediators and the way of the redox species functioning in lithium-ion batteries are discussed. (topical review)

Integrating a dual-silicon photoelectrochemical cell into a redox flow battery for unassisted photocharging.

Science.gov (United States)

Liao, Shichao; Zong, Xu; Seger, Brian; Pedersen, Thomas; Yao, Tingting; Ding, Chunmei; Shi, Jingying; Chen, Jian; Li, Can

2016-05-04

Solar rechargeable flow cells (SRFCs) provide an attractive approach for in situ capture and storage of intermittent solar energy via photoelectrochemical regeneration of discharged redox species for electricity generation. However, overall SFRC performance is restricted by inefficient photoelectrochemical reactions. Here we report an efficient SRFC based on a dual-silicon photoelectrochemical cell and a quinone/bromine redox flow battery for in situ solar energy conversion and storage. Using narrow bandgap silicon for efficient photon collection and fast redox couples for rapid interface charge injection, our device shows an optimal solar-to-chemical conversion efficiency of ∼5.9% and an overall photon-chemical-electricity energy conversion efficiency of ∼3.2%, which, to our knowledge, outperforms previously reported SRFCs. The proposed SRFC can be self-photocharged to 0.8 V and delivers a discharge capacity of 730 mAh l(-1). Our work may guide future designs for highly efficient solar rechargeable devices.

“Wine-Dark Sea” in an Organic Flow Battery: Storing Negative Charge in 2,1,3-Benzothiadiazole Radicals Leads to Improved Cyclability

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Duan, Wentao [Joint Center for Energy Storage Research, Argonne, IL (United States); Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Huang, Jinhua [Joint Center for Energy Storage Research, Argonne, IL (United States); Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Kowalski, Jeffrey A. [Joint Center for Energy Storage Research, Argonne, IL (United States); Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States); Shkrob, Ilya A. [Joint Center for Energy Storage Research, Argonne, IL (United States); Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Vijayakumar, M. [Joint Center for Energy Storage Research, Argonne, IL (United States); Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Walter, Eric [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Pan, Baofei [Joint Center for Energy Storage Research, Argonne, IL (United States); Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Yang, Zheng [Joint Center for Energy Storage Research, Argonne, IL (United States); Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Milshtein, Jarrod D. [Joint Center for Energy Storage Research, Argonne, IL (United States); Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States); Li, Bin [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Liao, Chen [Joint Center for Energy Storage Research, Argonne, IL (United States); Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Zhang, Zhengcheng [Joint Center for Energy Storage Research, Argonne, IL (United States); Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Wang, Wei [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Liu, Jun [Joint Center for Energy Storage Research, Argonne, IL (United States); Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Moore, Jeffery S. [Joint Center for Energy Storage Research, Argonne, IL (United States); Univ. of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL (United States); Brushett, Fikile R. [Joint Center for Energy Storage Research, Argonne, IL (United States); Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States); Zhang, Lu [Joint Center for Energy Storage Research, Argonne, IL (United States); Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Wei, Xiaoliang [Joint Center for Energy Storage Research, Argonne, IL (United States); Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

2017-04-24

Redox-active organic materials (ROMs) have shown great promise for redox flow battery applications but generally encounter limited cycling efficiency and stability at relevant redox material concentrations in nonaqueous systems. Here we report a new heterocyclic organic anolyte molecule, 2,1,3-benzothiadiazole, that has high solubility, a low redox potential, and fast electrochemical kinetics. Coupling it with a benchmark catholyte ROM, the nonaqueous organic flow battery demonstrated significant improvement in cyclable redox material concentrations and cell efficiencies compared to the state-of-the-art nonaqueous systems. Especially, this system produced exceeding cyclability with relatively stable efficiencies and capacities at high ROM concentrations (>0.5 M), which is ascribed to the highly delocalized charge densities in the radical anions of 2,1,3-benzothiadiazole, leading to good chemical stability. As a result, this material development represents significant progress toward promising next-generation energy storage.

Advances of aqueous rechargeable lithium-ion battery: A review

Science.gov (United States)

Alias, Nurhaswani; Mohamad, Ahmad Azmin

2015-01-01

The electrochemical characteristic of the aqueous rechargeable lithium-ion battery has been widely investigated in efforts to design a green and safe technology that can provide a highly specific capacity, high efficiency and long life for high power applications such as the smart grid and electric vehicle. It is believed that the advantages of this battery will overcome the limitations of the rechargeable lithium-ion battery with organic electrolytes that comprise safety and create high fabrication cost issues. This review focuses on the opportunities of the aqueous rechargeable lithium-ion battery compared to the conventional rechargeable lithium-ion battery with organic-based electrolytes. Previously reported studies are briefly summarised, together with the presentation of new findings based on the conductivity, morphology, electrochemical performance and cycling stability results. The factors that influence the electrochemical performance, the challenges and potential of the aqueous rechargeable lithium-ion battery are highlighted in order to understand and maintained the excellent battery performance.

A Micro-Grid Battery Storage Management

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mahat, Pukar; Escribano Jiménez, Jorge; Moldes, Eloy Rodríguez

2013-01-01

An increase in number of distributed generation (DG) units in power system allows the possibility of setting-up and operating micro-grids. In addition to a number of technical advantages, micro-grid operation can also reduce running costs by optimally scheduling the generation and/or storage...... systems under its administration. This paper presents an optimized scheduling of a micro-grid battery storage system that takes into account the next-day forecasted load and generation profiles and spot electricity prices. Simulation results show that the battery system can be scheduled close to optimal...

Characterization testing of a 40 Ahr bipolar nickel hydrogen battery

Science.gov (United States)

Brewer, Jeffrey C.; Manzo, Michelle A.; Gahn, Randall F.

1989-01-01

In a continuing effort to develop NiH2 bipolar technology to a point where it can be used efficiently in space flight, testing of a second 40 Ahr, 10-cell bipolar battery has begun. This battery has undergone extensive characterization testing to determine the effects of such operating parameters as charge and discharge rates, temperature, and pressure. The fundamental design of this actively cooled bipolar battery is the same as the first battery. Most of the individual components, however, are from different manufacturers. Different testing procedures as well as certain unique battery characteristics make it difficult to directly compare the two sets of results. In general, the performance of this battery throughout characterization produced expected results. The main differences seen between the first and second batteries occurred during the high-rate discharge portion of the test matrix. The first battery also had poor high-rate discharge results, although better than those of the second battery. Minor changes were made to the battery frame design used for the first battery in an attempt to allow better gas access to the reaction sites for the second build and hopefully improve performance. The changes, however, did not improve the performance of the second battery and could have possibly contributed to the poorer performance that was observed. There are other component differences that could have contributed to the poorer performance of the second battery. The H2 electrode in the second battery was constructed with a Goretex backing which could have limited the high-rate current flow. The gas screen in the second battery had a larger mesh which again could have limited the high-rate current flow. Small scale 2 x 2 batteries are being tested to evaluate the effects of the component variations.

THE PROBLEM OF MONITORING AND BALANCING OF VEHICLE BATTERIES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aleksandr Inshakov

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The use of electrochemical energy storage units is becoming more common, and they are subject to new requirements for increasing the time of electrical supply for power equipment. In some cases, batteries serve as the main electric power unit working under reserved electric load and on the electric drive of the vehicle. The article discusses the features of using batteries as a part of electrical equipment for the agricultural vehicles. When creating high-capicity batteries trhrough connecting some batteries in series and parallel circuits, there are a number of features caused by variations of the parameters of the elements. Materials and Methods The object of research is methods of monitoring and balancing touch batteries are connected in series and there is no possibility or desirability of their disconnection for individual balancing. In the development of methods and devices used in general engineering approaches to the development of technical devices. Results It is necessary to find the causes affecting the energy characteristics and service life of the battery to increase it. During research we have found a need for monitoring and control of battery status, which allow solving the problems of divergence of containers, the internal resistance and leakage of individual batteries. Temperature of the battery is an important indicator to control it. Balancing the battery system and monitoring systems are needed to provide a uniform charge of individual cells, regardless of the variation parameters. Discussion and Conclusions There are different variants of balancing systems, each of which has its own advantages and disadvantages. The article gives examples of the construction of five alignment sys¬tems stress on the individual cells of the battery. The criteria for selection for the current passive balancing method using shunt resistors, and are a diagram of an improved pas¬sive way of balancing. Considered and the basic advantages and

Circulating current battery heater

Science.gov (United States)

Ashtiani, Cyrus N.; Stuart, Thomas A.

2001-01-01

A circuit for heating energy storage devices such as batteries is provided. The circuit includes a pair of switches connected in a half-bridge configuration. Unidirectional current conduction devices are connected in parallel with each switch. A series resonant element for storing energy is connected from the energy storage device to the pair of switches. An energy storage device for intermediate storage of energy is connected in a loop with the series resonant element and one of the switches. The energy storage device which is being heated is connected in a loop with the series resonant element and the other switch. Energy from the heated energy storage device is transferred to the switched network and then recirculated back to the battery. The flow of energy through the battery causes internal power dissipation due to electrical to chemical conversion inefficiencies. The dissipated power causes the internal temperature of the battery to increase. Higher internal temperatures expand the cold temperature operating range and energy capacity utilization of the battery. As disclosed, either fixed frequency or variable frequency modulation schemes may be used to control the network.

New Mechanism for the Reduction of Vanadyl Acetylacetonate to Vanadium Acetylacetonate for Room Temperature Flow Batteries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shamie, Jack S. [Department of Mechanical, Materials and Aerospace Engineering, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago Illinois 60616 USA; Liu, Caihong [Department of Mechanical, Materials and Aerospace Engineering, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago Illinois 60616 USA; Shaw, Leon L. [Department of Mechanical, Materials and Aerospace Engineering, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago Illinois 60616 USA; Sprenkle, Vincent L. [Energy Storage and Conversion Energy Materials, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland WA 99352 USA

2016-12-29

In this study, a new mechanism for the reduction of vanadyl acetylacetonate, VO(acac)2, to vanadium acetylacetonate, V(acac)3, is introduced. V(acac)3 has been studied for use in redox flow batteries (RFBs) for some time; however, contamination by moisture leads to the formation of VO(acac)2. In previous work, once this transformation occurs, it is no longer reversible because there is a requirement for extreme low potentials for the reduction to occur. Here, we propose that, in the presence of excess acetylacetone (Hacac) and free protons (H+), the reduction can take place between 2.25 and 1.5 V versus Na/Na+ via a one-electron-transfer reduction. This reduction can take place in situ during discharge in a novel hybrid Na-based flow battery (HNFB) with a molten Na–Cs alloy as the anode. The in situ recovery of V(acac)3 during discharge is shown to allow the Coulombic efficiency of the HNFB to be ≈100 % with little or no capacity decay over cycles. In addition, utilizing two-electron-transfer redox reactions (i.e., V3+/V4+ and V2+/V3+ redox couples) per V ion to increase the energy density of RFBs becomes possible owing to the in situ recovery of V(acac)3 during discharge. The concept of in situ recovery of material can lead to more advances in maintaining the cycle life of RFBs in the future.

