Hybrid redox fuel cell system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024282995-A1
Application number	US-202418641100-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 19, 2024
Priority date	Sep 20, 2021
Publication date	Aug 22, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

A hybrid redox fuel cell system includes a hybrid redox fuel cell including an anode side through which a reductant is flowed and a cathode side through which liquid electrolyte is flowed, and a catalyst bed fluidly connected to the cathode side of the hybrid redox fuel cell, the catalyst bed including a substrate layer and a catalyst layer spiral wound into a jelly roll structure. Furthermore, the liquid electrolyte includes a metal ion at a higher oxidation state and the metal ion at a lower oxidation state, and power is generated at the hybrid redox fuel cell by way of reducing the metal ion from the higher oxidation state to the lower oxidation state at the cathode side while oxidizing the reductant at the anode side.

First claim

1 . A hybrid redox fuel cell system, comprising:
a hybrid redox fuel cell including an anode side and a cathode side, a first catalyst bed fluidly connected to the cathode side of the hybrid redox fuel cell, the first catalyst bed including a substrate layer spiral wound with a catalyst layer into a jelly roll structure, and a controller including instructions stored in non-transitory memory thereon, the instructions executable to:
direct a reductant to the anode side, and
recirculate a liquid electrolyte between the cathode side and the first catalyst bed, wherein the liquid electrolyte includes a metal ion at a higher oxidation state and the metal ion at a lower oxidation state, wherein power is generated at the hybrid redox fuel cell by way of reducing the metal ion at the higher oxidation state to the lower oxidation state at the cathode side while oxidizing the reductant at the anode side.

2 . The hybrid redox fuel cell of claim 1 , wherein the metal ion at the lower oxidation state is oxidized to the metal ion at the higher oxidation state at the first catalyst bed.

3 . The hybrid redox fuel cell system of claim 2 , further comprising a recycle control valve fluidly coupling a discharge from the first catalyst bed with an inlet to the first catalyst bed, wherein the instructions are further executable to open the recycle control valve to recycle a portion of the liquid electrolyte, upon exiting the first catalyst bed, back to the first catalyst bed prior to directing the portion of the liquid electrolyte to the cathode side.

4 . The hybrid redox fuel cell system of claim 3 , wherein the instructions are further executable to change a valve position of the recycle control valve to a more open position to increase the portion of the liquid electrolyte recycled to the first catalyst bed responsive to a rate of oxidizing the metal ion at the lower oxidation state to the metal ion at the higher oxidation state at the first catalyst bed being less than a rate of reducing the metal ion at the higher oxidation state to the metal ion at the lower oxidation state at the cathode side.

5 . The hybrid redox fuel cell system of claim 3 , wherein the instructions are further executable to change a valve position of the recycle control valve to a more open position to increase the portion of the liquid electrolyte recycled to the first catalyst bed responsive to a concentration of the metal ion at the higher oxidation state at the cathode side being less than a threshold concentration.

6 . The hybrid redox fuel cell system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are further executable to operate a pump positioned between the hybrid redox fuel cell and the catalyst bed, wherein the pump directs the liquid electrolyte from the cathode side to the catalyst bed, and recirculates the liquid electrolyte from the catalyst bed back to the cathode side after the liquid electrolyte fluidly contacts the catalyst bed.

7 . The hybrid redox fuel cell system of claim 1 , wherein the liquid electrolyte comprises a metal ion at a higher oxidation state and the metal ion at a lower oxidation state.

8 . The hybrid redox fuel cell system of claim 7 , wherein the metal ion at the lower oxidation state includes ferrous ion, and the metal ion at the higher oxidation state includes ferric ion.

