Unbiased solar energy storage: Photoelectrochemical redox flow battery

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2016

Authors

João Azevedo (Author) FEUP; Thorsten Seipp (Author) Other; Jens Burfeind (Author) Other; Célia Sousa (Author) Other; Anders Bentien (Author) Other; João Pedro Araújo (Author) Other; Adélio Mendes (Author) FEUP

Journal

Title: Nano Energy

Vol. 22

Pages: 396-405

ISSN: 2211-2855

Publisher: Elsevier

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 56 Citations

ISI Web of Science

Scopus - 56 Citations

INSPEC

Scientific classification

CORDIS: Technological sciences

Associated Projects

BI-DSC - Building Integrated Dye Sensitized Solar Cells

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00K-8AJ

DOI: 10.1016/j.nanoen.2016.02.029

Abstract (EN): Electricity from renewable energy sources is craving for efficient storage technologies, in particular solar industry, to enable practical small-scale solutions for residential and offices use. The best stationary technology is probably the redox flow batteries. This article proposes the direct conversion of sunlight into electrochemical energy stored in a redox flow battery. A photoelectrochemical cell is used to charge a vanadium redox flow cell (CdS(s)|V3+, VO2+||V3+, V2+|Carbon Felt(s), E0 =0.6 VNHE). A CdS thin film photoelectrode is prepared to directly charge the cell, pairs V3+/VO2+. CdS photoanode exhibits competitive photocurrents, when compared to other photoelectrochemical devices, and yields enough photovoltage to charge the vanadium battery up to 75% with no external bias. An overlayer of CdSe improves the performance of CdS with current densities up to ca. 1.4 mA cm
2 . Finally, a tandem configuration is tested using a dye-sensitized solar cell and a CdS photoanoade creating 1.3 V of photovoltage. This tandem arrangement proves to charge conventional all vanadium redox cell (DSC/CdS(s)|VO2+, VO2 +||V3+, V2+|Carbon Felt(s), E0 =1.2 VNHE) without external bias.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 10