The primary parameters of the redox flow batteries are Coulombic Efficiency (the ratio of the discharge and charge capacities of the same cycle), Voltage Efficiency (the ratio between the battery voltage during the charging and discharging), and Energy Efficiency (the measure of energy loss in a charge-discharge cycle). All these parameters are related to the electrochemical performance of the battery cell. However, another critical factor significantly impacting the whole battery system efficiency is the cell pressure drop.
Cell pressure drop is influenced by factors such as electrolyte flow rate, electrolyte viscosity, electrode material and compression, and overall cell design. A high cell pressure drop necessitates powerful pumps, resulting in energy losses for the battery system.
At INO-HUB Energy, we pay attention to the pressure of our battery systems. In December in the research lab in UPJS, we initiated experiments focused on the pressure drop of the small cells with vanadium-based electrolyte. The obtained from these experiments will serve as a benchmark for our upcoming cell testing, guiding our efforts toward optimizing total battery system efficiency.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:
This work was supported by the project: IPCEI_IE_FLOW_BESS_012021