Liquid Salt Redox Couples for Utility Scale Flow Batteries

Renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind energy, offer several benefits to society, including reductions in foreign imported oil and reduced emissions. However, both solar and wind energy are intermittent in nature; for these energy sources to supply significantly large continuous electrical energy, large-scale energy storage technologies must be developed. Since the cost of energy storage will be added to the generation costs, these solutions also must be highly economical. One potential solution to large-scale energy storage is the use of redox flow batteries, which store liquid phase redox couples in external tanks; however, improvements in cost and performance are needed. This project will develop new, low cost liquid redox couples based on novel liquid ligands that will achieve higher specific energy (Wh/kg) and specific power (W/kg) for redox flow batteries, due to higher concentrations of active materials at the electrode surfaces. Commercial Applications and other Benefits as described by the awardeeThe liquid redox couples should make battery electric energy storage based on redox-flow batteries the technology of choice due to economic superiority. The technology would permit the widespread use of renewable energy, leading to a reduction of CO2 emissions, which lead to global warming, and a reduction of oil imports, which leads to greater national security and a cleaner environment.