Cell frame for redox flow cell and redox flow cell

• US 20040170893A1
• Filed: 04/15/2004
• Published: 09/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kansai Electric Power Company Incorporated, Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kansai Electric Power Company Incorporated, Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Inventors: Kanno, Takashi, Tokuda, Nobuyuki, Ito, Takefumi, Nakaishi, Hiroyuki, Shigematsu, Toshio, Ogino, Seiji
• Application Number:
  US10/480,117
• Publication Number:
  US 20040170893A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/185
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0273 with sealing or supporting means in the form of a frame
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0278 O-rings
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0289 Means for holding the electrolyte solid polymer electrolytes H01M8/1018
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/188 by recharging of redox couples containing fluids; Redox flow type batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

This invention provides a cell frame for a redox flow battery that prevents leakage of electrolyte out of the cell frame and also provides a good workability in assembling the redox flow battery. Also, this invention provides a redox flow battery using the cell frame. In the cell frame 30 for the redox flow battery 30 comprising a bipolar plate 21 and a frame 31 fitted around a periphery of the bipolar plate 21, the frame 31 has, on each side thereof, an inner seal and an outer seal to press-contact with a membrane and also seal electrolyte. The frame 31 has, on each side thereof, an inner seal groove 34 and an outer seal groove 35 for placing therein the inner seal and the outer seal, respectively, to prevent the electrolyte from leaking out, and O-rings are placed in the respective seal grooves.

Claims

1. A cell frame for a redox flow battery comprising a bipolar plate and a frame fitted around a periphery of the bipolar plate,

wherein the frame has, on each side thereof, an inner seal and an outer seal to press-contact with a membrane and also seal electrolyte.

2. The cell frame for the redox flow battery according to claim 1, wherein the inner seal is an O-ring.

3. The cell frame for the redox flow battery according to claim 1, wherein the inner seal and the outer seal are spaced apart from each other at a distance of 1 mm or more.

4. The cell frame for the redox flow battery according to claim 1, wherein the frame is provided with a manifold serving as a flow channel of the electrolyte and a guide groove for guiding the electrolyte from the manifold to an inside of the frame, and the guide groove has a sectional area of 5 mm² or less.

5. The cell frame for the redox flow battery according to claim 4, wherein a diameter of the manifold is 1%-5% of a total width of a cell frame.

6. The cell frame for the redox flow battery according to claim 4, wherein the frame is formed by bonding a pair of frame members to each other, each frame member being configured so that the guide grooves can be symmetrical in relation to an intersection point of diagonal lines of the frames as a center.

7. A redox flow battery comprising a cell stack of cell frames of claim 1, membranes and electrodes being stacked in layers.

8. The redox flow battery according to claim 7, wherein the membrane has a thickness of 400 μ

m or less.

9. The The redox flow battery according to claim 7, which comprises electric terminals for taking out electricity from the electrodes and feeding and discharging portions for feeding and discharging electrolytes to and from the electrodes, the electrical terminals and the feeding and discharging portions being arranged on surfaces opposite to each other.