Impact of stack spatial arrangement on gas precipitation and flow distribution uniformity in iron-chromium flow batteries

TANG Xiaomin; WANG Hongda; YE Qiang; XU Yan; CHEN Man; MA Zhiqi

doi:10.19799/j.cnki.2095-4239.2025.1080

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Impact of stack spatial arrangement on gas precipitation and flow distribution uniformity in iron-chromium flow batteries

Energy Storage System and Engineering | 更新时间：2026-07-13

- Impact of stack spatial arrangement on gas precipitation and flow distribution uniformity in iron-chromium flow batteries
- Energy Storage Science and Technology Vol. 15, Issue 6, Pages: 2224-2233(2026)
- 作者机构：
  
  1.南方电网调峰调频发电有限公司储能科研院，广东广州 511400
  2.上海交通大学机械与动力工程学院，上海 200240
  3.江苏朗雄能源科技有限公司，江苏苏州 215236
- 作者简介：
- 基金信息：
- DOI：10.19799/j.cnki.2095-4239.2025.1080
  CLC： TM 911
- Received：04 December 2025，
  
  Revised：2025-12-23，
  
  Published：28 June 2026
- 稿件说明：
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唐晓敏, 王宏达, 叶强, 等. 铁铬液流电池电堆空间排布对气相析出与供液均衡性的影响[J]. 储能科学与技术, 2026, 15(6): 2224-2233.

TANG Xiaomin, WANG Hongda, YE Qiang, et al. Impact of stack spatial arrangement on gas precipitation and flow distribution uniformity in iron-chromium flow batteries[J]. Energy Storage Science and Technology, 2026, 15(6): 2224-2233.
唐晓敏, 王宏达, 叶强, 等. 铁铬液流电池电堆空间排布对气相析出与供液均衡性的影响[J]. 储能科学与技术, 2026, 15(6): 2224-2233. DOI： 10.19799/j.cnki.2095-4239.2025.1080.

TANG Xiaomin, WANG Hongda, YE Qiang, et al. Impact of stack spatial arrangement on gas precipitation and flow distribution uniformity in iron-chromium flow batteries[J]. Energy Storage Science and Technology, 2026, 15(6): 2224-2233. DOI： 10.19799/j.cnki.2095-4239.2025.1080.

摘要

铁铬液流电池在运行中的析氢副反应以及电解液降压或升温导致的溶解气体过饱和析出会导致多孔电极内气相积聚，进而引发流动阻力增大、局部反应物短缺与供液分配失衡。这不仅降低电堆效率，还可能引发安全隐患。在采用并联供液的大型电堆中，由于电堆空间排布差异、流道阻力不均以及电极材料性质波动等因素，气相积累与流动堵塞风险尤为突出。为此，本工作建立了二维稳态气液滑移流动模型，系统研究了不同空间排布电堆的多孔电极内气相分布特性，重点探讨了析氢速率、入口溶解气浓度及供液压差对气相积累与电解液流量的影响。结果表明：析氢电流密度增大会显著提高气相饱和度并降低液相相对渗透率，且上层电堆更易发生严重气体堵塞；入口溶解气浓度升高会引发电极入口处气体快速析出并沿流动方向持续累积，加剧电堆间流量分配不均，其中上层电堆流量降幅超过18%；维持足够的供液压差对保障电解液供应和气体清除至关重要。为将平均气相饱和度控制在1%以内，上层电堆所需压差（45 kPa）需比下层电堆（约30 kPa）高出约15 kPa。因此，减小电堆布置高差并降低入口溶解气浓度，是抑制气相析出、保障供液均衡性的关键措施。

Abstract

During the operation of iron-chromium flow batteries

hydrogen evolution as a parasitic reaction

together with gas release caused by electrolyte depressurization or heating (i.e.

oversaturation of dissolved gases)

can lead to gas accumulation within porous electrodes. This

in turn

increases flow resistance

causes local reactant starvation

and induces electrolyte maldistribution. These effects not only reduce stack efficiency but may also pose safety risks. In large stacks employing parallel electrolyte supply

this risk is particularly pronounced owing to variations in stack spatial arrangement

uneven flow-channel resistance

and fluctuations in electrode material properties. To address this

a two-dimensional steady-state gas-liquid slip flow model is established to investigate gas distribution characteristics within porous electrodes across differently arranged stacks. This study specifically examines the effects of hydrogen evolution rate

inlet dissolved gas concentration

and supply pressure difference on gas accumulation and electrolyte flow rate. The results show that increasing the hydrogen evolution current density markedly raises gas saturation and decreases the relative permeability of the liquid phase

making the upper stacks more prone to severe gas blockage. Elevated inlet dissolved gas concentration triggers rapid gas precipitation at the electrode inlet

with accumulation progressing along the flow direction. This exacerbates uneven flow distribution among stacks

causing electrolyte flow rate reductions that exceed 18% in upper stacks. Furthermore

maintaining an adequate feeding pressure difference is essential for ensuring sufficient electrolyte supply and effective gas removal. To keep the average gas saturation below 1%

the required pressure difference for upper stacks (45 kPa) must be 15 kPa higher than for lower stacks (30 kPa). Therefore

reducing stack height differences and lowering inlet dissolved gas concentration are key measures for suppressing gas-phase precipitation and ensuring uniform electrolyte flow distribution.

关键词

Keywords

references

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