Continuous flow-electrode system, and high-capacity power storage and water treatment method using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9963363-B2
Application number	US-201113816888-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 16, 2011
Priority date	Aug 13, 2010
Publication date	May 8, 2018
Grant date	May 8, 2018

Abstract

The present invention uses the principles of electrochemical ion absorption (charging) and ion desorption (discharge), and relates to a continuous flow-electrode system, a high-capacity energy storage system, and a water treatment method using the same, in which high-capacity electric energy is stored as electrode materials of a slurry phase and electrolytes simultaneously flow in a successive manner within a fine flow channel structure formed on an electrode. More specifically, the present invention relates to a continuous flow-electrode system, an energy storage system, and a water treatment method, wherein electrode active materials consecutively flow in a slurry state whereby a high capacity is easily obtained without enlarging or stacking electrodes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A continuous flow-electrode system comprising:
(i) a flow-cathode comprising a current collector; a cathode separation layer; a cathode flow channel formed between the current collector and the cathode separation layer; and a solid ion-chargeable cathode active material flowing continuously in the cathode flow channel,
(ii) a flow-anode comprising a current collector; an anode separation layer; an anode flow channel formed between the current collector and the anode separation layer; and a solid ion-chargeable anode active material flowing continuously in the anode flow channel,
(iii) a channel type insulating spacer formed between the cathode and the anode, wherein liquid electrolyte flows continuously into and out of the channel type insulating spacer in a direction parallel to a flow direction of the anode flow channel,
wherein when potential is applied between the cathode and the anode,
the solid, ion-chargeable cathode active material is charged with cations of the electrolyte, which is passing through the cathode separation layer into the cathode flow channel and then the solid, ion-chargeable cathode active material flows continuously out of the cathode flow channel; and
the solid, ion-chargeable anode active material is charged with anions of the electrolyte, which is passing through the anode separation layer into the anode flow channel and then the solid, ion-chargeable anode active material flows continuously out of the anode flow channel.

2. The continuous flow-electrode system of claim 1 , wherein the anode separation layer is a microporous insulation separation membrane or an anion-exchange conductive membrane (AEM), and
the cathode separation layer is a microporous insulation separation membrane or a cation-exchange conductive membrane (CEM).

3. The continuous flow-electrode system of claim 1 , wherein the solid, ion-chargeable cathode active material or the solid, ion-chargeable anode active material is mixed with the electrolyte to form an active material in a slurry phase.

4. The continuous flow-electrode system of claim 1 , wherein the solid, ion-chargeable cathode active material and the solid, ion-chargeable anode active material include the same materials.

5. The continuous flow-electrode system of claim 1 , wherein the anode separation layer and/or the cathode separation layer is a microporous insulation separation membrane.

6. The continuous flow-electrode system of claim 1 , wherein a flow direction of the electrolyte is opposed to a flow direction of both the solid, ion-chargeable cathode active material of the flow-cathode and the solid, ion-chargeable anode active material of the flow-anode wherein these two active materials flow in the same direction.

7. The continuous flow-electrode system of claim 1 , wherein the solid, ion-chargeable cathode active material of the flow cathode has a flow rate different from that of the solid, ion-chargeable anode active material of the flow anode.

8. The continuous flow-electrode system of claim 1 , wherein the continuous flow-electrode system is a secondary battery or an electric double layer capacitor (EDLC).

9. A high-capacity energy storage system comprising:
the continuous flow-electrode system of claim 1 ;
a feeding device to supply the solid, ion-chargeable cathode active material, solid, ion-chargeable anode active material and electrolyte, respectively;
a power supply to apply power to the continuous flow-electrode system;
a change-over switch to control a potential difference occurring in the power supply; and storage tanks for storing each of the solid, ion-chargeable cathode active material, solid, ion-chargeable anode active material and electrolyte.

10. The high-capacity energy storage system of claim 9 , further comprising a resistor connected to the change-over switch.

11. The high-capacity energy storage system of claim 9 , wherein the feeding device comprises a feeding tank and a feeding pump to supply the solid, ion-chargeable cathode active material, solid, ion-chargeable anode active material and electrolyte, respectively.

12. The high-capacity energy storage system of claim 11 , wherein a single feeding tank functions as a solid, ion-chargeable cathode active material feeding tank to supply the solid, ion-chargeable cathode active material and simultaneously with a solid, ion-chargeable anode active material feeding tank to supply the solid, ion-chargeable anode active material.

13. The high-capacity energy storage system of claim 11 , wherein two continuous flow-electrode systems are provided, wherein a part of the continuous flow-electrode systems is used as a charge device while the remainder is used as a discharge device, and the solid, ion-chargeable cathode active material and the solid, ion-chargeable anode active material flowing out of the energy storage device for discharge are again recycled to the solid, ion-chargeable cathode active material feeding tank and the solid, ion-chargeable anode active material feeding tank, respectively.

14. The high-capacity energy storage system of claim 9 , wherein the storage tank is an electrically insulated storage container.

15. The high-capacity energy storage system of claim 9 , wherein the electrolyte comprises sea water or industrial wastewater.

16. A water treatment method through capacitive deionization (CDI) using the high-capacity energy storage system of claim 9 , wherein sea water or industrial wastewater flows into an electrolyte feeding tank and passes through the continuous flow electrode system,
wherein a potential difference occurs in the continuous flow-electrode system,
and wherein the sea water or industrial wastewater is deionized and stored in an electrolyte storage tank.

17. A method for desalination of sea water through capacitive deionization (CDI) using the high-capacity energy storage system according to claim 9 , wherein the electrolyte includes sea water, wherein the sea water flows into an electrolyte feeding tank and passes through the continuous flow electrode system,
wherein a potential difference occurs in the continuous flow-electrode system,
and wherein the sea water is deionized and stored in an electrolyte storage tank.

18. A method for purification of wastewater through capacitive deionization (CDI)-using the high-capacity energy storage system according to claim 9 , wherein the electrolyte includes industrial wastewater,
wherein the industrial wastewater flows into an electrolyte feeding tank and passes through the continuous flow electrode system, wherein a potential difference occurs in the continuous flow-electrode system,
and wherein the industrial wastewater is deionized and stored in an electrolyte storage tank.

Assignees

• Kim Dong Kook
• Kim Tae Hwan
• Cho Churl Hee
• Park Chong Su
• Choo Ko Yeon
• Yeo Jeong Ku
• Korea Inst Energy Res

Inventors

• Kim Dong-Kook
• Kim Tae-Hwan
• Cho Churl-Hee
• Park Chong-Su
• Choo Ko-Yeon
• Yeo Jeong-Ku

Classifications

• Y02W10/30

  Wastewater or sewage treatment systems using renewable energies · CPC title

• H01M2250/00

  Fuel cells for particular applications; Specific features of fuel cell system · CPC title

• H01M16/006

  of fuel cells with rechargeable batteries · CPC title

• H01M10/38 Primary

  Construction or manufacture · CPC title

• H01M8/227

  Dialytic cells or batteries; Reverse electrodialysis cells or batteries · CPC title