Organic-air flow battery

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025210671-A1
Application number	US-202418989457-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 20, 2024
Priority date	Dec 21, 2023
Publication date	Jun 26, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

Certain aspects of the present disclosure relate to a battery. The battery includes at least one couple of current collectors. The battery includes an organic fluid flow space and an oxygen-containing fluid flow space. The battery includes one or more membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs). Each MEA includes an oxygen electrode, where the oxygen electrode is configured to catalyze a redox reaction of the oxygen-containing fluid and an oxygen evolution reaction. Each MEA also includes an ion conducting membrane and/or a porous separator paper, where the membrane or separator separates the oxygen electrode from the organic fluid flow space. The battery includes positive electrode terminals electrically connected to at least one MEA and at least one or more negative electrode terminals, where the positive electrode terminal and the negative electrode terminal are configured to generate an electrical current in response to external electrical loads or to a voltage applied to across positive and negative electrode terminals in response to a charge step associated redox reaction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An organic-oxygen reduction-oxidation (redox) flow battery, comprising:
an organic-containing fluid flow space for flowing an organic-containing fluid including at least an organic redox-active species; an oxygen-containing fluid flow space for flowing an oxygen-containing fluid; one or more membrane electrode assemblies, each membrane electrode assembly comprising:
an oxygen electrode, wherein the oxygen electrode is configured to catalyze an oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) of oxygen of the oxygen-containing fluid and optionally an oxygen evolution reaction (OER); and
a membrane, wherein the membrane separates the oxygen electrode from the organic-containing fluid flow space while allowing the transport of ions between the oxygen electrode and the organic-containing fluid flow space;
a positive electrode terminal electrically connected to at least one of the one or more membrane electrode assemblies; and a negative electrode terminal electrically connected to the organic-containing fluid, wherein the battery is configured to allow the transport of electrons between the positive and negative electrode.

2 . The organic-oxygen redox flow battery of claim 1 , wherein the positive electrode terminal and the negative electrode terminal are configured to generate an electrical current between the positive electrode terminal and the negative electrode terminal in response to a redox reaction between the oxygen-containing fluid and the organic-containing fluid, wherein the redox reaction includes the ORR of the oxygen at the oxygen electrode and an oxidation reaction of the redox active species of the organic-containing fluid.

3 . The organic-oxygen redox flow battery of claim 1 , wherein the organic-oxygen redox flow battery is configured to generate an OER at the oxygen electrode and a reduction reaction in the organic-containing fluid, in response to an electrical current applied between the positive electrode terminal and the negative electrode terminal.

4 . The organic-oxygen redox flow battery of claim 1 , wherein the organic-containing fluid is selected to lose electrons and to release hydrogen ions or metallic ions in an oxidation reaction under ambient conditions.

5 . The organic-oxygen redox flow battery of claim 4 , wherein the battery is configured so that the hydrogen ions or the metallic ions are transported toward the oxygen electrode, while oxygen of the oxygen-containing fluid gains electrons in the ORR, and wherein an electrical current is formed between the positive electrode terminal and the negative electrode terminal by the flow of electrons from the organic-containing fluid and to the oxygen-containing fluid.

6 . The organic-oxygen redox flow battery of claim 5 , wherein the ORR of the oxygen of the oxygen-containing fluid results in at least one of: hydroxide or water byproduct, and wherein the oxidation reaction of the organic-containing fluid results in an organic fluid byproduct.

7 . The organic-oxygen redox flow battery of claim 1 , further comprising one or more housings, wherein:
the organic-containing fluid flow space is defined within the housing; each housing includes the membrane electrode assembly on both sides of the housing; each housing includes a metal current collector comprising the negative electrode terminal in a center of the housing; each housing includes a space between the metal current collector and the membrane electrode assembly, the space forming the organic-containing fluid flow space between the metal current collector and the membrane electrode assembly; and the oxygen-containing fluid flow space includes a gap between each individual housing allowing contact between the oxygen-containing fluid and the membrane electrode assemblies.

8 . The organic-oxygen redox flow battery of claim 1 , further comprising an organic liquid circulation system configured to flow the organic-containing fluid through the organic-containing fluid flow space.

9 . The organic-oxygen redox flow battery of claim 1 , wherein the organic-containing fluid comprises at least one of: a quinone, an organic monomer, or an organic polymer.

10 . The organic-oxygen redox flow battery of claim 9 , wherein the organic-containing fluid comprises at least one of: 2,5-Dihydroxy-1,4-benzoquinone (DHBQ), poly(2,5-dihydroxy-1,4-benzoquinone-3,6-methylene) (PDBM).

11 . The organic-oxygen redox flow battery of claim 1 , wherein the oxygen-containing fluid is ambient air.

12 . The organic-oxygen redox flow battery of claim 1 , further comprising an organic liquid circulation system configured to flow the organic-containing fluid through the organic-containing fluid flow space, further comprising one or more housings, wherein:
a first housing comprises a first membrane electrode assembly on a first side of the housing and a second membrane electrode assembly on the second side of the housing, wherein the positive electrode terminal electrically connected to the first membrane electrode assembly and the second membrane electrode assembly; a second housing disposed on the second side of the first housing; the organic-containing fluid flow space is defined within the housing; the oxygen-containing fluid flow space includes a fluid flow layer on a first side of the second housing allowing contact between the oxygen-containing fluid and the second membrane electrode assemblies; the metal current collector under the fluid flow layer on the first side of the second housing, the metal current collecting comprising the negative electrode terminal and in contact with the second membrane electrode assembly; and an opening in the second side of the second housing allowing contact between the metal current collector and the organic-containing fluid including at least an organic redox-active species.

13 . The organic-oxygen redox flow battery of claim 12 , further comprising a sealing element around the opening, wherein the sealing element is configured to seal the organic-containing fluid within the second housing.

14 . The organic-oxygen redox flow battery of claim 1 , further comprising:
a tubular battery housing; and a plurality of tubes within the tubular battery housing, wherein the tubular battery housing and the plurality of tubes define a shell-side space between the plurality of tubes and the tubular battery housing.

15 . The organic-oxygen redox flow battery of claim 14 , wherein:
the organic fluid flow space is defined within the shell-side space; each of the plurality of tubes comprises a tubular wall defining the oxygen-containing fluid flow space within the plurality of tubes; the tubular wall includes an outer layer comprising the membrane; and the tubular wall includes an oxygen electrode layer, under the outer layer, comprising the oxygen electrode.

16 . The organic-oxygen redox flow battery of claim 15 , wherein the tubular wall further includes:
an inner perforated tubing layer; and a metal screen layer between the inner perforated tubing layer and the oxygen electrode layer.

17 . The organic-oxygen redox flow battery of claim 14 , wherein:
the oxygen-containing fluid flow space is defined within the shell-side space; each of the plurality of tubes comprises a tubular wall defining the organic fluid flow space within the plurality of tubes; the tubular wall includes an inner layer comprising the membrane; and the tubular wall includes an oxygen electrode layer, over the inner layer, comprising the oxygen electrode.

18 . The organic-oxygen redox flow batter

Assignees

• Schlumberger Technology Corp

Inventors

• Zhang Wenlin

Classifications

• H01M8/04201

  Reactant storage and supply, e.g. means for feeding, pipes · CPC title

• H01M8/2455

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

• H01M8/004

  Cylindrical, tubular or wound · CPC title

• H01M8/04186

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

• H01M8/188

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