Abstract
The implementation of renewable energy sources is rapidly growing in the electrical sector. This is a major step for civilization since it will reduce the carbon footprint and ensure a sustainable future. Nevertheless, these sources of energy are far from perfect and require complementary technologies to ensure dispatchable energy and this requires storage. In the last few decades, redox flow batteries (RFB) have been revealed to be an interesting alternative for this application, mainly due to their versatility and scalability. This technology has been the focus of intense research and great advances in the last decade. This review aims to summarize the most relevant advances achieved in the last few years, i.e., from 2015 until the middle of 2021. A synopsis of the different types of RFB technology will be conducted. Particular attention will be given to vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFB), the most mature RFB technology, but also to the emerging most promising chemistries. An in-depth review will be performed regarding the main innovations, materials, and designs. The main drawbacks and future perspectives for this technology will also be addressed.
Highlights
The use of electrical energy is growing globally, because of population growth and due to the transversal use of electricity as an energy carrier in all sectors
This review aims to summarize the current state-of-the-art at an academic level that has been reported for redox flow batteries (RFB) technologies in the last few years, i.e., from 2015 until the middle of 2021
The increasing demand for clean energy to meet climate targets will certainly force the adoption of cost-effective energy storage systems
Summary
The use of electrical energy is growing globally, because of population growth and due to the transversal use of electricity as an energy carrier in all sectors. According to the IRENA, by 2050, it is expected that electricity may represent 50% of total energy consumption, currently it only represents 20% of total consumption This transition will be mostly achieved by the fast pace at which renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar, are being implemented in power production, replacing fossil fuels [1,2]. The intermittent nature of renewable energies makes it imperative to incorporate energy storage systems into the electrical grid to store the excesses of energy produced, allowing for it to be used when production is scarce For such purpose, redox flow batteries (RFBs) are considered by many to be a promising technology for the storage of energy for days or even weeks [1,2,3]. RFB show a long lifecycle compared to lithium-ion batteries [2,3]
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