Composite foundation of all-vanadium redox flow battery system
By designing a composite foundation structure, the problem of electrolyte leakage in the vanadium redox flow battery system was solved, achieving a safe and efficient integration of electrolyte collection and equipment support, and reducing land occupation and civil engineering costs.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202511703212.0
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-11-19
- Publication Date
- 2026-02-03
AI Technical Summary
Vanadium redox flow battery systems pose a risk of electrolyte leakage during long-term operation, which may threaten personnel safety and the environment. Furthermore, existing technologies require separate planning of emergency storage tanks, which increases land occupation and civil engineering costs.
Design a composite foundation structure, including a base plate and side plates enclosing a liquid storage tank for collecting and storing leaked electrolyte. Combined with an isolation wall, overflow hole and anti-corrosion layer, it realizes the integration of support and electrolyte collection.
It reduces the system's footprint and civil engineering costs, while improving safety and electrolyte collection efficiency, and preventing electrolyte leakage from harming the environment.
Smart Images
Figure CN121451616A_ABST
Abstract
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of energy storage system infrastructure, in particular, to a composite foundation of a vanadium redox flow battery system. BACKGROUND
[0002] As a large-scale energy storage technology, vanadium redox flow batteries have the advantages of high safety, long cycle life, and independent design of power and capacity, and play an increasingly important role in the construction of new power systems. Vanadium redox flow battery systems usually integrate the battery stack, pump valve, control unit, and large electrolyte storage tank in a container to form a modular energy storage unit.
[0003] However, the electrolyte used in vanadium redox flow batteries is a strong acid solution containing vanadium ions, which is toxic and corrosive. During the long-term operation of the battery system, due to the aging of the sealing element, mechanical failure of the component, corrosion, pressure or temperature fluctuations, etc., there is a risk of electrolyte leakage accidents. Whether it is sporadic leakage or large-scale accidental leakage, it may pose a threat to personnel safety and the surrounding environment, such as causing soil pollution, water deterioration, or causing secondary safety accidents. SUMMARY
[0004] The present disclosure provides a composite foundation of a vanadium redox flow battery system, which is beneficial to improve the safety of the vanadium redox flow battery system.
[0005] The present disclosure provides a composite foundation of a vanadium redox flow battery system, comprising: a foundation bottom plate; a foundation side plate connected to the periphery of the foundation bottom plate and extending upward; wherein the foundation bottom plate and the foundation side plate together form a liquid storage pool with an open top; the top of the liquid storage pool is used to support the vanadium redox flow battery system, and the internal space of the liquid storage pool is used to collect and store the leaked electrolyte when the electrolyte leaks.
[0006] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the volume of the liquid storage pool is not less than the total capacity of the largest set of positive electrolyte storage tanks and negative electrolyte storage tanks in the vanadium redox flow battery system.
[0007] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a sump is provided on the foundation bottom plate, and the sump is located at the lowest point of the bottom of the liquid storage pool.
[0008] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the surface of the foundation bottom plate is provided with a slope inclined toward the direction of the sump, and the slope of the foundation bottom plate inclined toward the direction of the sump is 0.8%-1.5%.
[0009] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the composite foundation of the all-vanadium redox flow battery system further comprises a partition wall arranged in the liquid storage pool; the partition wall is sealingly connected with the foundation bottom plate and part of the foundation side plate, and divides the liquid storage pool into multiple sub-areas in communication.
[0010] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the partition wall is provided with an overflow hole.
[0011] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the overflow hole is connected with an overflow pipe, and the inlet of the overflow pipe is lower than the top edge of the liquid storage pool.
[0012] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the foundation side plate is provided with a cable hole for passing cables, the cable hole is in communication with an external cable trench, and a sealing structure is arranged at the cable hole.
[0013] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the inner surface of the liquid storage pool is provided with an anti-corrosion layer.
[0014] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a support platform is arranged in the liquid storage pool, and a space is left between the support platform and the foundation bottom plate for the flow and storage of leaked electrolyte.
