A prior to charge
vanadium halide redox cell, a
vanadium halide redox cell which is at a
state of charge selected from the group consisting of a zero
state of charge and a near zero
state of charge and
vanadium halide redox cell which are fully charged and partially charged are described. The prior to charge vanadium halide redox cell comprises a positive
half cell containing a positive
half cell solution comprising a halide
electrolyte, vanadium (III) halide and vanadium (IV) halide, a negative
half cell containing a negative half cell solution comprising a halide
electrolyte, vanadium (III) halide and vanadium (N) halide wherein the amounts of vanadium (III) halide, vanadium (IV) halide and halide ions in the positive and negative half cell solutions are such that in a first charging step comprising charging the prior to charge vanadium halide redox cell, a vanadium halide redox cell having a state of charge selected from the group consisting of a zero state of charge and a near zero state of charge comprising predominantly vanadium (N) halide in the positive half cell solution and predominantly V(III) halide in the negative half cell solution can be prepared. The vanadium halide redox cell which is at a state of charge selected from the group consisting of a zero state of charge and a near zero state of charge comprises a positive half cell containing a positive half cell solution comprising a halide
electrolyte and a vanadium halide which is predominantly vanadium (N) halide, a negative half cell containing a negative half cell solution comprising a halide electrolyte and a vanadium halide which is predominantly vanadium (III) halide wherein the amount of vanadium (N) halide in the positive half cell solution and the amount of vanadium (III) halide in the negative half cell solution are such that the vanadium halide redox cell is at a state of charge selected from the group consisting of a zero state of charge and a near zero state of charge. The vanadium halide redox cell which is fully charged comprises a positive half cell containing a positive half cell solution comprising a halide electrolyte, a polyhalide complex, vanadium (IV) halide and vanadium (V) halide, a negative half cell containing a negative half cell solution comprising a halide electrolyte and vanadium (II) halide wherein the
molar concentration of vanadium (V) and polyhalide complex:
molar concentration of vanadium (II) halide is about stoichiometrically balanced. The vanadium halide redox cell which is partially charged comprises a positive half cell containing a positive half cell solution comprising a halide electrolyte, a polyhalide complex, vanadium (IV) halide and vanadium (V) halide, a negative half cell containing a negative half cell solution comprising a halide electrolyte, vanadium (II) halide and vanadium (III) halide wherein the number of moles of moles of polyhalide complex and vanadium (V): number of moles of vanadium (II) halide is about stoichiometrically balanced.