Vanadium Redox Batteries
Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2008 2:55 pm
The latest issue of Discover Magazine had an interesting article on recent developments of Vanadium Redox Batteries, so I looked a bit more into it.
Here's a link to their web page:
http://www.vrb.unsw.edu.au/
Or Wiki:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanadium_redox_battery
It's a pretty neat solution to energy storage and divergent from most current battery research, and it looks like they've solved some pretty big battery problems:
1. No cross contamination through ion-diffusion. It uses Vanadium electrolytes on either side of the element, so the element never corrodes.
2. It can be recharged an order of magnitude more times than conventional batteries. (1000's vs. 100's)
3. Since it's a flow battery, it can be recharged either by replacing the electrolytes, or electrically. Imagine an "Electrolyte Station", where the pump first empties your tank of spent fluid, then refills it with charged electrolytes. Or, you could just plug your car in at home and avoid the stop. I can't help but think of a future where "gas" stations have a BFR devoted to recharging spent electrolytes for Vanadomobile fleets.
4. They've managed to get the energy density to about 25 Wh/g, and think they can get it up to 35 Wh/g, which will put it on par with lead/acid batteries. Still nowhere near other battery capacities, but the other advantages might outweigh this.
5. Ability for high initial discharge rates (up to 400% of battery capacity), and full discharge capacity without damaging the battery.
Drawback: cost. Currently, the batteries costs about $500/kwh capacity.
This is solvable if they can garner enough interest to scale up production, which current investment in solar farms and wind farms should do. These alternative technologies will need storage for down times; storage that can kick in immediately and at high demands.
I'd love a house-sized one; one that could hold about 3 days worth of power after a hurricane blows through. Then I'd also invest in solar and just go gridless, right in the middle of the city.
Here's a link to their web page:
http://www.vrb.unsw.edu.au/
Or Wiki:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanadium_redox_battery
It's a pretty neat solution to energy storage and divergent from most current battery research, and it looks like they've solved some pretty big battery problems:
1. No cross contamination through ion-diffusion. It uses Vanadium electrolytes on either side of the element, so the element never corrodes.
2. It can be recharged an order of magnitude more times than conventional batteries. (1000's vs. 100's)
3. Since it's a flow battery, it can be recharged either by replacing the electrolytes, or electrically. Imagine an "Electrolyte Station", where the pump first empties your tank of spent fluid, then refills it with charged electrolytes. Or, you could just plug your car in at home and avoid the stop. I can't help but think of a future where "gas" stations have a BFR devoted to recharging spent electrolytes for Vanadomobile fleets.
4. They've managed to get the energy density to about 25 Wh/g, and think they can get it up to 35 Wh/g, which will put it on par with lead/acid batteries. Still nowhere near other battery capacities, but the other advantages might outweigh this.
5. Ability for high initial discharge rates (up to 400% of battery capacity), and full discharge capacity without damaging the battery.
Drawback: cost. Currently, the batteries costs about $500/kwh capacity.
This is solvable if they can garner enough interest to scale up production, which current investment in solar farms and wind farms should do. These alternative technologies will need storage for down times; storage that can kick in immediately and at high demands.
I'd love a house-sized one; one that could hold about 3 days worth of power after a hurricane blows through. Then I'd also invest in solar and just go gridless, right in the middle of the city.