An Investigation on Effect of Organic Additives for Stable Performance Vanadium – Cerium Redox Flow Batteries

Abstract

In an era where renewable energy resources are pivotal yet plagued by variability, vanadium-cerium (V-Ce) redox flow batteries (RFBs) present a sophisticated solution to energy storage and grid stability. This study focuses into the electrochemical integration of cerium with vanadium to enhance traditional redox flow batteries′ energy density and cost-effectiveness. Through an innovative design that allows scalability and addresses the challenges of the lower energy density inherent in vanadium RFBs, V-Ce RFBs demonstrate the potential for more compact and efficient energy storage systems. In this work, we provide the open-source design mono cell for RFBs research. Herein, the research spotlights the electrochemical characterization of Ce-based electrolytes, employing mixed acid electrolytes to improve solubility. For improving the electrochemical performance of the V-Ce RFBs including the diffusion coefficients and electron transfer rates, L–Leucine and L–Lysine have been used as organic additives. Obtained results have revealed that these additives not only influence the electrochemical stability and efficiency but also significantly affect to the charge-discharge properties of the V-Ce RFBs, in which, the L-leucine showing superior performance over L-lysine. These findings propose a new way for optimizing the stability of V-Ce RFBs for large-scale energy storage regarding efficiency, safety, and environmental impact.