Methods and systems of controlling bidirectional operation of an electrowinning plant

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025011959-A1
Application number	US-202418763736-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 3, 2024
Priority date	Jul 3, 2023
Publication date	Jan 9, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

Methods and systems of the present disclosure are generally directed to switching operation of one or more electrochemical cells of an electrowinning plant between a charge mode and a discharge mode. In the charge mode, the one or more electrochemical cells may reduce metal from an oxidized state to a zero valence state with a first electric current applied across the one or more electrochemical cells. In the discharge mode, the one or more electrochemical cells may oxidize at least some of the metal from the zero valence state to the oxidized state to generate a second electric current, oppositely charged relative to the first electric current, to generate electricity (e.g., for delivery to the grid). Operation of the one or more electrochemical cells of the electrowinning plant may be selectively changed between the charge mode and the discharge mode based on, for example, availability/cost of electricity from the grid.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of controlling bidirectional operation of an electrowinning plant, the method comprising:
receiving a supply of metal in an oxidized state into at least one electrochemical cell; operating the at least one electrochemical cell in a charge mode in which a first electric current applied across the electrochemical cell reduces the metal from the oxidized state to a zero valence state in the electrochemical cell; operating the at least one electrochemical cell in a discharge mode in which oxidation of at least some of the metal from the zero valence state to the oxidized state in the electrochemical cell generates a second electric current oppositely charged relative to the first electric current; and selectively changing operation of the at least one electrochemical cell between the charge mode and the discharge mode.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal in the oxidized state includes metal ore.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal includes one or more of iron, copper, zinc, nickel, manganese, lead, aluminum, or cobalt.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein operating the at least one electrochemical cell in the discharge mode includes inserting an additional amount of the metal in the zero valence state into the electrochemical cell.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein operating the at least one electrochemical cell in the charge mode includes receiving power from a power network to apply the first electric current across the electrochemical cell, and operating the at least one electrochemical cell in the discharge mode includes delivering, to the power network, at least some of the power generated by the electrochemical cell.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein operating the at least one electrochemical cell in the charge mode includes applying the first electric current across a negative electrode and at least one positive electrode, via an electrolyte therebetween, with the negative electrode including the metal in the oxidized state.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein selectively changing operation of the at least one electrochemical cell between the charge mode and the discharge mode includes operating the at least one electrochemical cell in the discharge mode for greater than about 1 percent and less than about 13 percent of time that the at least one electrochemical cell is in the charge mode.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein selectively changing operation of the at least one electrochemical cell between the charge mode and the discharge mode includes operating the at least one electrochemical cell in the charge mode for about 1 day to about 30 days between harvesting.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein selectively changing operation of the at least one electrochemical cell is based on a parameter associated with operation of the at least one electrochemical cell compared to a predetermined target value of the parameter.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one electrochemical cell includes a plurality of electrochemical cells, operating the at least one electrochemical cell in the charge mode includes operating a first one of the plurality of electrochemical cells in the charge mode, operating the at least one electrochemical cell in the discharge mode includes operating a second one of the plurality of electrochemical cells in the discharge mode, and selectively changing operation of the at least one electrochemical cell between the charge mode and the discharge mode includes controlling electrical communication between a power network and the first one and the second one of the plurality of electrochemical cells.

11 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising harvesting at least a portion of the metal in the zero valence state from the at least one electrochemical cell.

12 . A system for bidirectional operational control of an electrowinning plant, the system comprising:
at least one electrochemical cell into which a supply of metal is receivable; and a controller actuatable to change operation of the one or more electrochemical cells between a charge mode and a discharge mode, the one or more electrochemical cells in the charge mode operable to reduce metal from an oxidized state to a zero valence state in response to a first electric current applied to the one or more electrochemical cells, and the one or more electrochemical cells in the discharge mode operable to oxidize the metal from the zero valence state to the oxidized state such that a second electric current, oppositely charged relative to the first electric current, is generated by the one or more electrochemical cells.

13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the at least one electrochemical cell includes at least one positive electrode, a negative electrode, an electrolyte in fluid communication between the at least one positive electrode and the negative electrode, the at least one electrochemical cell is operable in the charge mode with the first electric current applied across the negative electrode and the at least one positive electrode, via the electrolyte therebetween and with the negative electrode including the metal in the oxidized state, and the at least one electrochemical cell is operable in the discharge mode with the second electric current generated across the negative electrode and the at least one positive electrode, via the electrolyte therebetween and with the negative electrode including metal in the zero valence state.

14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the negative electrode is removable from the at least one electrochemical cell and, with the negative electrode removed from the electrochemical cell, at least a portion of the metal in the zero valence state is harvestable from the negative electrode.

15 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the at least one positive electrode includes a charge positive electrode and a discharge positive electrode, and each one of the charge positive electrode and the discharge positive electrode is electrically decouplable from the negative electrode and from one another.

16 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the at least one positive electrode includes a bifunctional oxygen electrode having hydrophobic pores and hydrophilic pores.

17 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the controller is actuatable to activate one or more switches in electrical communication between the at least one electrochemical cell and a power network to change operation of the at least one electrochemical cell between the charge mode and the discharge mode, power from the power network is receivable by the at least one electrochemical cell in the charge mode, and at least some of the power generated by the at least one electrochemical cell is deliverable to the power network with the at least one electrochemical cell in the discharge mode.

18 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the at least one electrochemical cell is operable in the discharge mode for greater than about 1 percent and less than about 13 percent of the time the at least one electrochemical cell is in the charge mode.

19 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the controller is actuatable to change operation of the at least one electrochemical cell such that the at least one electrochemical cell operates in the charge mode for about 1 day to about 30 days between harvesting.

20 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the at least one electrochemical cell includes a plurality of electrochemical cells, a first one of the plurality of electrochemical cells is operable in the ch

Assignees

• Form Energy Inc

Inventors

• Su Liang
• Thomas-Alyea Karen
• Rathert Janna
• Poirier Jeffrey
• Manser Joseph Stephen

Classifications

• H01M12/08

  composed of a half-cell of a fuel-cell type and a half-cell of the secondary-cell type · CPC title

• C25C7/02

  Electrodes (consumable anodes for the refining the metals C25C1/00 - C25C5/00); Connections thereof · CPC title

• C25C7/00

  Constructional parts, or assemblies thereof, of cells; Servicing or operating of cells (for the production of aluminium C25C3/06 - C25C3/22) · CPC title

• C25C7/06 Primary

  Operating or servicing · CPC title

• C25C1/18

  of lead · CPC title