Campus

Batteries of flow and control

Flow battery control

Development of MATLAB tools for the sizing, design and control of vanadium flow batteries.

  • 2023 - 2025
  • Completed
  • BASQUE COUNTRY
  • Funding: Mobility Lab

What is the project?

The project develops tools and algorithms for sizing, designing and controlling vanadium flow batteries. The work is structured around three main areas:

1. Development of tools in MATLAB for sizing vanadium flow batteries.

2. Design of algorithms to simulate and control the operating mode of these energy storage systems.

3. Collaboration with Bcare and CICenergigune to advance the monitoring, characterisation and control of batteries

The challenge: managing vanadium flow batteries

Flow batteries enable static energy storage, but require precise tools to size, operate and monitor their performance.

  • Correct sizing

    The system must calculate dimensions, operating conditions and key parameters to ensure the battery operates efficiently.

  • Control of operating mode

    Flow batteries require algorithms capable of managing flow rates, currents and electrochemical behaviour.

  • Monitoring and second life

    The partnership with Battery Care opens up avenues for characterising and assessing the condition of batteries for automotive applications.

  • Behaviour simulation

    Matlab tools enable us to study internal phenomena and predict the system’s performance prior to its implementation.

Project approach:

The project combined modelling, simulation and control to develop tools for the design and operation of vanadium flow batteries.

  • Matlab tools for dimensioning
  • Simulation and control algorithms
  • Partnership with Bcare and CICenergigune

This approach enables doctoral research to be linked to real-world applications in storage and monitoring:

  • We size vanadium flow batteries correctly
  • We simulate currents, flow rates and operating conditions
  • We design algorithms to improve system control
  • We are transferring knowledge to the fields of battery monitoring and second-life applications

Project objectives:

To develop design, sizing and control tools for vanadium flow batteries used in electricity storage.

  • 1

    Sizing flow batteries

  • 2

    Designing Matlab tools

  • 3

    Check the operating mode

  • 4

    Simulate internal behaviour

  • 5

    Promoting industrial transfer

The solution: tools for flow batteries

A set of models and algorithms in MATLAB for sizing, simulating and controlling vanadium flow batteries.

Areas of development:

  • Sizing

  • MATLAB Design

  • Operational control

  • In-house simulation

  • Monitoring

Technological capabilities:

  • Sizes vanadium flow batteries for static electricity storage.

  • Develops MATLAB tools for the design and operation of the system.

  • It simulates internal phenomena such as eddy currents and flow factor effects.

  • It supports the monitoring of flow rates and operating conditions.

  • It links research with monitoring, second-life applications and the control of energy systems.

Equipment and transfer

A project focusing on flow batteries, modelling, control and technology transfer to companies and centres specialising in energy storage.

Funding

Project funded by the MobilityLab Foundation
Implementation period: 2023–2025