Scaling up flow fields from lab-scale to stack-scale for redox flow batteries

Su，Ruihang1; Wang，Zimu2; Cai，Yuhao1; Ying，Jinhui1; Li，Huijia1; Zhao，Tianshou2,3; Jiang，Haoran1,4

2024-04-15

10.1016/j.cej.2024.149946

Chemical Engineering Journal   影响因子和分区

1385-8947

Flow fields are key competent to distribute electrolytes onto electrodes at maximum uniformity while maintaining a minimum pumping loss for redox flow batteries. Previously, efforts are mainly made to develop lab-scale flow fields (＜100 cm) with varying patterns, but due to the lack of reasonable scaling-up methods, a huge gap between lab-scale and stack-scale (＞1000 cm) flow fields exists, limiting the application of designed flow fields for commercialized kW-class battery stacks. In this work, six scaling-up methods, including channel length extension, geometric similarity, multi-parallel channels, splitting subzone, channel multi-parallel length extension and split-area multi-parallel channels, are proposed and evaluated by adopting a rotary serpentine flow field as an example to unravel the flow-related concentration distribution and electrochemical characteristics from lab-scale to stack-scale. Results show that shortening the supply path and enhancing the supply rate by utilizing flow channel structures within the unit area are key factors determining the uniform distribution of active materials at stack-scale flow fields. More remarkably, the flow filed with the multiple-parallel channel scaling-up method shows the lowest charge voltage (1.49 V), the highest discharge voltage (1.32 V), the highest uniformity factor (0.812) and the lowest pressure drop (100.1 kPa) among methods investigated at 100 mA cm, leading to a high energy efficiency of 88.4 %, which is almost identical to that of lab-scale counterpart (88.9 %). This work provides an in-depth analysis of flow field scaling-up methods, which is expected to guide the design of kW-class VRFB stacks.

Flow battery Flow field Local current density Mass transfer Scaling-up method

英语

通讯

ENGINEERING

2-s2.0-85187212362

Scopus

1.Department of Energy and Power Engineering,Tianjin University,Tianjin,China
2.Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering,The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology,Hong Kong,Hong Kong
3.Department of Mechanical and Energy Engineering,Southern University of Science and Technology,Shenzhen,China
4.National Industry-Education Platform of Energy Storage,Tianjin University,Tianjin,China

Su，Ruihang,Wang，Zimu,Cai，Yuhao,et al. Scaling up flow fields from lab-scale to stack-scale for redox flow batteries[J]. Chemical Engineering Journal,2024,486.

Su，Ruihang.,Wang，Zimu.,Cai，Yuhao.,Ying，Jinhui.,Li，Huijia.,...&Jiang，Haoran.(2024).Scaling up flow fields from lab-scale to stack-scale for redox flow batteries.Chemical Engineering Journal,486.

Su，Ruihang,et al."Scaling up flow fields from lab-scale to stack-scale for redox flow batteries".Chemical Engineering Journal 486(2024).