Harvard Flow Battery

[GordonThree]

More sensational battery news. Harvard claims to have developed a long life liquid electrolyte battery that loses less than 1% capacity per 1000 charge cycles. The electrolyte is nontoxic and noncorrosive. They are working to meet a government goal of under $100 per kilowatt-hour of capacity.

SEAS Clicky

[horton333]

fpresto wrote:
I hope something likes this works, however, after spending over 30 years working in Test & Evaluation of aircraft I can't tell you how many times I heard "it works in the lab". There is a world of difference between the lab under perfect conditions and the real world. Some would go back and work on the designs and come back with something that worked but most were never heard from again as they found out that designing for scaling up or down, heat, cold, vibration, etc. was just not cost effective.

Yes but every invention in the labratory was also just an idea at some point... Thing is with batterties these improvements are coming fast and furious and so it's more a matter of which one(s) wins. Conventional batteries will always have the problem of charging, these type can remove that problem. There are some grid scale batteries in use in Japan, but using Vanadium (as I recall) which is rare and hard to hanlde. This may resolve that, if not then at least it's a step forward.

[fpresto]

I hope something likes this works, however, after spending over 30 years working in Test & Evaluation of aircraft I can't tell you how many times I heard "it works in the lab". There is a world of difference between the lab under perfect conditions and the real world. Some would go back and work on the designs and come back with something that worked but most were never heard from again as they found out that designing for scaling up or down, heat, cold, vibration, etc. was just not cost effective.

[horton333]

pianotuna wrote:
Ty for sharing that tidbit! I don't know how a flow battery would work in an RV.

And fluid at a fueling station just like any conventional fuel.
The main article is behind a paywall, so not clear what the energy density would be.

[time2roll]

Yes sounds heavy. Great for the remote cabin on solar 🙂

[pianotuna]

Ty for sharing that tidbit! I don't know how a flow battery would work in an RV.