IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v13y2022i1d10.1038_s41467-022-30044-w.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A cost-effective alkaline polysulfide-air redox flow battery enabled by a dual-membrane cell architecture

Author

Listed:
  • Yuhua Xia

    (Imperial College London)

  • Mengzheng Ouyang

    (Imperial College London)

  • Vladimir Yufit

    (Imperial College London
    Addionics Ltd., Imperial White City Incubator)

  • Rui Tan

    (Imperial College London)

  • Anna Regoutz

    (University College London)

  • Anqi Wang

    (Imperial College London)

  • Wenjie Mao

    (Imperial College London)

  • Barun Chakrabarti

    (Imperial College London
    University of Warwick)

  • Ashkan Kavei

    (Imperial College London
    RFC Power Ltd., Imperial White City Incubator)

  • Qilei Song

    (Imperial College London)

  • Anthony R. Kucernak

    (RFC Power Ltd., Imperial White City Incubator
    Imperial College London)

  • Nigel P. Brandon

    (Imperial College London
    RFC Power Ltd., Imperial White City Incubator)

Abstract

With the rapid development of renewable energy harvesting technologies, there is a significant demand for long-duration energy storage technologies that can be deployed at grid scale. In this regard, polysulfide-air redox flow batteries demonstrated great potential. However, the crossover of polysulfide is one significant challenge. Here, we report a stable and cost-effective alkaline-based hybrid polysulfide-air redox flow battery where a dual-membrane-structured flow cell design mitigates the sulfur crossover issue. Moreover, combining manganese/carbon catalysed air electrodes with sulfidised Ni foam polysulfide electrodes, the redox flow battery achieves a maximum power density of 5.8 mW cm−2 at 50% state of charge and 55 °C. An average round-trip energy efficiency of 40% is also achieved over 80 cycles at 1 mA cm−2. Based on the performance reported, techno-economic analyses suggested that energy and power costs of about 2.5 US$/kWh and 1600 US$/kW, respectively, has be achieved for this type of alkaline polysulfide-air redox flow battery, with significant scope for further reduction.

