Issue 6, 2020

Hidden figures of photo-charging: a thermo-electrochemical approach for a solar-rechargeable redox flow cell system

Abstract

Achieving high current densities without thermal performance degradation at high temperatures is one of the main challenges for enhancing the competitiveness of photo-electrochemical energy storage systems. We describe a system that overcomes this challenge by incorporating an integrated photoelectrode with a redox flow cell, which functions as a coolant for the excess heat from the photo-absorber. We perform quantitative analyses to theoretically validate and highlight the merit of the system. Practical operation parameters, including daily temperature and redox reaction kinetics, are modeled with respect to heat and charge transfer mechanisms. Our analyses show a profound impact on the resulting solar-to-chemical efficiencies and stored power, which are 21.8% higher than that of a conventional photovoltaic-assisted energy storage system. This paves the way for reassessing the merit of photovoltaic-integrated systems, which have hitherto been underrated as renewable energy storage systems.

Graphical abstract: Hidden figures of photo-charging: a thermo-electrochemical approach for a solar-rechargeable redox flow cell system

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Communication
Submitted
04 mar 2020
Accepted
25 mar 2020
First published
27 mar 2020
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

Sustainable Energy Fuels, 2020,4, 2650-2655

Hidden figures of photo-charging: a thermo-electrochemical approach for a solar-rechargeable redox flow cell system

D. Bae, G. M. Faasse and W. A. Smith, Sustainable Energy Fuels, 2020, 4, 2650 DOI: 10.1039/D0SE00348D

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence. You can use material from this article in other publications without requesting further permissions from the RSC, provided that the correct acknowledgement is given.

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