630results about "Electrolyte stream management" patented technology

By realizing or installing check valve liquid vein interrupters in each compartment of the battery the phenomenon of slow discharge of the retained volumes of electrolytes during long periods of inactivity of a redox flow battery, with the electrolyte pumps stopped altogether, can be practically eliminated with the effect that the battery is perfectly ready to deliver electric power immediately upon request even after prolonged periods of inactivity. Moreover, the presence of liquid vein interrupters on each compartment in either an outlet or an inlet port substantially preventing by-pass current during a not pumping phase, permits to increase the by pumping the electrolytes through the compartments of a battery stack intermittently, in other words in a pulsed manner, with a certain duty-cycle. Relatively brief pumping phases at relatively high flow rate alternated to phases of not pumping provide for a volumetrically adequate refreshing of the electrolytes present in the battery compartments and contrast the formation of gradients in the bodies of electrolyte.

A redox flow battery system is presented that utilizes a rebalancing cell. A pump based on the Venturi principle is coupled to the rebalancing cell in order to actively circulate hydrogen gas through the rebalancing cell. The venturi pump requires no moving parts which eliminates problems of reliability and cost. Utilizing the venturi pump to actively circulate gas can significantly enhanced the function of the rebalance cell thereby providing enhanced capacity and performance of the flow battery system.

A simplified, pressure-variation preventing tank structure capable of preventing pressure variations in a gas phase portion resulting from temperature variations, without bringing stored liquid into contact with air. This pressure-variation preventing structure includes a breather bag arranged in a gas phase portion of a tank and inflating / deflating in communication with outside air, and a manhole to which the breather bag is attached to suspend in a gas phase portion, including a communication hole for the breather bag to communicate with outside air. The breather bag has air-blocking, acid-resistant and expandable characteristics.

Direct reaction fuel cells (10) with cross-flow of an electrolyte mixture through thick, porous electrodes (12, 18) that contain a mixture of catalyst particles and that rotate to generate Taylor Vortex Flows (54) and Circular Couette Flows (56) in electrolyte chambers (24) are disclosed.

A fuel cell system is described which comprises a power source and a fuel storage unit. A flowable fuel is contained with the fuel storage unit. A first flow path delivers fuel from the fuel storage unit to the power source. Some or all of this fuel is deposited into the individual cell cavities within the power source. A second flow path delivers fuel that is not deposited into the cell cavities to the fuel storage unit. A third flow path delivers unused and / or partially used fuel and / or reaction products and / or spent reaction solution from the cell cavities back to an optional reaction product storage unit and / or the fuel storage unit and / or to the second flow path. The system may further comprise an optional reaction product storage unit, an optional regeneration unit, an optional second reactant storage unit, an optional controller, and an optional power converter.

A gas diffusion layer, a manufacturing apparatus and a manufacturing method thereof are provided. The gas diffusion layer having different hydrophilic / hydrophobic structure and channel therein can be manufactured quickly and easily by using a coating mask. The gas diffusion layer is used in various fuel cells to enhance the ability of water management and to solve the problem of flooding at the cathode, the problem of water deficit at the anode, and the problem of gas transfer. The gas diffusion layer includes a gas diffusion medium having a first property and a micro porous layer having a second property. The micro porous layer is formed on one surface of the gas diffusion medium. The micro porous layer has a plurality of channel layers penetrating the gas diffusion medium. One of the first property and the second property is hydrophilic, and the other is hydrophobic.

A flow battery system includes a flow battery stack, a sensor and a coolant loop. The flow battery stack has an electrolyte solution flowing therethrough, and the sensor is in communication with the electrolyte solution. The coolant loop is in heat exchange communication with the electrolyte solution, wherein the heat exchange communication is selective based on an output from the sensor.

The present invention provides liquid electrolyte electrochemical cassettes and stacks thereof which are suitable for a use in a variety of electrochemical, ion exchange, and battery applications. The present invention also provides methods of manufacturing the liquid electrolyte cassettes and stacks of the invention. In certain preferred embodiments, the invention provides cassettes and stacks which are suitable for use in fuel cell and flow through battery applications.