Sulfonated poly(tetramethydiphenyl ether ether ketone) membranes for vanadium redox flow battery application

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mai, Zhensheng; Bi, Cheng; Dai, Hua [PEMFC Key Materials and Technology Laboratory, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongshan Road 457, Dalian 116023 (China); Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100039 (China); Zhang, Huamin; Li, Xianfeng [PEMFC Key Materials and Technology Laboratory, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongshan Road 457, Dalian 116023 (China)

2011-01-01

Sulfonated poly(tetramethydiphenyl ether ether ketone) (SPEEK) with various degree of sulfonation is prepared and first used as ion exchange membrane for vanadium redox flow battery (VRB) application. The vanadium ion permeability of SPEEK40 membrane is one order of magnitude lower than that of Nafion 115 membrane. The low cost SPEEK membranes exhibit a better performance than Nafion at the same operating condition. VRB single cells with SPEEK membranes show very high energy efficiency (>84%), comparable to that of the Nafion, but at much higher columbic efficiency (>97%). In the self-discharge test, the duration of the cell with the SPEEK membrane is two times longer than that with Nafion 115. The membrane keeps a stable performance after 80-cycles charge-discharge test. (author)

Flexible fiber batteries for applications in smart textiles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qu, Hang; Skorobogatiy, Maksim; Semenikhin, Oleg

2015-01-01

In this paper, we demonstrate flexible fiber-based Al–NaOCl galvanic cells fabricated using fiber drawing process. Aluminum and copper wires are used as electrodes, and they are introduced into the fiber structure during drawing of the low-density polyethylene microstructured jacket. NaOCl solution is used as electrolyte, and it is introduced into the battery after the drawing process. The capacity of a 1 m long fiber battery is measured to be ∼10 mAh. We also detail assembly and optimization of the electrical circuitry in the energy-storing fiber battery textiles. Several examples of their applications are presented including lighting up an LED, driving a wireless mouse and actuating a screen with an integrated shape-memory nitinol wire. The principal advantages of the presented fiber batteries include: ease of fabrication, high flexibility, simple electrochemistry and use of widely available materials in the battery design. (paper)

Quantacell: powerful charging of quantum batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Binder, Felix C; Vinjanampathy, Sai; Modi, Kavan; Goold, John

2015-01-01

We study the problem of charging a quantum battery in finite time. We demonstrate an analytical optimal protocol for the case of a single qubit. Extending this analysis to an array of N qubits, we demonstrate that an N-fold advantage in power per qubit can be achieved when global operations are permitted. The exemplary analytic argument for this quantum advantage in the charging power is backed up by numerical analysis using optimal control techniques. It is demonstrated that the quantum advantage for power holds when, with cyclic operation in mind, initial and final states are required to be separable. (paper)

Effectively suppressing vanadium permeation in vanadium redox flow battery application with modified Nafion membrane with nacre-like nanoarchitectures

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Lesi; Ling, Ling; Xiao, Min; Han, Dongmei; Wang, Shuanjin; Meng, Yuezhong

2017-06-01

A novel self-assembled composite membrane, Nafion-[PDDA/ZrP]n with nacre-like nanostructures was successfully fabricated by a layer-by-layer (LbL) method and used as proton exchange membrane for vanadium redox flow battery applications. Poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA) with positive charges and zirconium phosphate (ZrP) nanosheets with negative charges can form ultra-thin nacre-like nanostructure on the surface of Nafion membrane via the ionic crosslinking of tightly folded macromolecules. The lamellar structure of ZrP nanosheets and Donnan exclusion effect of PDDA can greatly decrease the vanadium ion permeability and improve the selectivity of proton conductivity. The fabricated Nafion-[PDDA/ZrP]4 membrane shows two orders of magnitude lower vanadium ion permeability (1.05 × 10-6 cm2 min-1) and 12 times higher ion selectivity than those of pristine Nafion membrane at room temperature. Consequently, the performance of vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs) assembled with Nafion-[PDDA/ZrP]3 membrane achieved a highly coulombic efficiency (CE) and energy efficiency (EE) together with a very slow self-discharge rate. When comparing with pristine Nafion VRFB, the CE and EE values of Nafion-[PDDA/ZrP]3 VRFB are 10% and 7% higher at 30 mA cm-2, respectively.

Advanced Battery Manufacturing (VA)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stratton, Jeremy

2012-09-30

LiFeBATT has concentrated its recent testing and evaluation on the safety of its batteries. There appears to be a good margin of safety with respect to overheating of the cells and the cases being utilized for the batteries are specifically designed to dissipate any heat built up during charging. This aspect of LiFeBATT’s products will be even more fully investigated, and assuming ongoing positive results, it will become a major component of marketing efforts for the batteries. LiFeBATT has continued to receive prismatic 20 Amp hour cells from Taiwan. Further testing continues to indicate significant advantages over the previously available 15 Ah cells. Battery packs are being assembled with battery management systems in the Danville facility. Comprehensive tests are underway at Sandia National Laboratory to provide further documentation of the advantages of these 20 Ah cells. The company is pursuing its work with Hybrid Vehicles of Danville to critically evaluate the 20 Ah cells in a hybrid, armored vehicle being developed for military and security applications. Results have been even more encouraging than they were initially. LiFeBATT is expanding its work with several OEM customers to build a worldwide distribution network. These customers include a major automotive consulting group in the U.K., an Australian maker of luxury off-road campers, and a number of makers of E-bikes and scooters. LiFeBATT continues to explore the possibility of working with nations that are woefully short of infrastructure. Negotiations are underway with Siemens to jointly develop a system for using photovoltaic generation and battery storage to supply electricity to communities that are not currently served adequately. The IDA has continued to monitor the progress of LiFeBATT’s work to ensure that all funds are being expended wisely and that matching funds will be generated as promised. The company has also remained current on all obligations for repayment of an IDA loan and lease

Development of a Novel Iodine-Vitamin C/Vanadium Redox Flow Battery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Mei-Ling; Huang, Shu-Ling; Hsieh, Chin-Lung; Lee, Jan- Yen; Tsai, Tz-Jiun

2014-01-01

A novel (I + /I 2 )/vitamin C vs. V 4+ /V 5+ semi-vanadium redox flow battery (semi-VRFB) with iodine, vitamin C, and V 4+ /V 5+ redox couples, using multiple electrodes was investigated. The electrodes, Ni-P/carbon paper and Ni-P/TiO 2 /carbon paper, were modified by the electroless plating method and sol-gel process. The electrochemical characteristics and the performance of the semi-VRFB were verified by the cyclic voltammetry method and a charge-discharge test. This study shows modified electrodes can improve the reversibility and symmetry of the oxidation-reduction reaction of the semi-VRFB system, and effectively raise its storage ability. The coulomb efficiency of the semi-VRFB system is close to 96%, which is higher than the all-VRFB. The semi-VRFB system can reduce the amount of vanadium salt, therefore, it is not only a reduction in cost, but also has a great potential for the development of energy storage systems

Tuning the Perfluorosulfonic Acid Membrane Morphology for Vanadium Redox-Flow Batteries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vijayakumar, M.; Luo, Qingtao; Lloyd, Ralph B.; Nie, Zimin; Wei, Xiaoliang; Li, Bin; Sprenkle, Vincent L.; Londono, J-David; Unlu, Murat; Wang, Wei

2016-12-23

The microstructure of the perfluorinated sulfonic acid proton exchange membranes such as Nafion significantly affects their transport properties and performance in a vanadium redox flow battery (VRB). In this work, Nafion membranes with various equivalent weights (EW) ranging from 1000 to 1500 are prepared and the structure-property-performance relationship is investigated. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) studies revealed their composition and morphology variances, which lead to major differences in key transport properties related to proton conduction and vanadium ion permeation. Their performances are further characterized as VRB membranes. Based on those understanding, a new perfluorosulfonic acid membrane is designed with optimal pore geometry and thickness, leading to higher ion selectivity and lower cost compared with the widely used Nafion® 115. Excellent VRB single-cell performance (89.3% energy efficiency at 50mA∙cm-2) was achieved along with a stable cyclical capacity over prolonged cycling.

Sulfonated graphene oxide/nafion composite membrane for vanadium redox flow battery.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Byung Guk; Han, Tae Hee; Cho, Chang Gi

2014-12-01

Nafion is the most frequently used as the membrane material due to its good proton conductivity, and excellent chemical and mechanical stabilities. But it is known to have poor barrier property due to its well-developed water channels. In order to overcome this drawback, graphene oxide (GO) derivatives were introduced for Nafion composite membranes. Sulfonated graphene oxide (sGO) was prepared from GO. Both sGO and GO were treated each with phenyl isocyanate and transformed into corresponding isGO and iGO in order to promote miscibility with Nafion. Then composite membranes were obtained, and the adaptability as a membrane for vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) was investigated in terms of proton conductivity and vanadium permeability. Compared to a pristine Nafion, proton conductivities of both isGO/Nafion and iGO/Nafion membranes showed less temperature sensitivity. Both membranes also showed quite lower vanadium permeability at room temperature. Selectivity of the membrane was the highest for isGO/Nafion and the lowest for the pristine Nafion.

Neural Network Modeling of the Lithium/Thionyl Chloride Battery System

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ingersoll, D.; Jungst, R.G.; O' Gorman, C.C.; Paez, T.L.

1998-10-29

Battery systems have traditionally relied on extensive build and test procedures for product realization. Analytical models have been developed to diminish this reliance, but have only been partially successful in consistently predicting the performance of battery systems. The complex set of interacting physical and chemical processes within battery systems has made the development of analytical models a significant challenge. Advanced simulation tools are needed to more accurately model battery systems which will reduce the time and cost required for product realization. Sandia has initiated an advanced model-based design strategy to battery systems, beginning with the performance of lithiumhhionyl chloride cells. As an alternative approach, we have begun development of cell performance modeling using non-phenomenological models for battery systems based on artificial neural networks (ANNs). ANNs are inductive models for simulating input/output mappings with certain advantages over phenomenological models, particularly for complex systems. Among these advantages is the ability to avoid making measurements of hard to determine physical parameters or having to understand cell processes sufficiently to write mathematical functions describing their behavior. For example, ANN models are also being studied for simulating complex physical processes within the Li/SOC12 cell, such as the time and temperature dependence of the anode interracial resistance. ANNs have been shown to provide a very robust and computationally efficient simulation tool for predicting voltage and capacity output for Li/SOC12 cells under a variety of operating conditions. The ANN modeling approach should be applicable to a wide variety of battery chemistries, including rechargeable systems.

