Flow battery electrode frame and stack

Abstract

The application provides a liquid flow battery electrode frame and stack, the electrode frame comprises a flat plate-shaped electrode frame body, characterized in that: a flange extending outward is arranged at the edge of the front surface of the electrode frame body, the included angle between the flange and the electrode frame body is an obtuse angle, a groove is arranged on the inner side surface of the flange, and a clamping protrusion is arranged on the side surface corresponding to the thickness of the electrode frame body; when a plurality of electrode frames are stacked, the clamping protrusion on the upper electrode frame is clamped into the groove on the lower electrode frame, so that the relative fixation of the two adjacent electrode frames is realized. According to the technical scheme of the application, the direct connection of the clamping protrusion and the groove on the flange is used, the original locking structure such as a bolt and a spring can be replaced while the locking effect is ensured, and the stack structure is simplified.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of liquid flow battery, in particular to a liquid flow battery electrode frame and stack. BACKGROUND

[0002] The liquid flow battery is a new energy storage battery, and the electrode frame is an important component of the liquid flow battery, which is used to provide electrolyte flow channels, fix electrodes, bipolar plates and ion-conducting membranes, and can form a liquid flow battery stack by stacking. Meanwhile, the electrode frame also serves as the shell of the stack. In order to ensure the sealing of the stack, the adjacent electrode frames in the stacking structure need to be welded.

[0003] In the prior art, welding is directly performed on the plane where the adjacent electrode frames contact each other, or a sealing material is used for connection. For the electrode frame, such a welding method can only stack and weld one piece at a time, which affects the work efficiency. Therefore, a new electrode frame structure, i.e., a stack, is proposed to replace the existing welding by using other connection methods, thereby improving the production efficiency. SUMMARY

[0004] In view of the above problems in the prior art, the present application provides a liquid flow battery electrode frame and stack, which directly connects the clamping protrusion and the groove on the stop edge to replace the original bolt, spring and other locking structures while ensuring the locking effect, thereby simplifying the structure of the stack.

[0005] The present application provides a liquid flow battery electrode frame, which comprises a flat plate-shaped electrode frame body, the edge of the front surface of the electrode frame body has a stop edge extending outward, the stop edge and the electrode frame body form an obtuse angle, a groove is formed on the inner surface of the stop edge, and a clamping protrusion is arranged on the outer surface of the electrode frame body.

[0006] When a plurality of electrode frames are stacked, the clamping protrusion on the upper electrode frame is clamped into the groove on the lower electrode frame to fix the two adjacent electrode frames relative to each other.

[0007] In one embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the clamping protrusion and the groove is wedge-shaped, and the tip of the wedge-shaped protrusion faces the front surface of the electrode frame body. Through this embodiment, the wedge-shaped clamping protrusion and groove can realize direct connection between the electrode frames by deformation, and restore the deformation after connection to ensure the reliability of the connection.

[0008] In one embodiment, the stop edge continuously extends along the edge of the electrode frame body in a circumferential direction; the groove is an integral structure continuously extending along the inner surface of the stop edge, or the groove is a split structure discontinuously extending along the inner surface of the stop edge.

[0009] In one embodiment, for the groove being a unitary structure, the clamping protrusion is a unitary structure continuously extending along the side corresponding to the thickness of the electrode frame body or a split structure discontinuously extending; for the groove being a split structure, the clamping protrusion is a split structure corresponding to the groove.

[0010] In one embodiment, the retaining wall is manufactured by injection molding, machining or 3D printing.

[0011] In one embodiment, the material of the electrode frame body and the retaining wall is one of polypropylene, polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer, polyvinylidene fluoride or a modified polymer thereof.

[0012] The application provides a flow battery stack, which is composed of a plurality of flow battery cells, and each flow battery cell comprises the flow battery electrode frame.

[0013] In one embodiment, the end plate comprises an upper end plate and a lower end plate, and the upper end plate and the lower end plate can be buckled to each other to form a cavity for accommodating and packaging the plurality of flow battery cells.

[0014] In one embodiment, the end portions of the upper end plate and the lower end plate, which can be buckled to each other, are provided with buckle structures, and the buckle structure comprises a hook-shaped clamping head, and a clamping groove is formed at the hook-shaped bending portion of the clamping head; when the upper end plate and the lower end plate are buckled, the clamping heads of the two are clamped into the clamping grooves of the other, respectively.

