Redox Flow Battery

The clean energy transition is underway, and batteries are becoming more common in everyday life. Stationary batteries can perform many roles, like reversibly storing intermittent renewable energy or providing backup power and services to the electrical grid, including internet infrastructure. Right now, lithium-ion batteries—also used in portable electronics and electric vehicles—are increasingly used for stationary applications. Lithium-ion batteries are, however, not ideal in terms of lifetime, cost, safety, and supply chain sustainability. There are viable alternatives to lithium-ion batteries for stationary storage, such as flow batteries, which are being commercialized but are not yet widespread. We plan to democratize flow battery technology by developing an open-source flow battery and starting an associated community around it. We will start with a benchtop-scale development kit, suitable for educational and research use, before progressing towards larger cells. With this NLnet funding, we plan to finish our first release of a 5 cm² kit as well as design and test the subsequent 25 cm² cell.