A mathematical model for the iron/chromium redox battery

Science.gov (United States)

Fedkiw, P. S.; Watts, R. W.

1984-01-01

A mathematical model has been developed to describe the isothermal operation of a single anode-separator-cathode unit cell in a redox-flow battery and has been applied to the NASA iron/chromium system. The model, based on porous electrode theory, incorporates redox kinetics, mass transfer, and ohmic effects as well as the parasitic hydrogen reaction which occurs in the chromium electrode. A numerical parameter study was carried out to predict cell performance to aid in the rational design, scale-up, and operation of the flow battery. The calculations demonstrate: (1) an optimum electrode thickness and electrolyte flow rate exist; (2) the amount of hydrogen evolved and, hence, cycle faradaic efficiency, can be affected by cell geometry, flow rate, and charging procedure; (3) countercurrent flow results in enhanced cell performance over cocurrent flow; and (4) elevated temperature operation enhances cell performance.

Control system considerations for an aluminum-air battery powered electric vehicle

Science.gov (United States)

Cox, L. E.; Hassman, G. V.; Post, S. F.

1980-05-01

Basic motor controller requirements and tradeoffs between 30 cell and 60 cell aluminum air battery systems were established. A sample controller design was evolved and basic characteristics were evaluated. Advantages of a 60 cell battery system over a 30 cell were found in the areas of control system costs, weights, and efficiency.

Graphene-Nanowall-Decorated Carbon Felt with Excellent Electrochemical Activity Toward VO2+/VO2+ Couple for All Vanadium Redox Flow Battery.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Wenyue; Zhang, Zhenyu; Tang, Yongbing; Bian, Haidong; Ng, Tsz-Wai; Zhang, Wenjun; Lee, Chun-Sing

2016-04-01

3D graphene-nanowall-decorated carbon felts (CF) are synthesized via an in situ microwave plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition method and used as positive electrode for vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB). The carbon fibers in CF are successfully wrapped by vertically grown graphene nanowalls, which not only increase the electrode specific area, but also expose a high density of sharp graphene edges with good catalytic activities to the vanadium ions. As a result, the VRFB with this novel electrode shows three times higher reaction rate toward VO 2 + /VO 2+ redox couple and 11% increased energy efficiency over VRFB with an unmodified CF electrode. Moreover, this designed architecture shows excellent stability in the battery operation. After 100 charging-discharging cycles, the electrode not only shows no observable morphology change, it can also be reused in another battery and practical with the same performance. It is believed that this novel structure including the synthesis procedure will provide a new developing direction for the VRFB electrode.

Graphene‐Nanowall‐Decorated Carbon Felt with Excellent Electrochemical Activity Toward VO2 +/VO2+ Couple for All Vanadium Redox Flow Battery

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Wenyue; Zhang, Zhenyu; Bian, Haidong; Ng, Tsz‐Wai

2015-01-01

3D graphene‐nanowall‐decorated carbon felts (CF) are synthesized via an in situ microwave plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition method and used as positive electrode for vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB). The carbon fibers in CF are successfully wrapped by vertically grown graphene nanowalls, which not only increase the electrode specific area, but also expose a high density of sharp graphene edges with good catalytic activities to the vanadium ions. As a result, the VRFB with this novel electrode shows three times higher reaction rate toward VO2 +/VO2+ redox couple and 11% increased energy efficiency over VRFB with an unmodified CF electrode. Moreover, this designed architecture shows excellent stability in the battery operation. After 100 charging–discharging cycles, the electrode not only shows no observable morphology change, it can also be reused in another battery and practical with the same performance. It is believed that this novel structure including the synthesis procedure will provide a new developing direction for the VRFB electrode. PMID:27774399

Research and development of peripheral technology for photovoltaic power systems. Research and development of redox flow battery for photovoltaic power generation; Shuhen gijutsu no kenkyu kaihatsu. Taiyoko hatsuden`yo redox denchi no kenkyu kaihatsu

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tatsuta, M [New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization, Tokyo (Japan)

1994-12-01

This paper reports the study results on R and D of redox flow battery for photovoltaic power generation in fiscal 1994. (1) On the production method of electrolyte, silica reduction treatment was attempted to use ammonium metavanadate recovered from boiler as electrolyte of redox flow battery. Silica removal rates more than 90% were achieved by crystallizing V as polyvanadate while keeping molten silica. It was ascertained in minicell experiment that trivalent and quadrivalent V electrolytes produced from recovered V are applicable to continuous charge/discharge operation for one week. (2) On development of battery systems, the relation between battery characteristics and physicochemical properties of carbon fiber electrodes was studied to improve carbon fiber electrodes. The efficiency of 80% was achieved at current density of 160mA/cm{sup 2} by use of layered electrodes, resulting in considerable cost reduction. Performance evaluation operation of the 2kW battery prepared in the last fiscal year was also carried out. 4 figs.

Tuning the Stability of Organic Active Materials for Nonaqueous Redox Flow Batteries via Reversible, Electrochemically Mediated Li ⁺ Coordination

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carino, Emily V.; Staszak-Jirkovsky, Jakub; Assary, Rajeev S.; Curtiss, Larry A.; Markovic, Nenad M.; Brushett, Fikile R.

2016-03-24

We describe an electrochemically mediated interaction between Li+ and a promising active material for nonaqueous redox flow batteries (RFBs), 1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-6,7-dimethoxy-1,1,4,4-tetramethylnaphthalene (TDT), and the impact of this structural interaction on material stability during voltammetric cycling. TDT could be an advantageous organic positive electrolyte material for nonaqueous RFBs due to its high oxidation potential, 4.21 V vs Li/Li⁺, and solubility of at least 1.0 M in select electrolytes. Although results from voltammetry suggest TDT displays Nernstian reversibility in many nonaqueous electrolyte solutions, bulk electrolysis reveals significant degradation in all electrolytes studied, the extent of which depends on the electrolyte solution composition. Results of subtractively normalized in situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (SNIFTIRS) confirm that TDT undergoes reversible structural changes during cyclic voltammetry in propylene carbonate and 1,2-dimethoxyethane solutions containing Li⁺ electrolytes, but irreversible degradation occurs when tetrabutylammonium (TBA+) replaces Li⁺ as the electrolyte cation in these solutions. By combining the results from SNIFTIRS experiments with calculations from density functional theory, solution-phase active species structure and potential-dependent interactions can be determined. We find that Li⁺ coordinates to the Lewis basic methoxy groups of neutral TDT and, upon electrochemical oxidation, this complex dissociates into the radical cation TDT^•+ and Li⁺. The improved cycling stability in the presence of Li⁺ relative to TBA⁺ suggests that the structural interaction reported herein may be advantageous to the design of energy storage materials based on organic molecules.

AGC of a multi-area power system under deregulated environment using redox flow batteries and interline power flow controller

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tulasichandra Sekhar Gorripotu

2015-12-01

Full Text Available In this paper, Proportional Integral Derivative with Filter (PIDF is proposed for Automatic Generation Control (AGC of a multi-area power system in deregulated environment. Initially, a two area four units thermal system without any physical constraints is considered and the gains of the PIDF controller are optimized employing Differential Evolution (DE algorithm using ITAE criterion. The superiority of proposed DE optimized PIDF controller over Fuzzy Logic controller is demonstrated. Then, to further improve the system performance, an Interline Power Flow Controller (IPFC is placed in the tie-line and Redox Flow Batteries (RFB is considered in the first area and the controller parameters are tuned. Additionally, to get an accurate insight of the AGC problem, important physical constraints such as Time Delay (TD and Generation Rate Constraints (GRC are considered and the controller parameters are retuned. The performance of proposed controller is evaluated under different operating conditions that take place in a deregulated power market. Further, the proposed approach is extended to a two area six units hydro thermal system. Finally, sensitivity analysis is performed by varying the system parameters and operating load conditions from their nominal values.

High energy battery. Hochenergiebatterie

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Boehm, H.; Beyermann, G.; Bulling, M.

1992-03-26

In a high energy battery with a large number of individual cells in a housing with a cooling medium flowing through it, it is proposed that the cooling medium should be guided so that it only affects one or both sides of the cells thermally.

Amphoteric Ion-Exchange Membranes with Significantly Improved Vanadium Barrier Properties for All-Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries.

Science.gov (United States)

Nibel, Olga; Rojek, Tomasz; Schmidt, Thomas J; Gubler, Lorenz

2017-07-10

All-vanadium redox flow batteries (VRBs) have attracted considerable interest as promising energy-storage devices that can allow the efficient utilization of renewable energy sources. The membrane, which separates the porous electrodes in a redox flow cell, is one of the key components in VRBs. High rates of crossover of vanadium ions and water through the membrane impair the efficiency and capacity of a VRB. Thus, membranes with low permeation rate of vanadium species and water are required, also characterized by low resistance and stability in the VRB environment. Here, we present a new design concept for amphoteric ion-exchange membranes, based on radiation-induced grafting of vinylpyridine into an ethylene tetrafluoroethylene base film and a two-step functionalization to introduce cationic and anionic exchange sites, respectively. During long-term cycling, redox flow cells containing these membranes showed higher efficiency, less pronounced electrolyte imbalance, and significantly reduced capacity decay compared to the cells with the benchmark material Nafion 117. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Advanced dependent pressure vessel (DPV) nickel-hydrogen spacecraft battery design

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Coates, D.K.; Grindstaff, B.; Swaim, O.; Fox, C. [Eagle-Picher Industries, Inc., Joplin, MO (United States). Advanced Systems Operation

1995-12-31

The dependent pressure vessel (DPV) nickel-hydrogen (NiH{sub 2}) battery is being developed as a potential spacecraft battery design for both military and commercial satellites. The limitations of standard NiH{sub 2} individual pressure vessel (IPV) flight battery technology are primarily related to the internal cell design and the battery packaging issues associated with grouping multiple cylindrical cells. The DPV cell design offers higher energy density and reduced cost, while retaining the established IPV technology flight heritage and database. The advanced cell design offers a more efficient mechanical, electrical and thermal cell configuration and a reduced parts count. The geometry of the DPV cell promotes compact, minimum volume packaging and weight efficiency. The DPV battery design offers significant cost and weight savings advantages while providing minimal design risks.

