ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Lithium-ion flow battery

Okay kiddo, have you ever heard of batteries? They're like magic boxes that store energy so we can use it later. Imagine you have a toy that needs batteries to work, and they can run out quickly when you play with it a lot.

Now, let's talk about lithium-ion flow batteries. It's a special type of battery that can store a lot more energy and last a lot longer than regular batteries. They work by using a special liquid called an electrolyte that helps move the energy around. Imagine the electrolyte like a river flowing through the battery, where energy is carried by tiny particles called ions.

When we turn on something that needs energy, like a light bulb or a computer, the ions flow through a special membrane that only lets them pass through in one direction. This allows the energy to be released and do work, while the electrolyte stays in the battery. When the battery is discharged, we can recharge it by sending the ions back to where they started, which is like re-filling the river with water.

The cool thing about lithium-ion flow batteries is that they can be made in different sizes and shapes, so they can be used for lots of different things. They're also more environmentally friendly than regular batteries because they can be reused over and over again without generating waste.

So, that's basically how lithium-ion flow batteries work: they store energy in a liquid and use it to power things in a controlled way. It's a bit like having a river of energy that we can tap into whenever we need it!