A Hydrogen Iron Flow Battery with High Current Density and Long Cyclability Enabled Through Circular Water Management

The hydrogen-iron (HyFe) flow cell has great potential for long-duration energy storage by capitalizing on the advantages of both electrolyzers and flow batteries. However, its operation at high current density (high power) and over continuous cycling testing has yet to be demonstrated. In this article, we discuss our design and demonstration of a water-management strategy that supports high current and long-cycling performance of a HyFe flow cell. Water molecules associated with the movement of protons from the iron electrode to the hydrogen electrode are sufficient to hydrate the membrane and electrode at a low current density of 100 mA cm⁻² during the charge process. At higher charge current density, more aggressive measures must be taken to counter back-diffusion driven by the acid concentration gradient between the iron and hydrogen electrodes. Our water-management approach is based on water vapor feeding in the hydrogen electrode and water evaporation in the iron electrode, thus enabling high current density operation of 300 mA cm⁻².