Bioinspired flow Fields: A numerical investigation into Nature-Mimicking designs for boosting vanadium redox flow batteries

Abstract

Efficient flow field structures are crucial for improving the performance of all-vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs). Considering the large pressure drop and pump losses in traditional serpentine flow fields (SFF), this paper proposes a novel biomimetic flow field structure (BFF) for VRFB. A three-dimensional multiphysics model comparing SFF and BFF designs for VRFB is developed, the assessment was further enhanced by considering the impact of electrolyte flow rates on multiple performance indicators. The results show that BFF’s unique design substantially reduces pressure drop, especially at higher flow rates. For both SFF and BFF designs, at a low flow rate of 60 ml/min, the SFF has a slightly higher pump-based voltage efficiency, but as the flow rate increases to 120 ml/min and 180 ml/min, the BFF outperforms the SFF, demonstrating advantages of 2.057 % and 6.888 %, respectively. This comprehensive VRFB modeling analysis provides valuable insights into optimizing future flow battery designs.