Sealed aqueous flow battery systems with in-tank electrolyte rebalancing
AssigneeCase Western Reserve University
InventorsSteven SELVERSTON, Jesse S. WAINRIGHT, Robert SAVINELL
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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.
Claims24
A sealed aqueous flow battery system comprising:
- an electrolyte system including a negative electrolyte reservoir containing a negative electrolyte and a positive electrolyte reservoir containing a positive electrolyte;
- a charge/discharge reaction cell having a separator disposed within a reaction chamber and independent fluid connections on opposing sides of the separator to receive negative electrolyte from the negative electrolyte reservoir and positive electrolyte from the reservoirs;
- and
- an oxidation reactor positioned at least partially in contact with fluids contained in the positive electrolyte reservoir, wherein the oxidation reactor receives hydrogen gas generated by the charge/discharge reaction of the battery system and supplies protons to the battery system.
A method of rebalancing reactants in a sealed aqueous flow battery system comprising a negative electrolyte reservoir, a positive electrolyte reservoir including an oxidation reactor, and a charge/discharge reaction cell, the method comprising:
- providing negative electrolyte and positive electrolyte to the reaction cell to drive a charge/discharge reaction;
- transporting hydrogen gas evolved from the charge/discharge reaction to the positive electrolyte reservoir;
- converting at least a portion of the hydrogen gas into protons in the oxidation reactor;
- acidifying the positive electrolyte proximate to oxidation reactor with the protons supplied by the oxidation reactor;
- and
- returning the acidified positive electrolyte to the reaction cell.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.