Saitama Institute of Technology has continued a demonstration experiment combining redox flow batteries, which are attracting attention as batteries for renewable energy, and solar power generation for one year, and succeeded in operating for about 1 hours.In the future, it is expected that it can be used effectively for effective utilization of renewable energy, self-sufficiency of electric power, and measures against power outages in the event of a natural disaster.
According to Saitama Institute of Technology, in the demonstration experiment, the electricity generated by the solar panel will be used for lighting in the building of the Manufacturing Research Center, and the surplus will be stored in the redox flow battery to generate solar power for consumption in the building such as cloudy days. When the amount is insufficient, the redox flow battery automatically discharges power to the building lighting.
The redox flow battery promotes the redox reaction of ions by pumping the solution to charge and discharge. NASA announced the basic principle in the 1970s, and vanadium batteries have been put into practical use mainly as 1,000 kW class electric power equipment.
At Saitama Institute of Technology, a research group of Associate Professor Hiroaki Matsuura of the Faculty of Engineering collaborated with HI Group Energy HAVC in South Korea to develop a 1 kW-5.0 kW hour vanadium-based redox flow battery and solar power generation assuming one detached house. We have developed a combined power supply and demand system and succeeded in operating for about 6.6 hours in about one year from March 2020.
Saitama Institute of Technology said that it was possible to verify the technology for practical use of high-efficiency storage batteries in this demonstration experiment, and will proceed with technological development to further improve the performance of redox flow batteries.