Integrating vanadium redox flow batteries with large-scale wind power

International Journal of Energy Research

In this work, accelerated degradation charge-discharge tests have been applied to compare the performance of a bench-scale vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB), when charged under galvanostatic conditions and under the highly variable conditions of current produced by wind turbines. Wind speed patterns applied for the VRFB charge were obtained during three representative days in winter, in Ciudad Real (Spain). The accumulated and delivered charge capacities and the different efficiencies (coulombic, voltage and energy) were analyzed during three charge and discharge cycles. The conversion of the different vanadium species during the charge-discharge cycles, indicated that the operation mode had a strong influence on the performance of the VRFB and helped to explain the charge profiles obtained. Although, similar efficiencies and

Advances in Batteries for Medium-and Large-scale Energy Storage.

IEEE Industrial Electronics Magazine, 2016

anadium redox flow battery (VRFB) systems complemented with dedicated power electronic interfaces are a promising technology for storing energy in smart-grid applications in which the intermittent power produced by renewable sources must face the dynamics of requests and economical parameters. In this article, we review the vanadium-based technology for redox flow batteries (RFBs) and highlight its strengths and weaknesses, outlining the research that aims to make it a commercial success. Present electric energy production exceeds 10 3 and is growing at a rate of about 3% per year [1]-[3]. For approximately four decades, scientific forecasts warned that conventional resources could not stand this increasing demand in the long term [4], [5], and, only recently, the central administrations of all industrialized countries have embedded into their development programs several policies to gradually replace carbon-based plants with environmentally friendly renewable sources. Following these programs, world wind-generating capacity

Journal of Energy Storage, 2019

Interest in the advancement of energy storage methods have risen as energy production trends toward renewable energy sources. Vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFB) are one of the emerging energy storage techniques being developed with the purpose of effectively storing renewable energy. There are currently a limited number of papers published addressing the design considerations of the VRFB, the limitations of each component and what has been/is being done to address said limitations. This review briefly discusses the current need and state of renewable energy production, the fundamental principles behind the VRFB, how it works and the technology restraints. The working principles of each component are highlighted and what design aspects/cues are to be considered when building a VRFB. The limiting determinants of some components are investigated along with the past/current research to address these limitations. Finally, critical research areas are highlighted along with future development recommendations.

International Journal of Energy Research, 2012

The commercial development and current economic incentives associated with energy storage using redox flow batteries (RFBs) are summarised. The analysis is focused on the all-vanadium system, which is the most studied and widely commercialised RFB. The recent expiry of key patents relating to the electrochemistry of this battery has contributed to significant levels of commercialisation in, for example, Austria, China and Thailand, as well as pilot-scale developments in many countries. The potential benefits of increasing battery-based energy storage for electricity grid load levelling and MW-scale wind/solar photovoltaic-based power generation are now being realised at an increasing level. Commercial systems are being applied to distributed systems utilising kW-scale renewable energy flows. Factors limiting the uptake of all-vanadium (and other) redox flow batteries include a comparatively high overall internal costs of $217 kW −1 h −1 and the high cost of stored electricity of ≈ $0.10 kW −1 h −1 . There is also a low-level utility scale acceptance of energy storage solutions and a general lack of battery-specific policy-led incentives, even though the environmental impact of RFBs coupled to renewable energy sources is favourable, especially in comparison to natural gas-and diesel-fuelled spinning reserves. Together with the technological and policy aspects associated with flow batteries, recent attempts to model redox flow batteries are considered. The issues that have been addressed using modelling together with the current and future requirements of modelling are outlined.

IEEE , 2023

Vanadium Redox Flow Battery is an excellent solution as energy storage technology to overcome the limitations of intermittency of renewable sources, extreme location and weather conditions, flexible energy demand and more. The present study investigates the operational performance of a 20W/200 kWh vanadium redox flow battery integrated with 44.4 kWp at a high altitude off-grid location with a cold climate profile. The proposed work envisages towards reduction of carbon footprint by producing green hydrogen and lowering diesel consumption laterally.

Batteries, 2018

The incessant growth in energy demand has resulted in the deployment of renewable energy generators to reduce the impact of fossil fuel dependence. However, these generators often suffer from intermittency and require energy storage when there is over-generation and the subsequent release of this stored energy at high demand. One such energy storage technology that could provide a solution to improving energy management, as well as offering spinning reserve and grid stability, is the redox flow battery (RFB). One such system is the 200 kW/400 kWh vanadium RFB installed in the energy station at Martigny, Switzerland. This RFB utilises the excess energy from renewable generation to support the energy security of the local community, charge electric vehicle batteries, or to provide the power required to an alkaline electrolyser to produce hydrogen as a fuel for use in fuel cell vehicles. In this article, this vanadium RFB is fully characterised in terms of the system and electrochemica...

Energy Engineering and Management, 2018

Vanadium Redox Flow batteries (VRFB) are electrochemical energy storage system which presents a high potential in terms of grid-scale renewable energies storage solution. A fundamental and inexpensive design for a lab-scale VRFB is presented in this work, along with the basic step for the electrolyte chemical preparation from vanadium pentoxide. The electrochemical cell has 25 cm2 of area without any specific flow path geometry and it is assembled using raw material of easy availability and tested with different working conditions and performing acid treatment on the electrodes. It has been tested with two different concentration of active species, 0.15 M and 0.3 M of vanadium. Polarization curves, charge-discharge cycles, self-discharge curves and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy are used as tool to investigate the influence of the different working conditions and treatment on the efficiency of the electrochemical cell. The space-time test was also performed to understand the mass transport behaviour inside the cell. The outcomes from EIS exhibit an improvement with an increment of the concentration and it shows the membrane has a purely resistive behavior. The best performance were achieved using the maximum flow rate, the acid treated electrode and the more concentrated electrolytes, which presented current density of 40 mA/cm2. The cell presented an improvement with the increase of concentration in charge-discharge cycles as well as in the polarization curves and self-discharge curves .

International journal of engineering. Transactions A: basics, 2019

Storage systems are becoming one of the most critical components in the energetic scenario, mainly due to the penetration and deployment of renewable sources. All-vanadium Redox flow batteries (RFB) are one of the most promising technologies as electrochemical energy storage system in combination to a wide range of renewable energy sources, because of the independence of energy and power rating, fast response, room temperature operation, extremely long life and low environmental impact. This chapter reviews the main features and applications of vanadium as key element of RFBs, providing a simple explanation of its properties and their use as energy storage mean.