[0015] The composite foundation of the all-vanadium redox flow battery system of the present disclosure realizes the integration of the support and the electrolyte collection of the all-vanadium redox flow battery system, which on one hand physically bears the function of supporting and fixing the equipment, and on the other hand replaces the independent accident liquid storage pool in the safety function, and compared with separately planning and building an accident liquid storage pool specially used for collecting leaked electrolyte in the installation site of the all-vanadium redox flow battery system, it is beneficial to reduce the land occupation area and the construction cost of the system.
[0016] It should be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are only exemplary and explanatory, and cannot limit the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0017] The drawings incorporated into the specification and constituting a part of the specification show embodiments consistent with the present disclosure and, together with the specification, serve to explain the principles of the present disclosure. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present disclosure, and other drawings can be obtained by those skilled in the art without creative labor on the basis of these drawings.
[0018] Figure 1 A schematic view of an exemplary embodiment of the composite foundation of the all-vanadium redox flow battery system of the present disclosure from one perspective.
[0019] Figure 2 A schematic view of the liquid accumulation pit in an exemplary embodiment of the composite foundation of the all-vanadium redox flow battery system of the present disclosure.
[0020] Figure 3 A schematic view of an exemplary embodiment of the composite foundation of the full vanadium redox flow battery system of the present disclosure from another perspective.
[0021] Figure 4 A cross-sectional view of the A-A section in the Figure 3
[0022] A cross-sectional view of the B-B section in the Figure 5 Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of the C-C section in the
[0023] Figure 6 A cross-sectional view of the C-C section in the Figure 3
[0024] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 1, foundation bottom plate; 2, foundation side plate; 3, liquid storage pool; 4, liquid accumulation pit; 5, isolation wall; 6, overflow hole; 7, cable hole; 8, cable trench. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0025] Example embodiments now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings; however, these embodiments can be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the example embodiments to those skilled in the art. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the drawings, and thus a detailed description of the same will be omitted. In addition, the drawings are to be considered in the illustrative mode, and not a restrictive one.
[0026] Unless otherwise defined, or specified in this disclosure, technical terms or scientific terms used in this disclosure shall have the ordinary meaning one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. The terms "a", "an", "the", and "at least one" are used to indicate one or more elements / components / etc.; the terms "comprises", "comprising", "includes", "including" and "has" are used to indicate open-ended inclusion of one or more elements / components / etc. in the description of a process, a method, a product, a composition, a step, a structure, an apparatus, a device, a system, a device, a system, a method, a process, etc.; the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. are used merely as labels, and are not meant to impose numerical or important / significant order on the elements / components / etc. to which they are applied; the term "step" is used merely as a label, and is not meant to impose a temporal or chronological order on the steps / processes / etc. to which it is applied.
[0027] The terms "connect", "fixed", etc. should be construed broadly, for example, unless otherwise specified or explained, "connect" can be fixed connection, or movable connection, or integral connection, or detachable connection, can be direct connection, or indirect connection through intermediate medium.
[0028] The phrase "part A is located on part B" as described in this disclosure can mean that part A is directly connected to part B, or that part A is located on part C, and part C is located on part B.
[0029] Furthermore, in this application, directional terms such as "upper" and "lower" are used only to indicate relative positional relationships. For example, for convenience, they are defined based on the actual position and state of the vanadium redox flow battery system during operation, or relative to the orientation of the components schematically placed in the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that these directional terms are relative concepts and can change accordingly depending on the orientation of the components in the accompanying drawings.
[0030] The new power system is a power system that prioritizes energy and power security, relies on new energy sources as the main supply source, uses the smart grid as the hub platform, and is supported by integrated generation, grid, load, and storage systems and multi-energy complementarity. Its fundamental characteristics include clean and low-carbon operation, safety and controllability, flexibility and efficiency, intelligence and user-friendliness, and open interaction. Power storage technology can solve the bottleneck of large-scale integration of renewable energy generation, improve the efficiency, security, and economy of conventional energy generation and transmission, and is also a key technology for distributed energy systems and smart grids.
