Flow Battery Stack Voltage up to 100V
Flow Battery Stack Power up to 300kW
Each testing system is customized to measure and control all flow battery hardware

Arbin offers charge/discharge flow battery testing systems ranging from small research-grade single cells up to 300kW stacks.  Our flow battery testing systems integrate with the pumps, valves, and some other 3rd party hardware in a flow battery to measure and control the system.  The design engineers at Arbin customize each tester for specific user requirements.

These systems are a result of more than 25 years of research and experience in the battery and fuel cell testing industry. Designed specifically for flow battery applications, Arbin’s FBTS was created to integrate with a customer’s existing flow battery system or with a new start-up.
Each FBTS unit has programmable charge/discharge control, and options for  temperature measurement, analog and digital input/output channels, and a host of safety features.  

Key Features:

• Integrate Control of the Flow Battery System
• Compatible with Third-Party Hardware
  
• Potentiostatic/Galvanostatic Charge/Dischage Functionality
• Modular Plug & Play Design
• Automatic Device Simulation

Charge Discharge Control:

Arbin Instruments’ electronic circuitry is a completely programmable and automatic power supply that works directly with Arbin’s MITS Pro Software. Through the software, the user can control the current and voltage applied and drawn from the flow battery in any number of profile types.

• Low voltage and reverse polarity available for research scale testing and high-voltage systems for industrial applications
• Current capability ranges from micro-amp level up to thousands of amps
• Multiple current ranges allowing higher accuracy across total current range
• Potentiostatic/Galvanostatic charge/discharge or discharge-only circuitry
• True Bipolar Circuitry for no switching time between charge and discharge

External Hardware Incorporation:

Users may use their own pumps or Arbin can recommend a suitable third-party pump for each application.  Arbin’s team of engineers have developed systems for clients around the world. Their knowledge and experience will be valuable tools in building a testing system that will meet your needs.

Pump & Flow Meter Control
The Analog Input/Output module option is designed to measure and control Flow Rate or Pressure or any devices that can output 0(2)-10V as feedback signal and input 0-10V as control signal. The Analog I/0 board offers control with closed loop (PID) or open loop communication depending on the application.

Digital I/O
The Digital Input/Output module can be used to communicate with third party hardware directly or in conjunction with a 24V DC source. The Digital I/O module sends and receives a simple digital on/off signal that is available in TTL and Relay.

Auxiliary Voltage Input
Auxiliary Voltage Inputs may be used to measure each cell voltage in a multi-cell battery or to measure the reference electrode voltage in a three electrode setup. The value of voltage can be recorded in the results file or used to further control the experiment. The software allows multiple auxiliary channels to be mapped to a single main channel, or however required by the user.

Temperature Measurement
Users may gather temperature data for any point in the set by using either our thermocouple module (E, J, K or T) or our thermistor module. The value of temperature can be recorded in the results file and/or used to further control the experiment.

Pressure Input
Pressure Inputs measure and record the pressure inside the cell using a pressure transducer. The transducer used with this option uses an operating supply voltage of 5V DC and output voltage of 0-100mV. The cell must have an opening to insert the transducer.

Temperature Chamber Interface
The Multiple Temperature Chamber Interface option (MTCI) allows the system to communicate with a temperature chamber controller during testing. The MTCI module tells the chamber controller what temperature set-point to use during each test step, allowing the user to program complex automatic temperature profiles in their tests. Consult your Sales Engineer for a full list of supported chambers and MTCI specifications

Common Setup:

– Arbin single-channel or multi-channel charge/discharge circuitry
– Auxiliary voltage measurements to monitor individual cells voltages
– Pump or mass flow controller to start, stop, and regulate pump flow rates|
– Additional measurements such as temperature and pressure at the inlet and outlet of flow battery

Research Applications:
Voltage is typically below 15V and may have reverse polarity testing upon request (such as -5 to 5V or -10 to 10V).
Current is generally less than 50A.

Industrial Applications:
Voltage is generally 100V or less, but may be as high as 800V.
Current can be as high as 2500A.