Simulation of the effects of electrode parameters on all-vanadium redox flow battery performance

doi:10.3969/j.issn.2095-4239.2014.04.013

Abstract

Abstract: In order to study the all-vanadium redox flow battery (VFB), a mechanistic model is developed based on the transport and reactions to simulate the effects of various electrode parameters on the battery's overall performance and internal polarizations for a VFB charged at isothermal and steady state. The parameters included the carbon felt's geometry structure parameters (thickness Lt, Compression ratio CR), electrical parameters (specific surface area a, electric conductivity) and operating parameter (charging current density i). Numerical simulations showed that when Lt increased from 1.5 mm to 3.5 mm, the terminal voltage drop is 3 mV only; when CR increased from 0.1 to 0.5, the terminal voltage drop is 16 mV; when a increased from 3.5×10⁴ m²·m^-3 to 3.5×10⁶ m²·m^-3, the terminal voltage drop is 30 mV; when increased from 18.9 S·m^-1 to 164.4 S·m^-1, the terminal voltage drop is 87 mV, and results also showed different two-dimensional over-potential distribution characteristics under different; when i increased from 100 mA·cm^-2 to 150 mA·cm^-2, the terminal voltage increase is 57 mV, if proportionally increased a, the terminal voltage increase is 46 mV only. Based on the terminal voltage and the over-potential distribution, the reasons for the effects of various parameters on the battery performance are discussed. The experimental validation showed similar results, which proved the reliability of the numerical simulation. Increasing CR, a and will significantly improve the battery performance. This should provide guidance to parameter design and to improve the performance of electrode material, and the improving of battery performances.

Key words: all-vanadium redox flow battery, numerical simulation, porous media, electrode structure, compression ratio

CLC Number:

TQ152

LIAO Sida, SONG Shiqiang, ZHANG Jianbo, WANG Baoguo. Simulation of the effects of electrode parameters on all-vanadium redox flow battery performance[J]. Energy Storage Science and Technology, 2014, 3(4): 395-405.