[0031] Vanadium redox flow batteries are among the most mature and safest flow batteries currently available. Compared to lithium batteries and lead-acid batteries, vanadium redox flow batteries have better safety characteristics, can be charged and discharged quickly and in large capacity, have low self-discharge rate, simple battery structure, flexible capacity expansion, and longer and more durable life cycle, making them the main development direction of flow batteries.
[0032] As for the electrolyte, which is the active material in the battery, the positive electrode electrolyte consists of a mixed solution of tetravalent and non-valent vanadium ions and sulfuric acid, while the negative electrode electrolyte consists of a mixed solution of divalent and trivalent vanadium ions and sulfuric acid. After the battery is charged, the positive electrode material is a pentavalent vanadium ion sulfuric acid solution, and the negative electrode is a divalent vanadium ion sulfuric acid solution; after the battery is discharged, the positive and negative electrodes are tetravalent and trivalent vanadium ion sulfuric acid solutions, respectively. Vanadium pentoxide, as the main raw material for preparing vanadium electrolyte, is widely used in vanadium battery-related fields; it is mainly produced from vanadium sources such as vanadium-titanium magnetite and vanadium-bearing coal mines through processes such as sodium roasting, leaching, vanadium precipitation, and calcination.
[0033] Vanadium is a toxic element. If vanadium solution leaks and is exposed to the human body through inhalation, skin contact, or ingestion, it can harm health. For example, inhaling vanadium dust or fumes can irritate the respiratory tract, causing symptoms such as coughing and wheezing; long-term exposure may also damage lung function. Skin contact with vanadium solution can cause skin allergies, itching, and burns. Ingestion of vanadium solution can affect the gastrointestinal tract, leading to nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea; in severe cases, it can damage the kidneys and nervous system. If leaked vanadium solution enters the soil, it will alter the soil's physical and chemical properties, affecting the activity of soil microorganisms and the growth of plant roots, reducing soil fertility, and hindering the absorption of nutrients and water by plants, leading to poor plant growth or even death. If it flows into water bodies, it will deteriorate water quality, poison aquatic organisms, damage aquatic ecosystems, and may also pollute drinking water sources, threatening the drinking water safety of humans and other organisms. Under certain conditions, such as exposure to open flames, high temperatures, or chemical reactions with other substances, some vanadium solution may cause fires or explosions. Especially when the leakage of vanadium liquid is large and the environment is poorly ventilated, the gas produced by its volatilization will accumulate locally. Once it encounters a suitable ignition source, it can easily cause violent combustion or explosion, causing serious damage to surrounding personnel and buildings.
[0034] After long-term use in flow batteries, vanadium electrolyte may leak due to various reasons such as sealing problems, component mechanical failure, pressure, temperature, corrosion, and dissolution, leading to personal safety and environmental problems.
[0035] To address the aforementioned problems, this disclosure provides a composite basis for an all-vanadium redox flow battery system. (Reference) Figures 1 to 6 As shown, the composite foundation includes a base plate 1 and base side plates 2 connected to the periphery of the base plate 1 and extending upwards. The base plate 1 and the base side plates 2 together enclose a top-open electrolyte storage tank 3. The top of the electrolyte storage tank 3 supports the entire vanadium redox flow battery system, typically in the form of a container. The internal space of the electrolyte storage tank 3 is used to collect and store leaked electrolyte in the event of a leak. The composite foundation for the vanadium redox flow battery system provided in this disclosure integrates the support and electrolyte collection of the vanadium redox flow battery system. On the one hand, it physically supports and fixes the equipment; on the other hand, it replaces a separate emergency electrolyte storage tank for safety. Compared with planning and constructing a separate emergency electrolyte storage tank for collecting leaked electrolyte at the vanadium redox flow battery system installation site, it helps to reduce the system's footprint and civil engineering costs.
[0036] For example, the foundation slab 1 and foundation side slab 2 described in this disclosure can be in the form of a large-area monolithic reinforced concrete raft slab, which is beneficial for evenly distributing the load of the superstructure. Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the composite foundation of an all-vanadium redox flow battery system is shown. Figure 3 A top view of the composite foundation of the all-vanadium redox flow battery system is shown.Figure 4 , Figure 5 as well as Figure 6 They are shown respectively Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the foundation for sections AA, BB, and CC.
