The cell-in-series method: A technique for accelerated electrode degradation in redox flow batteries

Pezeshki, Alan M.; Sacci, Robert L.; Veith, Gabriel M.; Zawodzinski, Thomas A.; Mench, Matthew M.

doi:10.1149/2.0251601jes

Title: The cell-in-series method: A technique for accelerated electrode degradation in redox flow batteries

Journal Article · Sat Nov 21 00:00:00 EST 2015 · Journal of the Electrochemical Society

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1149/2.0251601jes· OSTI ID:1324215

Pezeshki, Alan M. ^[1]; Sacci, Robert L. ^[2]; Veith, Gabriel M. ^[2]; Zawodzinski, Thomas A. ^[1]; Mench, Matthew M. ^[1]

Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States); Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

Here we demonstrate a novel method to accelerate electrode degradation in redox flow batteries and apply this method to the all-vanadium chemistry. Electrode performance degradation occurred seven times faster than in a typical cycling experiment, enabling rapid evaluation of materials. This method also enables the steady-state study of electrodes. In this manner, it is possible to delineate whether specific operating conditions induce performance degradation; we found that both aggressively charging and discharging result in performance loss. Post-mortem x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy of the degraded electrodes was used to resolve the effects of state of charge (SoC) and current on the electrode surface chemistry. For the electrode material tested in this work, we found evidence that a loss of oxygen content on the negative electrode cannot explain decreased cell performance. Furthermore, the effects of decreased electrode and membrane performance on capacity fade in a typical cycling battery were decoupled from crossover; electrode and membrane performance decay were responsible for a 22% fade in capacity, while crossover caused a 12% fade.

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Research Organization:: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRC) (United States). Fluid Interface Reactions, Structures and Transport Center (FIRST)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES); US Department of the Navy, Office of Naval Research (ONR)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC05-00OR22725

OSTI ID:: 1324215

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1337483

Journal Information:: Journal of the Electrochemical Society, Vol. 163, Issue 1; ISSN 0013-4651

Publisher:: The Electrochemical SocietyCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Cited by: 49 works

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Title: The cell-in-series method: A technique for accelerated electrode degradation in redox flow batteries

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