Zinc-bromine flow batteries (ZBFBs) offer great potential for large-scale energy storage owing to the inherent high energy density and low cost. However, practical applications of this technology are hindered by low power density and short cycle life, mainly due to large polarization and non-uniform zinc deposition.
Among the above-mentioned flow batteries, the zinc-based flow batteries that leverage the plating-stripping process of the zinc redox couples in the anode are very promising for distributed energy storage because of their attractive features of high safety, high energy density, and low cost .
Zinc–bromine flow batteries have shown promise in their long cycle life with minimal capacity fade, but no single battery type has met all the requirements for successful ESS implementation. Achieving a balance between the cost, lifetime and performance of ESSs can make them economically viable for different applications.
Zinc–bromine rechargeable batteries are a promising candidate for stationary energy storage applications due to their non-flammable electrolyte, high cycle life, high energy density and low material cost. Different structures of ZBRBs have been proposed and developed over time, from static (non-flow) to flowing electrolytes.
In particular, zinc-bromine flow batteries (ZBFBs) have attracted considerable interest due to the high theoretical energy density of up to 440 Wh kg −1 and use of low-cost and abundant active materials [10, 11].
Static non-flow zinc–bromine batteries are rechargeable batteries that do not require flowing electrolytes and therefore do not need a complex flow system as shown in Fig. 1 a. Compared to current alternatives, this makes them more straightforward and more cost-effective, with lower maintenance requirements.