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Re:An open-source flow battery kit by hlieberman on Tuesday August 13, 2024 @04:05PM (#41239211)
The author actually talks about ESS in a comment to the linked blog post from the article. Apparently their battery generates a ton of H_2 that needs to be managed. That could easily be the sort of thing that only is possible/realistic at large scales, thus eliminating sizing the battery down indirectly. https://chemisting.com/2024/03/15/an-open-source-diy-flow-ba...
Re:An open-source flow battery kit by kragen on Tuesday August 13, 2024 @06:39PM (#41240596)
you can just vent h2 to the atmosphere
Re:An open-source flow battery kit by jhayward on Tuesday August 13, 2024 @07:49PM (#41241079)
Your local fire department will want to very closely inspect your explosive materials handling and safety procedures. Think about what big banks of lead-acid batteries have to do, and google the pictures of battery rooms with their roof blown to bits.
Re:An open-source flow battery kit by kragen on Tuesday August 13, 2024 @08:30PM (#41241342)
i'm familiar with the destructive power and unpredictable nature of hydrogen detonations, yes ;)

but that's what happens when you don't vent the hydrogen to the atmosphere

Re:An open-source flow battery kit by Qwertious on Tuesday August 13, 2024 @10:48PM (#41242079)
Yes, but improperly venting the hydrogen is "not venting hydrogen" but looks like venting the hydrogen unless closely inspected.
Re:An open-source flow battery kit by kragen on Tuesday August 13, 2024 @11:17PM (#41242217)
you can do it in ways that are really obvious, though only to someone who knows the order of magnitude of hydrogen that could be produced
Re:An open-source flow battery kit by hlieberman on Tuesday August 13, 2024 @11:18PM (#41242225)
It doesn't work so easily; if you do that, the battery itself will fall apart because of deposition of the iron. See: https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1149/1945-7111/abcf50/...
Re:An open-source flow battery kit by kragen on Wednesday August 14, 2024 @01:59AM (#41243037)
thanks! so the rest of the thread here is sort of beside the point
Re:An open-source flow battery kit by danielfp248 on Wednesday August 14, 2024 @10:13AM (#41246316)
I am the author of the blog. The Zn/I chemistry actually generates very little H2, so that's not a problem in our current configuration.