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Quantifying concentration distributions in redox flow batteries with neutron radiography
Rémy Richard Jacquemond1,2, Maxime van der Heijden1, Emre Burak Boz1,3
1Electrochemical Materials and Systems, Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB, Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
Nature Communications
|September 5, 2024
Summary
Neutron imaging quantifies species concentration in redox flow cells. This technique reveals insights into reactive mass transport, aiding the development of advanced electrochemical technologies.
Area of Science:
- Electrochemistry
- Materials Science
- Nuclear Science
Background:
- Advancing electrochemical technologies necessitates understanding microscopic performance-controlling processes.
- Development of novel multi-modal diagnostic techniques is crucial for this understanding.
Purpose of the Study:
- Introduce a neutron imaging approach for quantifying species concentration variations in operating redox flow cells.
- Correlate concentration profiles with cell performance under various conditions.
Main Methods:
- Leverage neutron attenuation of redox-active organic materials and boron-containing electrolytes.
- Employ subtractive neutron imaging and in-plane imaging configurations.
- Utilize time-of-flight neutron imaging to deconvolute species and electrolyte concentrations.
Main Results:
- Evaluated the influence of cell polarity, voltage bias, and flow rate on concentration distribution.
- Correlated concentration distributions with macroscopic cell performance.
- Gained unprecedented insight into reactive mass transport within the flow cell.
Conclusions:
- The developed neutron imaging technique provides detailed insights into reactive mass transport.
- This diagnostic approach can be applied to various electrochemical technologies.
- Accelerates development of new materials and reactor designs for electrochemical systems.
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