Internally manifolded flow cell for an all-iron hybrid flow battery

• US 9,685,651 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2013
• Issued: 06/20/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ESS Tech, Inc.
• Original Assignee: ESS Tech, Inc.
• Inventors: Evans, Craig, Song, Yang
• Primary Examiner(s): GATEWOOD, DANIEL S
• Application Number:
  US14/019,491
• Publication Number:
  US 20140060666A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,384 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04186 of liquid-charged or electrolyte-charged reactants
• 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: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/4757 Battery or electrolytic cell replenishment

Abstract

In one example, a system for a flow cell for a flow battery, comprising: a first flow field; and a polymeric frame, comprising: a top face; a bottom face, opposite the top face; a first side; a second side, opposite the first side; a first electrolyte inlet located on the top face and the first side of the polymeric frame; a first electrolyte outlet located on the top face and the second side of the polymeric frame; a first electrolyte inlet flow path located within the polymeric frame and coupled to the first electrolyte inlet; and a first electrolyte outlet flow path located within the polymeric frame and coupled to the first electrolyte outlet. In this way, shunt currents may be minimized by increasing the length and/or reducing the cross-sectional area of the electrolyte inlet and electrolyte outlet flow paths.

Claims

1. A system for an all-iron hybrid flow battery, comprising:

a redox electrolyte tank including a redox electrolyte;

a plating electrolyte tank including a plating electrolyte; and

a power module coupled to the redox electrolyte tank via a first pump and further coupled to the plating electrolyte tank via a second pump, the power module comprising an internally manifolded flow cell stack, the internally manifolded flow cell stack comprising;

two or more electrolyte feeds connected to the redox electrolyte tank and/or the plating electrolyte tank;

a first sub-stack comprising at least one first flow cell coupled to a first electrolyte feed, wherein the first flow cell comprises a first negative electrode and a first positive electrode; and

a second sub-stack comprising at least one second flow cell coupled to a second electrolyte feed, wherein the second flow cell comprises a second negative electrode and a second positive electrode,

wherein each sub-stack is coupled to a separate electrolyte feed, such that each sub-stack receives electrolyte independently from all other sub-stacks.

2. The system of claim 1, where the first sub-stack further comprises:

one or more flow cells coupled to the first electrolyte feed, the one or more flow cells having similar voltages, the voltages being significantly different from a voltage of the at least one second flow cell of the second sub-stack.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the one or more flow cells comprise:

a first flow field; and

a polymeric frame, comprising;

a top face;

a bottom face, opposite the top face;

a first side;

a second side, opposite the first side;

a first electrolyte inlet located on the top face and the first side of the polymeric frame;

a first electrolyte outlet located on the top face and the second side of the polymeric frame;

a first electrolyte inlet flow path located within the polymeric frame and coupled to the first electrolyte inlet; and

a first electrolyte outlet flow path located within the polymeric frame and coupled to the first electrolyte outlet.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the one or more flow cells further comprise:

a first inlet flow manifold located within the polymeric frame and coupled between the first electrolyte inlet flow path and the first flow field; and

a first outlet flow manifold located within the polymeric frame and coupled between the first electrolyte outlet flow path and the first flow field.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the one or more flow cells further comprise:

a second flow field;

and wherein the polymeric frame further comprises;

a second electrolyte inlet located on the bottom face and the first side of the polymeric frame;

a second electrolyte outlet located on the bottom face and the second side of the polymeric frame;

a second electrolyte inlet flow path located within the polymeric frame and coupled to the first electrolyte inlet; and

a second electrolyte outlet flow path located within the polymeric frame and coupled to the first electrolyte outlet.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the first electrolyte inlet flow path includes one or more electrolyte inlet flow channels, and the first electrolyte outlet flow path includes one or more electrolyte outlet flow channels.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the redox electrolyte and the plating electrolyte are FeCl₂, FeCl₃, FeSO₄, or Fe₂(SO₄)₃ solutions.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein flow cells sharing a flow cell stack have different inlet and outlet ports, and different electrolyte inlet and outlet paths, and wherein each flow cell comprises a redox plate, a redox electrode, a barrier, and a plating electrode.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the redox plate is formed of a plastic frame and a plurality of conductive inserts.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the redox plate comprises a plurality of flow channels, each formed by a surface of the plastic frame, a surface of a first conductive insert, a surface of a second conductive insert, and a surface of the redox electrode.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the plating electrode comprises a plurality of fins having a plicate structure, wherein the fins comprise a cross-sectional shape that is sinusoidally curved, square, or trapezoidal.

12. The system of claim 3, wherein the first electrolyte inlet flow path wraps around a first side, a second side, and a third side of the first flow field.

13. The system of claim 3, wherein the first electrolyte outlet flow path wraps around a third side, a fourth side, and a first side of the first flow field.

14. The system of claim 3, wherein a combined first inlet and first outlet flow path length is equal to that of other flow cells within the flow cell stack.

