Recently, some scientists in Europe are developing and designing a new redox liquid flow energy storage system to flexibly balance the power grid in case of emergency. It is reported that the research project, funded by the European Union and coordinated by Lanzhu University of Applied Sciences, will last until 2023.

In the hyflow research project, 11 partners from seven European countries jointly developed a hybrid redox flow energy storage system to meet the needs of high performance and energy. Therefore, scientists hope to combine high-performance Vanadium Redox Battery with supercapacitor.

The EU will provide 4 million euros for hyflow until 2023. The project is coordinated by Lanzhu University of Applied Sciences. Also involved in this work are the Fraunhofer Institute of chemical technology, the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (Kit) and the Bavarian research alliance.

Carl Heinz pettinger, the project coordinator, said: "redox flow battery has large energy storage capacity, but it can only be charged and discharged slowly at present. On the other hand, supercapacitor has short charging time and low energy density. The purpose of mixing is to create an energy storage system that integrates the advantages of two systems, high energy storage capacity and high performance."

Under critical grid conditions such as high load or peak generation, hybrid systems should be able to flexibly balance power and energy demand - whether for a few seconds or a whole day.

The hybrid concept is also designed to ensure longer service life, high adaptability and potentially low cost. Innovative management systems use computer analysis and control algorithms to ensure a high level of control and flexibility. The researchers said they paid special attention to sustainable development and were developing the concept of recycling.