The invention discloses a vanadium redox battery and an electrolyte rebalancing method thereof. The vanadium redox battery comprises a battery stack, an anode electrolyte storage tank which is connected with the battery stack to form a first circulation loop, and a cathode electrolyte storage tank which is connected with the battery stack to form a second circulation loop, wherein the vanadium redox battery also comprises a low-valence vanadium ion solution supply device used for feeding a low-valence vanadium ion solution into the anode electrolyte storage tank, low-valence vanadium ions being divalent vanadium ions and / or trivalent vanadium ions; a high-valence vanadium ion solution recovery device used for recycling extra high-valence vanadium ion solution in the anode electrolyte storage tank, high-valenceions being tetravalent vanadium ions and / or pentavalent vanadium ions. In the vanadium redox battery, the low-valence vanadium ion solution supply device can feed low-valence vanadium ions into the anode electrolyte storage tank, so as to neutralize the pentavalent vanadium ions in the vanadium ions. The high-valence vanadium ion solution recovery device can recycle the high-valence vanadium ion solution left in the anode electrolyte, so as to lower the difference between the molar quantities of vanadium ions in the anode electrolyte and the cathode electrolyte.

The invention provides a redox flow battery rebalance system, a redox flow battery system containing the same and a method for cycle capacity rebalance of a redox flow battery. The above system or method is particularly and suitably used for a Fe-Cr flow battery. The redox flow battery rebalance system has a flow battery structure, wherein a positive electrolyte storage tank of the rebalance system is used for storing a positive electrode containing active positive ions, a negative electrolyte storage tank of the rebalance system is simultaneously taken as a positive electrode storage tank of a working flow battery and is used for storing a positive electrolyte of the working flow battery, and the redox flow battery rebalance system is only used for charging after being started. With the technical scheme provided by the invention, the redox flow battery rebalance system has the advantages of high rebalance efficiency and convenience, rapidness and high efficiency in operation.

The present invention provides a redox flow battery comprising a positive electrolyte storage tank and a negative electrolyte storage tank, wherein the positive electrolyte storage tank and the negative electrolyte storage tank is kept to be in liquid communication through a pipe, wherein the length-to-diameter ratio of the pipe for the liquid communication is not less than about 10. The present invention also provides a method for operating the redox flow battery continuously in a long period of time.

A rebalancing reactor for a redox flow battery system may include a first side through which hydrogen gas is flowed, a second side through which electrolyte from the redox flow battery system is flowed, and a porous layer separating and fluidly coupled to the first side and the second side, wherein, the hydrogen gas and the electrolyte are fluidly contacted at a surface of the porous layer, and a pressure drop across the second side is less than a pressure drop across the porous layer. In this way, rebalancing of electrolyte charges in a redox flow battery system may be performed with increased efficiency and cost effectiveness as compared to conventional rebalancing reactors.

A device or system for operating one or more electrochemical cells, such as a rechargeable fuel cell, is provided. A plurality of subsystems include a humidity level control subsystem, a reagent gas delivery subsystem, and a gas scrubbing subsystem. A method for operating the device or system is also provided.

A flow battery system and method are provided. The flow battery system includes a first battery stack including a first half-cell, a first pressure feed system, including at least a first storage tank and a first booster tank to store a liquid electrolyte, designed to generate a first booster pressure in the first booster tank sufficient to force the liquid electrolyte to be fed from the first pressure feed system through the first half-cell, and a return system to return the liquid electrolyte from the first half-cell to the first pressure feed system. The return system may include a gravity feed system returning liquid electrolyte from the first half-cell to a collection tank, and a pump to return the collected liquid electrolyte from the collection tank to the first storage tank. The pressure feed flow battery system may have a two-tank, divided 2-tank, or four-tank flow battery configurations.

In a fuel cell which comprises at least the following elements:a) two electrodes which are each provided with at least one gas duct for a reaction gas,b) a liquid electrolyte,the respective gas ducts of the electrodes each have at least one inlet and run perpendicular to the migration direction of the ions under load prescribed by the arrangement of the electrodes.

A membrane electrode assembly for fuel cell includes a membrane, a cathode electrode layer, a cathode gas diffusion layer, an anode electrode layer, and an anode gas diffusion layer. At least one of the cathode electrode layer and the anode electrode layer includes a catalytic layer, and a water-repellent layer. The catalytic layer contains first electrically-conductive fibers and a catalyst, and is disposed on a side of the membrane in the thickness-wise direction of the membrane electrode assembly. The water-repellent layer contains second electrically-conductive fibers and a water repellent, and is disposed more away from the membrane than the catalytic layer is disposed in the thickness-wise direction of the membrane electrode assembly. The first electrically-conductive fibers exhibit a first fibrous average length. The second electrically-conductive fibers exhibit a second fibrous average length. The first average fibrous length is longer than the second average fibrous length.

