Did you ever wonder how a flow battery works? This technology is becoming essential, as we store larger and larger amounts of renewable energy. Do you believe John Doyle’s 1879 invention could make a difference with global warming? Let’s discover how the modern version works, courtesy of a video from Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.
The Works on How Flow Batteries Function
Wind turbines, and solar panels are definitely one way to go, if we want to stop burning fossil fuel. But what do we do when those sources of renewable energy lock up, while nature takes a break? We really only have two options. These are (a) put up with an outage, or (b) tap into stored energy.
Flow batteries store potential energy in negative and positive tanks, standing side-by-side with a perforated membrane separator between them. These two tanks contain different chemical compounds, in liquids that pump through the system on separate sides of the membrane.
The battery’s capacity to store energy depends on the size of the tanks. It is literally a case of ‘the bigger the better’. Let’s imagine the system is standing idle. Then let’s wonder how a flow battery works, when we switch on the pump to power our devices.
Description of a Working Flow Battery
A working flow battery circulates the liquid in two tanks simultaneously, but in two separate sub-systems. Ions exchange between them, as the flows pass each other on either side of the membrane. This generates a simultaneous, compensating flow of electricity through an external circuit.
In other words, the chemistry is similar to conventional batteries. You need no longer wonder how a flow battery works, now you understand this principle. Expect to see many more of these energy storage devices, as the scramble for renewable energy continues.
More Information
The World’s First Flow Battery in 1879
Prove the Principles of Electromagnetism
