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State of Charge and Capacity Tracking in Vanadium Redox Flow Battery Systems

Author

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  • Kalvin Schofield

    (Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 1H9, Canada)

  • Petr Musilek

    (Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 1H9, Canada)

Abstract

The vanadium redox flow battery electrolyte is prone to several capacity loss mechanisms, which must be mitigated to preserve electrolyte health and battery performance. This study investigates a simple and effective technique for the recovery of capacity loss arising from symmetrical mechanisms via automatic electrolyte rebalancing. However, chemical or electrochemical techniques must be used to mitigate capacity loss from asymmetrical mechanisms (e.g., air oxidation of V 2 + ), which requires knowledge of the oxidation states present in the electrolytes. As such, this study assesses the suitability of SOC tracking via electrolyte absorption for independent monitoring of the anolyte and catholyte within an existing VRFB system. Testing is performed over cycling of a 40 cell, 2.5 kW with 40 L of electrolyte. Optical monitoring is performed using a custom-made flow cell with optical paths (interior cavity thicknesses) ranging from 1/4 ″ to 1/16 ″ . Light transmitted through the cell by a 550 lumen white light source is monitored by a simple photodiode. The electrolyte rebalancing mechanism displayed success in recovering symmetrical capacity losses, while optical monitoring was unsuccessful due to the high absorbance of the electrolyte. Potential improvements to the monitoring system are presented to mitigate this issue.

Suggested Citation

  • Kalvin Schofield & Petr Musilek, 2022. "State of Charge and Capacity Tracking in Vanadium Redox Flow Battery Systems," Clean Technol., MDPI, vol. 4(3), pages 1-12, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jcltec:v:4:y:2022:i:3:p:37-618:d:850359
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Liu, Le & Li, Zhaohua & Xi, Jingyu & Zhou, Haipeng & Wu, Zenghua & Qiu, Xinping, 2017. "Rapid detection of the positive side reactions in vanadium flow batteries," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 185(P1), pages 452-462.
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    Cited by:

    1. Pablo Carrasco Ortega & Pablo Durán Gómez & Julio César Mérida Sánchez & Fernando Echevarría Camarero & Ángel Á. Pardiñas, 2023. "Battery Energy Storage Systems for the New Electricity Market Landscape: Modeling, State Diagnostics, Management, and Viability—A Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(17), pages 1-51, August.
    2. Puleston, Thomas & Serra, Maria & Costa-Castelló, Ramon, 2024. "Vanadium redox flow battery capacity loss mitigation strategy based on a comprehensive analysis of electrolyte imbalance effects," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 355(C).

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