Electrolyte storage tank capable of layering and homogenizing liquid for flow battery

Abstract

The present invention relates to the technical field of batteries, and discloses a flow battery electrolyte storage tank capable of layering and homogenizing, the flow battery electrolyte storage tank comprises: an electrolyte storage tank main body for accommodating an electrolyte and ensuring the safety of the electrolyte during storage and circulation; the liquid input and output assemblies are arranged on the upper side and the lower side of the liquid storage tank main body and used for keeping supply of the electrolyte to the battery; the layering plate is arranged in the liquid storage tank main body and is used for dividing the liquid storage tank main body into an upper-layer backflow area and a lower-layer liquid outlet area and keeping layering of the electrolyte; and the condensate circulating assembly is arranged on one side of the liquid storage tank main body and is used for cooling the battery. By arranging the condensate circulating assembly, the temperature of the electrolyte in the upper-layer backflow area is effectively reduced, the safety and the reliability of the battery are improved, meanwhile, the interior of the liquid storage tank is divided into the upper-layer backflow area and the lower-layer liquid outlet area through the design of the layering plate, the electrolyte to be reacted and the electrolyte after reaction are prevented from being mixed, the uniformity of battery reaction is ensured, and the service life of the battery is prolonged. Therefore, the charging and discharging efficiency of the battery is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of batteries, and in particular to an electrolyte storage tank capable of stratifying and uniformly distributing electrolyte in a liquid flow battery. Background Art

[0002] Liquid flow batteries are different from general traditional batteries. The energy storage active material electrolyte of its positive and negative electrodes is stored in a storage tank outside the battery, and is transported to the inside of the battery stack through an electrolyte circulation pump and pipelines to realize charging and discharging reactions on the electrodes. Therefore, the output power and energy storage capacity of the liquid flow battery can be designed independently, which can achieve large-capacity and long-term energy storage.

[0003] Liquid flow batteries store and release electrical energy through the mutual conversion of different active material ions. The concentration of active materials is closely related to the performance of liquid flow batteries. The traditional electrolyte operation mode causes the electrolyte after the reaction to flow back into the liquid storage tank. The active materials after the reaction are mixed with the active materials before the reaction, resulting in differences in the concentration of active materials participating in the reaction in the battery. The difference is particularly obvious when multiple battery stacks are operated in series. In order to ensure that the concentration of active materials flowing through the reaction area is constant over a period of time, the liquid storage tank structure needs to be optimized to achieve a uniform liquid effect.

[0004] Announcement No. CN116364974A proposes an electrolyte storage tank and a liquid flow battery system. This patent adopts two sets of electrolyte flow operation modes. On the one hand, the pump power loss increases exponentially, reducing the overall energy efficiency of the whole system; on the other hand, it is easy to cause heat accumulation in the upper or lower electrolyte in the storage tank. In addition, due to the long-term circulation of the liquid flow battery, the liquid level of the positive / negative electrode storage tanks is offset, and the upper liquid equalization rectifier cannot be displaced, resulting in obstruction of electrolyte circulation and causing accidents. The present invention, while ensuring liquid equalization, not only reduces the complexity of the system and improves energy utilization, but also prevents the occurrence of heat accumulation in the storage tank to a certain extent. Summary of the invention

[0005] In view of the deficiencies in the prior art, the present invention provides an electrolyte storage tank for a liquid flow battery that can be layered and evenly distributed, thereby solving the problems of electrolyte mixing, over-temperature, bubble accumulation and insufficient supply in the liquid flow battery.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention is implemented through the following technical solutions: an electrolyte storage tank for a liquid flow battery capable of stratifying and homogenizing the electrolyte, comprising:

[0007] The liquid storage tank body is used to contain the electrolyte and ensure the safety of the electrolyte during storage and circulation;

[0008] Liquid input and output components, which are arranged on the upper and lower sides of the liquid storage tank body and are used to maintain the supply of electrolyte to the battery;

[0009] A stratification plate is arranged inside the liquid storage tank body and is used to divide the liquid storage tank body into an upper reflux area and a lower liquid outlet area to maintain the stratification of the electrolyte;

[0010] A condensate circulation component, which is arranged on one side of the liquid storage tank body and is used to cool the battery temperature;

[0011] The upper and lower pressure balance pipelines are arranged inside the layered plate to connect the upper reflux area and the lower liquid outlet area;

[0012] The automatic liquid blocking tray is arranged on the top of the layered plate and is used to automatically adjust the flow of the upper and lower layers of electrolyte.