[0037] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the volume of the storage tank 3 is not less than the total capacity of the largest set of positive and negative electrolyte storage tanks in the vanadium redox flow battery system, ensuring that even if the positive and negative electrolytes in the set of storage tanks completely leak, they can be safely contained in the storage tank 3, providing sufficient safety redundancy for emergency response.
[0038] For example, refer to Figure 1 As shown, a recessed sump 4 can be provided on the foundation slab 1. The sump 4 is located at the lowest point of the bottom of the storage tank 3. The sump 4 allows liquid leaking into the storage tank 3 to naturally collect in the sump 4 due to gravity, facilitating waste liquid treatment. For example, a pump can be installed in the sump 4, allowing the leaked liquid to be pumped out for treatment, preventing large-scale overflow or evaporation and crystallization at the bottom of the tank. (Reference) Figure 2 The diagram shows a partial schematic of the sump 4 in one embodiment.
[0039] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the surface of the foundation plate 1 is provided with a slope inclined towards the sump 4. The slope of the foundation plate 1 towards the sump 4 can be 0.8%-1.5%. The slope of the foundation plate 1 can actively guide the leaked liquid scattered at various points on the bottom of the storage tank 3 to flow quickly towards the sump 4, further improving the efficiency and thoroughness of liquid collection, ensuring that there are no dead corners for liquid accumulation at the bottom of the tank, and facilitating cleaning and maintenance. In one embodiment, the slope of the foundation plate 1 is 1%, which can ensure good load-bearing performance of the foundation plate 1 and the volume of the storage tank 3, while guiding the liquid flow towards the sump 4.
[0040] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the composite foundation of the all-vanadium redox flow battery system further includes an isolation wall 5, which is disposed within the liquid storage tank 3. The isolation wall 5 is sealed to the foundation base plate 1 and part of the foundation side plates 2, dividing the liquid storage tank 3 into multiple interconnected sub-regions. For large energy storage systems, the composite foundation is relatively large, and the isolation wall 5 can enhance the overall rigidity and strength of the composite foundation structure. In the embodiments of this disclosure, multiple isolation walls 5 can be provided within the liquid storage tank 3, further strengthening the structure and improving the foundation's load-bearing capacity. Simultaneously, dividing the liquid storage tank 3 into several small sub-regions also optimizes the structural stress to a certain extent.
[0041] For example, an isolation wall is installed inside the liquid storage tank 3, dividing the liquid storage tank 3 into multiple interconnected sub-regions. Each sub-region may be equipped with a liquid accumulation pit 4.
[0042] For example, an overflow hole 6 is provided on the isolation wall 5. When a leak occurs in a certain area of the vanadium redox flow battery system, the electrolyte flows into a sub-area of the lower storage tank 3. When the liquid in the sub-area accumulates to a certain height, it can flow smoothly into the adjacent sub-area through the overflow hole 6, thereby effectively utilizing the entire volume of the storage tank 3 to cope with possible large-scale leakage accidents.
[0043] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the overflow hole 6 is connected to an overflow pipe, the inlet height of which is lower than the top edge of the storage tank 3. When the leakage is abnormally large, causing the liquid level in the storage tank 3 to exceed the normal storage range, the excess electrolyte can be guided through the overflow pipe to a pre-designated, safer external emergency facility, such as a plant accident pool, thereby preventing liquid from overflowing from the top of the storage tank 3 in such extremely rare cases of excessive leakage, providing a final safety line against contamination. Exemplarily, in some embodiments, an independent overflow hole can be directly opened on the base side plate 2 and connected to an overflow pipe.
[0044] The base side plate 2 can be provided with cable holes 7 for cable routing. The cable holes 7 are connected to the external cable trench 8, and a sealing structure, such as a sealing sleeve or sealant, is provided at the cable holes 7. This ensures normal access to the power supply and communication lines of the equipment, realizing the power connection between the vanadium redox flow battery system and the external power grid; it also ensures that even if there is liquid in the pool, it will not leak into the external environment or cable trench through the cable holes, maintaining the sealing integrity of the liquid storage pool 3 and ensuring the reliability of the liquid storage function.
