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US 12,519,121 B2Granted
Sealed aqueous flow battery systems with in-tank electrolyte rebalancing
AssigneeCase Western Reserve University
InventorsSteven Selverston, Jesse S. Wainright, Robert Savinell
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A battery system comprising a sealed aqueous flow battery that employs a passive, in-tank electrolyte recombination system. The recombination system allows for electrolyte stabilization in batteries where hydrogen evolution may occur as a side reaction without the need to use any externally-supplied rebalancing reactants. The system is a passive system that does not require a control system, additional pumps, or pumping energy.
Claims16
A sealed flow battery system connected to an electrical load, the system comprising:
- a negative electrolyte reservoir supplying negative electrolyte to a first half cell of a flow battery reaction cell by way of a negative flow path connection;
- a positive electrolyte reservoir supplying positive electrolyte to a second half cell of the flow battery reaction cell by way of a positive flow path connection;
- a self-contained, rebalancing reactor:
- i) positioned completely within the positive electrolyte reservoir, ii) configured to be wetted by the positive electrolyte, and iii) adapted to receive hydrogen gas generated by the flow battery reaction cell while supplying protons thereto, said rebalancing reactor having a first electrode material configured to convert hydrogen to protons and a second electrode material configured to reduce metal ions in the positive electrolyte;
- wherein the flow battery reaction cell comprises the first half cell and the second half cell and includes a separator disposed between positive electrode that is in communication with the positive flow path connection and negative electrode that is in communication with the negative flow path connection;
- wherein:
- i) the flow battery reaction cell, the negative electrolyte reservoir, the negative electrolyte flow path connection, the positive electrolyte reservoir, and the positive flow path connection all form a closed loop in which negative electrolyte circulates between the negative electrolyte reservoir and the first half cell and positive electrolyte circulates between the positive electrolyte reservoir and the second half cell;
- ii) the positive flow path connection and the negative flow path connection each represent discrete flow paths within the closed loop;
- and iii) the closed loop prevents introduction of any additional fluids thereto during operation of the sealed flow battery system;
- and
- wherein the rebalancing reactor is a membrane-electrode assembly includes a wicking material selected from an ionomer membrane or a porous and electrically conductive carbon felt.
8 more elements
A sealed flow battery system connected to an electrical load, the system comprising:
- a negative electrolyte reservoir supplying negative electrolyte to a first half cell of a flow battery reaction cell by way of a negative flow path connection;
- a positive electrolyte reservoir supplying positive electrolyte to a second half cell of the flow battery reaction cell by way of a positive flow path connection;
- a self-contained, rebalancing reactor:
- i) positioned completely within the positive electrolyte reservoir, ii) configured to be wetted by the positive electrolyte, and iii) adapted to receive hydrogen gas generated by the flow battery reaction cell while supplying protons thereto, said rebalancing reactor having a first electrode material configured to convert hydrogen to protons and a second electrode material configured to reduce metal ions in the positive electrolyte;
- wherein the flow battery reaction cell comprises the first half cell and the second half cell and includes a separator disposed between positive electrode that is in communication with the positive flow path connection and negative electrode that is in communication with the negative flow path connection;
- wherein:
- i) the flow battery reaction cell, the negative electrolyte reservoir, the negative electrolyte flow path connection, the positive electrolyte reservoir, and the positive flow path connection all form a closed loop in which negative electrolyte circulates between the negative electrolyte reservoir and the first half cell and positive electrolyte circulates between the positive electrolyte reservoir and the second half cell;
- ii) the positive flow path connection and the negative flow path connection each represent discrete flow paths within the closed loop;
- and iii) the closed loop prevents introduction of any additional fluids thereto during operation of the sealed flow battery system;
- and
- wherein the rebalancing reactor is a capillary-action galvanic reactor.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.