The invention relates to a nano composite moisture-permeable film and a preparation method and application thereof. The moisture-permeable film is prepared from the following components in parts by weight: 100 parts of a hydrophilic polymer, 3-30 parts of a hydrophilic nanomaterial and 0.02-2 parts of a nanomaterial-modified material, wherein the crystallinity of the hydrophilic nanomaterial is 40-70% and the length-diameter ratio is 20-100. A hydrophilic polymer solution and a modified hydrophilic nanomaterial are prepared separately during preparation, and then mixed; and the nano composite moisture-permeable film is used for a humidifying system of a fuel cell. Compared with the prior art, the nano composite moisture-permeable film which is high in water flux, low in gas permeability, high in strength an low in cost is prepared by bending and compounding the hydrophilic polymer as a continuous phase and the modified hydrophilic nanomaterial as a disperse phase; and the nano composite moisture-permeable film is suitable for a gas humidifying system of the fuel cell.

A manifold assembly for use with a fuel cell stack for the purpose of ensuring a desired flow distribution to fuel cells within the stack, with the most commonly desired being uniform flow distribution. Said manifold assembly comprising: an external manifold for abutting and sealingly enclosing a face of the fuel cell stack, wherein the manifold comprises an enclosure for one of: providing inlet gas to the fuel cell stack and receiving exhaust gas from said fuel cell stack; and one or more baffles disposed in the enclosure of the external manifold, the one or more baffles one of: (a) controlling gas flow distribution and direction of the inlet gas from the enclosure to fuel cells of the fuel cell stack to achieve a predetermined distribution or a uniform distribution; and (b) controlling gas flow distribution of the exhaust gas flow within the enclosure to achieve the predetermined distribution or the uniform distribution of gas to fuel cells of the fuel cell stack. A multi-stack fuel cell system including a baffling assembly with one or more baffles for providing a predetermined gas flow distribution to each fuel cell stack in the fuel cell system is also described. The baffling assembly is provided at a system level and comprises one or more baffles in an intake assembly and / or in an exhaust assembly of the multi-stack fuel cell system, so that each fuel cell stack receives a predetermined amount of gas.

The invention provides a flow battery system and a capacity re-balance method for a flow battery. The flow battery system comprises a flow battery unit, a positive electrode electrolyte storage tank and a negative electrode electrolyte storage tank; the flow battery system also comprises a co-mixing equipartition module; the co-mixing equipartition module comprises an electrolyte co-mixing unit and an electrolyte equipartition unit, wherein the electrolyte co-mixing unit is connected with a positive electrode outlet, a negative electrode outlet, the inlet of the positive electrode electrolyte storage tank and the inlet of the negative electrode electrolyte storage tank separately for co-mixing the electrolyte in the positive electrode electrolyte storage tank and the negative electrode electrolyte storage tank; and the electrolyte equipartition unit is connected with the outlet of the positive electrode electrolyte storage tank, the outlet of the negative electrode electrolyte storage tank, a positive electrode inlet and a negative electrode inlet for performing equipartition on the electrolyte in the positive electrode electrolyte storage tank and the negative electrode electrolyte storage tank. By performing co-mixing and equipartition treatment on the positive and negative electrode electrolyte, the problem of capacity fading caused by imbalance of vanadium ion total quantity in the positive and negative electrode electrolyte and the problem of electrolyte volume imbalance caused by water migration are solved.

The invention provides a vehicle fuel cell system and method for low temperature starting through an alloy hydrogen storage material. The vehicle fuel cell system comprises a fuel cell stack, an air path subsystem, a hydrogen path subsystem, a cooling liquid path subsystem and a control circuit subsystem, the hydrogen path subsystem comprises an alloy hydrogen storage tank branch path and a high pressure gas bottle branch path, and an alloy hydrogen storage tank is arranged in a water box of the cooling liquid path subsystem. The method for low temperature starting comprises the steps of making a high pressure gas bottle inflate an alloy hydrogen storage tank with hydrogen, when the hydrogen storage material is inflated with hydrogen, conducting heat release, heating cooling liquid in thewater box, when the cooling liquid reaches set temperature, starting a circulation water pump, heating a fuel cell electric stack, when the electric stack reaches set operable temperature, stopping hydrogen inflation and starting the fuel cell system. The vehicle fuel cell system and method have the advantages that fuel is not consumed, and external heating equipment is not added, so that high pressure gas bottle hydrogen storage and hydrogen storage material hydrogen storage supplement each other; when low temperature starting is not needed, the driving mileage of a fuel cell vehicle can alsobe increased.

