Flow Battery

December 24th, 2015 by

Researchers from the Pacific Northwest National Lab have developed a new flow battery system that is projected to cost 60 percent less than today’s standard flow batteries. The system, an organic aqueous flow battery, is expected to cost $180 per kilowatt-hour once fully developed, which is significant less expensive because the new battery uses organic molecules rather than transition metal. In addition, the system uses a water-based liquid electrolyte. Compared to the more traditional lithium-ion batteries, flow batteries are safer because they maintain the chemicals separately until power is required. Most flow batteries available today are based on a vanadium design. As a next step, the researchers will scale the system to store up to 5 kilowatts of electricity, in addition to improving the battery’s cycling.

Source PNNL

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