[0013] Preferably, the liquid input and output assembly comprises:

[0014] The liquid inlet of the liquid storage tank is provided at the top of the liquid storage tank body and is used to allow the electrolyte to be input into the liquid storage tank from the outside to ensure sufficient supply of electrolyte;

[0015] The liquid outlet of the liquid storage tank is provided at the bottom of the liquid storage tank body, and is used to allow the electrolyte to flow out of the liquid storage tank and supply the battery for charge and discharge reactions.

[0016] Preferably, the condensate circulation component comprises:

[0017] A condensate circulation pipeline, which surrounds the bottom of the layered plate, is used to increase the condensate circulation area and reduce the temperature of the electrolyte in the upper reflux zone;

[0018] The condensate circulation liquid inlet is arranged on one side of the liquid storage tank body, and the condensate circulation liquid outlet is also arranged on the same side of the liquid storage tank body.

[0019] Preferably, the top of the layered plate is provided with a plurality of upper and lower electrolyte flow ports distributed in a rectangular array.

[0020] Preferably, the condensate circulation pipeline is distributed in a spiral shape at the bottom of the layered plate.

[0021] Preferably, the upper and lower pressure balance pipelines are symmetrically distributed on both sides of the liquid storage tank body.

[0022] Preferably, the main body shape of the liquid storage tank includes but is not limited to cubic and cylindrical.

[0023] Preferably, the liquid storage tank body is filled with corrosion-resistant material.

[0024] Working principle: In the main body of the electrolyte storage tank, the electrolyte enters the upper reflux area through the liquid inlet of the storage tank. The design of the stratification plate allows the upper and lower electrolytes to remain stratified to prevent mixing. The stratification plate is provided with multiple upper and lower electrolyte flow ports, which contribute to the uniform flow of the electrolyte. During the electrolyte circulation process, the condensate circulation pipeline continuously circulates the condensate to reduce the temperature of the upper electrolyte to ensure that the battery is within a safe operating temperature range. The condensate circulation inlet and the condensate circulation outlet work together to achieve effective management of the condensate; the upper and lower pressure balance pipelines in the storage tank connect the upper reflux area and the lower outlet area to ensure the balance of air pressure and prevent the formation of bubbles, thereby ensuring the stable flow of the electrolyte. The liquid level sensor monitors the liquid level height of the upper and lower layers in real time, and the automatic elastic suction plugging plate adjusts the circulation of the electrolyte according to the sensor signal to ensure that the electrolyte can flow smoothly between the upper and lower layers under different liquid level conditions.

[0025] The present invention provides an electrolyte storage tank for a liquid flow battery capable of stratifying and evenly distributing electrolytes. The invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0026] 1. The present invention effectively reduces the temperature of the electrolyte in the upper reflux zone by arranging a condensate circulation component, prevents battery performance degradation or safety hazards caused by overheating, and improves the safety and reliability of the battery. At the same time, the design of the layered plate divides the interior of the liquid storage tank into an upper reflux zone and a lower liquid outlet zone, prevents the electrolyte to be reacted and the electrolyte after the reaction from mixing, maintains the stratification of electrolytes of different concentrations, ensures the uniformity of the battery reaction, and thus improves the charging and discharging efficiency of the battery.

[0027] 2. The present invention reduces the complexity of the system, reduces the power loss of the pump, and improves the overall energy efficiency of the entire system by optimizing the structural design of the liquid storage tank. At the same time, through effective management and temperature control of the electrolyte, the battery can achieve higher energy utilization during the charging and discharging process, reduce energy loss during the charging and discharging process, and improve the overall system efficiency.

[0028] 3. The present invention adopts the design of an automatic elastic suction blocking liquid tray so that the circulation of the upper and lower layers of electrolyte can be automatically adjusted according to the real-time liquid level, ensuring the smooth flow of the electrolyte under different liquid level conditions, improving the response speed and operation stability of the system, and at the same time, through the reasonable layout of the liquid input and output components and the simplified design of the condensate circulation system, the replenishment of the electrolyte and the management of the condensate are more convenient, reducing the difficulty and cost of daily maintenance. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] Figure 1 A perspective view of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the liquid storage tank body of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the layered structure of the liquid storage tank body of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the liquid storage tank main body layered below the present invention;

[0033] Figure 5 It is a front view of the liquid storage tank body of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 6 It is a cross-sectional view of the liquid storage tank body of the present invention.

