Flow battery stack with an integrated heat exchanger

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9774044-B2
Application number	US-201113238921-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 21, 2011
Priority date	Sep 21, 2011
Publication date	Sep 26, 2017
Grant date	Sep 26, 2017

Abstract

A flow battery stack includes a plurality of flow battery cells, a manifold and a heat exchanger. Each flow battery cell includes an electrode layer that is wet by an electrolyte solution having a reversible redox couple reactant. The manifold includes a solution passage that exchanges the electrolyte solution with the flow battery cells. The heat exchanger includes a heat exchange fluid passage. The heat exchanger exchanges heat between the electrolyte solution in the solution passage and a heat exchange fluid directed through the heat exchange fluid passage. The flow battery cells, the manifold and the heat exchanger are arranged between first and second ends of the flow battery stack.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A flow battery stack, comprising:
a stack of flow battery cells, each flow battery cell comprising an electrode layer that is wet by an electrolyte solution having a reversible redox couple reactant;
a manifold comprising a solution passage that circulates the electrolyte solution through the flow battery cells, and a manifold plate, and wherein the solution passage is disposed with the manifold plate; and
a heat exchanger comprising a heat exchange fluid passage, wherein the heat exchanger exchanges heat between the electrolyte solution in the solution passage and a heat exchange fluid directed through the heat exchange fluid passage; and
wherein the flow battery cells, the manifold and the heat exchanger are connected between a first cover plate and a second cover plate; and
wherein the heat exchanger and the manifold are arranged between the first cover plate and the flow battery cell stack.

2. The flow battery stack of claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger further comprises a heat exchanger plate, and wherein the heat exchange fluid passage is disposed with the heat exchanger plate.

3. The flow battery stack of claim 1 , wherein the solution passage provides the electrolyte solution to the flow battery cells, and wherein the manifold further comprises a second solution passage that receives the electrolyte solution from the flow battery cells.

4. The flow battery stack of claim 1 , further comprising a second manifold plate with a second solution passage that circulates the electrolyte solution through the flow battery cells, wherein the second manifold plate is arranged between the second cover plate and the flow battery cell stack.

5. The flow battery stack of claim 4 , further comprising a second heat exchanger plate with a second heat exchange fluid passage, wherein the second heat exchanger plate is arranged with the second manifold plate between the second cover plate and the flow battery cell stack.

6. The flow battery stack of claim 2 , wherein the heat exchanger comprises a liquid-to-air heat exchanger, and wherein the heat exchange fluid passage extends through the heat exchanger plate between opposite sides thereof.

7. The flow battery stack of claim 1 , wherein the heat exchange fluid passage comprises a straight passage segment and a curved passage segment.

8. The flow battery stack of claim 1 , wherein the heat exchange fluid passage comprises a first passage segment connected to a second passage segment, wherein the first passage segment directs the heat exchange fluid in a first direction, and wherein the second passage segment directs the heat exchange fluid in a second direction that is substantially opposite the first direction.

9. The flow battery stack of claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger comprises a non-electrically conducting material that comprises plastic.

10. A flow battery stack, comprising:
a stack of flow battery cells, each flow battery cell comprising an electrode layer that is wet by an electrolyte solution having a reversible redox couple reactant;
a manifold comprising a first solution passage, a second solution passage, and at least one manifold plate, wherein the first solution passage provides the electrolyte solution to the flow battery cells, and wherein the second solution passage receives the electrolyte solution from the flow battery cells, and wherein the first and second solution passages are disposed with the at least one manifold plate; and
a heat exchanger comprising a heat exchanger plate with a heat exchange fluid passage, wherein the heat exchanger exchanges heat between the electrolyte solution in the first and the second solution passages and a heat exchange fluid directed through the heat exchange fluid passage;
wherein the manifold and the heat exchanger are connected between the flow battery cell stack and a cover plate.

11. The flow battery stack of claim 10 , wherein the heat exchanger is arranged between the cover plate and the manifold.

12. The flow battery stack of claim 10 , wherein the at least one manifold plate comprises a first manifold plate and a second manifold plate, wherein the first solution passage is disposed with the first manifold plate, and wherein the second solution passage is disposed with the second manifold plate.

13. The flow battery stack of claim 10 , wherein the heat exchange fluid passage comprises a tortuous heat exchange fluid passage.

14. The flow battery stack of claim 10 , wherein the heat exchanger comprises a liquid-to-air heat exchanger, and wherein the heat exchange fluid passage extends through the heat exchanger plate between opposite sides thereof.

15. A flow battery stack, comprising:
a stack of flow battery cells, each flow battery cell comprising an electrode layer that is wet by an electrolyte solution having a reversible redox couple reactant;
a first manifold plate comprising a first solution passage that provides the electrolyte solution to the flow battery cells;
a second manifold plate comprising a second solution passage that receives the electrolyte solution from the flow battery cells; and
a heat exchanger comprising a heat exchanger plate with a heat exchange fluid passage, wherein the heat exchanger exchanges heat between a heat exchange fluid directed through the heat exchange fluid passage and the electrolyte solution in one of the first solution passage and the second solution passage;
wherein the flow battery cells, the first manifold plate, the second manifold plate and the heat exchanger are connected between a first cover plate and a second cover plate;
wherein one of
the heat exchanger and the first manifold plate are arranged between the flow battery cell stack and the first cover plate; and
the heat exchanger and the second manifold plate are arranged between the flow battery cell stack and the second cover plate.

16. The flow battery stack of claim 15 , wherein the heat exchanger is arranged one of
between the first cover plate and the first manifold plate; and
between the second cover plate and the second manifold plate.

17. The flow battery stack of claim 15 , further comprising a second heat exchanger plate with a second heat exchange fluid passage, wherein the heat exchanger plate and the first manifold plate are arranged between the first cover plate and the flow battery cell stack, and wherein the second heat exchanger plate and the second manifold plate are arranged between the second cover plate and the flow battery cell stack.

18. The flow battery stack of claim 15 , wherein the heat exchange fluid passage comprises a tortuous heat exchange fluid passage.

19. The flow battery stack of claim 15 , wherein the heat exchanger comprises a liquid-to-air heat exchanger, and wherein the heat exchange fluid passage extends through the heat exchanger plate between opposite sides thereof.

Assignees

• Perry Michael L
• Pandy Arun
• Ding Jinlei
• United Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Perry Michael L
• Pandy Arun
• Ding Jinlei

Classifications

• H01M8/188

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

• H01M8/04029

  Heat exchange using liquids · CPC title

• H01M8/2483

  characterised by internal manifolds · CPC title

• H01M8/2465

  Details of groupings of fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M8/04067

  Heat exchange or temperature measuring elements, thermal insulation, e.g. heat pipes, heat pumps, fins · CPC title