TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The first anodic conductive solution comprises a lithium-naphthalene complex dissolved in a solvent, and a solvent (A1) comprising one of tetrahydrofuran, hexane, ethylene carbonate, propylene carbonate, dimethyl carbonate, diethyl carbonate, ethyl methyl carbonate, diethyl ether, dimethyl ether, gamma -butyrolactone, dimethoxyethane, dioxolane, methyl acetate, ethyl acetate, dimethyl acetamide, dimethyl formamide, and/or dimethyl sulfoxide. The solid lithium ionic conductor: is ceramic, a solid polymer electrolyte and a lithium superionic conductors; includes garnet phases and lithium lanthanum titanate; and comprises copolymers. In the lithium-based flow battery, at least one of the first pump and the second pump comprises a material comprising one of silicon, PTFE, graphite, and Viton (RTM: Fluoropolymer elastomer), and at least one of the first current collector and the second current collector comprises one of graphite paper, graphite felt, and Toray carbon paper. The second cathodic conductive solution comprises: one of an organic species and an organometallic species; dichloro-dicyanoquinodimethane; the solvent (A1); and a lithium polysulfide of formula (LixSn) (I). The lithium-based anode is a solid, a conductive solution that includes a lithium polyaromatic hydrocarbon complex dissolved in a solvent, and lithium polysulfides (I), where the solvent is one of tetrahydrofuran, dimethyl sulfoxide, dimethyl formamide, dioxolane, dimethyl acetamide, dimethyl ether, dimethyl ether, and/or a polar aprotic solvent.n = 3-8.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INSTRUMENTATION AND TESTING - Preferred Components: The lithium-based flow battery (L1) further comprises: a cell comprising a first channel, a first current collector, the solid lithium ion conductor, a second channel, and a second current collector; a first pump for pumping the first anodic conductive solution through the first channel of the cell; a first tank for storing the first anodic conductive solution before it is pumped through the first channel of the cell; a second tank for storing the first anodic conductive solution after it has been pumped through the first channel of the cell a second pump for pumping the second cathodic conductive solution through the second channel of the cell; a third tank for storing the second cathodic conductive solution before it has been pumped through the second channel of the cell; and a fourth tank for storing the second cathodic conductive solution after it has been pumped through the second channel of the cell, where the first current collector and the second current collector can conduct current generated by redox reactions that occur in the cell, and can power a load (110).