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.
Claims15
A sealed flow battery system connected to an electrical load, the system comprising:
- a negative electrolyte reservoir fluidically connected to provide and, via a separate flow path, draw negative electrolyte to a first half cell of a flow battery reaction cell;
- a positive electrolyte reservoir fluidically connected to provide and, via a separate flow path, draw negative electrolyte to a second half cell of a flow battery reaction cell;
- a self-contained, rebalancing reactor positioned completely within the positive electrolyte reservoir and configured to be wetted by the positive electrolyte, 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 reaction cell includes a separator disposed between positive and negative electrodes;
- wherein, except for an optional connector to provide gas evolved in a head space of the negative electrolyte reservoir directly to a head space of the positive electrolyte reservoir, all connections between the positive electrolyte reservoir, the negative electrolyte reservoir, and the reaction cell are sealed so as to prevent introduction of any additional fluids thereto.
A method of rebalancing reactants in a sealed aqueous flow battery system, the method comprising:
- providing sealed aqueous flow battery system comprising a negative electrolyte reservoir, a rebalancing reactor sealed completely within a positive electrolyte reservoir, and a reaction cell separately connected to the negative electrolyte reservoir and to the positive electrolyte reservoir with a separator disposed between opposing electrodes in the reaction cell and wherein the positive and negative electrolytes are separately provided to the opposing electrodes to generate electrical energy;
- transporting hydrogen gas evolved in the reaction cell and/or the negative electrolyte reservoir directly to a first end of the rebalancing reactor;
- configuring the rebalancing reactor to acidify the positive electrolyte at a second end of the rebalancing reactor;
- and
- returning the acidified positive electrolyte to the reaction cell to sustain generation of electrical energy without replacing the positive electrolyte or the negative electrolyte.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.