Modeling analysis of the stress and displacement on stack end plate for the all-vanadium redox flow battery

Abstract

ABSTRACT The end plate has a significant impact on the performance of the stack for avoiding electrolyte leakage and reducing the contact resistance. In this paper, a three-dimensional transient model is established on the basis of Newton’s second law of motion, Hooke’s law, and conservation of energy to analyze the stress and displacement of the end plate under different stack assembling conditions prior to operation such as the thickness of the end plate and the position and number of bolts. As expected, increasing the thickness of the end plate and the number of bolts can both reduce the stress and displacement of the end plate, while the position of bolts needs to be adjusted according to the stack structure. Additionally, the effect of thermal stress on the end plate is also studied during standby periods and the result shows that the thermal stress may contribute to plastic deformation of the end plate. This model can be employed to design an appropriate stack assembling condition for safe and long-term operation of the battery.