Design, Fabrication and Electrochemical performance of Soluble Lead Redox-Flow Battery for Energy Storage

Abstract

Flow batteries are being considered as a potential candidate for large scale energy storage system, however, main issue with them is their higher cost due to the electrode materials and membrane used in them. In this regards, current work is focused on the development of cost effective flow batteries. In order to reduce the cost of flow batteries, low cost graphitic carbon was used for both positive and negative electrodes to fabricate the soluble lead redox flow batteries (100 cm2) without using any separator. Lead methane sulfonate (1M) and methane sulfonic acid (1M) were used as electrolytes, which plays an important role in reduction and oxidation process of redox flow batteries. The charge/discharge behavior has been studied at constant current of 500 mA, which showed an average efficiency of 79% with an initial discharge capacity of 200 mAh. The cell capacity decreases during the 14–15th cycles and becomes 110 mAh, this loss in capacity has been studied after cut down analysis of cell.