• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.32 no.2
• /
• pp.571-575
• /
• 2011

Graphite-based electrodes were prepared using synthetic graphite (MCMB 1028) or natural graphite (NG) powder using a dimensionally stable anode (DSA) as a substrate. Their electrochemical properties were investigated in vanadiumbased electrolytes to determine how to increase the durability and improve the energy efficiency of redox flow batteries. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) was performed in the voltage range of -0.7 V to 1.6 V vs. SCE at various scan rates to analyze the vanadium redox reaction. The graphite-based electrodes showed a fast redox reaction and good reversibility in a highly concentrated acidic electrolyte. The increased electrochemical activity of the NG-based electrode for the $V^{4+}/V^{5+}$ redox reaction can be attributed to the increased surface concentration of functional groups from the addition of conductive material that served as a catalyst. Therefore, it is expected that this electrode can be used to increase the power density and energy density of redox flow batteries.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.94-102
• /
• 2014

Cation exchange membrane (Nafion) was modified to reduce the vanadium ion permeation through the membrane and to increase the vanadium redox flow battery (VRB) system performance by coating the graphene oxide (GO) which has nano-plate like morphology. Modified membrane properties were studied by measuring the ion exchange capacity (I.E.C), water uptake and proton conductivity. The thickness of the coated layer on the surface of the Nafion membrane was observed as $0.93{\mu}m$ by SEM. Proton conductivity and vanadium ion permeability of the modified membrane were decreased to 27% and 25% compared to that of the commercial Nafion membrane respectively. VRB single cell performance test was performed to compare the system performance of the VRB applied with commercial Nafion membrane and modified membrane. VRB system applied with modified membrane showed higher coulombic efficiency and energy efficiency than the VRB system applied with the commercial Nafion membrane due to the reduction of the vanadium ion permeation. From these result, we could suggest that the membrane modification by coating the GO on the surface of the Nafion membrane could be one of the promising strategies to reduce the vanadium ion permeation and to increase the VRB system performance effectively.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
• /
• v.53 no.5
• /
• pp.638-645
• /
• 2015

Vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs) have been investigated for their potential utility as large energy storage systems due to their advantageous performances in terms of long cycle life, high energy efficiency, low cost, and flexible design. Carbon materials are typically used as electrodes in redox reactions and as a liquid electrolyte support. The activities, surface areas, and surface morphologies of porous carbon materials must be optimized to increase the redox flow battery performance. Here, to reduce the resistance in VRFBs, surface-modified carbon felt electrodes were fabricated, and their structural, morphological, and chemical properties were characterized. The surface-modified carbon felt electrode improved the cycling energy efficiencies in the VRFBs, from 65% to 73%, due to the improved wettability with electrolyte. From the results of impedances analysis with proposed fitting model, the electrolyte-coupled polarization in VRFB dramatically decreased upon modification of carbon felt electrode surface. It is also demonstrated that the compressibility of carbon felt electrodes was important to the VRFB polarization, which are concerned with mass transfer polarization. The impedance analysis will be helpful for obtaining better and longer-lived VRFB performances.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
• /
• v.40 no.12
• /
• pp.777-784
• /
• 2016

All-vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs) are used as energy storage systems for multiple intermittent power sources. The performance of the VRFBs depends on the materials and operating conditions. Hence, performance characterization is of great importance in the development of the VRFBs. This paper proposes a method for determining the maximum current density based on stoichiometric ratios. A laboratory-scaled VRFB with a projected electrode area of $25cm^2$ is electrically charged when the state of the charge has begun from 0.6. The operating conditions, such as current density and volumetric flow rate are important in the test, and the maximum current density is influenced by the mass transfer coefficient. The results show that increasing the electrolyte flow rate from 5 mL/min to 60 mL/min enhances the maximum current density up to $520mA/cm^2$.

• JOURNAL OF ELECTRICAL WORLD
• /
• s.450
• /
• pp.48-54
• /
• 2014

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.34 no.6
• /
• pp.1651-1655
• /
• 2013

Anion exchange membranes for a vanadium redox flow battery (VRB) were prepared by pore-filling on a PE substrate with the copolymerization of vinylbenzyl chloride (VBC) and glycidyl methacrylate (GMA). The ion exchange capacity, water uptake and weight gain ratio were increased with a similar tendency up to 65% of GMA content, indicating that the monomer improved the pore-filling degree and membrane properties. The vanadium ion permeability and open-circuit voltage were also investigated. The permeability of the VG65 membrane was only $1.23{\times}10^{-7}\;cm^2\;min^{-1}$ compared to $17.9{\times}10^{-7}\;cm^2\;min^{-1}$ for Nafion 117 and $1.8{\times}10^{-7}\;cm^2\;min^{-1}$ for AMV. Consequently, a VRB single cell using the prepared membrane showed higher energy efficiency (over 80%) of up to 100 cycles compared to the commercial membranes, Nafion 117 (ca. 58%) and AMV (ca. 70%).

