Magnetic device for producing electrolyte flow in battery systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9728767-B2
Application number	US-201314442246-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 13, 2013
Priority date	Nov 13, 2012
Publication date	Aug 8, 2017
Grant date	Aug 8, 2017

Abstract

A device for producing electrolyte flow in a flow-assisted battery comprises a flow assisted battery, a powering device located on a dry side of a battery housing, and an impeller assembly located on a wet side of the battery housing. The flow assisted battery comprises a battery housing, an anode, a cathode and an electrolyte solution, where the anode, the cathode and the electrolyte solution are disposed within the battery housing. The impeller assembly comprises: a shaft, an impeller, and one or more interior magnets, and the powering device and the impeller assembly are magnetically coupled through the battery housing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device for producing electrolyte flow in a flow-assisted battery, the device comprising:
a flow assisted battery comprising a battery housing, an anode, a cathode and an electrolyte solution, wherein the anode, the cathode and the electrolyte solution are disposed within the battery housing;
a powering device located outside of the battery housing; and
an impeller assembly located within the battery housing, wherein the impeller assembly comprises: a shaft, an impeller, one or more interior magnets, a mounting base, a lower thrust bearing, a sleeve bearing, an upper thrust bearing, and a threaded lock nut, wherein at least a portion of the shaft is located inside at least a portion of the sleeve bearing, wherein the sleeve bearing comprises the interior magnets, and wherein the powering device and the impeller assembly are magnetically coupled through the battery housing.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the powering device generates a rotating magnetic field.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the powering device comprises one or more exterior magnets, wherein the interior magnets and the exterior magnets are magnetically coupled.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the powering device comprises one or more electromagnets, wherein the interior magnets and the electromagnets are magnetically coupled.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the impeller assembly comprises at least one of a centrifugal impeller, a device for stirring a liquid, a propeller, a stirring element, a liquid stirrer, an elliptical stirrer, a stir bar, a magnetic stir bar, or any combination thereof.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of an outer surface of at least one of the impeller, the shaft, or the one or more interior magnets is coated with a chemical resistant coating, a polymer, polytetrafluoroethylene, TEFLON, DELRIN, noryl resin, or any combination thereof.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the powering device comprises a magnetic drive, an electronic speed controller, a polyphase AC electrical power system, a two-phase AC electrical power system, a three-phase AC electrical power system, a motor, a brushless DC motor, an AC electric motor, or a DC, electric motor.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the powering device is removably coupled to the battery housing.

9. The device of chum 1 , wherein the threaded lock nut and/or the upper thrust bearing prevent the impeller from decoupling.

10. The device of claim 9 , wherein the sleeve bearing comprises a body comprising a chemical resistant coating, a polymer, polytetrafluoroethylene, TEFLON, DELRIN, noryl resin, or combinations thereof; wherein die interior magnet comprises a ring magnet; wherein the body of the sleeve bearing encases the ring magnet and substantially prevent contact between the ring magnet and the electrolyte solution.

11. The device of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of an outer surface of the interior magnet is coated with a chemical resistant coating, a polymer, polytetrafluoroethylene, TEFLON, DELRIN, noryl resin, or combinations thereof.

12. The device of claim 1 , wherein the flow assisted battery comprises a flow-assisted secondary nickel-zinc battery, wherein the anode comprises a Zn anode, and wherein the cathode comprises a nickel oxide cathode.

13. The device of claim 1 , wherein the flow assisted battery comprises a flow assisted secondary Zn—MnO2 battery, wherein the anode comprises a Zn anode, and wherein the cathode comprises a MnO2 cathode.

14. The device of claim 1 , wherein the flow-assisted battery comprises an electrode stack, wherein the electrode stack comprises flow channels, wherein the flow-assisted battery further comprises a bilge wall, wherein the bilge wall houses at least a portion of the impeller.

15. The device of claim 1 , further comprising one or more spacers disposed between the anode and cathode, wherein the one or more spacers are configured to maintain a fixed spacing between the anode and cathode.

16. The device of claim 15 , wherein the one or more spacers comprise a plurality of snap spacer, wherein a first snap spacer of the plurality of snap spacers couples to the anode, wherein a second snap spacer of the plurality of snap spacers couples to the cathode, and wherein the first snap spacer is configured to snap to the second snap spacer and maintain the fixed spacing.

17. The device of claim 1 , wherein the powering device is electrically powered by at least one of an external source, by a battery, or by a series of batteries.

18. The device of claim 17 , wherein the battery or the series of batteries comprise a flow-assisted battery.

19. A device for producing electrolyte flow in a flow-assisted battery, the device comprising:
a flow assisted battery comprising a battery housing, an electrode stack, and an electrolyte solution, wherein the electrode stack and the electrolyte solution are disposed within the battery housing;
a funnel assembly in fluid communication with the electrode stack, wherein the funnel assembly is configured to direct fluid flow through the electrode stack;
an impeller assembly located within the battery housing, wherein the impeller assembly comprises: an impeller, and one or more interior magnets, and wherein the impeller is configured to generate a fluid flow through the funnel when the impeller is rotating; and
a powering device located outside of the battery housing, wherein the powering device and the impeller assembly are magnetically coupled through the battery housing.

20. The device of claim 19 , wherein the funnel comprises a funnel neck, and wherein at least a portion of the impeller is located inside the funnel neck.

21. The device of claim 19 , wherein the electrode stack comprises flow channels, and wherein the funnel supports the electrode stack within the battery housing, and wherein the funnel is configured to create a substantially even flow of electrolyte solution through the flow channels.

22. The device of claim 19 , wherein the electrode stack comprises a plurality of anodes and a plurality of cathodes, and wherein the device further comprises a plurality of spaces disposed between adjacent anodes and cathodes of the plurality of anodes and the plurality of cathodes.

23. The device of claim 19 , wherein the powering device comprises one or more exterior magnets, wherein the one or more exterior magnets are configured to magnetically couple through the housing to the one or more interior magnets.

24. A method for producing energy comprising:
charging a flow-assisted battery to a charge voltage, wherein the flow-assisted battery comprises:
a battery housing, a cathode, an anode, and an electrolyte solution, wherein the anode and the cathode are arranged in an electrode stack, and wherein the cathode, the anode, and the electrolyte solution are supported within the battery housing;

discharging the flow-assisted battery to a discharge voltage to produce energy;
continuously circulating the electrolyte solution within the battery housing during the charging and the discharging by using a magnetic device for producing electrolyte flow in a flow-assisted battery;
creating substantially even flow of the electrolyte solution through the one or more flow channels in the electrode stack using a funnel assembly during the circulation of the electrolyte solution.

25. The method of claim 24 , wherein the magnetic device for producing electrolyt

Assignees

• Univ City New York Res Found

Inventors

• Turney Damon E
• Galloway Kevin

Classifications

• H02J7/70

  characterised by the mechanical construction · CPC title

• H01M2004/027

  Negative electrodes · CPC title

• H01M10/24

  Alkaline accumulators · CPC title

• H02J7/007

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H02J7/0042

  Electricity · mapped topic