Refuelable battery for the electric grid and method of using thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12009553-B2
Application number	US-202217867073-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 18, 2022
Priority date	Apr 6, 2017
Publication date	Jun 11, 2024
Grant date	Jun 11, 2024

Abstract

Systems and methods of the various embodiments may provide a refuelable battery for the power grid to provide a sustainable, cost-effective, and/or operationally efficient solution to energy source variability and/or energy demand variability. In particular, the systems and methods of the various embodiments may provide a refuelable primary battery solution that addresses bulk seasonal energy storage needs, variable demand needs, and other challenges.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of operating a refuelable battery, comprising:
circulating an electrolyte in a battery chamber, the electrolyte moving between a seeded trap area and an area including a cathode and an iron-containing anode;
discharging the refuelable battery to generate oxidized anode material from the iron-containing anode, the oxidized anode material including iron oxide, iron hydroxide, or a combination thereof;
providing air into the battery chamber during discharge of the refuelable battery;
draining the electrolyte from the seeded trap area;
with the electrolyte drained from the seeded trap area, removing the oxidized anode material from the seeded trap area; and
inserting another instance of the iron-containing anode into the refuelable battery.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the iron-containing anode includes iron, iron alloy, or a combination thereof.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the seeded trap area includes a metal hydroxide.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte has a pH of greater than 6.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the iron-containing anode is porous and circulating the electrolyte includes infiltrating the electrolyte into the iron-containing anode.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cathode is a gas diffusion electrode, and providing air into the battery chamber includes moving air into the battery chamber via the gas diffusion electrode.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing air into the battery chamber includes removing carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) from air provided to the battery chamber.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein draining the electrolyte from the seeded trap area includes fluidically separating the seeded trap area from the battery chamber.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising removing the electrolyte from the seeded trap area fluidically separated from the battery chamber.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising reconstituting the oxidized anode material into the other instance of the iron-containing anode insertable into the refuelable battery.

Assignees

• Form Energy Inc

Inventors

• Jaramillo Mateo Cristian
• Mckay Ian Salmon
• Woodford William Henry

Classifications

• H01M50/70

  Arrangements for stirring or circulating the electrolyte · CPC title

• H01M6/52 Primary

  Reclaiming serviceable parts of waste cells or batteries {, e.g. recycling} · CPC title

• Y02W30/84

  Recycling of batteries or fuel cells · CPC title

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M4/46

  Alloys based on magnesium or aluminium · CPC title