Speaker
Description
The performance and operation of vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs) strongly depend on two key aspects: electrochemical reactions, and fluid dynamics within the cell. This research focuses on the latter, which is governed by the coupled hydrodynamics of the flow-field channels and the porous electrodes. Accurately capturing this coupling represents a long-standing challenge in fluid mechanics simulations involving interacting free-flow and porous-media domains. This coupling becomes even more complicated to predict when assembly-induced compression results in spatially heterogeneous electrode properties. We present a custom multi-region solver implemented in OpenFOAM to resolve electrolyte flow in distinct channel and electrode domains. The channel region is governed by the incompressible Navier–Stokes equations, and the electrode is governed by Darcy flow. The domains are coupled through explicit interface conditions enforcing normal flux continuity, pressure compatibility, and Beavers–Joseph tangential slip. The framework's feature is a three-zone compression model that assigns compression-dependent permeability to under-rib, under-channel, and intrusion regions, reflecting the non-uniform deformation observed in assembled cells. Validation against literature experimental data and simulations (using ANSYS Fluent, COMSOL) shows that this heterogeneous representation is essential: uniform-electrode assumptions can lead to substantial deviations, whereas the three-zone model achieves agreement within 10% over experimentally characterised compression conditions (CR approximately 40–55%). Beyond pressure-drop prediction, the solver supports rapid hydrodynamic screening of candidate designs shows the non-Gaussian distribution of velocity in the electrode which leads to non-homogeneous reactions inside the electrode which is not favourable for optimal performance. This capability enables a comparative evaluation of serpentine versus interdigitated architectures and compression strategies, while maintaining a clear link to pressure drop and pumping power efficiency, providing a hydrodynamic basis for subsequent transport/reaction modelling and channel design iteration.
| Country | United Kingdom |
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| Student Awards | I would like to submit this presentation into the Earth Energy Science (EES) and Capillarity Student Poster Awards. |
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