REDOX FLOW BATTERY SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR OPERATING REDOX FLOW BATTERY SYSTEM

• US 20200136162A1
• Filed: 03/14/2018
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Inventors: YAMANISHI, Katsuya, TSUTSUI, Yasumitsu, KUMAMOTO, Takahiro
• Granted Patent: US 11,764,378 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04186 of liquid-charged or electrolyte-charged reactants
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04201 Reactant storage and supply, e.g. means for feeding, pipes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04276 Arrangements for managing the electrolyte stream, e.g. heat exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04671 of the individual fuel cell
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04746 Pressure; Flow
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04925 Power, energy, capacity or load
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04947 of auxiliary devices, e.g. batteries, capacitors
• 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: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

A redox flow battery system includes a cell that performs charging and discharging between the cell and a power system, a tank that stores an electrolyte supplied to the cell, a circulation pump that circulates the electrolyte between the cell and the tank, a power converter disposed between the cell and the power system, and a charge/discharge control unit that controls an operation of the power converter to control charging and discharging of the cell. When the charge/discharge control unit detects power failure in the power system, the charge/discharge control unit controls the power converter such that power of the electrolyte remaining in the cell is supplied to the circulation pump.

Claims

1. A redox flow battery system comprising:

a cell that performs charging and discharging between the cell and a power system;

a tank that stores an electrolyte supplied to the cell;

a circulation pump that circulates the electrolyte between the cell and the tank;

a power converter disposed between the cell and the power system; and

a charge/discharge control unit that controls an operation of the power converter to control charging and discharging of the cell,

wherein when the charge/discharge control unit detects power failure in the power system, the charge/discharge control unit controls the power converter such that power of the electrolyte remaining in the cell is supplied to the circulation pump.

2. The redox flow battery system according to claim 1, comprising a valve provided in a pipe that extends from the circulation pump toward the cell,

wherein when circulation of the electrolyte is stopped, the charge/discharge control unit closes the valve to cause the electrolyte to remain in the cell.

3. The redox flow battery system according to claim 1, wherein the tank is positioned such that a liquid level of the electrolyte stored in the tank is higher than an upper end of the cell.

4. A method for operating a redox flow battery system that circulates an electrolyte to a cell with a circulation pump and that operates, with a charge/discharge control unit, a power converter disposed between the cell and a power system to perform charging and discharging between the cell and the power system,

wherein, during power failure in the power system, the charge/discharge control unit restarts the power converter with power of the electrolyte remaining in the cell to resume circulation of the electrolyte into the cell by supplying the power through the power converter to the circulation pump, thereby performing discharging from the cell to the power system.

5. The method for operating a redox flow battery system according to claim 4, wherein, during a period with no power failure in the power system, charging and discharging of the cell are performed such that power of the electrolyte in the cell is not lower than power necessary for resuming circulation of the electrolyte by the circulation pump.