AUTHOR=Wu Ji , Xu Shaowen 

TITLE=Manufacturing flow batteries using advanced 3D printing technology—A review

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Chemical Engineering

VOLUME=Volume 5 - 2023

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/chemical-engineering/articles/10.3389/fceng.2023.1144237

DOI=10.3389/fceng.2023.1144237

ISSN=2673-2718

ABSTRACT=In the past decade, electrochemical energy storage (EES) systems such as rechargeable batteries have been explored as potential candidates to store intermittent power sources on a large scale. Redox flow batteries (RFBs) stand out by their low fabrication cost, high scalability, and long cycle life. A few pilot plants of RFBs with MWh capacity have been constructed worldwide, although their commercial profitability is still under investigation. 3D printing as a burgeoning technology offers unlimited opportunities in the process of optimizing the design, performance, and fabrication cost of RFBs as compared to traditional top-down manufacturing techniques. This review paper discusses the principles of various RFBs and 3-D printing techniques, followed by explaining the advantages, disadvantages, and major factors to consider when using 3-D printing for efficient redox flow batteries. Also, the practical applications of 3-D printing for RFBs with different redox chemistries in the past decade have been critically summarized, including classical all vanadium, Zn/Br, and novel new competitors as well. Lastly, a brief summary is provided along with several inspiring outlooks that may provide valuable guidance for the scientists who are interested in this research frontier.