The numerical study of vanadium redox flow battery performance with different electrode morphologies and electrolyte inflow patterns

•Two-dimensional model based on reconstructed electrodes is proposed.•Effects of fiber array, electrode compression and inflow pattern are clarified.•Collective effects of convection and diffusion are found in a narrow flow path.•“Outlet dense and inlet sparse” structure shows optimum performance.•Higher consumption rate is found in the flow field pattern at stoich> 1000.