Indented metallic bipolar plates for vanadium redox flow batteries

Abstract

The standard industrial vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) stack is made of thick graphite bipolar plates to support the flow field required for optimal circulation of electrolyte. These thick plates suffer from electrolyte seepage, poor mechanical properties, and high machining and processing costs. In the present study, we report on the use of metallic bipolar plates for the construction of the VRFB cell. We show, through comprehensive electrochemical and hydrodynamic investigations, that Hastelloy C276, a corrosion-resistant high Nickel alloy, is a suitable bipolar plate material in VRFB cells. We show further that surface texture modification, in the form of a mix of concave and convex spherical indentations on the metallic bipolar plate, can have beneficial effects on cell performance. Comparative experiments on medium-size cells of a nominal area of 440 cm² operating in the current density range of 75–125 mA/cm² show that discharge energy gains of 25% or higher can be obtained together with a 10–15% reduction in pressure drop in comparison with similar cells with flat bipolar plates. It is posited that the concave indentations spread over the entire area ensure uniform electrolyte circulation while regions of low and high electrode compression create flow channeling possibilities that lead to reduced pressure drop.