9 . A hybrid redox fuel cell system, comprising:
a hybrid redox fuel cell including an anode side and a cathode side, a first catalyst bed fluidly connected to the cathode side of the hybrid redox fuel cell, the first catalyst bed including a substrate layer spiral wound with a catalyst layer into a jelly roll structure, and a controller including instructions stored in non-transitory memory thereon, the instructions executable to:
flow a reductant through the anode side of the hybrid redox fuel cell of the hybrid redox fuel cell system, and flow a liquid electrolyte through a cathode side of the hybrid redox fuel cell, wherein the liquid electrolyte includes a metal ion at a higher oxidation state and the metal ion at a lower oxidation state;
direct the liquid electrolyte from the cathode side to a catalyst bed; and
reduce the metal ion at the higher oxidation state to the lower oxidation state at the cathode side while oxidizing the reductant at the anode side to generate power at the hybrid redox fuel cell.

10 . The hybrid redox fuel cell system of claim 9 , wherein the hybrid redox fuel cell includes a hydrogen-ferric/ferrous ion hybrid redox fuel cell, the reductant includes hydrogen gas, the metal ion at the lower oxidation state includes ferrous ion, and the metal ion at the higher oxidation state includes ferric ion.

11 . The hybrid redox fuel cell system of claim 9 , further comprising a regeneration gas source comprising one or more of oxygen, carbon dioxide, and air, wherein the regeneration gas source comprises one or more of a control valve, a flow meter, and a pressure regulator.

12 . The hybrid redox fuel cell system of claim 11 , wherein the instructions are further executable to maintain a temperature of an oxidant regeneration reactor between a lower threshold regeneration temperature and an upper threshold regeneration temperature, wherein the oxidant regeneration reactor is fluidly coupled to the regeneration gas source.

13 . The hybrid redox fuel cell system of claim 12 , wherein the oxidant regeneration reactor comprises one or more heaters.

14 . The hybrid redox fuel cell system of claim 9 , wherein the instructions are further executable to balance a rate of reducing the metal ion at the higher oxidation state to the lower oxidation state at the cathode side with a rate of oxidizing the metal ion at the lower oxidation state to the higher oxidation state at the catalyst bed, wherein a total amount of the metal ion at the higher oxidation state at the cathode side and the catalyst bed is constant.

15 . The hybrid redox fuel cell system of claim 14 , wherein the instructions are further executable to direct the liquid electrolyte from the catalyst bed to the cathode side after oxidizing the metal ion at the lower oxidation state to the higher oxidation state, without directing the liquid electrolyte to the anode side.

16 . A hybrid redox fuel cell system, comprising:
a hybrid redox fuel cell including an anode side and a cathode side, a first catalyst bed fluidly connected to the cathode side of the hybrid redox fuel cell, the first catalyst bed including a substrate layer spiral wound with a catalyst layer into a jelly roll structure; and a plurality of flow control devices, each of the plurality of flow control devices comprising one or more of a control valve, a flow meter and a pressure regulator, the plurality of flow control devices comprising:
a first flow control device located between a reductant supply line, the reductant supply line fluidly connecting a reductant source and an anode side, and a reductant discharge line; and
a second flow control device located between a first oxidant supply line, the first oxidant supply line fluidly connecting an outlet of the catalyst bed and a cathode side, and an oxidant discharge line, the oxidant discharge line fluidly connecting the cathode side and an inlet of the catalyst bed; wherein,
the liquid electrolyte includes a metal ion at a higher oxidation state and the metal ion at a lower oxidation state, and
a controller including instructions stored in non-transitory memory thereon, the instructions executable to:
direct a reductant to the anode side, and recirculate a liquid electrolyte between the cathode side and the first catalyst bed,

Assignees

• Ess Technology Inc

Inventors

• Song Yang
• Evans Craig

Classifications

• H01M8/04194

  Concentration measuring cells · CPC title

• H01M8/16

  Biochemical fuel cells, i.e. cells in which microorganisms function as catalysts · CPC title

• H01M8/04186

  of liquid-charged or electrolyte-charged reactants · CPC title

• H01M4/9041

  Metals or alloys (H01M4/92 takes precedence) · CPC title

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title