15. The system of claim 3, wherein the polymeric frame comprises an inlet/outlet region, and a flow field region interior to the inlet/outlet region,

wherein the first electrolyte inlet and the first electrolyte outlet are located in the inlet/outlet region, and

wherein the first flow field, the first electrolyte inlet flow path, and the first electrolyte outlet flow path are located in the flow field region, wherein a first row of inlet ports and a first row of outlet ports are located in the inlet/outlet region, wherein the first row of inlet ports comprises a single inlet port configured to direct electrolyte flow to and from the first flow field, and wherein the remaining ports direct electrolyte flow to other sub-stacks.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein an outer ridge surrounds the inlet/outlet region.

17. The system of claim 4, wherein the first electrolyte inlet and the first inlet flow manifold are positioned on opposing sides of the first flow field, and wherein the first electrolyte outlet and the first outlet flow manifold are positioned on opposing sides of the first flow field.

18. The system of claim 4, wherein the first inlet flow manifold comprises one or more junction stages and a series of manifold distribution channel sets fluidly coupling the junction stages.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein channels in a manifold distribution channel set each comprise one or more turns, wherein the channels are further arranged in a nested configuration, and wherein the channels have the same path length.

20. A system for an all-iron hybrid flow battery, comprising:

a redox electrolyte tank including a redox electrolyte;

a plating electrolyte tank including a plating electrolyte; and

a power module coupled to the redox electrolyte tank via a first pump and further coupled to the plating electrolyte tank via a second pump, the power module comprising an internally manifolded flow cell stack, the internally manifolded flow cell stack comprising;

two or more electrolyte feeds connected to the redox electrolyte tank and/or the plating electrolyte tank;

a first sub-stack comprising at least one first flow cell coupled to a first electrolyte feed, wherein the first flow cell comprises a first negative electrode and a first positive electrode; and

a second sub-stack comprising at least one second flow cell coupled to a second electrolyte feed, wherein the second flow cell comprises a second negative electrode and a second positive electrode,

where the first sub-stack further comprises;

one or more flow cells coupled to the first electrolyte feed, the one or more flow cells having similar voltages, the voltages being significantly different from a voltage of the at least one second flow cell of the second sub-stack,

wherein the one or more flow cells comprise;

a first flow field; and

a polymeric frame, comprising;

 

a top face;

 

a bottom face, opposite the top face;

 

a first side;

 

a second side, opposite the first side;

 

a first electrolyte inlet located on the top face and the first side of the polymeric frame;

 

a first electrolyte outlet located on the top face and the second side of the polymeric frame;

 

a first electrolyte inlet flow path located within the polymeric frame and coupled to the first electrolyte inlet; and

 

a first electrolyte outlet flow path located within the polymeric frame and coupled to the first electrolyte outlet,

 

wherein the first electrolyte inlet flow path wraps around a first side, a second side, and a third side of the first flow field.

21. A system for an all-iron hybrid flow battery, comprising:

a redox electrolyte tank including a redox electrolyte;

a plating electrolyte tank including a plating electrolyte; and

a power module coupled to the redox electrolyte tank via a first pump and further coupled to the plating electrolyte tank via a second pump, the power module comprising an internally manifolded flow cell stack, the internally manifolded flow cell stack comprising;

two or more electrolyte feeds connected to the redox electrolyte tank and/or the plating electrolyte tank;

a first sub-stack comprising at least one first flow cell coupled to a first electrolyte feed, wherein the first flow cell comprises a first negative electrode and a first positive electrode; and

a second sub-stack comprising at least one second flow cell coupled to a second electrolyte feed, wherein the second flow cell comprises a second negative electrode and a second positive electrode,

where the first sub-stack further comprises;

one or more flow cells coupled to the first electrolyte feed, the one or more flow cells having similar voltages, the voltages being significantly different from a voltage of the at least one second flow cell of the second sub-stack,

wherein the one or more flow cells comprise;

a first flow field; and

a polymeric frame, comprising;

 

a top face;

 

a bottom face, opposite the top face;

 

a first side;

 

a second side, opposite the first side;

 

a first electrolyte inlet located on the top face and the first side of the polymeric frame;

 

a first electrolyte outlet located on the top face and the second side of the polymeric frame;

 

a first electrolyte inlet flow path located within the polymeric frame and coupled to the first electrolyte inlet; and

 

a first electrolyte outlet flow path located within the polymeric frame and coupled to the first electrolyte outlet,

 

wherein the first electrolyte inlet flow path wraps around a first side, a second side, and a third side of the first flow field, and

wherein the one or more flow cells further comprise;

 

a first inlet flow manifold located within the polymeric frame and coupled between the first electrolyte inlet flow path and the first flow field; and

 

a first outlet flow manifold located within the polymeric frame and coupled between the first electrolyte outlet flow path and the first flow field,

 

wherein the first inlet flow manifold comprises one or more junction stages and a series of manifold distribution channel sets fluidly coupling the junction stages.