Abstract
Regarding long duration energy storage, redox flow batteries (RFBs) are a promising energy storage system due to their long cycle life, safety, and ability to decouple energy and power capacity. However, large-scale deployment of state-of-the-art vanadium-based RFBs remains challenging due to high costs, combined with vanadium toxicity, limited abundance, and geopolitical supply risks. Therefore, this project aims to develop a novel, sustainable, and cheaper RFB using Titanium (Ti) and Cerium (Ce) electrolytes. The first stage will focus on developing stable electrolytes with high solubilities for Ce and Ti, with particular emphasis on mixed-acid electrolytes. Electrochemical and stability tests at different temperatures and state-of-charges will be performed, to study the properties of the electrolytes. In addition, regeneration techniques will be evaluated to mitigate electrolyte imbalance. The second stage will target the development of the electrodes to tailor it to the novel electrolyte formulation, reducing polarizations losses through structuring the electrode geometry, surface functionalizing, and activating them with electrocatalysts. The final stage encompasses the experimental testing of the full Ce-Ti RFB cell to understand how operating conditions such as cut off voltages, current densities, flow rates and temperature affect performance. In addition, different flow-field designs will be tested, and long-term stability tests will be performed.
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