Benchmarking organic active materials for aqueous redox flow batteries in terms of lifetime and cost

Abstract Flow batteries are one option for future, low-cost stationary energy storage. We present a perspective overview of the potential cost of organic active materials for aqueous flow batteries based on a comprehensive mathematical model. The battery capital costs for 38 different organic active...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Dominik Emmel, Simon Kunz, Nick Blume, Yongchai Kwon, Thomas Turek, Christine Minke, Daniel Schröder
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2023-10-01
Series:Nature Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-42450-9
Description
Summary:Abstract Flow batteries are one option for future, low-cost stationary energy storage. We present a perspective overview of the potential cost of organic active materials for aqueous flow batteries based on a comprehensive mathematical model. The battery capital costs for 38 different organic active materials, as well as the state-of-the-art vanadium system are elucidated. We reveal that only a small number of organic molecules would result in costs close to the vanadium reference system. We identify the most promising candidate as the phenazine 3,3′-(phenazine-1,6-diylbis(azanediyl))dipropionic acid) [1,6-DPAP], suggesting costs even below that of the vanadium reference. Additional cost-saving potential can be expected by mass production of these active materials; major benefits lie in the reduced electrolyte costs as well as power costs, although plant maintenance is a major challenge when applying organic materials. Moreover, this work is designed to be expandable. The developed calculation tool (ReFlowLab) accompanying this publication is open for updates with new data.
ISSN:2041-1723