The chemical energy is converted to the electric energy when the electrolytes flow through the external tanks. The volume of the electrolyte and the surface area of the electrode influence the performance of the flow battery. Flow batteries can be employed both as a rechargeable secondary battery and a fuel cell.
In contrast with conventional batteries, flow batteries store energy in the electrolyte solutions. Therefore, the power and energy ratings are independent, the storage capacity being determined by the quantity of electrolyte used and the power rating determined by the active area of the cell stack.
The charge neutrality condition for the each half-cell is maintained by a selective ion exchange membrane separating the anode and cathode compartments. The key differentiating factor of flow batteries is that the power and energy components are separate and can be scaled independently.
Flow batteries can be employed both as a rechargeable secondary battery and a fuel cell. The earlier loaded electrolyte will be the alternative for the discharged electrolyte and thus it has the synergic significance.
The zinc-bromine (flow) battery receives more and more attention for energy storage of renewable electric energy. The mixture of bromide and bromine in the electrolyte will inevitably lead to the formation of polybromides. Just as in many electrochemical devices, ionic liquids have emerged as attractive electrolyte media.
Electrolytes are stored externally in tanks, while the electrochemical cell handles energy conversion. Flow batteries have two main categories: Redox flow batteries utilize redox reactions of the electrolyte solutions for energy storage.
OverviewDesignHistoryEvaluationTraditional flow batteriesHybridOrganicOther types
A flow battery is a rechargeable fuel cell in which an electrolyte containing one or more dissolved electroactive elements flows through an electrochemical cell that reversibly converts chemical energy to electrical energy. Electroactive elements are "elements in solution that can take part in an electrode reaction or that can be adsorbed on the electrode." Electrolyte is stored externally, generally in tanks, and is typically pumped through the cell (or c…