Replicability challenges in redox flow cell testing
O'Connor et al. report the results of phase 1 of an international replicability study: a round-robin test in which eight participant groups from seven academic institutions measured the same model flow cell — identical hardware, a well-studied electrolyte, a symmetric cell configuration and the same experimental prompts. Charge–discharge profiles, polarisation curves and Nyquist plots nevertheless differed appreciably between the participating groups. The authors conclude that differences in protocol and data acquisition alone have a clear and non-negligible effect on reported performance metrics, while noting that the number of experiments performed does not yet support attribution to specific causes, and argue for shared protocols, documented standard operating procedures and greater methodological transparency. The paper is published open access under CC BY 4.0.
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