References

[1] Skyllas-Kazacos M,Rychick M,Robins R. All-vanadium redox battery:US,4786567[P]. 1986.
[2] Pan Jianxin(潘建欣),Xie Xiaofeng(谢晓峰),Wang Jinhai(王金海),Wang Shubo(王树博),Shang Yuming(尚玉明),Zhou Tao(周涛). Research progresses in modeling and simulation for all vanadium redox flow battery[J]. CIESC Journal (化工学报),2011,62(S2):7-15.
[3] Xing Feng(邢枫),Zhang Huamin(张华民),Ma Xiangkun(马向坤),Wang Xiaoli(王晓丽). Advance in simulation research of redox flow battery[J]. Battery Bimonthly (电池),2011,41(6):336-339.
[4] Skyllas-Kazacos M,Grossmith F. Efficient vanadium redox flow cell[J]. J. Electrochem. Soc. ,1987,134(12):2950-2953.
[5] Zhao P,Zhang H,Zhou H,Chen J,Gao S,Yi B. Characteristics and performance of 10 kW class all-vanadium redox-flow battery stack[J]. Journal of Power Sources ,2006,162(2):1416-1420.
[6] Skyllas-Kazacos M,Kazacos G,Poon G,Verseema H. Recent advances with UNSW vanadium-based redox flow batteries[J]. Int. J. Energy Res. ,2010,34(2):182-189.
[7] Wang Chaoyang. Fundamental models for fuel cell engineering[J]. Chem. Rev. ,2004,104(10):4727-4766.
[8] Ma L,Ingham D B,Pourkashanian M,Carcadea E. Review of the computational fluid dynamics modeling of fuel cells[J]. J. Fuel Cell Sci. Technol .,2005,2(4):246-257.
[9] Shah A A,Watt-Smith M J,Walsh F C. A dynamic performance model for redox-flow batteries involving soluble species[J]. Electrochimica Acta ,2008,53(27):8087-8100.
[10] Al-Fetlawi H,Shah A A,Walsh F C. Non-isothermal modelling of the all-vanadium redox flow battery[J]. Electrochimica Acta ,2009,55(1):78-89.
[11] Al-Fetlawi H,Shah A A,Walsh F C. Modelling the effects of oxygen evolution in the all-vanadium redox flow battery[J]. Electrochimica Acta ,2010,55(9):3192-3205.
[12] Shah A A,Al-Fetlawi H,Walsh F C. Dynamic modelling of hydrogen evolution effects in the all-vanadium redox flow battery[J]. Electrochimica Acta ,2010,55(3):1125-1139.
[13] Shah A A,Tangirala R,Singh R,Wills R G A,Walsh F C. A dynamic unit cell model for the all-vanadium flow battery[J]. J. Electrochem. Soc. ,2011,158(6):A671-A677.
[14] Watt-Smith M J,Ridley P,Wills R G A,Shah A A,Walsh F C. The importance of key operational variables and electrolyte monitoring to the performance of an all vanadium redox flow battery[J]. J . Chem. Technol. Biotechnol. ,2013,88(1):126-138.
[15] You D,Zhang H,Chen J. A simple model for the vanadium redox battery[J]. Electrochimica Acta ,2009,54(27):6827-6836.
[16] You D,Zhang H,Chen J. Theoretical analysis of the effects of operational and designed parameters on the performance of a flow-through porous electrode[J]. J. Electroanal. Chem. ,2009,625(2):165-171.
[17] You D,Zhang H,Sun C,Ma X. Simulation of the self-discharge process in vanadium redox flow battery[J]. J. Power Sources ,2011,196(3):1578-1585.
[18] Ma X,Zhang H,Xing F. A three-dimensional model for negative half cell of the vanadium redox flow battery[J]. Electrochimica Acta ,2011,58:238-246.
[19] Zheng Q,Zhang H,Xing F,Ma X,Li X,Ning G. A three-dimensional model for thermal analysis in a vanadium flow battery[J]. Applied Energy ,2014,113:1675-1685.
[20] Xu W,Zhang H,Xing F,Zhang H,Li Y,Cao J,Li X. The numerical simulation of dynamic performance in the vanadium flow battery[J]. Electrochimica Acta ,2014,118:51-57.
[21] Knehr K W,Agar E,Dennison C R,Kalidindi A R,Kumbur E C. A transient vanadium flow battery model incorporating vanadium crossover and water transport through the membrane[J]. J. Electrochem. Soc. ,2012,159(9):A1446-A1459.
[22] Qiu G,Dennison C R,Knehr K W,Kumbur E C,Sun Y. Pore-scale analysis of effects of electrode morphology and electrolyte flow conditions on performance of vanadium redox flow batteries[J]. J. Power Sources ,2012,219:223-234.
[23] Qiu G,Joshi A S,Dennison C R,Knehr K W,Kumbur E C,Sun Y. 3-D pore-scale resolved model for coupled species/charge/fluid transport in a vanadium redox flow battery[J]. Electrochimica Acta ,2012,64:46-64.
[24] Agar E,Knehr K W,Chen D,Hickner M A,Kumbur E C. Species transport mechanisms governing capacity loss in vanadium flow batteries:Comparing Nafion ® and sulfonated radel membranes[J]. Electrochimica Acta ,2013,98:66-74.
[25] Qing Geletu(青格乐图),Song Shiqiang(宋士强),Fan Yongsheng(范永生),Wang Baoguo(王保国). Ion diffusion behaviors through porous proton conductive membrane[J]. CIESC Journal (化工学报),2013,64(2):689-695.
[26] Chen D,Wang S,Xiao M,Meng Y. Preparation and properties of sulfonated poly (fluorenyl ether ketone) membrane for vanadium redox flow battery application[J]. J. Power Sources ,2010,195(7):2089-2095.
[27] Knehr K W,Kumbur E C. Open circuit voltage of vanadium redox flow batteries:Discrepancy between models and experiments[J]. Electrochem. Commun. ,2011,13(4):342-345.
[28] Bruggeman D A G. Berechnung verschiedener physikalischer konstanten von heterogenen Substanzen. I. Dielektrizitätskonstanten und Leitfähigkeiten der Mischkörper aus isotropen Substanzen[J]. Annalen der Physik ,1935,416(7):636-664.
[29] Bromberger K,Kaunert J,Smolinka T. A model for all-vanadium redox flow batteries:Introducing electrode-compression effects on voltage losses and hydraulics[J]. Energy Technol. ,2014,2(1):67-76.
[30] Aaron D,Tang Z J,Papandrew A B,Zawodzinski T A. Polarization curve analysis of all-vanadium redox flow batteries[J]. J. Appl. Electrochem. ,2011,41(10):1175-1182.
[31] Oriji G,Katayama Y,Miura T. Investigations on V(IV)/V(V) and V(II)/V(III) redox reactions by various electrochemical methods[J]. J. Power Sources ,2005,139(2):321-324.
[32] Pourbaix M. Atlas of Electrochemical Equilibria in Aqueous Solutions[M]. 2nd ed. Houston:NACE International,1974.
[33] Yamamura T,Watanabe N,Yano T,Shiokawa Y. Electron-transfer kinetics of Np 3+ /Np 4+ ?, NpO 2 + /NpO 2 2+ ?, V 2+ /V 3+ ?, and VO 2+ / at carbon electrodes[J]. J. Electrochem. Soc. ,2005,152(4):A830-A836.
[34] Li Wenyue(李文跃),Wei Guanjie(魏冠杰),Liu Jianguo(刘建国),Yan Chuanwei(严川伟). Electrode materials for all vanadium flow batteries:A review[J]. Energy Storage Science and Technology (储能科学与技术),2013,2(4):342-348.
[35] Newman J,Thomas-Alyea K E. Electrochemical Systems[M]. 3nd ed. New York:John Wiley & Sons Inc.,2004:283-307.
[36] Chen Xiao(陈晓),Song Shiqiang(宋士强),Fan Yongsheng(范永生),Liu Ping(刘平),Wang Baoguo(王保国). Study on proton conductive membranes for all-vanadium redox flow battery[J]. Membrane Science and Technology (膜科学与技术),2012,32(6):34-38.