Inertially enhanced mass transport using porous flow-through electrodes with periodic lattice structures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023275238-A1
Application number	US-202217692870-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 11, 2022
Priority date	Mar 12, 2021
Publication date	Aug 31, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

Disclosed are flow-through electrode devices and techniques for making flow-through electrodes. In one aspect, a flow through electrode apparatus comprises one or more fiber layers. Each fiber layer comprises a plurality of fibers oriented to be orthogonal to a flow direction of a fluid. The plurality of fibers are configured to cause an inertial flow of the fluid around the plurality of fibers at a first flow rate of the fluid.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A flow through electrode apparatus comprising:
one or more fiber layers, each fiber layer comprising:
a plurality of fibers oriented to be orthogonal to a flow direction of a fluid,
wherein the plurality of fibers are configured to cause an inertial flow of the fluid around the plurality of fibers at a first flow rate of the fluid.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the oriented plurality of fibers and the first flow rate of the fluid causing the inertial flow of the fluid generate an increased mass transfer at the plurality of fibers compared to a lower flow rate than the first flow rate.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the inertial flow is generated at flow rates greater than or equal to the flow rate and a creeping flow is generated at flow rates less than the selected flow rate.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of fibers has a predetermined cross-sectional shape.

5 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the cross-sectional shape is circular, circular convex back with concave sides, circular concave back with convex sides, or circular concave back and sides.

6 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the cross-sectional shape is square, square convex back, square concave back, square concave back and sides, or square concave back with convex sides.

7 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the cross-sectional shape has a plurality of sharp edges.

8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of fibers are oriented to produce a face centered cubic (FCC) structure.

9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the inertial flow is characterized by a Reynolds number greater than 1.

10 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the inertial flow comprises one or more of:
an eddy flow; a recirculating flow; a secondary flow; or a recirculation bubble.

11 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of fibers are arranged to maximize a wake behind each of the plurality of fibers in the flow direction.

12 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more layers are configured to produce an unperturbed flow farther in the flow direction.

13 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the device is fabricated using one or more of:
a 3D printing process; a casting process; a molding process; or a photolithography process.

14 . A method of designing a flow through electrode comprising:
selecting one or more fibers each with a cross-sectional shape; selecting an orientation of the plurality of fibers relative to a flow direction of a fluid; selecting the fluid; and selecting a first flow rate of the fluid to cause an inertial flow of the fluid around the oriented plurality of fibers.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the selecting one or more fibers each with the cross-sectional shape, the selecting the orientation of the plurality of fibers relative to a flow direction of a fluid, the selecting the fluid, and the selecting a first flow rate of the fluid are performed to generate an increased mass transfer at the plurality of fibers compared to a lower flow rate than the first flow rate.

16 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the inertial flow is generated at flow rates greater than or equal to the flow rate and a creeping flow is generated at flow rates less than the selected flow rate.

17 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein each of the plurality of fibers has a predetermined cross-sectional shape comprising:
a circular shape, circular convex back with concave sides, circular concave back with convex sides, or circular concave back and sides; a square shape, square convex back, square concave back, square concave back and sides, or square concave back with convex sides; or a shape with a plurality of sharp edges.

18 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of fibers are oriented to produce a face centered cubic (FCC) structure.

19 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the inertial flow is characterized by a Reynolds number greater than 1.

20 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the inertial flow comprises one or more of:
an eddy flow; a recirculating flow; a secondary flow; or a recirculation bubble.

Assignees

• L Livermore Nat Security Llc

Inventors

• Beck Victor Alfred
• Baker Sarah
• Chandrasekaran Swetha
• Duoss Eric
• Forien Jean-Baptiste
• Ivanovskaya Anna Nikolaevna
• Worsley Marcus

Classifications

• H01M4/86 Primary

  Inert electrodes with catalytic activity, e.g. for fuel cells · CPC title

• G01N23/046

  using tomography, e.g. computed tomography [CT] · CPC title

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M4/8626 Primary

  characterised by the form · CPC title

• H01M8/188

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