A Flow Battery Based Source for Autonomous Power Supply Systems

Abstract

Flow batteries are a highly efficient solution for long-term energy storage in critical and alternative power supply facilities. The main advantage of a flow cell is the ability to create batteries of unlimited power and energy capacity by changing the cell area, the number of cells in the battery, and the capacity of tanks with electrolytes. The key element of a flow battery, in particular, a vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB), is a flow cell. A technology for manufacturing an electrolyte for a flow battery has been developed, and its volume sufficient for laboratory research has been synthesized. A 5 kW flow battery has been tested, and a schematic design for the placement of laboratory technological equipment for industry-grade synthesis of electrolyte has been developed. A VRFB control system has been developed those collects, analyzes and stores data from sensors, and performs automatic and manual control of pumps for pumping electrolyte through the flow cells. The article presents the results of testing a vanadium flow battery stack on the test bench constructed by JSC MPOTK TEKHNOKOMPLEKT.