New member introduction thread!
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Hi all, we ask new members to please introduce yourselves here so we can get to know you and your interests!
It would be nice for us to also know:
- How did you find FBRC and this forum?
- What is your interest in flow batteries?
- How do you see yourself getting involved?
Welcome, and thanks for being here!
@kirk Hi,
I'am doho, in retirement since last year. Since my childhood I am interested in all kind of technics, later on especially in electronics and a little computer-science, although I worked in another field most of my working time. Now I try to learn more about mcu's and sbc's (arduino, ESP32, RPI)
I'm interested in flow batteries since many years to optimize my system 20kW PV with 30kWh LFP-batteries, using a heat-pump for the house (i.e. much energy in the summer, but too low in the winter where I would need it. A storage problem). But i noticed many companies and projects to come up and crash long time before ready to market.I found FBRC in one of the last issues of c't (Heise-Verlag, heise.de) and was interested at once.
Meanwhile I'm building your test-cell, 3D-printing is done, pumps are in loco, arduino is programmed,but I'm waiting for some other components,
especially: do you have an alternativ suggest for the tubing (I have purchase a tube TYGON LMT-55, but I'm not shure it will work).I'm sure, for starting, when construction is more ore less finished, I will need some help of the comunity.
Perhaps my faulty trials will bring a little progression, I will report.
I know my english is very poor, due to lack of experience in the last years, but I hope this should not be a problem.
Sincerely
Dr. Georg Hoffmann -
@kirk Hi,
I'am doho, in retirement since last year. Since my childhood I am interested in all kind of technics, later on especially in electronics and a little computer-science, although I worked in another field most of my working time. Now I try to learn more about mcu's and sbc's (arduino, ESP32, RPI)
I'm interested in flow batteries since many years to optimize my system 20kW PV with 30kWh LFP-batteries, using a heat-pump for the house (i.e. much energy in the summer, but too low in the winter where I would need it. A storage problem). But i noticed many companies and projects to come up and crash long time before ready to market.I found FBRC in one of the last issues of c't (Heise-Verlag, heise.de) and was interested at once.
Meanwhile I'm building your test-cell, 3D-printing is done, pumps are in loco, arduino is programmed,but I'm waiting for some other components,
especially: do you have an alternativ suggest for the tubing (I have purchase a tube TYGON LMT-55, but I'm not shure it will work).I'm sure, for starting, when construction is more ore less finished, I will need some help of the comunity.
Perhaps my faulty trials will bring a little progression, I will report.
I know my english is very poor, due to lack of experience in the last years, but I hope this should not be a problem.
Sincerely
Dr. Georg HoffmannMeanwhile I'm building your test-cell, 3D-printing is done, pumps are in loco, arduino is programmed,but I'm waiting for some other components,
especially: do you have an alternativ suggest for the tubing (I have purchase a tube TYGON LMT-55, but I'm not shure it will work).Welcome to the club! I'm also building the cell and having issues getting that tube. I think I found a good source for it in germany but I'd need to buy 15m @ 18€/m. If you're interested, I could buy the 15m and sell you 1m or how much you need. I'm sure there are others who would want some.
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Meanwhile I'm building your test-cell, 3D-printing is done, pumps are in loco, arduino is programmed,but I'm waiting for some other components,
especially: do you have an alternativ suggest for the tubing (I have purchase a tube TYGON LMT-55, but I'm not shure it will work).Welcome to the club! I'm also building the cell and having issues getting that tube. I think I found a good source for it in germany but I'd need to buy 15m @ 18€/m. If you're interested, I could buy the 15m and sell you 1m or how much you need. I'm sure there are others who would want some.
@sepi
Thank you for your welcome.
I'm located in germany, "nord-oberpfalz".
I would take 5m at this price, (I just now only need less than 1m) just to have some in reserve for further experiments.How can I get in contact with you? Paying in advance would be no problem.
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@kirk Hi,
I'am doho, in retirement since last year. Since my childhood I am interested in all kind of technics, later on especially in electronics and a little computer-science, although I worked in another field most of my working time. Now I try to learn more about mcu's and sbc's (arduino, ESP32, RPI)
I'm interested in flow batteries since many years to optimize my system 20kW PV with 30kWh LFP-batteries, using a heat-pump for the house (i.e. much energy in the summer, but too low in the winter where I would need it. A storage problem). But i noticed many companies and projects to come up and crash long time before ready to market.I found FBRC in one of the last issues of c't (Heise-Verlag, heise.de) and was interested at once.
