#EVs #FlowBatteries
"Conventional flow batteries pack very little energy into a given volume and mass. Their energy density is as little as 10 percent that of lithium-ion batteries, due to the amount of material an aqueous solution can hold. There is only so much salt you can dissolve in a glass of water.
Thus flow batteries have been too bulky for most applications so far. To shrink them enough to fit in electric vehicles, you need to raise their energy density to that of #lithiumIon #batteries.
One good way to add capacity is with nanofluids, which hold nanoparticles in suspension. These particles undergo redox reactions at the electrode surface similar to how the dissolved ions react in conventional flow batteries, but the nanofluids are more energy dense. Importantly, the nanofluids are engineered to remain suspended indefinitely, unlike other suspensions—for instance, sand in water. That indefinite suspension helps the particles move through the system and make contact with the electrodes. The particles can compose up to 80 percent of the liquid’s weight while leaving it no more viscous than motor oil.
A next-gen system should have 5 times the energy density of present Li-ion systems."
https://spectrum.ieee.org/flow-battery-2666672335
