Redox flow battery with a balancing cell

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022209274-A1
Application number	US-202117644396-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 15, 2021
Priority date	Dec 31, 2020
Publication date	Jun 30, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

A redox flow battery with an electrochemical balancing cell having first and second chambers. The first chamber includes a catalyst coated substrate and the second chamber includes an electrode. Each receives an electrolyte from the redox flow battery. There is a single interface between the two chambers. The balancing cell reverses parasitic reactions in the first chamber that occur in the redox flow battery. The products of the reversed reactions are carried away from the electrochemical balancing cell and back to the redox flow battery in the electrolyte that carried the reactant to the first chamber. Also, processes for reversing a parasitic reaction in a redox flow battery.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A redox flow battery, comprising:
a redox flow battery cell, and an electrochemical balancing cell comprising:
a first chamber comprising an inlet for a first electrolyte, an outlet for the first electrolyte, and a catalyst coated substrate;
a second chamber comprising an inlet for a second electrolyte, an outlet for the second electrolyte, and an electrode, and,
a separator forming an interface between the first chamber and the second chamber,
wherein the first chamber is configured to receive a stream of a gas from the redox flow battery cell, and wherein the first electrolyte includes a reaction product from an oxidation or reduction of the gas.

2 . The redox flow battery of claim 1 , wherein the first chamber of the electrochemical balancing cell further comprises an inlet for the stream of the gas.

3 . The redox flow battery of claim 2 , wherein the first chamber of the electrochemical balancing cell further comprises:
an upper portion configured to receive the gas from the inlet for the stream of the gas; and, a lower portion configured to receive the first electrolyte from the inlet for the first electrolyte.

4 . The redox flow battery of claim 3 , wherein the catalyst coated substrate extends between upper portion and the lower portion.

5 . The redox flow battery of claim 2 , wherein the first chamber further comprises an outlet for a gaseous effluent.

6 . The redox flow battery of claim 1 , wherein the first chamber comprises a T-shape, with a lower portion and an upper portion that is wider than the lower portion.

7 . The redox flow battery of claim 1 , wherein the gas from the stream of the gas is introduced to the first chamber of the electrochemical balancing cell with the first electrolyte via the inlet for the first electrolyte.

8 . The redox flow battery of claim 7 , wherein the inlet for the first electrolyte is located at a height in the first chamber of the electrochemical balancing cell that is lower than a height of the outlet for the first electrolyte.

9 . The redox flow battery of claim 7 , wherein the catalyst coated substrate comprises a catalyst supported on an electrically conductive porous substrate.

10 . The redox flow battery of claim 7 , further comprising:
a control valve in a line in communication with the inlet for the first electrolyte, wherein the control valve is configured to adjust an amount of the gas passed to the first chamber of the electrochemical balancing cell.

11 . A redox flow battery comprising:
an anode half-cell comprising an anode and an anolyte flowing through the anode chamber; a cathode half-cell comprising a cathode and a catholyte flowing through the cathode chamber, the cathode in electrical communication with the anode; and, an electrochemical balancing cell comprising:
a first chamber comprising an inlet for the anolyte, an outlet for the anolyte, and a catalyst coated substrate.
a second chamber comprising an inlet for the catholyte, an outlet for the catholyte, and an electrode; and,
a separator forming an interface between the first chamber and the second chamber,
wherein the first chamber is configured to receive a gaseous reaction product produced at the anode, and
wherein the anolyte includes a reaction product from an oxidation reaction, at the catalyst coated substrate, of the gaseous reaction product.

12 . The redox flow battery of claim 11 , wherein the first chamber of the electrochemical balancing cell further comprises an inlet for a stream of the gaseous reaction product and an outlet for a gaseous effluent.

13 . The redox flow battery of claim 12 , wherein the first chamber comprises:
an upper portion configured to receive the stream of the gaseous reaction product from the inlet for the stream of the gaseous reaction product; and, a lower portion configured to receive the anolyte from the inlet for the anolyte.

14 . The redox flow battery of claim 13 , wherein the catalyst coated substrate extends between the upper portion and the lower portion.

15 . The redox flow battery of claim 11 , wherein the first chamber comprises a T-shape, with a lower portion and an upper portion that is wider than the lower portion.

16 . The redox flow battery of claim 11 , wherein a stream of the gaseous reaction product is introduced to the first chamber with the anolyte via the inlet for the anolyte.

17 . The redox flow battery of claim 16 , wherein the inlet for the anolyte is located at a height in the first chamber that is lower than a height of the outlet for the anolyte.

18 . The redox flow battery of claim 16 , wherein a substrate of the catalyst coated substrate comprises a porous substrate.

19 . The redox flow battery of claim 16 , further comprising:
a control valve in a line in communication with the inlet for the anolyte, wherein the control valve is configured to adjust an amount of the gaseous reaction product to the first chamber.

20 . A process for reversing a parasitic reaction in a redox flow battery, comprising:
monitoring at least one condition of an electrolyte of a redox flow battery; adjusting, when the at least one condition is above or below a preset limit, a flow of a gaseous steam to an electrochemical balancing cell of the redox flow battery, the gaseous stream comprising a gaseous reaction product from the redox flow battery; and, oxidizing or reducing the gaseous reaction product in the electrochemical balancing cell, wherein the flow of the gaseous steam is adjusted independent of a flow of an electrolyte passed to the electrochemical balancing cell.

Assignees

• Uop Llc

Inventors

• Nicholls Natalie L
• Kender William T
• Helm Melissa L

Classifications

• H01M8/188 Primary

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

• H01M16/003

  of fuel cells with other electrochemical devices, e.g. capacitors, electrolysers · CPC title

• H01M8/04097

  with recycling of the reactants (H01M8/04119, H01M8/04104 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01M8/04798

  of fuel cell reactants · CPC title

• H01M8/0482

  of the electrolyte · CPC title