Concentration flow cells with ammonium vanadium bronze electrodes for harvesting salinity gradient energy

doi:10.11949/0438-1157.20210942

Abstract

Abstract:

A concentration flow cell can convert salinity gradient energy SGE into electricity by the reversable faradaic reactions between faradaic electrodes and two salt solutions with different concentration. Compared with traditional SGE-extraction technologies that rely on selective membranes, concentration flow cells have advantages of low cost, long lifetime and small volume, etc. However, the electrodes materials reported previously need to be pre-charged by external power sources and may release toxic matters (for example, hexacyanoferrate). Herein, environmentally friendly ammonium vanadium bronze is proposed as electrodes of concentration flow cells without pre-charge treatment yielding superhigh SGE-extraction performance. The average power density of 194.3 mW·m^-2 increased by 37% comparing with graphene hydrogel based SGE-extraction devices (141.4 mW·m^-2) for 20 and 500 mmol·L^-1 NaCl solutions. Moreover, the effect of ion size was also investigated. This work paves a way for designing functional electrode materials of concentration flow cells for harvesting SGE.

Key words: renewable energy, electrochemistry, synthesis, salinity gradient energy, concentration flow cell, ammonium vanadium bronze, ion size

摘要：

浓差流动电池依靠法拉第电极和存在浓度差的两股盐溶液之间可逆的反应，可将盐差能转化为电能；其与传统膜基盐差能提取技术相比具有成本低、寿命长和体积小等优点。然而已报道的浓差流动电池用电极需要预充电处理而且可能产生有毒离子。铵钒青铜是一种对环境友好的法拉第电极材料。它作为电极与普通滤膜组成浓差流动电池，在不需要预充电处理的前提下，平均输出功率密度高达194.3 mW·m^-2（20和500 m mol·L^-1的NaCl溶液），相比于石墨烯水凝胶基盐差发电器件（141.4 mW·m^-2）提升了37%。此外，盐离子价态和尺寸对盐差发电性能存在一定的影响。铵钒青铜的引入，为设计浓差流动电池中的电极材料提供了新思路。

关键词: 可再生能源, 电化学, 合成, 盐差能, 浓差流动电池, 铵钒青铜, 离子尺寸

CLC Number:

TM 919

Yinhao ZHANG, Fei ZHAN, Chengxu LI, Chang YU, Jieshan QIU. Concentration flow cells with ammonium vanadium bronze electrodes for harvesting salinity gradient energy[J]. CIESC Journal, 2022, 73(2): 857-864.

张殷豪, 詹菲, 李城序, 于畅, 邱介山. 铵钒青铜基浓差流动电池的盐差发电性能研究[J]. 化工学报, 2022, 73(2): 857-864.

Figures/Tables 5

Fig.1 Illustration of the concentration flow cell (the arrows in the device represent the direction of ion migration)

Fig.2 XRD patterns (a); SEM images [(b),(c)]; TEM image (d); HRTEM images [(e),(f)]; FTIR spectra (g); Raman spectrum (h) and V 2p XPS spectra (i) of the as-prepared NVO sample

Fig.3 Curves of the concentration-dependent potential of NVO in different salt solutions (20 and 500 mmol·L-1)

Fig.4 Curves of open circuit voltage (a) and short circuit current density (b) of the NVO based concentration flow cell

Fig.5 Curves of output power density of the NVO based concentration flow cell (R=50 Ω)(a); Effects of solution kinds (b) and external resistance [(c),(d)] on the peak power density (Pmax) and average power density (Pave)

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