virtausakuissa

Virtausakuissa is a Finnish term that translates to "flow batteries" in English. Flow batteries are a type of electrochemical energy storage device that store energy in liquid electrolytes held in external tanks. Unlike conventional batteries where the active materials are solid and contained within the cell, in flow batteries, the active materials are dissolved in liquids that are pumped through the electrochemical cell. This fundamental difference allows for independent scaling of energy capacity and power output. The energy capacity is determined by the volume of the electrolyte in the tanks, while the power output is determined by the size of the electrochemical stack.

This design offers several advantages. It makes flow batteries particularly well-suited for large-scale energy storage applications, such as grid stabilization, renewable energy integration, and off-grid power systems. The ability to increase energy storage simply by adding more electrolyte without increasing the size of the power-generating stack makes them economically attractive for long-duration storage. Furthermore, flow batteries can often operate over a wider temperature range than some other battery technologies and can be designed for very long cycle lives, meaning they can be charged and discharged many times without significant degradation.

There are various chemistries used in flow batteries, with vanadium redox flow batteries being one of the most well-established and commercially available. Other chemistries, such as zinc-bromine and iron-chromium, are also being developed and deployed. The core principle involves the reversible electrochemical reactions of dissolved ions in the electrolyte as they flow past the electrodes.