Reduction of capacity decay in vanadium flow batteries by an electrolyte-reflow method

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Ke; Liu, Le; Xi, Jingyu; Wu, Zenghua; Qiu, Xinping

2017-01-01

Electrolyte imbalance is a major issue with Vanadium flow batteries (VFBs) as it has a significant impact on electrolyte utilization and cycle life over extended charge-discharge cycling. This work seeks to reduce capacity decay and prolong cycle life of VFBs by adopting a novel electrolyte-reflow method. Different current density and various start-up time of the method are investigated in the charge-discharge tests. The results show that the capacity decay rate is reduced markedly and the cycle life is prolonged substantially by this method. In addition, the coulomb efficiency, voltage efficiency and energy efficiency remain stable during the whole cycle life test, which indicates this method has little impact on the long lifetime performance of the VFBs. The method is low-cost, simple, effective, and can be applied in industrial VFB productions.

Feasibility of a Supporting-Salt-Free Nonaqueous Redox Flow Battery Utilizing Ionic Active Materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Milshtein, Jarrod D; Fisher, Sydney L; Breault, Tanya M; Thompson, Levi T; Brushett, Fikile R

2017-05-09

Nonaqueous redox flow batteries (NAqRFBs) are promising devices for grid-scale energy storage, but high projected prices could limit commercial prospects. One route to reduced prices is to minimize or eliminate the expensive supporting salts typically employed in NAqRFBs. Herein, the feasibility of a flow cell operating in the absence of supporting salt by utilizing ionic active species is demonstrated. These ionic species have high conductivities in acetonitrile (12-19 mS cm -1 ) and cycle at 20 mA cm -2 with energy efficiencies (>75 %) comparable to those of state-of-the-art NAqRFBs employing high concentrations of supporting salt. A chemistry-agnostic techno-economic analysis highlights the possible cost savings of minimizing salt content in a NAqRFB. This work offers the first demonstration of a NAqRFB operating without supporting salt. The associated design principles can guide the development of future active species and could make NAqRFBs competitive with their aqueous counterparts. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Performance evaluation of thermally treated graphite felt electrodes for vanadium redox flow battery and their four-point single cell characterization

Science.gov (United States)

Mazúr, P.; Mrlík, J.; Beneš, J.; Pocedič, J.; Vrána, J.; Dundálek, J.; Kosek, J.

2018-03-01

In our contribution we study the electrocatalytic effect of oxygen functionalization of thermally treated graphite felt on kinetics of electrode reactions of vanadium redox flow battery. Chemical and morphological changes of the felts are analysed by standard physico-chemical characterization techniques. A complex method four-point method is developed and employed for characterization of the felts in a laboratory single-cell. The method is based on electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and load curves measurements of positive and negative half-cells using platinum wire pseudo-reference electrodes. The distribution of ohmic and faradaic losses within a single-cell is evaluated for both symmetric and asymmetric electrode set-up with respect to the treatment conditions. Positive effect of oxygen functionalization is observed only for negative electrode, whereas kinetics of positive electrode reaction is almost unaffected by the treatment. This is in a contradiction to the results of typically employed cyclovoltammetric characterization which indicate that both electrodes are enhanced by the treatment to a similar extent. The developed four-point characterization method can be further used e.g., for the component screening and in-situ durability studies on single-cell scale redox flow batteries of various chemistries.

Analysis, operation and maintenance of a fuel cell/battery series-hybrid bus for urban transit applications

Science.gov (United States)

Bubna, Piyush; Brunner, Doug; Gangloff, John J.; Advani, Suresh G.; Prasad, Ajay K.

The fuel cell hybrid bus (FCHB) program was initiated at the University of Delaware in 2005 to demonstrate the viability of fuel cell vehicles for transit applications and to conduct research and development to facilitate the path towards their eventual commercialization. Unlike other fuel cell bus programs, the University of Delaware's FCHB design features a battery-heavy hybrid which offers multiple advantages in terms of cost, performance and durability. The current fuel cell hybrid bus is driven on a regular transit route at the University of Delaware. The paper describes the baseline specifications of the bus with a focus on the fuel cell and the balance of plant. The fuel cell/battery series-hybrid design is well suited for urban transit routes and provides key operational advantages such as hydrogen fuel economy, efficient use of the fuel cell for battery recharging, and regenerative braking. The bus is equipped with a variety of sensors including a custom-designed cell voltage monitoring system which provide a good understanding of bus performance under normal operation. Real-time data collection and analysis have yielded key insights for fuel cell bus design optimization. Results presented here illustrate the complex flow of energy within the various subsystems of the fuel cell hybrid bus. A description of maintenance events has been included to highlight the issues that arise during general operation. The paper also describes several modifications that will facilitate design improvements in future versions of the bus. Overall, the fuel cell hybrid bus demonstrates the viability of fuel cells for urban transit applications in real world conditions.

Multiple cell common pressure vessel nickel hydrogen battery

Science.gov (United States)

Zagrodnik, Jeffrey P.; Jones, Kenneth R.

1991-01-01

A multiple cell common pressure vessel (CPV) nickel hydrogen battery was developed that offers significant weight, volume, cost, and interfacing advantages over the conventional individual pressure vessel (IPV) nickel hydrogen configuration that is currently used for aerospace applications. The baseline CPV design was successfully demonstrated though the testing of a 26 cell prototype, which completed over 7,000 44 percent depth of discharge LEO cycles. Two-cell boilerplate batteries have now exceeded 12,500 LEO cycles in ongoing laboratory tests. CPV batteries using both nominal 5 and 10 inch diameter vessels are currently available. The flexibility of the design allows these diameters to provide a broad capability for a variety of space applications.

Polyvinylpyrrolidone-based semi-interpenetrating polymer networks as highly selective and chemically stable membranes for all vanadium redox flow batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Zeng, L.; Zhao, T. S.; Wei, L.; Zeng, Y. K.; Zhang, Z. H.

2016-09-01

Vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs) with their high flexibility in configuration and operation, as well as long cycle life are competent for the requirement of future energy storage systems. Nevertheless, due to the application of perfluorinated membranes, VRFBs are plagued by not only the severe migration issue of vanadium ions, but also their high cost. Herein, we fabricate semi-interpenetrating polymer networks (SIPNs), consisting of cross-linked polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and polysulfone (PSF), as alternative membranes for VRFBs. It is demonstrated that the PVP-based SIPNs exhibit extremely low vanadium permeabilities, which contribute to the well-established hydrophilic/hydrophobic microstructures and the Donnan exclusion effect. As a result, the coulombic efficiencies of VRFBs with PVP-based SIPNs reach almost 100% at 40 mA cm-2 to 100 mA cm-2; the energy efficiencies are more than 3% higher than those of VRFBs with Nafion 212. More importantly, the PVP-based SIPNs exhibit a superior chemical stability, as demonstrated both by an ex situ immersion test and continuously cycling test. Hence, all the characterizations and performance tests reported here suggest that PVP-based SIPNs are a promising alternative membrane for redox flow batteries to achieve superior cell performance and excellent cycling stability at the fraction of the cost of perfluorinated membranes.

Cage-Like Porous Carbon with Superhigh Activity and Br2 -Complex-Entrapping Capability for Bromine-Based Flow Batteries.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Chenhui; Lai, Qinzhi; Xu, Pengcheng; Zheng, Daoyuan; Li, Xianfeng; Zhang, Huamin

2017-06-01

Bromine-based flow batteries receive wide attention in large-scale energy storage because of their attractive features, such as high energy density and low cost. However, the Br 2 diffusion and relatively low activity of Br 2 /Br - hinder their further application. Herein, a cage-like porous carbon (CPC) with specific pore structure combining superhigh activity and Br 2 -complex-entrapping capability is designed and fabricated. According to the results of density functional theory (DFT) calculation, the pore size of the CPC (1.1 nm) is well designed between the size of Br - (4.83 Å), MEP + (9.25 Å), and Br 2 complex (MEPBr 3 12.40 Å), wherein Br - is oxidized to Br 2 , which forms a Br 2 complex with the complexing agent immediately and is then entrapped in the cage via pore size exclusion. In addition, the active sites produced during the carbon dioxide activation process dramatically accelerate the reaction rate of Br 2 /Br - . In this way, combining a high Br 2 -entrapping-capability and high specific surface areas, the CPC shows very impressive performance. The zinc bromine flow battery assembled with the prepared CPC shows a Coulombic efficiency of 98% and an energy efficiency of 81% at the current density of 80 mA cm -2 , which are among the highest values ever reported. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

A metal-free organic-inorganic aqueous flow battery

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Huskinson, B.; Marshak, M.P.; Suh, C.; Er, S.; Gerhardt, M.R.; Galvin, C.J.; Chen, X.; Aspuru-Guzik, A.; Gordon, R.G.; Aziz, M.J.

2014-01-01

As the fraction of electricity generation from intermittent renewable sources-such as solar or wind-grows, the ability to store large amounts of electrical energy is of increasing importance. Solid-electrode batteries maintain discharge at peak power for far too short a time to fully regulate wind

Tackling capacity fading in vanadium flow batteries with amphoteric membranes

Science.gov (United States)

Oldenburg, Fabio J.; Schmidt, Thomas J.; Gubler, Lorenz

2017-11-01

Capacity fading and poor electrolyte utilization caused by electrolyte imbalance effects are major drawbacks for the commercialization of vanadium flow batteries (VFB). The influence of membrane type (cationic, anionic, amphoteric) on these effects is studied by determining the excess and net flux of each vanadium ion in an operating VFB assembled with a cation exchange membrane (CEM), Nafion® NR212, an anion exchange membrane (AEM), Fumatech FAP-450, and an amphoteric ion exchange membrane (AIEM) synthesized in-house. It is shown that the net vanadium flux, accompanied by water transport, is directed towards the positive side for the CEM and towards the negative side for the AEM. The content of cation and anion exchange groups in the AIEM is adjusted via radiation grafting to balance the vanadium flux between the two electrolyte sides. With the AIEM the net vanadium flux is significantly reduced and capacity fading due to electrolyte imbalances can be largely eliminated. The membrane's influence on electrolyte imbalance effects is characterized and quantified in one single charge-discharge cycle by analyzing the content of the four different vanadium species in the two electrolytes. The experimental data recorded herewith conclusively explains the electrolyte composition after 80 cycles.

Rechargeable dual-metal-ion batteries for advanced energy storage.

