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Developing vanadium redox flow technology on a 9-kW 26-kWh industrial scale test facility: Design review and early experiments

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  • Guarnieri, Massimo
  • Trovò, Andrea
  • D'Anzi, Angelo
  • Alotto, Piergiorgio

Abstract

Redox Flow Batteries (RFBs) have a strong potential for future stationary storage, in view of the rapid expansion of renewable energy sources and smart grids. Their development and future success largely depend on the research on new materials, namely electrolytic solutions, membranes and electrodes, which is typically conduced on small single cells. A vast literature on these topics already exists. However, also the technological development plays a fundamental role in view of the successful application of RFBs in large plants. Despite that, very little research is reported in literature on the technology of large RFB systems. This paper presents the design, construction and early operation of a vanadium redox flow battery test facility of industrial size, dubbed IS-VRFB, where such technologies are developed and tested. In early experiments a peak power of 8.9 kW has been achieved with a stack specific power of 77 W kg−1. The maximum tested current density of 635 mA cm−2 has been reached with a cell voltage of 0.5 V, indicating that higher values can be obtained. The test facility is ready to be complemented with advanced diagnostic devices, including multichannel electrochemical impedance spectroscopy for studying aging and discrepancies in the cell behaviors.

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  • Guarnieri, Massimo & Trovò, Andrea & D'Anzi, Angelo & Alotto, Piergiorgio, 2018. "Developing vanadium redox flow technology on a 9-kW 26-kWh industrial scale test facility: Design review and early experiments," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 230(C), pages 1425-1434.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:appene:v:230:y:2018:i:c:p:1425-1434
    DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2018.09.021
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    3. Shi, Yu & Eze, Chika & Xiong, Binyu & He, Weidong & Zhang, Han & Lim, T.M. & Ukil, A. & Zhao, Jiyun, 2019. "Recent development of membrane for vanadium redox flow battery applications: A review," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 238(C), pages 202-224.
    4. Trovò, Andrea & Marini, Giacomo & Sutto, Alessandro & Alotto, Piergiorgio & Giomo, Monica & Moro, Federico & Guarnieri, Massimo, 2019. "Standby thermal model of a vanadium redox flow battery stack with crossover and shunt-current effects," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 240(C), pages 893-906.
    5. Iñigo Aramendia & Unai Fernandez-Gamiz & Adrian Martinez-San-Vicente & Ekaitz Zulueta & Jose Manuel Lopez-Guede, 2020. "Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries: A Review Oriented to Fluid-Dynamic Optimization," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(1), pages 1-20, December.
    6. Trovò, Andrea & Alotto, Piergiorgio & Giomo, Monica & Moro, Federico & Guarnieri, Massimo, 2021. "A validated dynamical model of a kW-class Vanadium Redox Flow Battery," Mathematics and Computers in Simulation (MATCOM), Elsevier, vol. 183(C), pages 66-77.
    7. Guarnieri, Massimo & Trovò, Andrea & Picano, Francesco, 2020. "Enhancing the efficiency of kW-class vanadium redox flow batteries by flow factor modulation: An experimental method," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 262(C).
    8. Wang, Shaoliang & Xu, Zeyu & Wu, Xiaoliang & Zhao, Huan & Zhao, Jinling & Liu, Jianguo & Yan, Chuanwei & Fan, Xinzhuang, 2020. "Analyses and optimization of electrolyte concentration on the electrochemical performance of iron-chromium flow battery," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 271(C).

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