Flow Batteries for Future Energy Storage: Advantages and Future Technology Advancements

Abstract

For sustainable development, finding a clean energy storage technology for the future is necessary. The main technology for promoting the evolution of the energy structure and popularizing the use of renewable energy sources, including wind and solar energy, is high-power and high-capacity energy storage. Flow batteries is one of the most promising technologies in the industrial energy storage technology, owing to their unique features such as long cycling life, reliable design, high safety, and relative mature development. Nevertheless, the high cost and low energy density problems restrict its further development. This paper first introduces the working principles and characteristics of flow batteries that have been industrialized. Secondly, the advantages and the research status of the new flow battery (FB) systems are summarized. Finally, the main challenges that hinders the large-scale application of the flow batteries are emphatically analyzed, and the suggestions regarding the further technologies required for the development of advanced flow batteries are put forward, which points out the direction for the progress of new high-performance FB systems.