[0035] Among them, 1. Liquid storage tank body; 2. Liquid storage tank liquid inlet; 3. Liquid storage tank liquid outlet; 4. Condensate circulation liquid inlet; 5. Condensate circulation liquid outlet; 6. Condensate circulation pipeline; 7. Upper and lower layer pressure balance pipeline; 8. Automatic spring suction plugging plate; 9. Upper and lower layer electrolyte flow outlets; 10. Layering plate. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] The technical solution of the present invention will be described clearly and completely below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0037] Please see attached Figure 1 -Attached Figure 6 The embodiment of the present invention provides an electrolyte storage tank for a flow battery capable of stratifying and homogenizing the electrolyte, comprising:

[0038] The liquid storage tank body 1 is used to contain the electrolyte and ensure the safety of the electrolyte during storage and circulation;

[0039] Liquid input and output components, which are arranged on the upper and lower sides of the liquid storage tank body 1, and are used to maintain the supply of electrolyte to the battery;

[0040] A stratification plate 10 is disposed inside the liquid storage tank body 1 and is used to divide the liquid storage tank body 1 into an upper reflux area and a lower liquid outlet area to maintain the stratification of the electrolyte;

[0041] A condensate circulation component, which is arranged on one side of the liquid storage tank body 1 and is used to cool the battery temperature;

[0042] The upper and lower pressure balance pipelines 7 are arranged through the layer plate 10 to connect the upper reflux area and the lower liquid outlet area;

[0043] An automatic liquid blocking plate 8 is arranged on the top of the layer plate 10 and is used to automatically adjust the flow of the upper and lower layers of electrolyte;

[0044] The top of the layered plate 10 is provided with a plurality of upper and lower electrolyte flow ports 9 distributed in a rectangular array;

[0045] The upper and lower pressure balance pipelines 7 are symmetrically distributed on both sides of the liquid storage tank body 1;

[0046] The shape of the liquid storage tank body 1 includes but is not limited to cubic and cylindrical;

[0047] The liquid storage tank body 1 is filled with a corrosion-resistant material.

[0048] Specifically, the liquid storage tank body 1 is used to contain electrolyte to ensure the safety of electrolyte during storage and circulation. The liquid storage tank body 1 is filled with corrosion-resistant materials, which prolongs the service life of the equipment and prevents the electrolyte from corroding the tank material; the liquid input and output components are arranged on the upper and lower sides of the liquid storage tank body 1, which can effectively maintain the continuous supply of electrolyte to the battery and ensure the normal operation of the battery. A stratification plate 10 is provided inside the liquid storage tank, which divides the liquid storage tank body 1 into an upper reflux area and a lower liquid outlet area, maintains the stratification of the electrolyte, prevents the mixing of electrolytes of different concentrations, and thus optimizes the reaction efficiency of the battery; in order to control the battery temperature, a condensate circulation component is provided on one side of the liquid storage tank body 1, and the condensate circulation pipeline is connected to the condensate circulation inlet 4 and the condensate circulation outlet 5, which can effectively reduce the temperature of the upper reflux area and avoid safety hazards of the battery due to excessive temperature. Inside the layered plate 10, an upper and lower pressure balancing pipeline 7 is set, which runs through the layered plate 10 and is used to connect the upper reflux area and the lower liquid outlet area to ensure the air pressure balance in the liquid storage tank and prevent the generation of bubbles, thereby ensuring the stable flow of the electrolyte; in addition, an automatic elastic suction and blocking liquid tray 8 is set on the top of the layered plate 10, and the automatic adjustment of the upper and lower electrolyte circulation is achieved through electrical control, ensuring a rapid response when the liquid level changes and maintaining the smooth flow of the electrolyte. A plurality of upper and lower electrolyte flow ports 9 distributed in a rectangular array are also provided on the top of the layered plate 10, which helps the electrolyte to flow evenly between the upper and lower layers and optimize the charge and discharge performance of the battery. The upper and lower pressure balancing pipelines 7 are symmetrically distributed on both sides of the liquid storage tank body 1, further enhancing the stability of the system.