Science.gov (United States)

Yao, Hu-Rong; You, Ya; Yin, Ya-Xia; Wan, Li-Jun; Guo, Yu-Guo

2016-04-14

Energy storage devices are more important today than any time before in human history due to the increasing demand for clean and sustainable energy. Rechargeable batteries are emerging as the most efficient energy storage technology for a wide range of portable devices, grids and electronic vehicles. Future generations of batteries are required to have high gravimetric and volumetric energy, high power density, low price, long cycle life, high safety and low self-discharge properties. However, it is quite challenging to achieve the above properties simultaneously in state-of-the-art single metal ion batteries (e.g. Li-ion batteries, Na-ion batteries and Mg-ion batteries). In this contribution, hybrid-ion batteries in which various metal ions simultaneously engage to store energy are shown to provide a new perspective towards advanced energy storage: by connecting the respective advantages of different metal ion batteries they have recently attracted widespread attention due to their novel performances. The properties of hybrid-ion batteries are not simply the superposition of the performances of single ion batteries. To enable a distinct description, we only focus on dual-metal-ion batteries in this article, for which the design and the benefits are briefly discussed. We enumerate some new results about dual-metal-ion batteries and demonstrate the mechanism for improving performance based on knowledge from the literature and experiments. Although the search for hybrid-ion batteries is still at an early age, we believe that this strategy would be an excellent choice for breaking the inherent disadvantages of single ion batteries in the near future.

Performance features of 22-cell, 19Ah single pressure vessel nickel hydrogen battery

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rao, G.M.; Vaidyanathan, H.

1996-02-01

Two 22-cells 19Ah Nickel-Hydrogen (Ni-H2) Single Pressure Vessel (SPV) Qual batteries, one each from EPI/Joplin and EPI/Butler, were designed and procured. The two batteries differ in the cell encapsulation technology, stack preload, and activation procedure. Both the Butler and Joplin batteries met the specified requirements when subjected to qualification testing and completed 2100 and 1300 LEO cycles respectively, with nominal performance. This paper discusses advantages, design features, testing procedures, and results of the two single pressure vessel Ni-H2 batteries.

Performance features of 22-cell, 19Ah single pressure vessel nickel hydrogen battery

Science.gov (United States)

Rao, Gopalakrishna M.; Vaidyanathan, Hari

1996-01-01

Two 22-cells 19Ah Nickel-Hydrogen (Ni-H2) Single Pressure Vessel (SPV) Qual batteries, one each from EPI/Joplin and EPI/Butler, were designed and procured. The two batteries differ in the cell encapsulation technology, stack preload, and activation procedure. Both the Butler and Joplin batteries met the specified requirements when subjected to qualification testing and completed 2100 and 1300 LEO cycles respectively, with nominal performance. This paper discusses advantages, design features, testing procedures, and results of the two single pressure vessel Ni-H2 batteries.

Redox non-innocent bis(2,6-diimine-pyridine) ligand-iron complexes as anolytes for flow battery applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Duarte, Gabriel M; Braun, Jason D; Giesbrecht, Patrick K; Herbert, David E

2017-12-21

Diiminepyridines are a well-known class of "non-innocent" ligands that confer additional redox activity to coordination complexes beyond metal-centred oxidation/reduction. Here, we demonstrate that metal coordination complexes (MCCs) of diiminepyridine (DIP) ligands with iron are suitable anolytes for redox-flow battery applications, with enhanced capacitance and stability compared with bipyridine analogs, and access to storage of up to 1.6 electron equivalents. Substitution of the ligand is shown to be a key factor in the cycling stability and performance of MCCs based on DIP ligands, opening the door to further optimization.

Porous glass membranes for vanadium redox-flow battery application - Effect of pore size on the performance

Science.gov (United States)

Mögelin, H.; Yao, G.; Zhong, H.; dos Santos, A. R.; Barascu, A.; Meyer, R.; Krenkel, S.; Wassersleben, S.; Hickmann, T.; Enke, D.; Turek, T.; Kunz, U.

2018-02-01

The improvement of redox-flow batteries requires the development of chemically stable and highly conductive separators. Porous glass membranes can be an attractive alternative to the nowadays most common polymeric membranes. Flat porous glass membranes with a pore size in the range from 2 to 50 nm and a thickness of 300 and 500 μm have been used for that purpose. Maximum values for voltage efficiency of 85.1%, coulombic efficiency of 97.9% and energy efficiency of 76.3% at current densities in the range from 20 to 60 mA cm-2 have been achieved. Furthermore, a maximum power density of 95.2 mW cm-2 at a current density of 140 mA cm-2 was gained. These results can be related to small vanadium crossover, high conductivity and chemical stability, confirming the great potential of porous glass membranes for vanadium redox-flow applications.

Active cooling of microvascular composites for battery packaging

Science.gov (United States)

Pety, Stephen J.; Chia, Patrick X. L.; Carrington, Stephen M.; White, Scott R.

2017-10-01

Batteries in electric vehicles (EVs) require a packaging system that provides both thermal regulation and crash protection. A novel packaging scheme is presented that uses active cooling of microvascular carbon fiber reinforced composites to accomplish this multifunctional objective. Microvascular carbon fiber/epoxy composite panels were fabricated and their cooling performance assessed over a range of thermal loads and experimental conditions. Tests were performed for different values of coolant flow rate, channel spacing, panel thermal conductivity, and applied heat flux. More efficient cooling occurs when the coolant flow rate is increased, channel spacing is reduced, and thermal conductivity of the host composite is increased. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were also performed and correlate well with the experimental data. CFD simulations of a typical EV battery pack confirm that microvascular composite panels can adequately cool battery cells generating 500 W m-2 heat flux below 40 °C.

Enhanced thermal property measurement of a silver zinc battery cell using isothermal calorimetry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ubelhor, Ryan, E-mail: ryan.ubelhor@navy.mil [Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division, 300 Highway 361, Crane, IN 47522 (United States); Ellison, Daniel [Science Applications International Corporation, 300 Highway 361, Crane, IN 47522 (United States); Pierce, Cecilia [Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division, 300 Highway 361, Crane, IN 47522 (United States)

2015-04-20

Highlights: • Design and construction of novel heat flow calorimeter for large battery cell. • Heat flow characterization of silver zinc battery under load. • Thermal efficiency determination of silver zinc battery under load. • Surface map of heat flow of silver zinc battery under load. - Abstract: The push for increased energy density of electrochemical cells highlights the need for novel electrochemical techniques as well as additional characterization methods for these cells in order to meet user needs and safety requirements. To achieve ever increasing energy densities and faster controlled release of that energy, all materials of construction must be constantly evaluated from electrode to casing and everything in-between. Increasing the energy density of the cell improves its utility, but it also increases the waste heat and maximum potential uncontrolled energy release. Design agents and system developers need new ways to monitor and classify the probability and severity of the catastrophic failures as well as the system characteristics during intended operation. To support optimization of these battery cells it is necessary to understand their thermal characteristics at rest as well as under prescribed charge and discharge cycles. One of the many calorimetric tools available to observe and record these characteristics is heat flow calorimetry. Typically, a heat flow calorimeter is operated isothermally and measures the sum heat released or consumed by a sample material inside of a calorimetric measuring cell. For this study an improved calorimetric measuring cell for a modified Hart 6209 precision temperature bath was designed and constructed to measure the heat flow of larger electrochemical cells (18 × 8 × 16 cm). This new calorimetric measuring cell is constructed to allow independent measurements of heat flow among each of the sample’s six sides in contrast to the typical one measurement of the average heat flow. Heat flows from 0.01 to 7

Enhanced thermal property measurement of a silver zinc battery cell using isothermal calorimetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ubelhor, Ryan; Ellison, Daniel; Pierce, Cecilia

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Design and construction of novel heat flow calorimeter for large battery cell. • Heat flow characterization of silver zinc battery under load. • Thermal efficiency determination of silver zinc battery under load. • Surface map of heat flow of silver zinc battery under load. - Abstract: The push for increased energy density of electrochemical cells highlights the need for novel electrochemical techniques as well as additional characterization methods for these cells in order to meet user needs and safety requirements. To achieve ever increasing energy densities and faster controlled release of that energy, all materials of construction must be constantly evaluated from electrode to casing and everything in-between. Increasing the energy density of the cell improves its utility, but it also increases the waste heat and maximum potential uncontrolled energy release. Design agents and system developers need new ways to monitor and classify the probability and severity of the catastrophic failures as well as the system characteristics during intended operation. To support optimization of these battery cells it is necessary to understand their thermal characteristics at rest as well as under prescribed charge and discharge cycles. One of the many calorimetric tools available to observe and record these characteristics is heat flow calorimetry. Typically, a heat flow calorimeter is operated isothermally and measures the sum heat released or consumed by a sample material inside of a calorimetric measuring cell. For this study an improved calorimetric measuring cell for a modified Hart 6209 precision temperature bath was designed and constructed to measure the heat flow of larger electrochemical cells (18 × 8 × 16 cm). This new calorimetric measuring cell is constructed to allow independent measurements of heat flow among each of the sample’s six sides in contrast to the typical one measurement of the average heat flow. Heat flows from 0.01 to 7

Decentralized control of a scalable photovoltaic (PV)-battery hybrid power system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Myungchin; Bae, Sungwoo

2017-01-01

Highlights: • This paper introduces the design and control of a PV-battery hybrid power system. • Reliable and scalable operation of hybrid power systems is achieved. • System and power control are performed without a centralized controller. • Reliability and scalability characteristics are studied in a quantitative manner. • The system control performance is verified using realistic solar irradiation data. - Abstract: This paper presents the design and control of a sustainable standalone photovoltaic (PV)-battery hybrid power system (HPS). The research aims to develop an approach that contributes to increased level of reliability and scalability for an HPS. To achieve such objectives, a PV-battery HPS with a passively connected battery was studied. A quantitative hardware reliability analysis was performed to assess the effect of energy storage configuration to the overall system reliability. Instead of requiring the feedback control information of load power through a centralized supervisory controller, the power flow in the proposed HPS is managed by a decentralized control approach that takes advantage of the system architecture. Reliable system operation of an HPS is achieved through the proposed control approach by not requiring a separate supervisory controller. Furthermore, performance degradation of energy storage can be prevented by selecting the controller gains such that the charge rate does not exceed operational requirements. The performance of the proposed system architecture with the control strategy was verified by simulation results using realistic irradiance data and a battery model in which its temperature effect was considered. With an objective to support scalable operation, details on how the proposed design could be applied were also studied so that the HPS could satisfy potential system growth requirements. Such scalability was verified by simulating various cases that involve connection and disconnection of sources and loads. The

Porphyrin-Based Symmetric Redox-Flow Batteries towards Cold-Climate Energy Storage.

