Today’s world is getting linked more and more and therefore requires reliable energy systems. This refers to renewable energy and further to storage solutions for power sources. The energy storages will become increasingly important in order to guarantee the energy transfer even during disruptions of grid service and blackouts. These systems are of particular interest to commercial and industrial customers. An innovative and reliable method is the use of a Vanadium Redox Flow Battery.
The Vanadium Redox Flow Battery Energy Storage (VRB-ES) ensures the uninterruptible power supply. It balances temperatures, fluctuations due to the weather, day lengths and unstable networks. The energy storage can be used in combination with photovoltaics, wind turbines or diesel and biogas generators.
The Solibra Vanadium Redox Flow Battery is a rechargeable battery
that uses Vanadium ions in different oxidation states to store the
electrical energy into chemical compounds.
In comparison to the known lithium ion technology the VRB energy storage
is more scalable in terms of storage capacity and power. So the VRB
energy storage is available with customised power ratings from kW to MW
and a scalable capacity up to the MWh range.
Introduction: How the Vanadium Redox Flow Battery works
The batteries are based on the chemical element Vanadium and its characteristic of four different stages of oxidation. In each of the four stages Vanadium contains a different electrical charge. Therefore, Vanadium is used as a catalyst to store energy. In order to convert this electrical energy into a chemical compound, it requires two electrodes, called a “stack”.
This stack consists of many cells; each one contains two half-cells that are separated by a membrane. In the half-cells the electrochemical reactions take place as soon as electrolytes flow past the membranes. The reduction or oxidation thus leads to the charging or discharging of the battery.
The stack is connected to two different tanks. One electrolyte tank contains the positive V4+ and V5+ redox couples, the other the negative V2+ and V3+ redox couples. These energy-carrying liquids circulate through the stack by pumps.
Through the use of vanadium and the system of the energy storage, the VRB-Energy Storage is very scalable. Whether for small systems in the kilowatt range or up to large industrial solutions with multi-megawatt. The power of the energy storage can be adjusted by the size of the stack. It defines, how much energy is stored during a certain time. The tank indicates the storage capacity of the VRB-Energy Storage and can easily be extended.
Advantages of a Vanadium Battery
