Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e. V.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology ICT is one of about 70 Fraunhofer institutes in Germany. Its department for Applied Electrochemistry covers research on secondary batteries, fuel cells, redox flow batteries and electrochemical sensors. The redox flow battery group is active in the development of all vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) systems for stationary applications including materials, battery design, prototyping, performance and safety tests. Apart from VRFB technology, the simulation of the smart and micro grids with RFB storage, control algorithms for battery management systems and control strategy for battery storage are also an increasing research topic of the group. At Fraunhofer ICT the largest VRFB research battery has been installed, which supplies the research campus with peak power of 1.5 MW power. The installation with a 2 MW wind turbine features a novel DC-bus connection of the battery storage via the DC-intermittent circuit of the wind turbine which also connects to a 650 kW solar power plant.

Fraunhofer ICT is developing large storage flow batteries since 2012. Moreover, we are active in micro and mini grid simulation for the layout of battery storage system for different applications. Fraunhofer ICT is taking part in the development of standards, which focus on smart grids in working groups of CEN-CLC ETSI and IEC- TC 120 and also in the German Association for Electrical, Electronic and Information Technologies (DKE). Fraunhofer ICT has Europes largest vanadium redox flow research facility. Parts of this facility will be used in the project to build up an industry-scale demonstrator of the innovative hybrid energy storage system. The capacity expansion presented in SMHYLES offers an optimal basis for the continuation of these research activities within more complex energy systems with the additional possibility to investigate the effects of different load profiles. Fraunhofer ICT is also active in the field of electrolyte recycling for vanadium redox flow batteries. In preliminary studies Fraunhofer ICT also proved that the application of the typical leaching agents like DEHPA can lead to highly pure concentrates, which can be electrochemically charged directly to vanadium electrolyte. This concept has been deployed and will be further improved in SMHYLES.