Fuel cell electrodes are described which comprise a non-woven network of conductive fibers, such as a carbon fleece, nickel foam sheet or stainless steel wool layer, plus additional activated carbon material, carrying one or more catalyst components and at least one polymeric substance as binder and / or repellancy agent to establish three zone interfaces (liquid-solid-liquid) or three phase interfaces (gas-liquid-solid). The electroactive catalyzed material is embedded into the conductive structure by specified deposition processes, such as coating, blading or spraying.

A system for evaluating a redox flow battery according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a control unit configured to control the path of a flow channel connected between a detection cell and the redox flow battery or a flow channel connected between the detection cell and an agitator; and an evaluation unit configured to evaluate any one of the state of charge, capacity fade and oxidation number balance of an electrolyte, which is used in the redox flow battery, by measuring a current or voltage of the detection cell based on the controlling of the path by the control unit. According to the present disclosure, the capacity fade problem of a redox flow battery can be quickly coped with by evaluating the information of the positive and negative electrode electrolytes on battery capacity fade and information about the valence balance of the electrolytes in situ.

Disposable fuel cell and a system for filling a disposable fuel cell. The system includes a fuel cell having at least one chamber, a cartridge having at least one chamber, and a valve system which regulates or controls fluid flow between the cartridge and fuel cell. A method of refilling a fuel cell provides for connecting the cartridge to the fuel cell and transferring fuel and electrolyte from the cartridge to the fuel cell. This Abstract is not intended to define the invention disclosed in the specification, nor intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way.

System for refilling a fuel cell wherein the system includes a fuel cell having at least one variable volume chamber, a cartridge having at least one variable volume chamber, and a valve system which regulates or controls fluid flow between the cartridge and fuel cell and vice versa. A method of refilling a fuel cell provides for connecting the cartridge to the fuel cell and transferring fuel and electrolyte from the cartridge to the fuel cell. This Abstract is not intended to define the invention disclosed in the specification, nor intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way.

An electrode module for a redox flow battery, includes an electrode (1) and a sealing frame (2), mechanically connected so that the electrode module that results therefrom can be used with no problems in redox flow cells.

A fuel cell generates electric power by circulating diluted fuel in a fuel cell. In a circulation dilution fuel cell system, a path is provided for leading vapor generated at an air pole of a fuel cell to a dilution fuel tank which circulates the diluted fuel of a fuel cell. Or, a fuel supply tank is provided in the upper position of the dilution fuel tank, so that the liquid fuel can be supplied to the dilution fuel tank by means of gravity. Thus, a pump for supplying the liquid fuel can be eliminated, and power consumption for controlling the fuel cell can be reduced.

A redox flow battery 1 has a stack of individual cells, shown diagrammatically as a single cell, with anolyte and catholyte compartments divided from each other by an ionically selective and conductive separator and having respective electrodes. The battery has anolyte and catholyte tanks, with respective pumps and a pipework. In use, the pumps circulate the electrolytes to and from the tanks, to the compartments and back to the tanks. Electricity flows to a load. The electrolyte lines are provided with tappings via which fresh electrolyte can be added and further tappings via which spent electrolyte can be withdrawn, the respective tappings being for anolyte and catholyte. On recharging, typically via a coupling for lines to all the tappings, a remote pump pumps fresh anolyte and fresh catholyte from remote storages and draws spent electrolyte to other remote storages.

An electrode for use in a fuel cell consists of a porous plastic substrate, a conductive layer and a catalyst layer, in which the substrate is hydrophilic. Preferably the substrate has a water wicking rate no less than 40 mm per 600 s. Such an electrode may be used in a fuel cell, with an electrolyte chamber (8) defined between two opposed electrodes (11, 12), the electrodes having the catalyst layers (5) facing away from the electrolyte in contact with respective gas chambers (7, 9). Preferably the electrolyte is maintained at a negative pressure during operation.

What is disclosed is a tri-hybrid automotive power plant. The power plant is an alternative to standard internal combustion engines and available hybrid or electric vehicle propulsion systems. The power plant includes a hydrogen fuel cell stack, a lithium battery pack and a flexible fuel internal combustion engine. The various components of the power plant are optimized through various disclosed control schemes.