Suggested Citation

  • Yuhua Xia & Mengzheng Ouyang & Vladimir Yufit & Rui Tan & Anna Regoutz & Anqi Wang & Wenjie Mao & Barun Chakrabarti & Ashkan Kavei & Qilei Song & Anthony R. Kucernak & Nigel P. Brandon, 2022. "A cost-effective alkaline polysulfide-air redox flow battery enabled by a dual-membrane cell architecture," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-13, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:13:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-022-30044-w
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30044-w
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-30044-w
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-022-30044-w?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Bin Li & Zimin Nie & M. Vijayakumar & Guosheng Li & Jun Liu & Vincent Sprenkle & Wei Wang, 2015. "Ambipolar zinc-polyiodide electrolyte for a high-energy density aqueous redox flow battery," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 6(1), pages 1-8, May.
    2. Nestor A. Sepulveda & Jesse D. Jenkins & Aurora Edington & Dharik S. Mallapragada & Richard K. Lester, 2021. "The design space for long-duration energy storage in decarbonized power systems," Nature Energy, Nature, vol. 6(5), pages 506-516, May.
    3. D. M. Davies & M. G. Verde & O. Mnyshenko & Y. R. Chen & R. Rajeev & Y. S. Meng & G. Elliott, 2019. "Combined economic and technological evaluation of battery energy storage for grid applications," Nature Energy, Nature, vol. 4(1), pages 42-50, January.
    4. Junhua Wang & Yun Zhao & Brian P. Setzler & Santiago Rojas-Carbonell & Chaya Ben Yehuda & Alina Amel & Miles Page & Lan Wang & Keda Hu & Lin Shi & Shimshon Gottesfeld & Bingjun Xu & Yushan Yan, 2019. "Poly(aryl piperidinium) membranes and ionomers for hydroxide exchange membrane fuel cells," Nature Energy, Nature, vol. 4(5), pages 392-398, May.
    5. Xiaofu Xu & Dong Zhou & Xianying Qin & Kui Lin & Feiyu Kang & Baohua Li & Devaraj Shanmukaraj & Teofilo Rojo & Michel Armand & Guoxiu Wang, 2018. "A room-temperature sodium–sulfur battery with high capacity and stable cycling performance," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 9(1), pages 1-12, December.
    6. Zhejun Li & Yi-Chun Lu, 2021. "Polysulfide-based redox flow batteries with long life and low levelized cost enabled by charge-reinforced ion-selective membranes," Nature Energy, Nature, vol. 6(5), pages 517-528, May.
    7. Dui Ma & Bo Hu & Wenda Wu & Xi Liu & Jiantao Zai & Chen Shu & Tsegaye Tadesse Tsega & Liwei Chen & Xuefeng Qian & T. Leo Liu, 2019. "Highly active nanostructured CoS2/CoS heterojunction electrocatalysts for aqueous polysulfide/iodide redox flow batteries," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 10(1), pages 1-8, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Li, Canbing & Chen, Dawei & Li, Yingjie & Li, Furong & Li, Ran & Wu, Qiuwei & Liu, Xubin & Wei, Juan & He, Shengtao & Zhou, Bin & Allen, Stephen, 2022. "Exploring the interaction between renewables and energy storage for zero-carbon electricity systems," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 261(PA).
    2. Jing-Li Fan & Zezheng Li & Xi Huang & Kai Li & Xian Zhang & Xi Lu & Jianzhong Wu & Klaus Hubacek & Bo Shen, 2023. "A net-zero emissions strategy for China’s power sector using carbon-capture utilization and storage," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-16, December.
    3. Vassilis M. Charitopoulos & Mathilde Fajardy & Chi Kong Chyong & David M. Reiner, 2022. "The case of 100% electrification of domestic heat in Great Britain," Working Papers EPRG2206, Energy Policy Research Group, Cambridge Judge Business School, University of Cambridge.
    4. Ziang Xu & Lei Wan & Yiwen Liao & Maobin Pang & Qin Xu & Peican Wang & Baoguo Wang, 2023. "Continuous ammonia electrosynthesis using physically interlocked bipolar membrane at 1000 mA cm−2," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-13, December.
    5. Schauf, Magnus & Schwenen, Sebastian, 2023. "System price dynamics for battery storage," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 183(C).
    6. Cosgrove, Paul & Roulstone, Tony & Zachary, Stan, 2023. "Intermittency and periodicity in net-zero renewable energy systems with storage," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 212(C), pages 299-307.
    7. Risthaus, Kai & Linder, Marc & Schmidt, Matthias, 2022. "Experimental investigation of a novel mechanically fluidized bed reactor for thermochemical energy storage with calcium hydroxide/calcium oxide," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 315(C).
    8. Yong, Qingqing & Jin, Kaiyuan & Li, Xiaobo & Yang, Ronggui, 2023. "Thermo-economic analysis for a novel grid-scale pumped thermal electricity storage system coupled with a coal-fired power plant," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 280(C).
    9. Wanjie Song & Kang Peng & Wei Xu & Xiang Liu & Huaqing Zhang & Xian Liang & Bangjiao Ye & Hongjun Zhang & Zhengjin Yang & Liang Wu & Xiaolin Ge & Tongwen Xu, 2023. "Upscaled production of an ultramicroporous anion-exchange membrane enables long-term operation in electrochemical energy devices," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-11, December.
    10. Dan Tong & David J. Farnham & Lei Duan & Qiang Zhang & Nathan S. Lewis & Ken Caldeira & Steven J. Davis, 2021. "Geophysical constraints on the reliability of solar and wind power worldwide," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-12, December.
    11. Liqun Peng & Denise L. Mauzerall & Yaofeng D. Zhong & Gang He, 2023. "Heterogeneous effects of battery storage deployment strategies on decarbonization of provincial power systems in China," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-11, December.
    12. Glenk, Gunther & Reichelstein, Stefan, 2021. "Intermittent versus dispatchable power sources: An integrated competitive assessment," ZEW Discussion Papers 21-065, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    13. Huang Zhang & Thomas Diemant & Bingsheng Qin & Huihua Li & R. Jürgen Behm & Stefano Passerini, 2020. "Solvent-Dictated Sodium Sulfur Redox Reactions: Investigation of Carbonate and Ether Electrolytes," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-12, February.
    14. Zhang, Ziyu & Ding, Tao & Zhou, Quan & Sun, Yuge & Qu, Ming & Zeng, Ziyu & Ju, Yuntao & Li, Li & Wang, Kang & Chi, Fangde, 2021. "A review of technologies and applications on versatile energy storage systems," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 148(C).
    15. Guangsheng Pan & Qinran Hu & Wei Gu & Shixing Ding & Haifeng Qiu & Yuping Lu, 2021. "Assessment of plum rain’s impact on power system emissions in Yangtze-Huaihe River basin of China," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-10, December.
    16. Xiaoning Wang & Lianming Zhao & Xuejin Li & Yong Liu & Yesheng Wang & Qiaofeng Yao & Jianping Xie & Qingzhong Xue & Zifeng Yan & Xun Yuan & Wei Xing, 2022. "Atomic-precision Pt6 nanoclusters for enhanced hydrogen electro-oxidation," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-10, December.
    17. Yanyan Fang & Cong Wei & Zenan Bian & Xuanwei Yin & Bo Liu & Zhaohui Liu & Peng Chi & Junxin Xiao & Wanjie Song & Shuwen Niu & Chongyang Tang & Jun Liu & Xiaolin Ge & Tongwen Xu & Gongming Wang, 2024. "Unveiling the nature of Pt-induced anti-deactivation of Ru for alkaline hydrogen oxidation reaction," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-11, December.
    18. Yao-Jie Lei & Xinxin Lu & Hirofumi Yoshikawa & Daiju Matsumura & Yameng Fan & Lingfei Zhao & Jiayang Li & Shijian Wang & Qinfen Gu & Hua-Kun Liu & Shi-Xue Dou & Shanmukaraj Devaraj & Teofilo Rojo & We, 2024. "Understanding the charge transfer effects of single atoms for boosting the performance of Na-S batteries," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-12, December.
    19. Chen, Dongwen & Li, Yong & Abbas, Zulkarnain & Li, Dehong & Wang, Ruzhu, 2022. "Network flow calculation based on the directional nodal potential method for meshed heating networks," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 243(C).
    20. Say, Kelvin & Csereklyei, Zsuzsanna & Brown, Felix Gabriel & Wang, Changlong, 2023. "The economics of public transport electrification: A case study from Victoria, Australia," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 120(C).

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:13:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-022-30044-w. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.