Frame body, cell frame for redox flow battery, and redox flow battery

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017271691-A1
Application number	US-201715616449-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 7, 2017
Priority date	Apr 14, 2015
Publication date	Sep 21, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

There is provided a frame body used for a cell of a redox flow battery, that can improve heat dissipation of an electrolyte in a slit and can suppress rise of the temperature of the electrolyte. It is a frame body used for a cell of a redox flow battery, comprising: an opening formed inside the frame body; a manifold allowing an electrolyte to pass therethrough; and a slit which connects the manifold and the opening and forms a channel of the electrolyte between the manifold and the opening, the slit having a pair of sidewalls facing each other in a cross section orthogonal to a direction in which the electrolyte flows, the slit having, at at least a portion thereof in the slit's depthwise direction, a width narrowing portion allowing the sidewalls to have a spacing narrowed in the depthwise direction.

First claim

1 .- 11 . (canceled)

12 . A method for using a redox flow battery, comprising:
circulating an electrolyte in the redox flow battery; and performing charging and discharging using the electrolyte, the redox flow battery having a cell stack including a plurality of cell stacked in layers, the cell stack having a cell frame including a frame body inside which an opening is formed and a bipolar plate fitted in the opening, the frame body having a manifold through which the electrolyte circulates and a slit connected between the opening and the manifold, the slit forming a channel for the electrolyte between the opening and the manifold, the slit having a pair of sidewalls which are oppositely disposed in a cross section orthogonal to a direction in which the electrolyte circulates, the slit having, in a portion along a depthwise direction of the slit, a width narrowing portion at which a space between the sidewalls narrows along the depthwise direction of the slit.

13 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein:
the slit has a bottom wall; and the bottom wall has a flat surface parallel to a surface of the frame body.

14 . The method according to claim 13 , wherein at least one of the sidewalls and the bottom wall form an angle of 91 degrees or more and 120 degrees or less.

15 . The method according to claim 13 , wherein at least one of the sidewalls and the bottom wall form a corner having a curved surface.

16 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein in the width narrowing portion, at least one of the sidewalls has an inclined surface which inclines relative to the depthwise direction, and the inclined surface is a flat surface.

17 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein in the width narrowing portion, at least one of the sidewalls has an inclined surface which inclines relative to the depthwise direction, and the inclined surface is a curved surface.

18 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein:
the slit has a bottom wall; and the bottom wall has a curved surface projecting in the slit's depthwise direction.

19 . The method according to claim 18 , wherein an overall surface of the sidewalls and the bottom wall is formed in a curved surface.

20 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein a spacing between the sidewalls at any position in the slit's depthwise direction is equivalent to or less than a spacing between the sidewalls closer to an opening portion's side than that position.

21 . The method according to claim 20 , wherein a width of the opening portion is not less than 0.1 mm.

22 . The method according to claim 20 , wherein a width of the opening is not less than 0.5 mm and not more than 20 mm.

23 . The method according to claim 20 , wherein a width of the opening is not less than 1.0 mm and not more than 8.0 mm.

24 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein:
the slit has a bottom wall, and a corner formed by the bottom wall and the sidewall, the corner being formed so as to have a curved surface.

Assignees

• Sumitomo Electric Industries

Inventors

• Kanno Takashi
• Yamana Takeshi
• Motoi Kenji

Classifications

• H01M8/0202

  Collectors; Separators, e.g. bipolar separators; Interconnectors · CPC title

• H01M8/18

  Regenerative fuel cells, e.g. redox flow batteries or secondary fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M8/02

  Details (electrodes H01M4/86 - H01M4/98) · CPC title

• H01M8/2455

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

• H01M8/188

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