[0015] The above technical features can be combined in various suitable manners or replaced by equivalent technical features, as long as the purpose of the application can be achieved.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the flow battery electrode frame and the stack provided by the application have at least the following beneficial effects:

[0017] The flow battery electrode frame and the stack provided by the application have the following beneficial effects: the retaining wall is arranged at the edge of the electrode frame body, and the direct connection between the clamping protrusion and the groove on the retaining wall between adjacent electrode frames in the stack can effectively ensure the stable connection and locking of the adjacent electrode frames in the stack, the original locking structure such as a bolt and a spring can be replaced while the locking effect is ensured, the structure of the stack is simplified, the manufacturing process efficiency of the stack is improved, the environmental adaptability of the stack is improved, and the reliability of the stack is improved. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0018] The application will be described in more detail below based on the embodiments and with reference to the drawings. In the drawings:

[0019] Figure 1 shows a structural schematic diagram of the electrode frame of the present application;

[0020] Figure 2 shows a partial sectional view of the electrode frame of the present application at the edge of the frame;

[0021] Figure 3 shows a structural schematic diagram of the stack of the electrode frame of the present application;

[0022] Figure 4 shows a structural schematic diagram of the upper end plate of the stack of the present application;

[0023] Figure 5 shows a structural schematic diagram of the lower end plate of the stack of the present application;

[0024] Figure 6 shows an outline drawing of the stack of the present application.

[0025] In the drawings, the same components are designated by the same reference numerals. The drawings are not drawn to scale.

[0026] Reference numerals:

[0027] 1 - electrode frame body, 11 - clamping protrusion, 2 - edge, 21 - groove, 3 - end plate, 31 - upper end plate, 32 - lower end plate, 4 - buckle structure, 41 - clamping head, 42 - clamping groove. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] The present application will be further described below in conjunction with the drawings.

[0029] The present application provides a liquid flow battery electrode frame, comprising a flat plate-shaped electrode frame body 1, the edge of the front face of the electrode frame body 1 has an outwardly extending edge 2, the edge 2 and the electrode frame body 1 form an obtuse angle, a groove 21 is formed on the inner side surface of the edge 2, and a clamping protrusion 11 is provided on the outer side surface of the electrode frame body 1.

[0030] When a plurality of electrode frames are stacked, for two adjacent electrode frames, the clamping protrusion 11 on the upper electrode frame is clamped into the groove 21 on the lower electrode frame, so as to realize the relative fixation of the two adjacent electrode frames.

[0031] Specifically, as shown in the drawings, the electrode frame body 1 in the electrode frame is flat plate-shaped, and has other structures for assembling components such as liquid flow battery bipolar plates, ion diaphragms, and positive and negative electrodes, which will not be described here. The edge 2 of the electrode frame is located at the edge of the electrode frame body 1 and continuously extends from the edge, so the whole is annular. The edge 2 and the electrode frame body 1 form an obtuse angle, so the edge 2 presents a state similar to that after bending relative to the electrode frame body 1, as shown in the drawings Figure 2 andFigure 3 As shown, the baffle 2 appears as a "flange" located at the edge of the electrode frame body 1.

[0032] A plurality of electrode frames are stacked to form a stack of flow battery, as shown in the figure Figure 3 . For two adjacent electrode frames, the baffle 2 of one electrode frame is wrapped and buckled on the outer side of the electrode frame body 1 of the other electrode frame in the stacking structure of the two stacked electrode frames, as shown in the figure Figure 3 . At this time, the clamping protrusion 11 on the upper electrode frame is clamped into the groove on the inner side surface of the baffle 2 of the lower electrode frame, and the reverse side of the upper electrode frame is tightly attached to the front side of the lower electrode frame at this time, realizing the relative fixation of the two electrode frames. A plurality of electrode frames are stacked to form a stack through the fixing structure, which ensures the stability of the stack structure and can eliminate the original locking structure such as bolts, nuts and springs of the stack.

[0033] Preferably, the cross-sectional shape of the clamping protrusion 11 and the groove 21 is wedge-shaped, and the tip of the wedge-shaped is towards the front side of the electrode frame body 1.

[0034] Specifically, as shown in the figure Figure 2 and Figure 3 , the clamping protrusion 11 and the groove 21 with wedge-shaped cross-sectional shape can directly press the two electrode frames together when the two electrode frames are stacked. The wedge-shaped shape forces the baffle 2 of the electrode frame to locally deform in the groove 21, so that the clamping protrusion 11 can be smoothly clamped into the groove 21, and after the clamping protrusion 11 is clamped, the baffle 2 restores the deformation, so that the clamping protrusion 11 and the groove 21 are stably matched and cannot be separated.