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
• /
• v.54 no.4
• /
• pp.164-170
• /
• 2021

Vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFB) have emerged as large-scale energy storage systems (ESS) due to their advantages such as low cross-contamination, long life, and flexible design. However, Hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in the negative half-cell causes a harmful influence on the performance of the VRFB by consuming current. Moreover, HER hinders V²⁺/V³⁺ redox reaction between electrode and electrolyte by forming a bubble. To address the HER problem, carbon nanotube/graphite felt electrode (CNT/GF) with oxygen functional groups was synthesized through the hydrothermal method in the H₂SO₄ + HNO₃ (3:1) mixed acid solution. These oxygen functional groups on the CNT/GF succeed in suppressing the HER and improving charge transfer for V²⁺/V³⁺ redox reaction. As a result, the oxygen functional group applied electrode exhibited a low overpotential of 0.395 V for V²⁺/V³⁺ redox reaction. Hence, this work could offer a new strategy to design and synthesize effective electrodes for HER suppression and improving the energy density of VRFB.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
• /
• v.52 no.2
• /
• pp.182-186
• /
• 2014

Two commercial carbon plates were evaluated as a current collector (bipolar plate) in the all vanadium redox-flow battery (V-RFB). The performance properties of V-RFB were test in the current density of $60mA/cm^2$. The electromotive forces (OCV at SOC 100%) of V-RFB using A and B current collector were 1.47 V and 1.54 V. The cell resistance of V-RFB using A current collector was $4.44{\sim}5.00{\Omega}{\cdot}cm^2$ and $3.28{\sim}3.75{\Omega}{\cdot}cm^2$ for charge and discharge, respectively. The cell resistance of V-RFB using B current collector was $4.19{\sim}4.42{\Omega}{\cdot}cm^2$ and $4.71{\sim}5.49{\Omega}{\cdot}cm^2$ for charge and discharge, respectively. The performance of V-RFB using each current collector was evaluated. The performance of V-RFB using A current collector was 93.1%, 76.8% and 71.4% for average current efficiency, average voltage efficiency and average energy efficiency, respectively. The performance of V-RFB using B current collector was 96.4%, 73.6% and 71.0% for average current efficiency, average voltage efficiency and average energy efficiency, respectively.

• Polymer(Korea)
• /
• v.35 no.6
• /
• pp.593-598
• /
• 2011

The IPA-co-HDO-co-(TPA/MA) copolymers for all-vanadium redox flow battery were synthesized by melt condensation polymerization using isophthalic acid(IPA), 1,6-hexandiol (HDO), terephthalic acid(TPA) and maleic anhydride(MA). The amination of chloromethylated IPA-co- HDO-co-(TPA/MA)(CIHTM) copolymer was carried out using trimethylamine, and the anion exchange membrane was also prepared by UV crosslinking reaction. The structure and thermal stability of IHTM copolymers were confirmed by FTIR, $^1H$ NMR, and TGA analysis. The anion membrane properties such as water uptake, ion exchange capacity, electric resistance and electrical conductivity, were measured by gravimetry, titration and LCR meter. The efficiency of the all-vanadium redox flow battery was analyzed. The ion exchange capacity, electric resistance and electrical conductivity were 1.10 meq/g, $1.98{\Omega}{\cdot}cm^2$, and 0.009 S/cm, respectively. The efficiency of charge-discharge, voltage, and energy for the allvanadium redox flow battery were 96.5, 74.6, 70.0%, respectively.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
• /
• v.21 no.1
• /
• pp.1-5
• /
• 2018

In this study, boron - doped carbon was prepared by reducing carbon dioxide ($CO_2$) at high temperature by using sodium borohydride ($NaBH_4$). The boron - doped carbon was coated on carbon felt and applied as an electrode for a vanadium redox battery cell. As a result of electrochemical performance evaluation, reversibility of carbon felt coated with boron doped carbon compared to pure carbon felt was improved by about 20% and charge transfer resistance was reduced by 60%. In the charge / discharge results, energy density and energy efficiency were improved by 21% and 12.4%, respectively. These results show that carbon produced by reduction of $CO_2$ can be used as electrode material for redox flow battery.