Flow batteries are a unique green energy battery. Unlike lithium batteries, flow batteries do not end up in landfills. That is because flow batteries have an almost limitless life cycle.
How do flow batteries work
How do flow batteries work? It begins with two tanks. Each tank has an active species. That active could be a melt salt, supporting electrolytes, and a solvent like sulfuric acid. One tank is positive and one tank is negative. Each tank flows into a cell tank that has an ionic membrane in the middle to keep them from mixing. It goes through a flow field
As the solution flows out you get power. When it flows back it is charging. The energy is determined by the size of the tank. The power is determined by the size of the reactor located in the middle with the ionic membrane.
The energy from the flow battery can be stored in an energy pod 200. The energy pod 200 can hold up to 20 of the 10 kWh ZBM3 flow batteries. They are enclosed in a custom case that gives electrical protection and power conditioning. What that does, is allows it to safely delivery energy across several applications reliably.
Benefits of flow batteries
There are several benefits to flow batteries. They include:
- Flow batteries are scalable
- The flexible DC production allows them to work with a range of popular inverters
- Joins together easily with a variety of power controlling systems
- Real time watching and regulating
- Oversight that allows leak checking and guard against current and temperature changes
- Automatic energy organization at end of cycle free of inverter instructions
Applications
There are several applications that flow batteries can be used. These include:
- Shaving time from peak hours
- Ability to shift bulk energy
- Mixing of renewables
- Clever grid support
- Excellent energy backup
- Can be used a micro-grid or personal grid
Flow batteries are in use for these applications in several places around the world and in varying types of applications that include:
- Anaergia
- New Zealand
- Knox Children Center
- Longevity Medical Centre
- Optus telecommunication
Models of flow batteries
Zinc-bromine flow batteries are ideal for time-shifting energy. Time- transferring can be done daily, full-cycle, or emergency power use. The emergency power use is great for a wide variety of temperatures.
Benefits of zinc-bromine flow batteries include:
- Scalable – from residential to commercial properties. The core offers redundancy that can be increased as needed. Sleep mode allows for long periods of stored energy.
- Ecologically friendly –the battery is made from HDPE plastic. This plastic is usually recycled into plastic bottles. It keeps to regular electronic recycling. Minerals sourced from non-conflict areas. It does not emit any CO2.
- Working adaptability – less than one second start up time. Batteries can hold a charge 100% forever. The system can be paused at any time of charge without impact on performance.
- Safe – this system has no risk of thermal runaway with nonflammable materials that are proven to UL9540A. Excellent for high temperatures without surrounding cooling. Give remote watching and testing plus has self-protection traits.
- Performance – works from ambient temperatures from 5° F to 122° F. Does not need cooling when operating in temperatures ranges of 50 to 113 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Approval – CE, Australian researched and designed. Currently, obtaining UL safety Approval for: UL 1973 “Standard for Safety for Stationary Applications”. Also, UL 9540A “Standard for Safety for Thermal Runaway”. Independent performance validation testing currently underway.
Models of flow batteries
There are three different models available. Each has their own potential and work for different situations.
ZBM3 battery
The ZBM3 is the smallest commercial battery available in the zinc-bromide flow batteries. It is a modular design. That design lends itself to a wide array of applications. Those applications run from small business installation to multi-megawatt hour storage systems.
This is a smaller more compatible version that previous versions. It has a smaller stack design. And a bi-directional DC-DC converter built into the Battery Control Module. It allows elasticity of energy flow of 0-60 volts.
A study for the ZBM3 shows that Knox Children Centers cut 75% of energy costs in winter with solar PV and battery storage.
QuadPod
The quadpod is a pre-wired and installed in a custom designed enclosure. It is capable of delivering up to 40 kWh. It provides safe and reliable energy delivery. Some applications this particular battery is good for is:
- Factories in industrial fields
- Small holdings/acreage in farming
- Weather radar sites in telecom towers
- Charging port for electric vehicles in residential settings
One case study shows battery powers off-grid WA home, avoiding $100,000-plus in costs.
Energy Pod200
This one is a building block for larger stations in a scalable storage solution. It has been precisely created to hold up to 20 flow batteries. Those batteries are housed in a custom cabinet. It provides energy safety and power adapting.
Where can you purchase flow batteries?
You can purchase your batteries from Modern Thermal Design. Our knowledgeable staff can answer any questions you have. We also do installation.
Need help, with which battery, will work best for your situation? Contact us. We will be happy to help you.
