Influence of Mixed Electrolyte on the Performance of Iron-Ion/Hydrogen Redox Flow Battery

Abstract

There is a need to reduce the reliance on finite energy resources such as fossil fuels used in energy production. Burning of fossil fuels produces green house gases such as CO2 which may be directly linked to global warming and severe weather conditions. Furthermore, fossil fuels are costly. 1 Alternative energy, such as solar and wind, can be unstable for everyday use. Advanced storage technologies such as redox flow batteries (RFB) are being investigated as solutions because the electrolyte can be charged and stored for later usage during which the battery is discharged. This allows the battery to be very versatile in small-scale and large-scale operations because it allows for consistent energy distribution and management across the entire day. RFB presents a potentially cheap and nontoxic option of using more renewable energy resources. In addition, it offers megawatt storage capacity depending on the electrolyte used. 1