Topology optimization design of electrode integrated with flow field for intensifying reactive transfer process of non-aqueous iron-vanadium redox flow battery

To probe the optimal flow field for boosting the reactive transfer performance of non-aqueous redox flow battery (RFB) electrode, this work uses a topology optimization method to design the electrode integrated with flow field for positive side of deep eutectic solvent (DES) electrolyte-based iron-vanadium RFB. Based on variable-density method and finite element simulation, this topology optimization algorithm is conducted to solve the integrated flow field/electrode structure achieving the maximum output current under the potentiostatic discharging with the given electrode porosity and pumping power condition. The results show that all topology-optimized structures present bifurcated tree-like morphology and have the highest discharging performance compared to other usual flow field structures. Moreover, to facilitate the porous electrode integrated with flow field employing in further production process, a fractal binary tree-like flow field is proposed to simplify the complex topology-optimized results. Using the full-cell numerical simulations of DES based iron-vanadium RFB, the positive-side electrode integrated with simplified tree-like structure, which has the fractal similarity with the according topology-optimized morphology, can play a positive role of enhancing reactive transfer process during RFB discharging. Consequently, this work provides a significative design thought for the advanced porous electrode integrated with flow field of non-aqueous RFB.