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Ting; Pan, Zeng; Miao, Licheng; Chen, Chengcheng; Han, Mo; Shang, Zhenfeng; Chen, Jun

2018-03-12

Electrochemical energy storage with redox-flow batteries (RFBs) under subzero temperature is of great significance for the use of renewable energy in cold regions. However, RFBs are generally used above 10 °C. Herein we present non-aqueous organic RFBs based on 5,10,15,20-tetraphenylporphyrin (H 2 TPP) as a bipolar redox-active material (anode: [H 2 TPP] 2- /H 2 TPP, cathode: H 2 TPP/[H 2 TPP] 2+ ) and a Y-zeolite-poly(vinylidene fluoride) (Y-PVDF) ion-selective membrane with high ionic conductivity as a separator. The constructed RFBs exhibit a high volumetric capacity of 8.72 Ah L -1 with a high voltage of 2.83 V and excellent cycling stability (capacity retention exceeding 99.98 % per cycle) in the temperature range between 20 and -40 °C. Our study highlights principles for the design of RFBs that operate at low temperatures, thus offering a promising approach to electrochemical energy storage under cold-climate conditions. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Cost and energy consumption estimates for the aluminum-air battery anode fuel cycle

Science.gov (United States)

1990-01-01

At the request of DOE's Office of Energy Storage and Distribution (OESD), Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) conducted a study to generate estimates of the energy use and costs associated with the aluminum anode fuel cycle of the aluminum-air (Al-air) battery. The results of this analysis indicate that the cost and energy consumption characteristics of the mechanically rechargeable Al-air battery system are not as attractive as some other electrically rechargeable electric vehicle battery systems being developed by OESD. However, there are distinct advantages to mechanically rechargeable batteries, which may make the Al-air battery (or other mechanically rechargeable batteries) attractive for other uses, such as stand-alone applications. Fuel cells, such as the proton exchange membrane (PEM), and advanced secondary batteries may be better suited to electric vehicle applications.

A Low-Cost Neutral Zinc-Iron Flow Battery with High Energy Density for Stationary Energy Storage.

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Congxin; Duan, Yinqi; Xu, Wenbin; Zhang, Huamin; Li, Xianfeng

2017-11-20

Flow batteries (FBs) are one of the most promising stationary energy-storage devices for storing renewable energy. However, commercial progress of FBs is limited by their high cost and low energy density. A neutral zinc-iron FB with very low cost and high energy density is presented. By using highly soluble FeCl 2 /ZnBr 2 species, a charge energy density of 56.30 Wh L -1 can be achieved. DFT calculations demonstrated that glycine can combine with iron to suppress hydrolysis and crossover of Fe 3+ /Fe 2+ . The results indicated that an energy efficiency of 86.66 % can be obtained at 40 mA cm -2 and the battery can run stably for more than 100 cycles. Furthermore, a low-cost porous membrane was employed to lower the capital cost to less than $ 50 per kWh, which was the lowest value that has ever been reported. Combining the features of low cost, high energy density and high energy efficiency, the neutral zinc-iron FB is a promising candidate for stationary energy-storage applications. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Design and Evaluation of a Boron Dipyrrin Electrophore for Redox Flow Batteries.

Science.gov (United States)

Heiland, Niklas; Cidarér, Clemens; Rohr, Camilla; Piescheck, Mathias; Ahrens, Johannes; Bröring, Martin; Schröder, Uwe

2017-08-29

A boron dipyrrin (BODIPY) dye was designed as a molecular single-component electrophore for redox flow batteries. All positions of the BODIPY core were assessed on the basis of literature data, in particular cyclic voltammetry and density functional calculations, and a minimum required substitution pattern was designed to provide solubility, aggregation, radical cation and anion stabilities, a large potential window, and synthetic accessibility. In-depth electrochemical and physical studies of this electrophore revealed suitable cathodic behavior and stability of the radical anion but rapid anodic decomposition of the radical cation. The three products that formed under the conditions of controlled oxidative electrolysis were isolated, and their structures were determined by spectroscopy and comparison with a synthetic model compound. From these structures, a benzylic radical reactivity, initiated by one-electron oxidation, was concluded to play the major role in this unexpected decomposition. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Competing forces in liquid metal electrodes and batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Ashour, Rakan F.; Kelley, Douglas H.; Salas, Alejandro; Starace, Marco; Weber, Norbert; Weier, Tom

2018-02-01

Liquid metal batteries are proposed for low-cost grid scale energy storage. During their operation, solid intermetallic phases often form in the cathode and are known to limit the capacity of the cell. Fluid flow in the liquid electrodes can enhance mass transfer and reduce the formation of localized intermetallics, and fluid flow can be promoted by careful choice of the locations and topology of a battery's electrical connections. In this context we study four phenomena that drive flow: Rayleigh-Bénard convection, internally heated convection, electro-vortex flow, and swirl flow, in both experiment and simulation. In experiments, we use ultrasound Doppler velocimetry (UDV) to measure the flow in a eutectic PbBi electrode at 160 °C and subject to all four phenomena. In numerical simulations, we isolate the phenomena and simulate each separately using OpenFOAM. Comparing simulated velocities to experiments via a UDV beam model, we find that all four phenomena can enhance mass transfer in LMBs. We explain the flow direction, describe how the phenomena interact, and propose dimensionless numbers for estimating their mutual relevance. A brief discussion of electrical connections summarizes the engineering implications of our work.

Canadian consumer battery baseline study : final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2007-02-01

This report provided information about the estimated number of consumer and household batteries sold, re-used, stored, recycled, and disposed each year in Canada. The report discussed the ways in which different batteries posed risks to human health and the environment, and legislative trends were also reviewed. Data used in the report were obtained from a literature review as well as through a series of interviews. The study showed that alkaline batteries are the most common primary batteries used by Canadians, followed by zinc carbon batteries. However, lithium primary batteries are gaining in popularity, and silver oxide and zinc air button cell batteries are also used in applications requiring a flat voltage and high energy. Secondary batteries used in laptop computers, and cell phones are often made of nickel-cadmium, nickel-metal-hydroxide, and lithium ion. Small sealed lead batteries are also commonly used in emergency lighting and alarm systems. Annual consumption statistics for all types of batteries were provided. Results of the study showed that the primary battery market is expected to decline. Total units of secondary batteries are expected to increase to 38.6 million units by 2010. The report also used a spreadsheet model to estimate the flow of consumer batteries through the Canadian waste management system. An estimated 347 million consumer batteries were discarded in 2004. By 2010, it is expected that an estimated 494 million units will be discarded by consumers. The study also considered issues related to lead, cadmium, mercury, and nickel disposal and the potential for groundwater contamination. It was concluded that neither Canada nor its provinces or territories have initiated legislative or producer responsibility programs targeting primary or secondary consumer batteries. 79 refs., 37 tabs., 1 fig

Performance of a rapidly-refuelable aluminum-air battery

Science.gov (United States)

Levy, D. J.; Hollandsworth, R. P.; Gonzales, E. M.; Littauer, E. L.

The Al-air battery is being developed to provide an electric vehicle with conventional automobile performance. A rapidly-refuelable, 6-cell battery (200-sq cm electrodes) was evaluated. RX-808 aluminum anodes and air cathodes were used with a flowing alkaline electrolyte. Peak power was found to increase with temperature, decrease with aluminate concentration and be unaffected by electrolyte flow. The best performance was 5.28 kW/sq m peak power density, 2.08 kWh/kg Al energy density and 80 percent coulombic efficiency. Anode refueling is rapid and 100 percent utilization is achieved. Additional evaluation included cathode catalysts, a thermal balance and monitoring electrolyte composition.

EXAFS: New tool for study of battery and fuel cell materials

Science.gov (United States)

Mcbreen, James; Ogrady, William E.; Pandya, Kaumudi I.

1987-01-01

Extended X ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) is a powerful technique for probing the local atomic structure of battery and fuel cell materials. The major advantages of EXAFS are that both the probe and the signal are X rays and the technique is element selective and applicable to all states of matter. This permits in situ studies of electrodes and determination of the structure of single components in composite electrodes, or even complete cells. EXAFS specifically probes short range order and yields coordination numbers, bond distances, and chemical identity of nearest neighbors. Thus, it is ideal for structural studies of ions in solution and the poorly crystallized materials that are often the active materials or catalysts in batteries and fuel cells. Studies on typical battery and fuel cell components are used to describe the technique and the capability of EXAFS as a structural tool in these applications. Typical experimental and data analysis procedures are outlined. The advantages and limitations of the technique are also briefly discussed.

An experimental validation of the influence of flow profiles and stratified two-phase flow to Lorentz force velocimetry for weakly conducting fluids

Science.gov (United States)

Wiederhold, Andreas; Ebert, Reschad; Resagk, Christian; Research Training Group: "Lorentz Force Velocimetry; Lorentz Force Eddy Current Testing" Team

2016-11-01

We report about the feasibility of Lorentz force velocimetry (LFV) for various flow profiles. LFV is a contactless non-invasive technique to measure flow velocity and has been developed in the last years in our institute. This method is advantageous if the fluid is hot, aggressive or opaque like glass melts or liquid metal flows. The conducted experiments shall prove an increased versatility for industrial applications of this method. For the force measurement we use an electromagnetic force compensation balance. As electrolyte salty water is used with an electrical conductivity in the range of 0.035 which corresponds to tap water up to 20 Sm-1. Because the conductivity is six orders less than that of liquid metals, here the challenging bottleneck is the resolution of the measurement system. The results show only a slight influence in the force signal at symmetric and strongly asymmetric flow profiles. Furthermore we report about the application of LFV to stratified two-phase flows. We show that it is possible to detect interface instabilities, which is important for the dimensioning of liquid metal batteries. Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft DFG.

A novel ultrasonic velocity sensing approach to monitoring state of charge of vanadium redox flow battery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chou, Yi-Sin; Hsu, Ning-Yih; Jeng, King-Tsai; Chen, Kuan-Hsiang; Yen, Shi-Chern

2016-01-01

Highlights: • This is the first to apply ultrasonic sensing technique to monitor SOC of VRB. • Ultrasound velocity is affected by concentration and temperature of a solution. • The ultrasonic sensing is applicable to both positive and negative sides of VRB. • An empirical model equation fits the results of this two-component system well. • The SOC of a VRB can be properly measured using ultrasonic sensing. - Abstract: A novel ultrasonic velocity sensing approach is proposed and investigated to monitor the state of charge (SOC) of a vanadium redox flow battery (VRB, or VRFB). The positive electrode is designated as the energy storage capacity-limiting one so that the molar ratio of the V"5"+ ion in the positive electrolyte solution determines the SOC of a VRB. The tested single-cell VRB is connected to an ultrasonic sensor and charged/discharged almost to its two extremes at a constant current of 2 A under various operating temperatures. It is found that the ultrasound velocity exhibits distinct variations in accordance with changes of vanadium ion compositions in the positive electrolyte solution as the SOC of the VRB varies. The SOC obtained can be depicted in a 3D plot in terms of ultrasound velocity and operating temperature. An empirical model equation is proposed and found to fit the experimental results of both charging and discharging stages quite well. The advantages of this SOC sensing approach are that it is totally independent of VRB operations and can be readily applied to both sides of the electrodes. It is expected to develop into a dependable method for accurate and real-time monitoring of SOC for VRB.

