Postgraduate research opportunities Development of Thermally Regenerative Redox Flow Batteries for combined energy storage

Redox flow batteries (RFB) are a type of electrochemical energy storage device where electrical energy is stored via chemical “reduction and oxidation” reactions in a liquid electrolyte. A key distinction of RFB from conventional batteries is that all the electroactive material is stored in reservoirs away from the electrodes. This means that power delivered by the flow battery (which depends on the available electrode surface area and the cell voltage) is totally decoupled from how much energy is stored by the system, which is dependent on the volume and concentration of the electroactive species. This project will investigate novel redox couples for energy storage in flow batteries, with a focus on combining thermal energy storage in the electrolyte together with electrochemical energy. One possibility is to take advantage of the temperature dependence of the redox couples to store heat directly into electrical energy. Recent research has demonstrated that iodine and ferrocyanide-based redox couples can provide additional energy storage via thermally regenerative electrochemical cycle (TREC) behaviour, and thereby improve charge/discharge efficiency while making use of low-grade waste heat. This project will be aligned to a collaboration with external partners.

In addition to undertaking cutting edge research, students are also registered for the Postgraduate Certificate in Researcher Development (PGCert), which is a supplementary qualification that develops a student’s skills, networks and career prospects.

• Chemical and Process Engineering
• PhD Chemical Engineering

Further information

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