Impact of biomimetic fishbone interdigitated flow field design and electrode thickness on the performance optimization of vanadium redox flow batteries

Renowned for their intrinsic safety, robust stability, and high energy efficiency, all-vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs) have emerged as one of the most promising solutions for grid-scale energy storage. This work introduces a bioinspired fishbone interdigitated flow field (BFIFF), leveraging natural fishbone morphology to optimize electrolyte distribution through guided branch-channel flow. Comparative three-dimensional multiphysics coupling simulations reveal BFIFF’s superiority over conventional designs. At a state of charge of 0.1, it reduces pressure drop by 53.28% and elevates V2+ uniformity by 29.03%. Under operational conditions (6 mL/s, 240 mA/cm), BFIFF achieves a 7.14% enhancement in pump-involved voltage efficiency and a 4.33% net discharge power gain. Electrode thickness optimization identifies 1 mm as the critical parameter, delivering a cathodic V2+ concentration of 476.38 mol/m3 and a peak pump-based efficiency of 92.63%. This biomimetic strategy redefines flow field engineering, demonstrating paradigm-shifting potential for industrial-scale VRFB deployment.