Vanadium redox battery

 Hi

Have read some interesting stuff about vanadium flow batteries.
Apparently they should be able to charge/disscharge fast, have very
low loss, and be easily scalable as you only need to add more liquid
to add capasity.

I have not been able to find out what a 1/2-1 MWh system would cost,
other than that it is pretty pricey compared to most other batteries.

One place, a storage of 25Wh/liter was mentioned. If so, 20.000 liters
should give a storage of 500 KWh.

Could anyone fill me in on this tech?

What are the downsides? What are the current state of development?


--
SEE YA !!!
Trygve Lillefosse
AKA - Malawi, The Fisher King

 

Trygve Lillefosse wrote:


"The main disadvantages with vanadium redox technology are a relatively
poor energy-to-volume ratio, and the system complexity in comparison with
standard storage batteries."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanadium_redox_battery

No mention of cost though. Sounds like it's good for high capacity
however. Interesting.

"Currently installed vanadium batteries include:
A 1.5MW UPS system in a semiconductor fabrication plant in Japan
A 275 kW output balancer in use on a wind power project in the Tomari Wind
Hills of Hokkaido
A 200 kW, 800kWh output leveler in use at the Huxley Hill Wind Farm on
King Island, Tasmania
A 250 kW, 2MWh load leveler in use at Castle Valley, Utah
A 12 MWh flow battery is also to be installed at the Sorne Hill wind farm,
Ireland [5]."


Graham

 On Sat, 08 Dec 2007 10:20:17 +0000, Eeyore

Thinking of this as a possible solution for off grid usage, where
space is not a problem. But where the bennefits of fast
charging/decharging and possibly unlimited cycles and realy low
storage loss is more important.
Should mean that a windmill/solar setup could be used with litle
difference from beeing on the grid.

A rough calculation gives me up to $100.000 to play with if I want to
build a new house that is not connected to the grid. (40K in
installation of grid, 30K in usage over 10 years, and the rest for
coolness.)

Theese numbers are pretty inaccurate, and taken out of slightly fogged
air, but still..
If I spend 10-15K on innstalation of storage tanks, 20K on a windmill,
30K on solar. I could use up to 35-40K. on the fuelcell itself.

Anyway, it will not be for a few years, and by then the electricity
prices on the grid may have risen, and the tech needed may have become
cheaper.

If I should choose to build off grid, I do not want to be hampered by
constantly having to check batteries and having only a few days worth
of electricity stored.

--
SEE YA !!!
Trygve Lillefosse
AKA - Malawi, The Fisher King

 

  The Ireland installation(s) will be very closely-watched because
the size is commercially useful and the technology seems to lend
itself to the  <ever growing> wind-farm projects, around the world.
  To be seen - the  $ costs $ ...
  John T.