Half-Cell, Steady-State Flow-Battery Experiments

An experimental approach designed to separately test the positive and negative sides of a redox flow battery is discussed. Circulating a single electrolyte through a cell so that oxidation occurs on one electrode and reduction occurs on the other electrode eliminates the problem of reactant crossover that occurs when different electrolytes are placed on either side of the cell. This approach allows phenomena associated with the positive and negative electrode-electrolyte combinations to be studied in isolation. Polarization curves, steady-state potential holds, and potential-cycling experiments are presented as examples of results that can be obtained with this approach. The impact of side reactions on the results is also discussed.