Double-stack redox flow battery

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12160025-B2
Application number	US-202217821759-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 23, 2022
Priority date	May 15, 2020
Publication date	Dec 3, 2024
Grant date	Dec 3, 2024

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for a redox flow battery system. In one example, the redox flow battery system has a first redox flow battery and a second redox flow battery, stacked above and in contact with the first redox flow battery along a vertical axis of the redox flow battery system. The second redox flow battery may be coupled to the first redox flow battery via nesting detents. Furthermore, operation of the first redox flow battery and the second redox flow battery may be adjustable according to a power demand.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A redox flow battery system, comprising:
a first redox flow battery;
a second redox flow battery, stacked above and in contact with the first redox flow battery along a vertical axis of the redox flow battery system, the second redox flow battery coupled to the first redox flow battery via nesting detents,
wherein operation of the first redox flow battery and the second redox flow battery is adjustable according to a power demand.

2. The redox flow battery system of claim 1 , wherein bottom edges of the second redox flow battery are in contact with upper edges of the first redox flow battery.

3. The redox flow battery system of claim 1 , wherein a first separator plate of the first redox flow battery is aligned with a second separator plate of the second redox flow battery along the vertical axis.

4. The redox flow battery system of claim 1 , wherein the first redox flow battery includes a first cell stack and a second cell stack aligned along a horizontal axis perpendicular to the vertical axis.

5. The redox flow battery system of claim 1 , wherein the second redox flow battery includes a third cell stack and a fourth cell stack aligned along a horizontal axis perpendicular to the vertical axis.

6. The redox flow battery system of claim 1 , wherein the nesting detents each include a first half located in the first redox flow battery and a second half in the second redox flow battery, and wherein the first half is configured to slide into the second half.

7. The redox flow battery system of claim 6 , wherein when the first half and the second half of the nesting detents are coupled, the second redox flow battery is maintained stationary relative to the first redox flow battery along a horizontal plane perpendicular to the vertical axis.

8. The redox flow battery system of claim 1 , wherein the redox flow battery system is provided to deliver a first amount of power when one of the first redox flow battery or the second redox flow battery is operating and a second, higher amount of power when both the first redox flow battery and the second redox flow battery are operating.

9. An all-iron redox flow battery system, comprising:
a first redox flow battery including a first cell stack and a second cell stack aligned along a longitudinal axis of the all-iron redox flow battery system;
a second redox flow battery arranged above the first redox flow battery along a vertical axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, the second redox flow battery including a third cell stack, aligned along the vertical axis with the first cell stack, and a fourth cell stack, aligned along the vertical axis with the second cell stack, with the third cell stack and the fourth cell stack aligned along the longitudinal axis; and
detents formed of first halves and respective second halves, the first halves arranged in the first redox flow battery and the second halves arranged in the second redox flow battery, wherein coupling of the first halves to the second halves maintains an alignment of the second redox flow battery relative to the first redox flow battery.

10. The all-iron redox flow battery system of claim 9 , wherein the first halves of the detents protrude upwards along the vertical axis from upper edges of a first set of pressure plates of the first redox flow battery.

11. The all-iron redox flow battery system of claim 10 , wherein the respective second halves of the detents protrude downwards along the vertical axis from lower edges of a second set of pressure plates of the second redox flow battery.

12. The all-iron redox flow battery system of claim 9 , wherein the first halves of the detents have a smaller diameter than the respective second halves of the detents, and wherein the first halves are coupled to the respective second halves by sliding the first halves into the respective second halves.

13. The all-iron redox flow battery system of claim 9 , wherein the all-iron redox flow battery system provides power to meet a power demand by pumping electrolyte through one or more of the first, second, third, and fourth cell stacks.

14. The all-iron redox flow battery system of claim 9 , wherein the first redox flow battery and the second redox flow battery are operated independent of one another.

15. A redox flow battery system, comprising:
a first redox flow battery maintained aligned and stationary relative to a second redox flow battery, the first and second redox flow batteries stacked vertically along a vertical axis and with respective edges of a first set of pressure plates of the first redox flow battery and a second set of pressure plates of the second redox flow battery in contact with one another, by one or more nesting detents included in the first and second sets of pressure plates.

16. The redox flow battery system of claim 15 , wherein the first redox flow battery includes a first compression assembly and the second redox flow battery includes a second compression assembly, the first compression assembly and the second compression assembly configured to exert pressure on the first set of pressure plates and the second set of pressure plates, respectively.

17. The redox flow battery system of claim 16 , wherein the first compression assembly is configured to exert pressure on the first set of pressure plates and the second compression assembly is configured to exert pressure on the second set of pressure plates along a longitudinal axis of the redox flow battery system, the longitudinal axis perpendicular to the vertical axis and parallel with an alignment of a first cell stack with a second cell stack of the first redox flow battery and with an alignment of a third cell stack with a fourth cell stack of the second redox flow battery.

18. The redox flow battery system of claim 17 , wherein the first cell stack and the second cell stack are compressed between the first set of pressure plates by the first compression assembly, and wherein the third cell stack and the fourth cell stack are compressed between the second set of pressure plates by the second compression assembly.

19. The redox flow battery system of claim 17 , wherein the first cell stack is separated from the second cell stack by a first separator plate and the third cell stack is separated from the fourth cell stack by a second separator plate, and wherein the first separator plate and the second separator plate are electrically insulating.

20. The redox flow battery system of claim 15 , wherein the redox flow battery system is a self-supporting unit that does not include an external housing.

Assignees

• Ess Technology Inc

Inventors

• Casey Sean
• Evans Craig

Classifications

• H01M8/188 Primary

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

• H01M8/2465

  Details of groupings of fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M8/2455

  with liquid, solid or electrolyte-charged reactants · CPC title

• H01M8/242

  comprising framed electrodes or intermediary frame-like gaskets (H01M8/2425, H01M8/244 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01M8/248 Primary

  Means for compression of the fuel cell stacks · CPC title