# US 11,114,680 B2 · Redox flow battery system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,114,680 B2 - Document ID: US11114680B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/740,222 - Filed: 2016-07-01 - Published: 2018-07-05 - Granted: 2021-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2015-07-03 - Applicants: Renewable Energy Dynamics Technology Ltd - Inventors: Keith Faskin; Graham Ford - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11114680B2 ## CPC - H01M 8/0289: Means for holding the electrolyte (solid polymer electrolytes H01M8/1018) - H01M 8/04186: of liquid-charged or electrolyte-charged reactants - H01M 8/04201: {Reactant storage and supply, e.g. means for feeding, pipes} - H01M 8/188: {by recharging of redox couples containing fluids; Redox flow type batteries} - Y02E 60/50: Fuel cells - H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract A reservoir for a redox flow battery comprising: at least one inner tank for electrolyte, the or each inner tank having at least one inner tank wall, an outer, bund tank around the or each inner tank, air circulation gaps or passages between the inner and outer walls or the inner and outer tanks and means for passing cooling air to the air circulation gaps or passages for cooling the electrolyte in or each inner tank. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A reservoir for a redox flow battery comprising: at least one inner tank for electrolyte, the or each inner tank having at least one inner tank wall of polymeric material, an outer, bund tank around the or each inner tank, the or each outer tank having at least one substantially flat outer tank wall of polymeric material, wherein the inner tank is a self-supporting cylindrical polymeric material tank or is a flat-walled tank shaped complementary to the outer tank and provided with areas for abutting support of the inner tank by the outer tank and air circulation passage formations between the abutment areas; and wherein the reservoir further comprises: air circulation gaps or passages between the inner and outer walls or the inner and outer tanks, and an air circulation fan or pump for passing cooling air to the air circulation gaps or passages for cooling the electrolyte in the or each inner tank. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A reservoir in accordance with claim 1, wherein the or each inner wall is provided as a self-supporting circular cylindrical wall of polymeric material for its inner tank. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) A reservoir in accordance with claim 2, wherein: reinforcement is provided around the outer tank for its support in event of inner tank leakage and the outer tank acting as a bund and the air circulation gaps or passages are spaces between the or each circular inner tanks and the substantially flat walled outer tank. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) A reservoir in accordance with claim 3, wherein the reinforcement is a metal fabrication at least partially provided by walls of a transport container, in which the tanks are installed. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A reservoir in accordance with claim 1, wherein the inner and outer tanks are complementarily shaped, with the walls of one of the tanks being formed with: areas for abutting support of the inner by the outer and air circulation passage formations between the abutment areas. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) A reservoir in accordance with claim 5, wherein: reinforcement is provided around the outer tank for its support in event of inner tank leakage and the outer tank acting as a bund and the air circulation gaps or passages are passages within the air circulation passage formations. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) A reservoir in accordance with claim 6, wherein the reinforcement is a metal framework, provided within a transport container, in which the tanks are installed. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) A reservoir in accordance with claim 7, wherein members of the framework are received in outer grooves of at least some of the outer walls, the grooves having bottoms providing the abutment support areas. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) A reservoir in accordance with claim 6, wherein at least two inner tanks are provided within the or each outer tank, the inner tanks having neighbouring ones of their inner walls which abuttingly support each other, the inner tanks being respectively for anolyte and catholyte. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) A reservoir in accordance with claim 9, including a reinforcing sheet between the neighbouring ones of their inner walls which abuttingly support each other. ### Claim 11 (depends on 5) A reservoir in accordance with claim 5, wherein either or both of the inner and outer walls are corrugated to provide the air passage formations and the abutment support areas. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) A reservoir as claimed in claim 9, wherein corrugations of the inner walls and of the outer walls are orthogonal for distribution of air circulation. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) A reservoir in accordance with claim 9, wherein two inner tanks are provided and their wall corrugations are at least substantially vertical and their inner walls have rounded lower corners with inner tank bottoms for providing air circulation to bottoms of the corrugations. ### Claim 14 (depends on 5) A reservoir in accordance with claim 5, wherein the inner tanks are substantially cuboid with an upper, primary cuboid recess for accommodating redox cell stacks. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) A reservoir in accordance with claim 14, wherein the inner tanks have a secondary cuboid recess below the primary recess for locating electrolyte circulation pumps for the respective electrolytes of the inner tanks, with electrolyte flow connections at the secondary recess and return connections at tops of the inner tanks. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) A reservoir in accordance with claim 15, including an air circulation pump between the electrolyte pumps, for discharging air downwards for upwards return. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) A reservoir in accordance with claim 16, including control circuitry for powering the air circulation pump in accordance with whether the electrolyte circulation pumps are being operated and/or thermostatically in accordance with the temperature of the electrolyte in the inner tanks. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) A reservoir in accordance with claim 14, including rails, supported on the framework, for sliding accommodation of the stacks, plumbing provided with detachable connections for electrolyte flow and return to and from the stacks. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) A reservoir in accordance with claim 18, wherein both flow and return plumbing is branched to provide parallel flow paths to the stacks for electrolyte flow and return to two halves of the stacks. ### Claim 20 (depends on 5) A reservoir in accordance with claim 5, wherein the tanks are arrayed along the lengths of a side opening transport container, with a lengthways walkway within the container for access to the individual tanks.