Meanwhile I'm building your test-cell, 3D-printing is done, pumps are in loco, arduino is programmed,but I'm waiting for some other components,
especially: do you have an alternativ suggest for the tubing (I have purchase a tube TYGON LMT-55, but I'm not shure it will work).I'm sure, for starting, when construction is more ore less finished, I will need some help of the comunity.
Perhaps my faulty trials will bring a little progression, I will report.
I know my english is very poor, due to lack of experience in the last years, but I hope this should not be a problem.
Sincerely
Dr. Georg Hoffmann@doho said in New member introduction thread!:
I'am doho, in retirement since last year.
Hi doho, a belated welcome to the project and congratulations on your retirement! I apologize for missing your earlier post.
@doho said in New member introduction thread!:
But i noticed many companies and projects to come up and crash long time before ready to market.
This is definitely the history of most attempts at flow battery commercialization.
@doho said in New member introduction thread!:
Meanwhile I'm building your test-cell, 3D-printing is done, pumps are in loco, arduino is programmed,but I'm waiting for some other components,
especially: do you have an alternativ suggest for the tubing (I have purchase a tube TYGON LMT-55, but I'm not shure it will work).You've made a lot of progress already - I see you're in touch with sepi about the tubing, it is a rather annoying requirement. Hopefully once we have an alternative chemistry like iron, we can use easier-to-find tubing.
@doho said in New member introduction thread!:
I'm sure, for starting, when construction is more ore less finished, I will need some help of the comunity.
We will be here ready to help!
@doho said in New member introduction thread!:
I know my english is very poor, due to lack of experience in the last years, but I hope this should not be a problem.
Definitely not, there are quite a few of us with non-native English backgrounds, no worries there!
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Dear Flow Battery Research Collective,
I am reaching out to you today as a team member of the CIRCLE project at Bochum University of Applied Sciences.
CIRCLE stands for Creative Impulses for Recycling, Crafting and Learning and is a teaching and research project that aims to combine the concepts of makerspaces and circular economy. In this context, researchers and students work together with various partners to investigate the circularity of products using scientific methods (e.g., life cycle assessment) and to practically develop, test, and validate potential product improvements. To support this work, we have both the necessary technical and scientific infrastructure as well as a fully equipped makerspace on campus.The CIRCLE project is conducted by the Sustainable Technologies Laboratory at Bochum University. Our lab is dedicated not only to topics of circularity but also energy systems. Among other things, we have previously conducted life cycle assessments (LCA) of redox flow batteries.
https://www.hochschule-bochum.de/en/labor-nachhaltigkeit-technik/circle/We are currently in the project’s kick-off phase and are looking for interested partners who might be open to collaborating with us. According to your roadmap, you plan to begin storing energy on a practical scale later this year.
We believe this could be a great opportunity to collaborate by assessing the environmental impact of your open-source flow battery kit/scaled models, identifying hotspots across different life cycle phases, and jointly developing potential solutions. Exploring the environmental benefits of open-source hardware could also be an interesting dimension of such a partnership.
If this sounds interesting to you, we would be happy to arrange a meeting to discuss initial questions, ideas, and potential areas for collaboration.
We look forward to hearing from you!Kind regards,
Santiago Eduardo -
I can't speak for the FBRC but I think that your project sounds very interesting, especially combined with FBRC. I'm not sure if it will be possible to produce tangible results soon since the devkit is probably not very interesting for analysy due to its comparatively low environmental impact (very low number of kits and small amount of substances used). The second iteration of the project might be of more interest, since it is way closer to a real world product. Still, one very important aspect, chemistry, is still a moving target. In any case, sustainability should be a prime driver in the development of this project and recycling of the most important components should be considered from the start. It would probably also be very interesting to do a comparative analysyis between common lithium batteries and flow cells. The hope being that flow cells would be way more sustainable. Anyways, those are just my two cents as an interested follower of the FBRC project.
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I can't speak for the FBRC but I think that your project sounds very interesting, especially combined with FBRC. I'm not sure if it will be possible to produce tangible results soon since the devkit is probably not very interesting for analysy due to its comparatively low environmental impact (very low number of kits and small amount of substances used). The second iteration of the project might be of more interest, since it is way closer to a real world product. Still, one very important aspect, chemistry, is still a moving target. In any case, sustainability should be a prime driver in the development of this project and recycling of the most important components should be considered from the start. It would probably also be very interesting to do a comparative analysyis between common lithium batteries and flow cells. The hope being that flow cells would be way more sustainable. Anyways, those are just my two cents as an interested follower of the FBRC project.
