New member introduction thread!

[oliver.schlueter]

@Vorg Thanks for the hint, it indeed looks like the english translation is not working properly. I have forwardet the problem to our admin team and hope they can fix it. Meanwhile its a good workaround to use an external translation program like you did.

[nadia_avva]

Hi! I am Dr Nadezda Avanessova, I am a founder of Offshore Ville, which is basically a web platform for viewing a map of offshore wind projects, analysing the impact of climate change on them. My main expertise is operation an d maintenance of wind turbines. I was searching for DIY projects on Youtube (mostly robotics and computing) and this popped up - looks very promising and I would like to try and build it myself. It's not really my expertise so will probably take some time to understand, but I am grateful for this to exist! It will allow people take ownership of energy - another step away from greedy capitalism.

[kirk]

Welcome @oliver.schlueter and @nadia_avva ! We are definitely indeed all about the ownership of energy and energy technologies here you are in the right place! We'd love to connect our batteries to a small wind turbine (Piggott-style, probably) as soon as they are large enough... your and Oliver/OSE's wind experience could be very helpful!

[StevenHickey]

G'day, New member Steve Hickey here, keen to learn and share.
I'm EE (UQ Brisbane Au 1981!), started on batteries with Redflow in 2008. Spent some time at Sandia NL testing ZBM, then seconed in Albuqurque with fam for 3 years. Back in OZ spent 5 years as MRI R&D Engineer, then back to Redflow as CTO.
Over the years I've done a lot of modelling, testing, analysing of the ZB system.
I have set up a home lab, initially corrosion studies on electrode materials, and moving onto 200cm2 single cell system.
I'm very keen to learn about techniques and material sources.

Cheers,
Steve

[kirk]

Welcome @stevenhickey , great to have someone with as much experience as yourself here! I doubt you remember me but I think we crossed paths at IFBF in Brussels when I was doing my PhD a few years ago. I was/still am a big fan of Redflow systems, I think a lot of us were sorry to see the news about Redflow a while ago.

Great to hear that you've set up a home lab and are still pushing! Are you focused mostly on Zn-Br still?

[StevenHickey]

This post is deleted!

[StevenHickey]

Thanks Kirk, I appreciate the warm welcome! Very much enjoyed the IFBF in Brussels. Forgive the nerding, but being at the hotel where the Solvay conference was held, 1927 I believe - and much else.
One of the last activities I undertook at Redflow was Design Of Experiment for electrode formulation. I enlisted a team of Ugrads and performed a thousand AEO (Accelerated Electrode Oxidation) tests over several months. I've been fortunate to recieve a new coated Titanium foil material, and felt compelled to test it also. That was the motivation to convert my home workshop into a Lab.
It's always amused me the claims of indefinite electrode life

[danielfp248]

@StevenHickey Awesome to have you here! Very excited to see someone here with so much experience in flow batteries. Since you have so much experience in Zn-Br I wanted to ask if you have had any chance to test the Zn+Na sulfamate chemistry that was published not long ago. I tried it with some success, but had some stability issues https://chemisting.com/2026/03/23/zn-br-sulfamate-battery-stability/. Would love to hear your opinion on that subject.

[StevenHickey]

@danielfp248 Hi Daniel, Thanks for the warm welcome! Yes, I have looked at the sulfamate paper and found it interesting. I did start my introduction with I'm an EE, and always see Chemistry through that lenz, I haven't had access to a lab for 2 years and only recently converted my home workshop into a 'lab' :). I do know with confidence that the dominant loss mechanism is polybromide diffusion via the separator and Ec>90% is feasible. So, locking up the free Br is important. Most of my operating experience is with MEP and MEM, and cost is their weakness.
You prompted me to look again at that paper. They use very high current density and report excellent Ec. Now I'm reading your report, and felt that with 1900 cm2, nominal capacity should be more like 9.5 kWh. But also they are only using 1 M ZnBr2 - Redflow would use 2-3 Molar.
I particularly liked your closing comment!
I've been testing alterative electrode materials for oxidation durability and have a cell in the 3D printer right now.
Cheers, Steve

[martinr]

Hello, I recently found out about flow batteries. I can imagine that a working cheap diy battery would help in decarbonisation. I am usually jumping into projects and helping out where help is needed. I do mostly software, organize open communities in my town in Austria, and doing all sorts of diy stuff at home.