Economic Redox Flow Battery Testing Cell without Flow Channels, CERFBTC

A Redox Flow Battery (RFB) testing cell is the core electrochemical component of a flow battery system where the conversion between electrical and chemical energy occurs. Unlike traditional batteries, the energy is stored in liquid electrolytes (anolyte and catholyte) which are pumped through this cell during operation.

A standard lab-scale RFB cell is usually a "sandwich" stack held together by end-plates.

(1) End Plates: Usually made of heavy-duty stainless steel or aluminum. They provide the mechanical pressure required to seal the cell and ensure low contact resistance.

(2) Current Collectors: Often gold-plated or high-purity copper plates that transfer electrons from the internal electrodes to the external circuit.

(3) Bipolar Plates (Flow Fields): Typically made of high-density graphite or graphite-polymer composites. These plates have machined channels (e.g., serpentine, parallel, or interdigitated) to distribute the liquid electrolyte evenly across the electrode surface.

(4) Porous Electrodes: Usually carbon felt or graphite felt. These provide a high surface area for the redox reactions to occur as the liquid flows through them.

(5) Ion-Exchange Membrane: The "heart" of the cell (often Nafion or similar PFSAs). It separates the two electrolytes to prevent mixing while allowing specific ions (like H+ or Cl-) to pass through to maintain charge balance.

(6) Gaskets: Made of chemically resistant materials like PTFE (Teflon) or Viton to prevent electrolyte leakage.