@sepi Thanks for getting involved in this! I also see strong synergies with the FBRC. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) also allows us to simulate different scenarios, even when the scaling process is still under development — such as different upscaling scenarios, the use of various electrolytes, etc. Further aspects regarding Circular Engineering could also include, besides recyclability, elements such as modular design for upscaling, design for repairability, and other related considerations. In our opinion, this could take place in parallel with the current functionality and efficiency tests. A group of students has already shown great interest in contributing to the FBRC project. I’ll stay tuned and with great interest for the FBRC’s reply. @sepi Thanks again for thinking along in this topic!
Kind Regards.
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Hi @Santiago-Eduardo, and welcome! We'd definitely be interested in collaborating, I will reach out to you via email. Thank you for the invitation!
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Hi everyone, I am Alexa. I am an open source hardware developer with an interest in sustainability, on site energy generation, 3D printing, and making the world a better place.
I found FBRC via a friend who found you in OSHWA’s hardware listing. I followed the breadcrumbs to your forum.
I am interested in the low cost, low toxicity, and long cycle durability of flow batteries, especially since the batteries being developed here are open source! I want to see this tech spread far and wide.
Additionally, I am interested in finding out about how this project could use a novel method of low-cost/DIY ion exchange membrane production that was developed by Rowow on YouTube: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=c3tNXDlgE2M
I see myself getting involved by taking working cell designs and electrolyte chemistries to build flow batteries for use in home scale energy storage. I wish to fully utilize photovoltaic power to cover my at home energy needs.
Thanks for reading! -Alexa
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Hello, I recently open sourced a novel ion exchange membrane recipe using a high speed grinder on water softener resin and mixing with PVC cement. They can be produced for less than $1 a square yard with properties similar to other name brand ion exchange membranes. You can find more details on the following GitHub https://github.com/Rowow1/Open-sourced-off-the-shelf-ion-exchange-membrane
There's a lot I would love to add to this community. I think the way traditional methodology for this technology needs to be reapproached. Firstly, by using my open sourced membrane recipe you can glue it directly into a PVC cell. Secondly, using foam core PVC sheets which are readily available and cheap from cabinet shops like imeca allows for complex flow cell designs to be easily and rapidly produced with a simple CNC router on various sizes. I have a flow cell design already I'll be glad to upload. I'm new here so sorry there's a lot I love to want to share and am doing things one thing at a time.
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Hello, I recently open sourced a novel ion exchange membrane recipe using a high speed grinder on water softener resin and mixing with PVC cement. They can be produced for less than $1 a square yard with properties similar to other name brand ion exchange membranes. You can find more details on the following GitHub https://github.com/Rowow1/Open-sourced-off-the-shelf-ion-exchange-membrane
There's a lot I would love to add to this community. I think the way traditional methodology for this technology needs to be reapproached. Firstly, by using my open sourced membrane recipe you can glue it directly into a PVC cell. Secondly, using foam core PVC sheets which are readily available and cheap from cabinet shops like imeca allows for complex flow cell designs to be easily and rapidly produced with a simple CNC router on various sizes. I have a flow cell design already I'll be glad to upload. I'm new here so sorry there's a lot I love to want to share and am doing things one thing at a time.
Welcome @saphnich and @rowow ! Membranes are definitely something relevant to our work here, to date we have avoided ion-exchange ones like Nafion due to the high cost but having a low-cost and open-source option would be great. I'll hop into the thread @rowow started on DIY membranes.
@rowow said in New member introduction thread!:
Secondly, using foam core PVC sheets which are readily available and cheap from cabinet shops like imeca allows for complex flow cell designs to be easily and rapidly produced with a simple CNC router on various sizes. I have a flow cell design already I'll be glad to upload.
This would be great to see! Feel free to start a thread in @general-discussion about your cell design. We had tossed around the idea of 2D-material milling/laser approaches to flow frames, but have stuck with 3D printed designs for now so that we can have internal geometries in the flow frames - 2D would certainly be easier and cheaper to make, but I was hesitant about the increased gasketing required/adhesives for sealing.
