The Problem with Flow Batteries

What are the disadvantages of flow batteries?

They can also be scaled to match growing needs relatively by increasing the amount of fluid in the tanks. But some of the disadvantages for flow batteries include expensive fluids that are also corrosive or toxic, and the balance of system costs are relatively high along with the parasitic (on-site) load needed to power the pumps.

How do flow batteries work?

Flow batteries exchange negatively and positively charged fluids to produce electrical current. There is also relatively little degradation of the fluids, giving them longer charge-discharge cycles and longer life spans. They can also be scaled to match growing needs relatively by increasing the amount of fluid in the tanks.

Are flow batteries too bulky?

There is only so much salt you can dissolve in a glass of water. Therefore, flow batteries have so far been too bulky for most applications. To shrink them enough to fit in electric vehicles, you need to raise their energy density to that of lithium-ion batteries.

Are flow batteries safe?

Flow batteries are safe, stable, long-lasting, and easily refilled, qualities that suit them well for balancing the grid, providing uninterrupted power, and backing up sources of electricity. This battery, though, uses a completely new kind of fluid, called a nanoelectrofuel.

Do flow batteries degrade?

That arrangement addresses the two major challenges with flow batteries. First, vanadium doesn’t degrade. “If you put 100 grams of vanadium into your battery and you come back in 100 years, you should be able to recover 100 grams of that vanadium—as long as the battery doesn’t have some sort of a physical leak,” says Brushett.

Why are flow batteries so popular?

Flow batteries have the potential for long lifetimes and low costs in part due to their unusual design. In the everyday batteries used in phones and electric vehicles, the materials that store the electric charge are solid coatings on the electrodes.