Vanadium Redox Flow Battery: Design and Prototype

Abstract

Storage of energy has become an important aspect in today’s world, and it is a challenge to jump from small to large capacity batteries for providing larger amounts of energy. Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries (VRBs) have received attention due to their high energy efficiency and their long cycle life. They can be recharged by applying electrical current or simply by replacing the electrolytes, making them attractive for a wide variety of applications, such as electric vehicles and solar systems.In this study, a prototype of a VRB formed by one steel cell was designed by finite element analysis using open software. Its construction and assembly were mainly composed by one bipolar cell and two glass tanks storing the electrolyte. The cell is composed by serpentines machined in stainless steel plates using a serpentine with a half-moon configuration facilitate its manufacture and a better transfer of the electrolyte.