Redox flow battery:Flow field design based on bionic mechanism with different obstructions

All-vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs) are pivotal for achieving large-scale, long-term energy storage. A critical factor in the overall performance of VRFBs is the design of the flow field. Drawing inspiration from biomimetic leaf veins, this study proposes three flow fields incorporating differently shaped obstacles in the main flow channel. These designs aim to enhance the electrolyte diversion into branches, achieving a more uniform electrolyte distribution. Among these, the structure featuring circular obstacles demonstrated superior performance, exhibiting the lowest charging voltage and the highest discharging voltage. It also achieved the highest concentration uniformity of the active species (0.903). In comparison, at the flow rate of 3ml/s and the current density of 40mA cm(-2), the efficiency based on pump power saw a maximum increase of 1.7 % and the efficiency based on output power experienced a maximum improvement of 2.5 %. This work offers a new direction in studying biomimetic flow field design and holds considerable potential for practical engineering applications.