The world of batteries is advancing by leaps and bounds towards new levels of efficiency never before seen in those models marketed until now. One of these latest innovations would be related to the study, and subsequent development of a new iron flow battery. Behind it we have a group of scientists from the Metals Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
The results are worth talking about, to say the least, as its novel negative iron complex electrolyte allows an all-iron alkaline flow battery to operate for more than 6,000 cycles without capacity degradationthus solving one of the main handicaps in low-cost, long-duration energy storage for grid-scale renewable energy integration.
Iron flow battery: first results in detail
Until now we have heard about or know a fair amount of the operation and processes necessary for current batteries to behave efficiently. We also have different types to which in recent times other technologies have been added as a result of different scientific studies. All of them with a purpose: improve their efficiency and durability.
In this sense we have everything from solid state batteries, to paper batteries or with part of their components made of carbon fiber. However, the greatest novelty that this iron flow battery offers, in addition to being much cheaper than a lithium one, is its efficiency capacity never seen before in a model of this type.
To achieve this they combine “a high steric hindrance with a negatively charged interface, successfully developing an ultra-stable iron complex negative electrolyte”as can be seen from the study itself. In this way the battery worked for more than 6,000 cycles without loss of capacity and with an average Coulombic efficiency of 99.4%.
The study clarifies that “at a high current density of 150 mA cm⁻², the power efficiency was maintained at 78.5%, with a maximum power density of 392.1 mW cm⁻². Even at a high concentration of 0.9 M, stable cycling was achieved for 2000 cycles with a power efficiency of 71.5%.”
This advance could pose a new scenario within the competitive battery sector. It is undeniable that we are facing a considerable improvement in the useful life and profitability of the iron flow battery, offering us a promising solution for efficient energy storage, including the motorcycle sector. In turn this would contribute to carbon neutrality and energy security.