[0035] Further, the design of the clamping protrusion 11 and the groove 21 with wedge-shaped cross-sectional shape determines the direction of the tip, which determines whether the baffle 2 can deform correctly to realize the clamping of the clamping protrusion 11 into the corresponding groove 21, as shown in the structure Figure 3 . The tip of the wedge-shaped must be towards the front side of the electrode frame body 1, that is, the upper side of the figure Figure 3 . Of course, according to the actual situation, the tip of the wedge-shaped can also be changed to the side of the reverse side of the electrode frame body 1, that is, the lower side of the figure Figure 3 . At this time, the positions of the clamping protrusion 11 and the groove 21 need to be exchanged, that is, the clamping protrusion 11 is arranged on the inner side surface of the baffle, and the groove 21 is arranged on the side corresponding to the thickness of the electrode frame body 1.

[0036] Preferably, the baffle 2 is made of injection molding, machining or 3D printing.

[0037] Specifically, the additional forming of the retaining rim on the electrode frame can be achieved by injection molding, machining or 3D printing after the electrode frame is integrally formed, or the retaining rim and the electrode frame can be integrally formed by injection molding, machining or 3D printing.

[0038] In one embodiment, the retaining rim 2 extends continuously along the edge of the electrode frame body 1 in a circumferential direction;

[0039] The groove 21 is an integral structure extending continuously along the inner side surface of the retaining rim 2, or the groove 21 is a split structure extending discontinuously along the inner side surface of the retaining rim 2.

[0040] Specifically, in actual application, in order to ensure the relative sealing of the stacked electrode frames, the retaining rim 2 extends continuously along the edge of the electrode frame body 1 in a circumferential direction, and thus the two adjacent electrode frames have a continuous contact surface formed by the retaining rim 2 in the circumferential direction, which can maintain sealing to a certain extent.

[0041] As for the groove 21, it can be continuous and complete annular, or it can be a split structure composed of multiple discontinuous parts, which meets different requirements without affecting the connection of the two adjacent electrode frames.

[0042] In one embodiment, when the groove 21 is an integral structure, the clamping protrusion 11 is an integral structure extending continuously along the side surface corresponding to the thickness of the electrode frame body 1 or a split structure extending discontinuously; when the groove 21 is a split structure, the clamping protrusion 11 is a split structure corresponding to the groove 21.

[0043] Specifically, the clamping protrusion 11 can also be designed in different structures corresponding to different structures of the groove 21. When the groove 21 is an integral structure, the clamping protrusion 11 can be an integral structure corresponding to the groove 21 or a split structure. Both structures of the clamping protrusion can be clamped into the groove 21, but the contact surface after clamping of one structure is large and the contact surface after clamping of the other structure is small, which adapts to different requirements. When the groove 21 is a split structure, the clamping protrusion 11 can only be a split structure corresponding to the groove 21.

[0044] In one embodiment, the material of the electrode frame body 1 and the retaining rim 2 is one of polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (ABS), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) or a modified polymer thereof.

[0045] Specifically, the electrode frame body 1 and the retaining rim 2 can be made of one of the above-mentioned materials, or a material modified based on the above-mentioned materials, or a weldable high molecular material composed of the above-mentioned material and other rigid molecular fibers.

[0046] A flow battery stack of the present application, the stack is composed of a plurality of flow cells, the flow cell includes the flow battery electrode frame described above, and further has all the technical effects possessed thereby.

[0047] Specifically, the flow cell further includes other components, including ion diaphragm, bipolar plate, electrode and other components assembled on the electrode frame.

[0048] The diaphragm allows the positive and negative electrode reactions to conduct ions, including but not limited to H + , Na + , K + , Li + , Cl - , OH - and other ions.

[0049] The electrode includes positive and negative electrodes, which respectively undergo positive and negative electrode reactions of the battery. The positive electrode reaction includes the mutual conversion of pentavalent vanadium ions and tetravalent vanadium ions, the mutual conversion of trivalent iron ions and divalent iron ions, and the redox reaction of other electrode pairs. The negative electrode reaction includes the mutual conversion of trivalent vanadium ions and tetravalent vanadium ions, the mutual conversion of trivalent chromium ions and divalent chromium ions, and the redox reaction of other electrode pairs.