Electrochemical investigation of thermically treated graphene oxides as electrode materials for vanadium redox flow battery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Di Blasi, O.; Briguglio, N.; Busacca, C.; Ferraro, M.; Antonucci, V.; Di Blasi, A.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Graphene oxide is synthesized at high temperatures in a reducing environment. • Treated graphene oxide-based electrodes are prepared by the wet impregnation method. • Electrochemical performance is evaluated as a function of the physico-chemical properties. - Abstract: Thermically treated graphene oxides (TT-GOs) are synthesized at different temperatures, 100 °C, 150 °C, 200 °C and 300 °C in a reducing environment (20% H 2 /He) and investigated as electrode materials for vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) applications. The treated graphene oxide-based electrodes are prepared by the wet impregnation method using carbon felt (CF) as support. The main aim is to achieve a suitable distribution of the dispersed graphene oxides on the CF surface in order to investigate the electrocatalytic activity for the VO 2+ /VO 2 + and V 2+ /V 3+ redox reactions in the perspective of a feasible large area electrodes scale-up for battery configuration of practical interest. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) are carried out in a three electrode half-cell to characterize the electrochemical properties of the TT-GO-based electrodes. Physico-chemical characterizations are carried out to corroborate the electrochemical results. The TT-GO sample treated at 100 °C (TT-GO-100) shows the highest electrocatalytic activity in terms of peak to peak separation (ΔE = 0.03 V) and current density intensity (∼0.24 A cm −2 at 30 mV/s) both toward the VO 2+ /VO 2 + and V 2+ /V 3+ redox reactions. This result is correlated to the presence of hydroxyl (−OH) and carboxyl (−COOH) species that act as active sites. A valid candidate is individuated as effective anode and cathode electrode in the perspective of electrodes scale-up for battery configuration of practical interest

Long-Cycling Aqueous Organic Redox Flow Battery (AORFB) toward Sustainable and Safe Energy Storage.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Bo; DeBruler, Camden; Rhodes, Zayn; Liu, T Leo

2017-01-25

Redox flow batteries (RFBs) are a viable technology to store renewable energy in the form of electricity that can be supplied to electricity grids. However, widespread implementation of traditional RFBs, such as vanadium and Zn-Br 2 RFBs, is limited due to a number of challenges related to materials, including low abundance and high costs of redox-active metals, expensive separators, active material crossover, and corrosive and hazardous electrolytes. To address these challenges, we demonstrate a neutral aqueous organic redox flow battery (AORFB) technology utilizing a newly designed cathode electrolyte containing a highly water-soluble ferrocene molecule. Specifically, water-soluble (ferrocenylmethyl)trimethylammonium chloride (FcNCl, 4.0 M in H 2 O, 107.2 Ah/L, and 3.0 M in 2.0 NaCl, 80.4 Ah/L) and N 1 -ferrocenylmethyl-N 1 ,N 1 ,N 2 ,N 2 ,N 2 -pentamethylpropane-1,2-diaminium dibromide, (FcN 2 Br 2 , 3.1 M in H 2 O, 83.1 Ah/L, and 2.0 M in 2.0 M NaCl, 53.5 Ah/L) were synthesized through structural decoration of hydrophobic ferrocene with synergetic hydrophilic functionalities including an ammonium cation group and a halide anion. When paired with methyl viologen (MV) as an anolyte, resulting FcNCl/MV and FcN 2 Br 2 /MV AORFBs were operated in noncorrosive neutral NaCl supporting electrolytes using a low-cost anion-exchange membrane. These ferrocene/MV AORFBs are characterized as having high theoretical energy density (45.5 Wh/L) and excellent cycling performance from 40 to 100 mA/cm 2 . Notably, the FcNCl/MV AORFBs (demonstrated at 7.0 and 9.9 Wh/L) exhibited unprecedented long cycling performance, 700 cycles at 60 mA/cm 2 with 99.99% capacity retention per cycle, and delivered power density up to 125 mW/cm 2 . These AORFBs are built from earth-abundant elements and are environmentally benign, thus representing a promising choice for sustainable and safe energy storage.

Annulated Dialkoxybenzenes as Catholyte Materials for Non-aqueous Redox Flow Batteries: Achieving High Chemical Stability through Bicyclic Substitution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Jingjing; Yang, Zheng; Shkrob, Ilya A.; Assary, Rajeev S.

2017-01-01

1,4-Dimethoxybenzene derivatives are materials of choice for use as catholytes in nonaqueous redox flow batteries, as they exhibit high open-circuit potentials and excellent electrochemical reversibility. However, chemical stability of these materials in their oxidized form needs to be improved. Disubstitution in the arene ring is used to suppress parasitic reactions of their radical cations, but this does not fully prevent ring-addition reactions. By incorporating bicyclic substitutions and ether chains into the dialkoxybenzenes, a novel catholyte molecule, 9,10-bis(2-methoxyethoxy)-1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8-octahydro-1,4:5, 8-dimethanenoanthracene (BODMA), is obtained and exhibits greater solubility and superior chemical stability in the charged state. As a result, a hybrid flow cell containing BODMA is operated for 150 charge–discharge cycles with minimal loss of capacity.

HF/H2O2 treated graphite felt as the positive electrode for vanadium redox flow battery

Science.gov (United States)

He, Zhangxing; Jiang, Yingqiao; Meng, Wei; Jiang, Fengyun; Zhou, Huizhu; Li, Yuehua; Zhu, Jing; Wang, Ling; Dai, Lei

2017-11-01

In order to improve the electrochemical performance of the positive graphite felt electrode in vanadium flow redox battery, a novel method is developed to effectively modify the graphite felt by combination of etching of HF and oxidation of H2O2. After the etching of HF for the graphite felt at ambient temperature, abundant oxygen-containing functional groups were further introduced on the surface of graphite felt by hydrothermal treatment using H2O2 as oxidant. Benefiting from the surface etching and introduction of functional groups, mass transfer and electrode process can be improved significantly on the surface of graphite felt. VO2+/VO2+ redox reaction on the graphite felt modified by HF and H2O2 jointly (denote: GF-HF/H2O2) exhibits superior electrochemical kinetics in comparison with the graphite felt modified by single HF or H2O2 treatment. The cell using GF-HF/H2O2 as the positive electrode was assembled and its electrochemical properties were evaluated. The increase of energy efficiency of 4.1% for GF-HF/H2O2 at a current density of 50 mA cm-2 was obtained compared with the pristine graphite felt. The cell using GF-HF/H2O2 also demonstrated higher discharge capacity. Our study revealed that HF/H2O2 treatment is an efficient method to enhance the electrochemical performance of graphite felt, further improving the comprehensive energy storage performance of the vanadium flow redox battery.

Preparation of silica nanocomposite anion-exchange membranes with low vanadium-ion crossover for vanadium redox flow batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leung, P.K.; Xu, Q.; Zhao, T.S.; Zeng, L.; Zhang, C.

2013-01-01

Highlights: • The permeability of vanadium ions through the silica nanocomposite AEM (SNAEM) is ten times lower than that for Nafion 115. • The rates of self-discharge and capacity fading of the VRFB are substantially reduced with the use of the SNAEM. • The Coulombic and energy efficiencies are as high as 92% and 73%, respectively, at 40 mA cm −2 . -- Abstract: Crossover of vanadium ions through the membranes of all-vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFB) is an issue that limits the performance of this type of flow battery. This paper reports on the preparation of a sol–gel derived silica nanocomposite anion exchange membrane (AEM) for VRFBs. The EDS and FT-IR characterizations confirm the presence and the uniformity of the silica nanoparticles formed in the membrane via an in situ sol–gel process. The properties of the obtained membrane, including the ion-exchange capacity, the area resistance, and the water uptake, are evaluated and compared to the pristine AEM and the Nafion cation exchange membrane (CEM). The experimental results show that the permeability of the vanadium ions through the silica nanocomposite AEM is about 20% lower than that of the pristine AEM, and one order of magnitude lower than that of the Nafion CEM. As a result, the rates of self-discharge and the capacity fading of the VRFB are substantially reduced. The Coulombic and energy efficiencies at a current density of 40 mA cm −2 are, respectively, as high as 92% and 73%

Cobalt and Vanadium Trimetaphosphate Polyanions: Synthesis, Characterization, and Electrochemical Evaluation for Non-aqueous Redox-Flow Battery Applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Stauber, Julia M; Zhang, Shiyu; Gvozdik, Nataliya; Jiang, Yanfeng; Avena, Laura; Stevenson, Keith J; Cummins, Christopher C

2018-01-17

An electrochemical cell consisting of cobalt ([Co II/III (P 3 O 9 ) 2 ] 4-/3- ) and vanadium ([V III/II (P 3 O 9 ) 2 ] 3-/4- ) bistrimetaphosphate complexes as catholyte and anolyte species, respectively, was constructed with a cell voltage of 2.4 V and Coulombic efficiencies >90% for up to 100 total cycles. The [Co(P 3 O 9 ) 2 ] 4- (1) and [V(P 3 O 9 ) 2 ] 3- (2) complexes have favorable properties for flow-battery applications, including reversible redox chemistry, high stability toward electrochemical cycling, and high solubility in MeCN (1.09 ± 0.02 M, [PPN] 4 [1]·2MeCN; 0.77 ± 0.06 M, [PPN] 3 [2]·DME). The [PPN] 4 [1]·2MeCN and [PPN] 3 [2]·DME salts were isolated as crystalline solids in 82 and 68% yields, respectively, and characterized by 31 P NMR, UV/vis, ESI-MS(-), and IR spectroscopy. The [PPN] 4 [1]·2MeCN salt was also structurally characterized, crystallizing in the monoclinic P2 1 /c space group. Treatment of 1 with [(p-BrC 6 H 4 ) 3 N] + allowed for isolation of the one-electron-oxidized spin-crossover (SCO) complex, [Co(P 3 O 9 ) 2 ] 3- (3), which is the active catholyte species generated during cell charging. The success of the 1-2 cell provides a promising entry point to a potential future class of transition-metal metaphosphate-based all-inorganic non-aqueous redox-flow battery electrolytes.

On the reliability of thionyl chloride/lithium batteries. [Li/SOCl sub 2 -battery]. Ueber die Zuverlaessigkeit der Thionylchlorid-Lithium-Batterien

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bajenescu, T.I.