[0045] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the inner surface of the storage tank 3 is provided with an anti-corrosion layer. Specifically, the surfaces of the foundation slab 1, the foundation side slab 2, and the isolation wall 5 can all be provided with an anti-corrosion layer. The anti-corrosion layer can be an acid-resistant cement mortar layer, epoxy asphalt, fiberglass (FRP) lining, or other high-performance anti-corrosion coatings. The anti-corrosion layer on the inner surface of the storage tank 3 can effectively resist the erosion of the electrolyte, prevent the concrete structure from being corroded and damaged, significantly extend the service life of the composite foundation, and reduce long-term maintenance costs.
[0046] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, a support platform is provided within the storage tank 3, with space between the support platform and the foundation plate 1 for the flow and storage of leaked electrolyte. The support platform ensures that equipment of the vanadium redox flow battery system, such as container bases and tank supports, can be securely installed above the storage tank 3, allowing leaked electrolyte to flow unimpeded to the bottom of the tank. This achieves both robust installation of the upper equipment and dedicated space below for the flow and temporary storage of leaked electrolyte. In one exemplary embodiment, the support platform may employ a grating structure, allowing leaked electrolyte and air to pass directly through, facilitating observation and ventilation.
[0047] Other embodiments of this disclosure will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of this disclosure that follow the general principles of this disclosure and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The specification and examples are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of this disclosure are indicated by the appended claims.
Claims
1. A composite foundation for an all-vanadium redox flow battery system, characterized in that, include: Foundation plate (1); The foundation side plate (2) is connected to the periphery of the foundation base plate (1) and extends upward; The base plate (1) and the base side plate (2) together enclose a top-open storage tank (3); the top of the storage tank (3) is used to support the vanadium redox flow battery system, and the internal space of the storage tank (3) is used to collect and store the leaked electrolyte when the electrolyte leaks.
2. The composite basis of the all-vanadium redox flow battery system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The volume of the storage tank (3) is not less than the total capacity of the largest set of positive electrolyte storage tanks and negative electrolyte storage tanks in the vanadium redox flow battery system.
3. The composite basis of the all-vanadium redox flow battery system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The base plate (1) is provided with a downwardly recessed liquid accumulation pit (4), which is located at the lowest point of the bottom of the liquid storage tank (3).
4. The composite basis of the all-vanadium redox flow battery system according to claim 3, characterized in that, The surface of the foundation plate (1) is provided with a slope that is inclined toward the liquid accumulation pit (4), and the slope of the foundation plate (1) toward the liquid accumulation pit (4) is 0.8%-1.5%.
5. The composite basis of the all-vanadium redox flow battery system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The composite foundation of the vanadium redox flow battery system also includes an isolation wall (5), which is located inside the liquid storage tank (3). The isolation wall (5) is sealed to the base plate (1) and part of the base side plate (2), dividing the liquid storage tank (3) into multiple interconnected sub-regions.
6. The composite basis of the all-vanadium redox flow battery system according to claim 5, characterized in that, An overflow hole (6) is provided on the isolation wall (5).
7. The composite basis of the all-vanadium redox flow battery system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The overflow hole (6) is connected to an overflow pipe, and the inlet height of the overflow pipe is lower than the top edge of the liquid storage tank (3).
8. The composite basis of the all-vanadium redox flow battery system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The base side plate (2) is provided with a cable hole (7) for passing cables through. The cable hole (7) is connected to the external cable trench (8), and a sealing structure is provided at the cable hole (7).
9. The composite basis of the all-vanadium redox flow battery system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inner surface of the liquid storage tank (3) is provided with an anti-corrosion layer.
10. The composite basis of the all-vanadium redox flow battery system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The storage tank (3) is equipped with a support platform, and there is a space between the support platform and the foundation plate (1) for the flow and storage of leaked electrolyte.