Scaling a Minimal Architecture Zinc Bromine Battery

Abstract

Zinc bromine batteries are being examined as a solution to the grid-scale energy storage deficit due to their low cost. However, the cost could still be significantly reduced by eliminating many of the passive components required for flowing batteries. This thesis presents the scaled design and performance of a minimal architecture zinc bromine battery. This design has a single chamber with no membranes or forced convection. It was successfully scaled to have a surface area of approximately 230 cm2 and volume of 1100 mL, with only a 4-5% decrease in energy efficiency from 90 mL cells. The energy efficiency did decrease by about 3% during 25 cycles, due to a poorer felt used as the electrode, leading to increased self-discharge. Additionally, part of this decreased efficiency was likely due to initial construction processes that can be improved in the future.