Next-Generation Redox Flow Battery Technologies

In order to enable the large-scale adoption of the redox flow battery technology for grid-scale energy storage, the cost of a redox flow battery system needs to further reduced. Here we report a new redox flow battery chemistry based on soluble commodity redox active materials, which eliminate the need for expensive metal-based redox couples. Compared with other reports in this area, our new redox flow battery technology demonstrated higher voltage, energy density, rate capability, and improved cycling stability (Figure 1).  Recent progress of the advanced redox flow battery technologies research at PNNL will also be discussed, such as new developments on the high energy density electrolyte, high selective membrane, catalytic electrode, as well as nonaqueous redox flow battery technologies.

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge financial support from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability (OE) (under Contract No. 57558). Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is a multi-program national laboratory operated by Battelle for DOE under Contract DE-AC05-76RL01830.

Figure 1.  Voltage profile and the cyclic capacity behavior of the new redox flow battery technology.