VANADIUM REDOX BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM

• US 20130154364A1
• Filed: 12/20/2011
• Published: 06/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VRB Enery Inc.
• Original Assignee: JD Holding Inc.
• Inventors: Hennessy, Timothy David John
• Granted Patent: US 9,853,454 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/18
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04604 Power, energy, capacity or load
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0488 of fuel cell stacks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04955 Shut-off or shut-down of fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/188 by recharging of redox couples containing fluids; Redox flow type batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/20 Indirect fuel cells, e.g. fuel cells with redox couple being irreversible H01M8/18 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/30 The power source being a fuel cell
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/381 Dispersed generators
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/46 Controlling of the sharing of output between the generators, converters, or transformers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 40/10 Flexible AC transmission systems [FACTS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

A redox battery energy storage system including multiple energy storage stacks having multiple reactor cells is disclosed. Each of the energy storage stacks may include an integrated DC/DC converter configured to convert an output voltage of the stacks to a higher output voltage. The output of the DC/DC converts may be coupled in parallel to an energy storage system output bus. By configuring the energy storage system in this manner, inefficiencies and losses caused by shunt electrical currents in the systems may be decreased.

Claims

1. A redox battery energy storage system comprising:

a plurality of redox battery energy storage stacks, each stack comprising a plurality of reactor cells; and

a plurality of integrated DC/DC converters, wherein each DC/DC converter of the plurality of DC/DC converters is integrated with one of the stacks of the plurality of stacks and is configured to convert the output voltage of the one of the stacks to a higher output voltage at a converter output terminal,

wherein the converter output terminals of each of the DC/DC converters are coupled in parallel to an output bus.

2. The redox battery energy storage system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of DC/DC converters comprise bi-directional buck-boost DC/DC converters.

3. The redox battery energy storage system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of DC/DC converters comprise high efficiency DC/DC converters.

4. The redox battery energy storage system of claim 1, wherein the redox battery energy storage stacks are vanadium redox battery energy storage stacks.

5. The redox battery energy storage system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of redox battery energy storage stacks and plurality of DC/DC converters are enclosed in a plurality of modular enclosures, wherein each enclosure of the plurality of the enclosures encloses one of the plurality of stacks and one of the DC/DC converters.

6. The redox battery energy storage system of claim 5, wherein the modular enclosures comprise intermodal containers.

7. The redox battery energy storage system of claim 5, wherein the modular enclosures comprise intermodal container frames.

8. The redox battery energy storage system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of redox battery energy storage stacks are communicatively coupled to at least one control signal configured to control the operation of the plurality of redox battery energy storage stacks.

9. The redox battery energy storage system of claim 8, wherein the control signal configured to control the operation of the plurality of redox battery energy storage stacks based on load demands.

10. The redox battery energy storage system of claim 9, wherein the control signal is configured to disable at least one redox battery energy storage stack of the plurality of redox battery storage stacks based on reduced load demands.

11. The redox battery energy storage system of claim 9, wherein the control signal is configured to enable at least one redox battery energy storage stack of the plurality of redox battery storage stacks based on increased load demands.

12. The redox battery energy storage system of claim 1, wherein the control signal is generated by an external control system.

13. The redox battery energy storage system of claim 1, wherein the output bus is coupled to an AC/DC converter configured to output AC power to one or more loads.

14. The redox battery energy storage system of claim 1, wherein each of the redox battery energy storage stacks of the plurality of redox battery storage stacks are configured to nominally output 100. Volts.

15. The redox battery energy storage system of claim 1, wherein each of the redox battery energy storage stacks of the plurality of redox battery storage stacks comprise 60 reactor cells.