System and method for sensing and mitigating hydrogen evolution within a flow battery system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9356303-B2
Application number	US-201414161219-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 22, 2014
Priority date	Jun 20, 2011
Publication date	May 31, 2016
Grant date	May 31, 2016

Abstract

A method is provided for mitigating hydrogen evolution within a flow battery system that includes a plurality of flow battery cells, a power converter and an electrochemical cell. The method includes providing hydrogen generated by the hydrogen evolution within the flow battery system to the electrochemical cell. A first electrical current generated by an electrochemical reaction between the hydrogen and a reactant is sensed, and the sensed current is used to control an exchange of electrical power between the flow battery cells and the power converter.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A flow battery system, comprising:
a first reservoir containing a first solution comprising a first reversible redox couple reactant;
a plurality of flow battery cells that receive the first solution;
a hydrogen sensor connected to and in fluid communication with the first reservoir, wherein the hydrogen sensor is configured to receive gas from a top region of a cavity of the first reservoir; and
a power converter that exchanges electrical power with the flow battery cells as a function of a current signal provided by the hydrogen sensor.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the hydrogen sensor comprises an electrochemical cell that comprises
a first electrode that receives hydrogen from the first reservoir;
a second electrode that receives reactant; and
a current sensor that senses electrical current generated within the electrochemical cell by an electrochemical reaction between the hydrogen and the reactant, and provides the current signal indicative of the sensed electrical current.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the electrochemical cell further comprises one of a proton exchange electrolyte layer and an anion exchange electrolyte layer that separates the first electrode from the second electrode.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein:
the first solution comprises an anolyte;
the first electrode comprises an anode; and
the second electrode comprises a cathode.

5. The system of claim 2 , wherein the reactant comprises air.

6. The system of claim 2 , wherein the first electrode is located outside of the first reservoir.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the first electrode is fluidly connected to the first reservoir through a one-way valve.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the first reservoir receives purge gas such that the hydrogen within the first reservoir flows to the first electrode.

9. The system of claim 2 , wherein
the first electrode is located within an exterior reservoir wall of the first reservoir; and
the second electrode is located outside the exterior reservoir wall of the first reservoir.

10. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a controller that receives the current signal and provides a control signal to the power converter to control a rate at which the power converter exchanges electrical power with the flow battery cells.

Assignees

• United Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Zaffou Rachid
• Pandy Arun
• Perry Michael L

Classifications

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M8/04597 Primary

  of auxiliary devices, e.g. batteries, capacitors · CPC title

• H01M8/04671

  of the individual fuel cell · CPC title

• H01M8/188

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

• Y02E60/528

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic