Electro-fuel energy storage system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11050079-B2
Application number	US-201816482158-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 13, 2018
Priority date	Mar 14, 2017
Publication date	Jun 29, 2021
Grant date	Jun 29, 2021

Abstract

An e-fuel energy storage system and method are provided. The e-fuel energy storage system comprises e-fuel, an e-fuel charger, and an e-fuel cell, wherein the component such as an electrode and membranes, material, and design configured to charge the e-fuel are independent and different from the component such as an electrode and membranes, material, and design configured to discharge the e-fuel.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An e-fuel energy storage system, comprising:
an e-fuel, an e-fuel charger, and an e-fuel cell, wherein
the e-fuel comprises an electroactive, rechargeable liquid fuel selected from the group consisting of inorganic e-fuel including Fe 2+ /Fe 3+ , V 2+ /V 3+ or Mn 2+ /Mn 3+ ; organic e-fuel including alloxazine and nitroxyl free radical, quinone or methylbipyridine-ferrocene; and nanofluid e-fuel including lithium sulfide, lithium titanate, lithium nickel manganese oxide, zinc oxide, or high-molecular polymer;
the e-fuel charger comprises an anode, a cathode, and a membrane, is configured for charging the e-fuel and is independent of the e-fuel cell; wherein the anode, the cathode, and the membrane are configured to match and be compatible with the e-fuel; and
the e-fuel cell comprises a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a membrane, and is configured for discharging the e-fuel, wherein the positive electrode, the negative electrode, and the membrane are configured to match and be compatible with the e-fuel.

2. The e-fuel energy storage system of claim 1 wherein the e-fuel comprises V 2+ /V 3+ or V 2+ /V 3+ and air, wherein the e-fuel charger comprises graphite felt, PBI membrane, and IrO 2 catalyst, and the e-fuel cell comprises carbon paper, membrane, and Pt/C catalyst.

3. The e-fuel energy storage system of claim 1 , wherein the e-fuel comprises methylbipyridine-ferrocene, and the e-fuel charger comprises graphite felt and anion exchange membrane, while the e-fuel cell comprises carbon paper and porous membrane.

4. The e-fuel energy storage system of claim 1 , wherein the e-fuel comprises S/YS—ZnO and e-fuel charger comprises conductive carbon black, porous membrane, and carbon paper, while the e-fuel cell comprises carbon nanoparticles, porous membrane, and electrospun carbon matrix.

5. The e-fuel energy storage system in claim 1 further comprising: an energy source for providing electrical energy to the e-fuel charger, wherein the energy source includes solar energy or wind energy.

6. The e-fuel energy storage system of claim 1 further comprising: a receiver system receiving electrical energy provided by the e-fuel cell, wherein the receiver system comprises a grid system or an off-grid system.

7. The e-fuel energy storage system of claim 2 , wherein an operating temperature of the e-fuel energy storage system is equal to or lower than 70° C.

8. The e-fuel energy storage system of claim 2 , wherein the e-fuel energy storage system has a maximum power density of 800 mW cm −2 .

9. An e-fuel energy storage method comprising: obtaining the e-fuel energy storage system of claim 1 , and storing energy in said system.

10. The e-fuel energy storage method of claim 9 , further comprising:
a charging process of the e-fuel converting electrical energy to chemical energy of the e-fuel provided by the e-fuel charger; and,
a discharging process of the e-fuel converting the chemical energy of e-fuel to electrical energy by the e-fuel cell;
wherein, the e-fuel comprises an electroactive species that is configured to be repeatedly charged and discharged and can stably exist before and after the charging and the discharging processes.

11. An e-fuel energy storage method comprising: obtaining the e-fuel energy storage system of claim 2 , and storing energy in said system.

12. An e-fuel energy storage method comprising: obtaining the e-fuel energy storage system of claim 3 , and storing energy in said system.

13. An e-fuel energy storage method comprising: obtaining the e-fuel energy storage system of claim 4 , and storing energy in said system.

14. An e-fuel energy storage method comprising: obtaining the e-fuel energy storage system of claim 5 , and storing energy in said system.

15. An e-fuel energy storage method comprising: obtaining the e-fuel energy storage system of claim 6 , and storing energy in said system.

16. An e-fuel energy storage method comprising: obtaining the e-fuel energy storage system of claim 7 , and storing energy in said system.

17. An e-fuel energy storage method comprising: obtaining the e-fuel energy storage system of claim 8 , and storing energy in said system.

Assignees

• Univ Hong Kong Science & Tech

Inventors

• Zhao Tianshou

Classifications

• H01M8/103

  having nitrogen, e.g. sulfonated polybenzimidazoles [S-PBI], polybenzimidazoles with phosphoric acid, sulfonated polyamides [S-PA] or sulfonated polyphosphazenes [S-PPh] · CPC title

• H01M8/04216

  characterised by the choice for a specific material, e.g. carbon, hydride, absorbent · CPC title

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M8/188 Primary

  by recharging of redox couples containing fluids; Redox flow type batteries · CPC title

• H01M8/0656

  by electrochemical means (H01M8/065 takes precedence) · CPC title