Redox flow secondary battery

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9525178-B2
Application number	US-201314376701-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 31, 2013
Priority date	Feb 9, 2012
Publication date	Dec 20, 2016
Grant date	Dec 20, 2016

Abstract

The present invention relates to a redox flow secondary battery. The redox flow secondary battery of the present invention comprises a unit cell including a pair of electrodes made of a porous metal, wherein the surface of the porous metal is coated with carbon. According to the present invention, a redox flow secondary battery using porous metal electrodes uniformly coated with carbon is provided, thus improving conductivity of the electrodes, and the electrodes have surfaces uniformly coated with a carbon layer having a wide specific surface area, thus improving reactivity. As a result, capacity of the redox flow secondary battery and energy efficiency can be improved and resistance of a cell can be effectively reduced. Further, the electrodes are uniformly coated with a carbon layer, thus also improving corrosion resistance.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A redox flow secondary battery, comprising:
a unit cell comprising:
a first electrode comprising;
a first porous metal; and
a first carbon coating on the first porous metal; and

a second electrode comprising:
a second porous metal; and
a second carbon coating on the second porous metal;

a first current collector bonded to a first outer surface of the unit cell;
a second current collector bonded to a second outer surface of the unit cell;
a first cell frame attached to an outer surface of the first current collector; and
a second cell frame attached to an outer surface of the second current collector,
wherein each of the first porous metal and the second porous metal compromises one selected from the group consisting of nickel(Ni), copper(Cu), iron(Fe), molybdenum(Mo), titanium(Ti), and platinum(Pt), and
wherein an amount of carbon in each of the first and second carbon coating is 50 wt % or less compared to a weight of the corresponding first or second porous metal.

2. The battery of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second carbon coatings is coated by using any one selected from a dip coating method and a spray coating method.

3. The battery of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second carbon coatings is coated by using a coating slurry comprising 50 wt % or more carbon content.

4. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the unit cell further comprises:
an ion exchange layer;
wherein the first electrode is an anode and is bonded to a first surface of the ion exchange layer, and the second electrode in a cathode and is bonded to a second surface of the ion exchange layer;

a first plate comprising a first surface bonded to an outer surface of the first electrode and a second surface bonded to the first current collector; and
a second plate comprising a first surface bonded to an outer surface of the second electrode and a second surface bonded to the second current collector.

5. The battery of claim 4 , wherein the unit cell is configured to generate electricity according to oxidation-reduction reaction through the ion exchange layer between the first and second electrodes.

6. The battery of claim 1 , further comprising:
an anode tank connected with an outer surface of the first cell frame;
an cathode tank connected with an outer surface of the second cell frame,
wherein the anode and cathode tanks are configured to store an electrolyte;

pumps each connected to one of the anode and cathode tanks, and configured to supply the electrolyte;
inlets each configured to connect one of the pumps to one of the first and second cell frames so that the electrolyte flows into the unit cell through the first and second cell frames; and
outlets each connected to one of the first and second cell frames so that the electrolyte flowed out from the unit cell flows into the anode or cathode tank.

7. A redox flow secondary battery, comprising:
at least one unit cell having at least one pair of electrodes,
wherein the pair of electrodes comprises:
a first electrode comprising:
a first porous metal; and
a first carbon coating on the first porous metal; and

a second electrode comprising:
a second porous metal; and
a second carbon coating on the second porous metal, and

wherein each of the first porous metal and the second porous metal comprises one selected from the group consisting of nickel(Ni), copper(Cu), iron(Fe), molybdenum(Mo), titanium(Ti), and platinum(Pt), and
wherein an amount of carbon in each of the first and second carbon coating is 50 wt % or less compared to a weight of the corresponding first or second porous metal.

8. The battery of claim 7 , wherein each of the first and second carbon coatings is coated by using any one selected from a dip coating method and a spray coating method.

9. The battery of claim 7 , wherein each of the first and second carbon coatings is coated by using a coating slurry comprising 50 wt % or more carbon content.

10. A redox flow secondary battery, comprising:
a pair of cell frames facing and spaced apart from each other;
a pair of current collectors attached to inner surfaces of the pair of cell frames, respectively; and
at least two unit cells disposed between the pair of current collectors,
wherein each of the at least two unit cells includes at least one pair of electrodes, and
wherein the pair of electrodes comprises;
a first electrodes comprising:
a first porous metal; and
a first carbon coating on the first porous metal; and

a second electrode comprising:
a second porous metal; and
a second carbon coating on the second porous metal,

wherein each of the first porous metal and the second porous metal comprises one selected from the group consisting of nickel(Ni), copper(Cu), iron(Fe), molybdenum(Mo), titanium(Ti), and platinum(Pt), and
wherein an amount of carbon in each of the first and second carbon coating is 50 wt % or less compared to a weight of the corresponding first or second porous metal.

Assignees

• Korea Electronics Technology

Inventors

• Kim Youngjun
• Kim Kijae
• Park Minsik
• Kim Jeahun

Classifications

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M4/8605 Primary

  Porous electrodes · CPC title

• H01M4/9041

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

• H01M8/20

  Indirect fuel cells, e.g. fuel cells with redox couple being irreversible (H01M8/18 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01M2300/0017

  Non-aqueous electrolytes · CPC title