Analysis of the Impact of Operating Conditions on Performance of H2 Gas – Aqueous Manganese Redox Flow Batteries

Abstract

In recent years the need to move to renewable energy sources as a means of combating climate change has become increasingly clear. Long duration energy storage (LDES) is essential for the incorporation of renewable energy generation into grid-scale energy systems. Redox Flow Batteries (RFB) offer a promising solution due to scalability, safety, and cost. The hybrid H2 gas – aqueous Mn RFB has been identified as a candidate1.Recognising the absence of an established protocol for measurement of RFB system performance, this study uses charge- discharge polarisations to explore the sensitivity of the H2/Mn performance to changes in temperature. When designing a RFB for commercial usage it is important to balance improved performance with the necessary stability that is required for any potential LDES system. In this work we use a developed stress test to demonstrate the impact of temperature on the systems stability.Varying temperature showed improvement of 2.8 mV/ oC in charging overpotentials of and 5.7 mV/ oC in discharging overpotential. However, this must be weighed against the impact on the stability of the cell. These findings serve as inputs for the development of the control system essential for the successful operation of the H2/Mn RFB system. 1Rubio-Garcia, J. et al. Hydrogen / manganese hybrid redox flow battery. J. Phys. Energy (2018)1015006.