Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries-Pressure Drop Studies in Serpentine Flow Field Configuration

A  battery's performance and efficiency are greatly influenced by the electrolyte flow rate. By increasing the flow rate, the pump power loss will increase, leading to a decrease in system efficiency. Pressure losses in vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFB) systems happen as electrolyte moves across the surface of the electrode. The biggest pressure loss will occur in the porous electrode, which will reduce system efficiency and impact battery performance. A vanadium redox flow battery’s pressure drop is studied through simulations of various performance parameters such as flow rate, viscosity, porosity, electrode thickness, channel height, channel width, and no of channels. As seen, the relationship between pressure drop and flow rate is linear. A increase in channel width from 2 to 3 mm is seen to decrease the pressure drop by a value of 3 for the same flow rate. Simulation results indicate that when the number of channels is doubled, the pressure drop increases by a factor of 8 under constant flow rate. The pressure drop is found to vary significantly when the electrode thickness varies from 2 to 6 mm. Additionally, we noticed that as the height of the channels grows, the pressure varies significantly. Model results are compared to experimental data and found to compare well.