1991-10-10

Lithium batteries must be mentioned as the most sophisticated system for back-up functions, whose great advantage is the very low, self-discharge, ie: the stored energy is only consumed by the battery to a very small extent and is largely available for use. The normal working temperature is between -55 and +75deg C. Higher working temperatures are possible if one accepts a shorter service life, as the self-discharge rises more than proportionally. Some ideas are given on possible causes of failure, reliability tests, a complete qualification test, design test and final inspection. A specific failure definition, the concept of 'total quality' and non-destructive test methods are proposed in order to be able to check the reliability of the thionyl chloride/lithium battery in a better way. (orig./MM).

Cell overcharge testing inside sodium metal halide battery

Science.gov (United States)

Frutschy, Kris; Chatwin, Troy; Bull, Roger

2015-09-01

Testing was conducted to measure electrical performance and safety of the General Electric Durathon™ E620 battery module (600 V class 20 kWh) during cell overcharge. Data gathered from this test was consistent with SAE Electric Vehicle Battery Abuse Testing specification J2464 [1]. After cell overcharge failure and 24 A current flow for additional 60 minutes, battery was then discharged at 7.5 KW average power to 12% state of charge (SOC) and recharged back to 100% SOC. This overcharging test was performed on two cells. No hydrogen chloride (HCl) gas was detected during front cell (B1) test, and small amount (6.2 ppm peak) was measured outside the battery after center cell (F13) overcharge. An additional overcharge test was performed per UL Standard 1973 - Batteries for Use in Light Electric Rail (LER) Applications and Stationary Applications[2]. With the battery at 11% SOC and 280 °C float temperature, an individual cell near the front (D1) was deliberately imbalanced by charging it to 62% SOC. The battery was then recharged to 100% SOC. In all three tests, the battery cell pack was stable and individual cell failure did not propagate to other cells. Battery discharge performance, charge performance, and electrical isolation were normal after all three tests.

Analysis, operation and maintenance of a fuel cell/battery series-hybrid bus for urban transit applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bubna, Piyush; Brunner, Doug; Gangloff, John J. Jr.; Advani, Suresh G.; Prasad, Ajay K. (Center for Fuel Cell Research, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716 United States)

2010-06-15

The fuel cell hybrid bus (FCHB) program was initiated at the University of Delaware in 2005 to demonstrate the viability of fuel cell vehicles for transit applications and to conduct research and development to facilitate the path towards their eventual commercialization. Unlike other fuel cell bus programs, the University of Delaware's FCHB design features a battery-heavy hybrid which offers multiple advantages in terms of cost, performance and durability. The current fuel cell hybrid bus is driven on a regular transit route at the University of Delaware. The paper describes the baseline specifications of the bus with a focus on the fuel cell and the balance of plant. The fuel cell/battery series-hybrid design is well suited for urban transit routes and provides key operational advantages such as hydrogen fuel economy, efficient use of the fuel cell for battery recharging, and regenerative braking. The bus is equipped with a variety of sensors including a custom-designed cell voltage monitoring system which provide a good understanding of bus performance under normal operation. Real-time data collection and analysis have yielded key insights for fuel cell bus design optimization. Results presented here illustrate the complex flow of energy within the various subsystems of the fuel cell hybrid bus. A description of maintenance events has been included to highlight the issues that arise during general operation. The paper also describes several modifications that will facilitate design improvements in future versions of the bus. Overall, the fuel cell hybrid bus demonstrates the viability of fuel cells for urban transit applications in real world conditions. (author)

Carbon felt and carbon fiber - A techno-economic assessment of felt electrodes for redox flow battery applications

Science.gov (United States)

Minke, Christine; Kunz, Ulrich; Turek, Thomas

2017-02-01

Carbon felt electrodes belong to the key components of redox flow batteries. The purpose of this techno-economic assessment is to uncover the production costs of PAN- and rayon-based carbon felt electrodes. Raw material costs, energy demand and the impact of processability of fiber and felt are considered. This innovative, interdisciplinary approach combines deep insights into technical, ecologic and economic aspects of carbon felt and carbon fiber production. Main results of the calculation model are mass balances, cumulative energy demands (CED) and the production costs of conventional and biogenic carbon felts supplemented by market assessments considering textile and carbon fibers.

Base fluid in improving heat transfer for EV car battery

Science.gov (United States)

Bin-Abdun, Nazih A.; Razlan, Zuradzman M.; Shahriman, A. B.; Wan, Khairunizam; Hazry, D.; Ahmed, S. Faiz; Adnan, Nazrul H.; Heng, R.; Kamarudin, H.; Zunaidi, I.

2015-05-01

This study examined the effects of base fluid (as coolants) channeling inside the heat exchanger in the process of the increase in thermal conductivity between EV car battery and the heat exchanger. The analysis showed that secondary cooling system by means of water has advantages in improving the heat transfer process and reducing the electric power loss on the form of thermal energy from batteries. This leads to the increase in the efficiency of the EV car battery, hence also positively reflecting the performance of the EV car. The present work, analysis is performed to assess the design and use of heat exchanger in increasing the performance efficiency of the EV car battery. This provides a preface to the use this design for nano-fluids which increase and improve from heat transfer.

Techno-economic assessment of novel vanadium redox flow batteries with large-area cells

Science.gov (United States)

Minke, Christine; Kunz, Ulrich; Turek, Thomas

2017-09-01

The vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) is a promising electrochemical storage system for stationary megawatt-class applications. The currently limited cell area determined by the bipolar plate (BPP) could be enlarged significantly with a novel extruded large-area plate. For the first time a techno-economic assessment of VRFB in a power range of 1 MW-20 MW and energy capacities of up to 160 MWh is presented on the basis of the production cost model of large-area BPP. The economic model is based on the configuration of a 250 kW stack and the overall system including stacks, power electronics, electrolyte and auxiliaries. Final results include a simple function for the calculation of system costs within the above described scope. In addition, the impact of cost reduction potentials for key components (membrane, electrode, BPP, vanadium electrolyte) on stack and system costs is quantified and validated.

A biomimetic high-capacity phenazine-based anolyte for aqueous organic redox flow batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Hollas, Aaron; Wei, Xiaoliang; Murugesan, Vijayakumar; Nie, Zimin; Li, Bin; Reed, David; Liu, Jun; Sprenkle, Vincent; Wang, Wei

2018-06-01

Aqueous soluble organic (ASO) redox-active materials have recently attracted significant attention as alternatives to traditional transition metal ions in redox flow batteries (RFB). However, reported reversible capacities of ASO are often substantially lower than their theoretical values based on the reported maximum solubilities. Here, we describe a phenazine-based ASO compound with an exceptionally high reversible capacity that exceeds 90% of its theoretical value. By strategically modifying the phenazine molecular structure, we demonstrate an increased solubility from near-zero with pristine phenazine to as much as 1.8 M while also shifting its redox potential by more than 400 mV. An RFB based on a phenazine derivative (7,8-dihydroxyphenazine-2-sulfonic acid) at its near-saturation concentration exhibits an operating voltage of 1.4 V with a reversible anolyte capacity of 67 Ah l-1 and a capacity retention of 99.98% per cycle over 500 cycles.

An aqueous all-organic redox-flow battery employing a (2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidin-1-yl)oxyl-containing polymer as catholyte and dimethyl viologen dichloride as anolyte

Science.gov (United States)

Hagemann, Tino; Winsberg, Jan; Grube, Mandy; Nischang, Ivo; Janoschka, Tobias; Martin, Norbert; Hager, Martin D.; Schubert, Ulrich S.

2018-02-01

Herein we present a new redox-flow battery (RFB) that employs a (2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidin-1-yl)oxyl (TEMPO) containing copolymer (P1) as catholyte and the viologen derivative N,N‧-dimethyl-4,4‧-bipyridinium dichloride (MV) as anolyte in an aqueous sodium chloride solution. This is the first time that a combination of an organic polymer and a low-molar-mass organic redox-active material is presented. The electrochemical behavior of the utilized charge-storage materials were investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and feature reversible redox-reactions at E½ = 0.7 V (TEMPO/TEMPO+) and E½ = -0.6 V vs. AgCl/Ag (MV++/MV+•), which lead to a promising cell voltage of 1.3 V in the subsequent battery application. Studies were performed to determine the most suitable anion-exchange membrane (AEM), the ideal conducting salt concentration and the optimal flow rate. The resulting battery reveals a stable charge/discharge performance over 100 consecutive cycles with coulombic efficiencies of up to 95%, a high energy efficiency of 85% and an overall energy density of the electrolyte system of 3.8 W h L-1.

Microcontroller based implementation of fuel cell and battery integrated hybrid power source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fahad, A.; Ali, S.M.; Bhatti, A.A.; Nasir, M

2013-01-01

This paper presents the implementation of a digitally controlled hybrid power source system, composed of fuel cell and battery. Use of individual fuel cell stacks as a power source, encounters many problems in achieving the desired load characteristics. A battery integrated, digitally controlled hybrid system is proposed for high pulse requirements. The proposed hybrid power source fulfils these peak demands with efficient flow of energy as compared to individual operations of fuel cell or battery system. A dc/dc converter is applied which provides an optimal control of power flow among fuel cell, battery and load. The proposed system efficiently overcomes the electrochemical constraints like over current, battery leakage current, and over and under voltage dips. By formulation of an intelligent algorithm and incorporating a digital technology (AVR Microcontroller), an efficient control is achieved over fuel cell current limit, battery charge, voltage and current. The hybrid power source is tested and analyzed by carrying out simulations using MATLAB simulink. Along with the attainment of desired complex load profiles, the proposed design can also be used for power enhancement and optimization for different capacities. (author)

Nanocomposite Materials for the Sodium-Ion Battery: A Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Yaru; Lai, Wei-Hong; Miao, Zongcheng; Chou, Shu-Lei

2018-02-01

Clean energy has become an important topic in recent decades because of the serious global issues related to the development of energy, such as environmental contamination, and the intermittence of the traditional energy sources. Creating new battery-related energy storage facilities is an urgent subject for human beings to address and for solutions for the future. Compared with lithium-based batteries, sodium-ion batteries have become the new focal point in the competition for clean energy solutions and have more potential for commercialization due to the huge natural abundance of sodium. Nevertheless, sodium-ion batteries still exhibit some challenges, like inferior electrochemical performance caused by the bigger ionic size of Na + ions, the detrimental volume expansion, and the low conductivity of the active materials. To solve these issues, nanocomposites have recently been applied as a new class of electrodes to enhance the electrochemical performance in sodium batteries based on advantages that include the size effect, high stability, and excellent conductivity. In this Review, the recent development of nanocomposite materials applied in sodium-ion batteries is summarized, and the existing challenges and the potential solutions are presented. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Structure and stability of hexa-aqua V(III) cations in vanadium redox flow battery electrolytes.