University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Numerical investigation of convective transport in redox flow battery tanks

Wang, Yite

Content Files
WANG-THESIS-2019.pdf

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/105095

Description

Title
Numerical investigation of convective transport in redox flow battery tanks
Author(s)
Wang, Yite
Issue Date
2019-04-25
Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)
Smith, Kyle C.
Department of Study
Mechanical Sci & Engineering
Discipline
Mechanical Engineering
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
M.S.
Degree Level
Thesis
Date of Ingest
2019-08-23T20:36:11Z
Keyword(s)
  • redox flow battery
  • simulation
  • convection
  • tanks
  • mixing
Abstract
The efficient transmission of redox-active electrolyte between redox flow battery (RFB) tanks and their reactors is essential to utilizing charge capacity in grid-scale installations. Emerging redox-active electrolyte chemistries with high viscosity motivate operating RFBs near stoichiometric flow conditions, challenging the utilization of charge capacity due to convective transport limitations. In this work we use numerical modeling to resolve convective transport within RFB tanks that are free-flowing or configured with baffles by solving the laminar vorticity transport equation and transient species diffusion in two dimensions. Dead zones within free-flowing tanks are found to limit capacity utilization, while baffles are shown to enhance capacity utilization by eliminating dead zones for sufficiently long baffles. Utilization is maximized at a particular Péclet number, which depends on the effective length and throat of the serpentine flow path produced by baffles. These effects are shown to result from competition between transverse and longitudinal diffusive transport relative to the local flow.
Graduation Semester
2019-05
Type of Resource
text
Permalink
http://hdl.handle.net/2142/105095
Copyright and License Information
Copyright 2019 Yite Wang

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Dissertations and Theses - Mechanical Science and Engineering