A coupled three dimensional model of vanadium redox flow battery for flow field designs

•A coupled three-dimensional model of vanadium redox flow cell is proposed.•Interdigitated flow channels with two different manifold designs are simulated.•Manifold structure affects uniformity of distribution patterns significantly.•Increased electrolyte flow rate improves cell performance for both designs.•Decreased channel size and enlarged land width enhance cell voltage.

A 3D (three-dimensional) model of VRB (vanadium redox flow battery) with interdigitated flow channel design is proposed. Two different stack inlet designs, single-inlet and multi-inlet, are structured in the model to study the distributions of fluid pressure, electric potential, current density and overpotential during operation of VRB cell. Electrolyte flow rate and stack channel dimension are proved to be the critical factors affecting flow distribution and cell performance. The model developed in this paper can be employed to optimize both VRB stack design and system operation conditions. Further improvements of the model concerning current density and electrode properties are also suggested in the paper.