Public defence in Chemistry, M.Sc. Wouter Badenhorst

Title of the thesis: Advancements in Copper Flow Battery Systems: Performance, Modelling, and Control Strategies 

Thesis defender: Wouter Badenhorst
Opponent: Dr. Cristina Flox, Iberian Centre for Research in Energy Storage, Spain 
Custos: Prof. Lasse Murtomäki, Aalto University School of Chemical Engineering

Wouter Badenhorst’s doctoral thesis, "Advancements in copper flow battery systems: performance, modelling, and control strategies," investigated the all-copper redox flow battery (CFB) as a alternative solution to grid-scale energy storage, being both more sustainable and scalable that current solutions.

As renewable energy integration grows the need for long duration energy storage grows alongside it. While current lithium ion batteries dominate the market, the CFB offers a cost-effective solution using abundant and non-critical copper. The thesis aimed to increase the technological readiness level of the CFB by addressing critical performance bottlenecks and increasing the fundamental understanding of the CFB technology.

Additionally, a new control-oriented model was developed to accurately monitor the battery’s State of Charge and State of Health. The thesis introduces novel characterization methods, using streaming potential measurements and scanning electrochemical microscopy to gain new insights into membrane permeability. These findings provided essential data required for future industrial scaling.

The information can be directly applied to the development of advanced Battery Management Systems and the design of large-scale energy storage infrastructure. Ultimately, the thesis concludes that through targeted material selection and predictive modelling, that the CFB is a robust and practically feasible candidate for the global energy transition.

Key words: Energy Storage, Modelling, Membrane, Membrane Theory

Thesis available for public display 7 days prior to the defence at Aalto University's public display page.