Zinc-chlorine battery plant system and method

• US 4,287,267 A
• Filed: 05/27/1980
• Issued: 09/01/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/1980
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Energy Development Associates, Inc. (Paramount Global (f/k/a ViacomCBS Inc.))
• Original Assignee: Energy Development Associates, Inc. (Paramount Global (f/k/a ViacomCBS Inc.))
• Inventors: Whittlesey, Curtis C., Mashikian, Matthew S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Skapars, Anthony
• Application Number:
  US06/153,094
• Time in Patent Office: 462 Days
• Field of Search: 429/49, 429/61, 429/90, 429/121-123, 429/158, 429/160, 429/13, 429/156
• US Class Current: 429/49
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/365 Zinc-halogen accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4207 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 12/085 Zinc-halogen cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/5011 for several cells simultaneously or successively
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04246 Short circuiting means for defective fuel cells detection of defective fuel cells H01M8/04664, methods for shunting fuel cells H01M8/04955
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04955 Shut-off or shut-down of fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/249 comprising two or more groupings of fuel cells, e.g. modular assemblies
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0029 with safety or protection devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

A zinc-chlorine battery plant system and method of redirecting the electrical current around a failed battery module. The battery plant includes a power conditioning unit, a plurality of battery modules connected electrically in series to form battery strings, a plurality of battery strings electrically connected in parallel to the power conditioning unit, and a bypass switch for each battery module in the battery plant. The bypass switch includes a normally open main contact across the power terminals of the battery module, and a set of normally closed auxiliary contacts for controlling the supply of reactants electrochemically transformed in the cells of the battery module. Upon the determination of a failure condition, the bypass switch for the failed battery module is energized to close the main contact and open the auxiliary contacts. Within a short time, the electrical current through the battery module will substantially decrease due to the cutoff of the supply of reactants, and the electrical current flow through the battery string will be redirected through the main contact of the bypass switch.

Claims

1. A method of discontinuing the electrical current flow through at least one secondary energy storage battery module in a battery plant having a plurality of battery modules connected in series to form a battery string, a plurality of said battery strings connected electrically in parallel, first switching means for controlling the supply of at least one reactant electrochemically transformed in said battery modules, and second switching means for redirecting the electrical current flow through said battery plant, comprising the steps of:

energizing said first switching means so that the supply of said reactant in at least one of said battery modules is interrupted; and

energizing said second switching means so that the electrical current is discontinued in at least one of said battery modules and redirected through said battery plant.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said second switching means includes a normally open bypass switch, for each of said battery modules in said battery plant, connected across the power terminals directing electrical current flow through said battery modules.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein said first switching means includes first normally closed auxiliary switching means, in association with each of said bypass switches, for controlling the supply of at least one reactant electrochemically transformed in said battery modules.

4. The method according to claim 3, including the additional step of:

sensing at least one operating parameter for each of said battery modules in said battery plant.

5. The method according to claim 4, including the additional step of:

determining a failure condition when said operating parameter for one of said battery modules exceeds a predetermined range.

6. The method according to claim 5, including the additional step of:

identifying said battery module generating said failure condition.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein said first auxiliary switching means for said failed module is energized to open and said bypass switch for said failed module is energized to close in response to said failure condition, so that the electrical current flow is discontinued through said failed battery module.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said second switching means includes normally closed isolation switching means for directing electrical current flow through each of said battery strings in each battery plant.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein said first switching means includes second normally closed auxiliary switching means, for each of said battery strings, for controlling the supply of at least one reactant for all of the battery modules in said battery string.

10. The method according to claim 9, including the step of:

sensing the electrical current flow through each of said battery strings.

11. The method according to claim 10, including the step of:

determining a fault condition from a predetermined change in said electrical current flow through said battery string.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein said second normally closed switching means for said failed string is energized to open in response to said fault condition, and said normally closed isolating switching means is energized to open after a time interval to permit a substantial electrical current decrease through said battery string.

13. A method of bypassing a failed electrochemical cell in a string of electrochemical cells connected electrically in series, each of said cells having power terminal means for directing electrical current flow into and out of said cell, a normally open switch connected across said power terminal means, and a normally closed switch for controlling the supply of at least one reactant electrochemically transformed in said cell, comprising the steps of:

opening said normally closed switch for said failed cell to discontinue the supply of said reactant; and

closing said normally open switch for said failed cell to direct electrical current flow across said power terminal means.

14. The method according to claim 13, including the additional step of:

sensing at least one operating parameter for each of said cells in said string.

15. The method according to claim 14, including the additional step of:

determining a failure condition when said operating parameter for one of said cells exceeds a predetermined range.

16. The method according to claim 15, including the additional step of:

identifying said cell generating said failure condition.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein said opening of said normally closed switch and said closing of said normally open switch occurs in response to said failure condition.

18. The method according to claim 13, wherein said opening of said normally closed switch occurs before said closing of said normally open switch.

19. The method according to claim 13, wherein said opening of said normally closed switch occurs concomitantly with said closing of said normally open switch.

20. The method according to claim 13, wherein said normally closed switch is in association with said normally open switch.

21. The method according to claim 13, wherein said electrochemical cell is a secondary energy storage battery.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein said secondary energy storage battery is a zinc-chlorine battery.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein said operating parameter is a pressure parameter.

24. The method according to claim 22, wherein said normally closed switch includes a plurality of contacts.

25. The method according to claim 23, wherein one of said contacts is used to control the flow of electrolyte circulating in said zinc-chlorine battery.

26. The method according to claim 23, wherein one of said contacts controls a chlorine gas supply valve in said zinc-chlorine battery.

27. The method according to claim 25, further including the step of:

generating an alarm signal in response to said failure condition.

28. A method of isolating a string of secondary energy storage batteries connected electrically in series in a battery plant having a plurality of said battery strings connected electrically in parallel, where each of said battery strings includes a first normally-closed switch for directing electrical current flow into and out of said battery string, and a second normally-closed switch for directing electrical current flow to an auxiliary means for supplying at least one reactant electrochemically transformed in each of said secondary energy storage batteries in said string, comprising the steps of:

opening said second normally closed switch for said battery string to be isolated to interrupt the supply of said reactant to said batteries; and

opening said first normally closed switch for said battery string to be isolated after a time interval sufficient to permit a substantial electrical current decrease through said battery string.

29. The method according to claim 28, including the step of:

sensing the electrical current flow through each of said battery strings.

30. The method according to claim 29, including the step of:

determining a fault condition from a predetermined change in said electrical current flow through said battery string.

31. The method according to claim 30, wherein said opening of said second normally-closed switch occurs in response to said fault condition for said string.

32. The method according to claim 31, including the step of:

generating an alarm signal in response to said fault condition.

33. The method according to claim 28, wherein said secondary energy storage batteries are zinc-chlorine batteries.

34. A battery plant system, comprising:

power conditioning means for converting alternating current electrical power to direct current electrical power during the charging of said battery plant and converting direct current electrical power to alternating current electrical power during the discharging of said battery plant;

a plurality of battery strings connected electrically in parallel to said power conditioning means;

a plurality of battery modules connected electrically in series to form said battery strings; and

bypass switching means, in association with each of said battery modules, for redirecting electrical current flow around a failed battery module in response to a failure condition.

35. The battery plant system according to claim 34, further including:

auxiliary switching means for controlling the supply of at least one reactant, electrochemically transformed in said battery modules, for all of said battery modules in said battery string; and

isolation switching means for interrupting the electrical connection between at least one of said battery strings and said power conditioning means in response to a fault condition and the opening of said auxiliary switching means.