In general, mathematical models for all-vanadium redox flow batteries(VRFB) that seek to capture the transport phenomena are transient in nature. In this paper, we carry out scale analysis of VRFB operation and derive the conditions when it can be assumed to be quasi-steady state in nature, i.e., time-dependence only through a boundary condition. We find that it is true for typical tank volume and flow rate employed for VRFBs. The proposed analysisis generic and can also be employed for other types of redox flow batteries. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.