[0050] In one embodiment, the end plate 3 includes an upper end plate 31 and a lower end plate 32, the upper end plate 31 and the lower end plate 32 can be buckled to each other, and the two are buckled to form a cavity accommodating and packaging a plurality of flow cells.

[0051] As shown in the drawings Figures 3 to 6 , the end plate 3 is actually the shell of the structure after stacking a plurality of electrode frames, including the upper end plate 31 and the lower end plate 32 buckled to each other, the upper end plate 31 and the lower end plate 32 are used to protect the electrode frame after buckling and further ensure the stability of the structure after stacking a plurality of electrode frames, and then realize packaging and ensure the reliability of the stack structure by buckling.

[0052] In one embodiment, the end plate 3 includes an upper end plate 31 and a lower end plate 32, the upper end plate 31 and the lower end plate 32 can be buckled to each other, and the two are buckled to form a cavity accommodating and packaging a plurality of flow cells.

[0053] Specifically, as shown in the drawings Figure 3As shown, the upper end plate 31 and the lower end plate 32 are buckled to each other through the buckle structure 4. The buckle structure 4 on the upper end plate 31 and the lower end plate 32 is completely same, except that the direction of the clamping head 41 is opposite. When buckled, the upper end plate 31 and the lower end plate 32 are directly pressed and combined, the clamping head 41 is deformed, and then the clamping head 41 of the two is respectively clamped into the clamping groove 42 of the other, so as to realize the buckling connection.

[0054] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "bottom", "top", "front", "back", "inner", "outer", "left", "right" and the like indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation of the present application.

[0055] Although the present application is described herein with reference to particular embodiments, it should be understood that these examples are merely illustrative of the principles and applications of the present application. It should therefore be understood that numerous modifications can be made to the illustrative embodiments, and that other arrangements can be devised without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application as defined by the appended claims. It should be understood that different dependent claims and features described herein can be combined through different ways than described in the original claims. It should also be understood that features described in connection with individual embodiments can be used in other described embodiments.

Claims

1. A flow battery electrode frame, comprising a flat electrode frame body, characterized in that, The electrode frame body has an outwardly extending flange at the edge of the front side, and the flange and the electrode frame body form an obtuse angle. A groove is provided on the inner surface of the flange, and a snap-fit ​​protrusion is provided on the outer surface of the electrode frame body. The cross-sectional shape of both the snap-fit ​​protrusion and the groove is wedge-shaped, with the tip of the wedge facing the front side of the electrode frame body; When multiple electrode frames are stacked, for two adjacent electrode frames, the snap-fit ​​protrusion on the upper electrode frame snaps into the groove on the lower electrode frame, and the reverse side of the upper electrode frame is in close contact with the front side of the lower electrode frame, so as to achieve relative fixation of the two adjacent electrode frames.

2. The flow battery electrode frame according to claim 1, characterized in that, The retaining edge extends continuously circumferentially along the edge of the electrode frame body; The groove is an integral structure that extends continuously along the inner surface of the flange, or the groove is a split structure that extends discontinuously along the inner surface of the flange.

3. The flow battery electrode frame according to claim 2, characterized in that, The groove is an integral structure, and the snap-fit ​​protrusion is either an integral structure that extends continuously along the side corresponding to the thickness of the electrode frame body, or a separate structure that extends discontinuously. The groove is a split structure, and the snap-fit ​​protrusion is a corresponding split structure to the groove.

4. The flow battery electrode frame according to claim 1, characterized in that, The flange is manufactured by injection molding, machining or 3D printing.

5. The flow battery electrode frame according to claim 1, characterized in that, The electrode frame body and the edge are made of polypropylene, polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer, polyvinylidene fluoride or a modified polymer thereof.

6. A flow battery stack, said stack being composed of a plurality of flow single cells, characterized in that, The flow cell includes the flow cell electrode frame as described in any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. The flow battery stack according to claim 6, characterized in that, It also includes end plates, which include an upper end plate and a lower end plate. The upper end plate and the lower end plate can be fastened together to form a cavity that accommodates and encapsulates the plurality of flow cells.

8. The flow battery stack according to claim 7, characterized in that, The ends of the upper end plate and the lower end plate that can be fastened to each other both have a snap-fit ​​structure. The snap-fit ​​structure includes a hook-shaped snap head, and the hook-shaped bend on the snap head forms a snap groove. When the upper end plate and the lower end plate are fastened together, the locking heads of the two plates respectively engage with each other's locking slots.

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