have repurposed a commonplace chemical used in water treatment facilities to develop an all-liquid, iron-based redox flow battery for large-scale energy storage.
What is an iron-based flow battery?
Iron-based flow batteries designed for large-scale energy storage have been around since the 1980s, and some are now commercially available. What makes this battery different is that it stores energy in a unique liquid chemical formula that combines charged iron with a neutral-pH phosphate-based liquid electrolyte, or energy carrier.
Can iron-based aqueous flow batteries be used for grid energy storage?
A new iron-based aqueous flow battery shows promise for grid energy storage applications. A commonplace chemical used in water treatment facilities has been repurposed for large-scale energy storage in a new battery design by researchers at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.
Are all-iron aqueous redox flow batteries suitable for large-scale energy storage?
All-iron aqueous redox flow batteries (AI-ARFBs) are attractive for large-scale energy storage due to their low cost, abundant raw materials, and the safety and environmental friendliness of using water as the solvent.
How does a redox flow battery work?
The aqueous iron (Fe) redox flow battery here captures energy in the form of electrons (e-) from renewable energy sources and stores it by changing the charge of iron in the flowing liquid electrolyte. When the stored energy is needed, the iron can release the charge to supply energy (electrons) to the electric grid.
What is a flow battery?
The larger the electrolyte supply tank, the more energy the flow battery can store. Flow batteries can serve as backup generators for the electric grid. Flow batteries are one of the key pillars of a decarbonization strategy to store energy from renewable energy resources.
How does a flow battery store energy?
The larger the electrolyte supply tank, the more energy the flow battery can store. The aqueous iron (Fe) redox flow battery here captures energy in the form of electrons (e-) from renewable energy sources and stores it by changing the charge of iron in the flowing liquid electrolyte.