Method for storing and transporting electrochemical energy

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9972857-B2
Application number	US-201013262735-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 29, 2010
Priority date	Apr 1, 2009
Publication date	May 15, 2018
Grant date	May 15, 2018

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of storing, transporting and supplying electrochemical energy, with storage and supply being physically separated.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of storing, transporting and supplying electrochemical energy using an electrochemical reactor with the reactants alkali metal and sulfur in an electrochemical power station, at a location where energy is required, comprising:
1.) providing at least one stock container BS comprising liquid sulfur and at least one stock container BA comprising liquid alkali metal,
2.) providing at least one electrochemical alkali metal/sulfur reactor comprising:
a negative compartment A for accommodating liquid alkali metal,
a positive compartment K for accommodating liquid sulfur, wherein
the compartments A and K are separated by a solid electrolyte E which at
the operating temperature of the electrochemical reactor is permeable to cations formed by
oxidation of the alkali metal, and

electrodes for closing an external current circuit for the electric power generated by the reaction of the alkali metal with the sulfur,

3.) connecting the stock container BA to the negative compartment A and connecting the stock container BS to the positive compartment K with introduction of liquid alkali metal into the negative compartment A and of liquid sulfur into the positive compartment K,
4.) closing the external current circuit, resulting in oxidation of the alkali metal, formation of alkali metal sulfides in the positive compartment K and flow of electric current,
5.) taking off alkali metal sulfides formed in the positive compartment and collecting them in a stock container BAS,
6.) transporting the alkali metal sulfides collected in the stock container BAS to an electrochemical cell at a location having an energy availability and electrolyzing alkali metal sulfides in the electrochemical cell to form sulfur and alkalimetal, and
7.) transporting at least one of the components sulfur and alkali metal obtained in step 6 to a location where energy is required and feeding the components into an alkali metal-sulfur power station configured as a power generator;
wherein the location having a high energy availability and the location where energy is required are at physically separate locations; and
wherein the stock container BA, the stock container BS, and the stock container BAS are separate heated containers.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the supply of electric current to the electrodes or away from the electrodes is effected via a plurality of points distributed uniformly over the surface of said electrodes.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the liquid alkali metal is sodium.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the stock container BA is electrically separated from the electrochemical reactor by means of a separation of potentials.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the liquid alkali metal is circulated by means of an inert gas introduced under superatmospheric pressure.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the positive compartment comprises liquid sulfur and liquid sodium polysulfide.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte E comprises β-aluminum oxide or β″-aluminum oxide.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the β-aluminum oxide or β″-aluminum oxide is stabilized by means of MgO or Li 2 O.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein an operating temperature of at least 300° C. is maintained.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a supporting electrolyte is used in the positive compartment.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the electrochemical reactor is present as a tube reactor.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the liquid alkali metal is sodium having a maximum content of divalent cations of less than 3 ppm.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the alkali metal polysulfide formed during discharge is introduced into at least one stock container, this stock container is disconnected from the electrochemical power station used for discharge and provision of electric power and the alkali metal polysulfide is redissociated into alkali metal and sulfur by introduction of electric energy in a second cell at a physically separate location, with the second cell being able to correspond in terms of construction to the first cell.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the electric power required for electrolysis of the sodium polysulfide is generated at a physically separate location by means of solar, wind or hydroelectric power stations or by geothermal means.

15. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the β-aluminum oxide or β″-aluminum oxide is stabilized.

Assignees

• Uebler Christoph
• Bender Dietmar
• Ehrenstein Moritz
• Fischer Andreas
• Huber Guenther
• Basf Se

Inventors

• Übler Christoph
• Bender Dietmar
• Ehrenstein Moritz
• Fischer Andreas
• HUBER GüNTHER

Classifications

• H01M10/3909 Primary

  Sodium-sulfur cells · CPC title

• Y02E60/528

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• H01M8/184 Primary

  Regeneration by electrochemical means · CPC title

• H01M8/1009

  with one of the reactants being liquid, solid or liquid-charged (H01M8/12 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H10F10/00

  Individual photovoltaic cells, e.g. solar cells (electrolytic light-sensitive devices, e.g. dye-sensitised solar cells, H01G9/20) · CPC title