[0049] Please refer to the attached Figure 1 , the liquid input and output components include:

[0050] A liquid inlet 2 of the liquid storage tank is provided at the top of the liquid storage tank body 1 and is used to allow the electrolyte to be input into the liquid storage tank from the outside to ensure sufficient supply of the electrolyte;

[0051] The liquid storage tank liquid outlet 3 is provided at the bottom of the liquid storage tank body 1 and is used to allow the electrolyte to flow out of the liquid storage tank and supply the battery for charge and discharge reactions.

[0052] Specifically, the liquid inlet 2 of the liquid storage tank is opened at the top of the liquid storage tank body 1, and is designed to facilitate the external input of the electrolyte to ensure sufficient supply of the electrolyte during operation. The setting of the liquid inlet not only simplifies the operation of replenishing the electrolyte, but also makes it more convenient to maintain and replace the electrolyte. In addition, the height position of the liquid inlet helps to achieve gravity flow, reduce the energy consumption of the pump, and improve the overall efficiency of the system; the liquid outlet 3 of the liquid storage tank is opened at the bottom of the liquid storage tank body 1, and its main function is to allow the electrolyte to flow out of the liquid storage tank to supply the battery for charging and discharging reactions. The bottom design of the liquid outlet ensures that the electrolyte can flow out smoothly under the action of gravity, minimizes the retention of the liquid during the flow process, thereby reducing the dead zone phenomenon of the electrolyte and improving the response speed and stability of the system. This design is also convenient for monitoring and controlling the flow of the electrolyte, ensuring the timely supply and recovery of the electrolyte during the charging and discharging process of the battery, thereby ensuring the high efficiency and long-term reliability of the battery.

[0053] Please refer to the attached Figure 1 and attached Figure 4 , the condensate circulation components include:

[0054] A condensate circulation pipeline 6, which surrounds the bottom of the layered plate 10, is used to increase the condensate circulation area and reduce the temperature of the electrolyte in the upper reflux zone;

[0055] A condensate circulation inlet 4 is arranged on one side of the liquid storage tank body 1, and a condensate circulation outlet 5 is also arranged on the same side of the liquid storage tank body 1;

[0056] The condensate circulation pipeline 6 is distributed in a spiral shape at the bottom of the layered plate 10 .

[0057] Specifically, the condensate circulation pipeline 6 is arranged around the bottom of the layered plate 10, and its design adopts a spiral layout to enhance the circulation effect of the condensate. Such a layout not only increases the residence time of the condensate in the pipeline, ensuring that it is in full contact with the electrolyte, thereby achieving effective heat exchange, reducing the temperature of the electrolyte in the upper reflux area, and preventing safety hazards caused by overheating of the battery. In addition, the spiral pipeline design allows the condensate to form eddies during the flow process, further improving the heat transfer efficiency; the condensate circulation inlet 4 is arranged on one side of the liquid storage tank body 1, which is convenient for the input of external condensate, and at the same time allows the condensate to quickly flow into the circulation pipeline 6 for heat exchange. In coordination with this, the condensate circulation outlet 5 is arranged on the same side to ensure that the condensate that has been cooled can be discharged in time to form a complete circulation system. Such a design not only facilitates the flow of the condensate, but also simplifies maintenance and operation, making the replacement and management of the condensate more efficient.

[0058] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and variations may be made to the embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention, and that the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An electrolyte storage tank for a flow battery capable of stratifying and homogenizing the electrolyte, characterized in that: include: A liquid storage tank body (1), which is used to contain electrolyte and ensure the safety of the electrolyte during storage and circulation; Liquid input and output components are arranged on the upper and lower sides of the liquid storage tank body (1) and are used to maintain the supply of electrolyte to the battery; A stratification plate (10) is arranged inside the liquid storage tank body (1) and is used to divide the liquid storage tank body (1) into an upper reflux area and a lower liquid outlet area to maintain the stratification of the electrolyte; A condensate circulation component, which is arranged on one side of the liquid storage tank body (1) and is used to cool the battery; The upper and lower pressure balancing pipelines (7) are arranged through the interior of the layered plate (10) and are used to connect the upper layer reflux area and the lower layer liquid outlet area; An automatic liquid-absorbing and blocking tray (8) is arranged on the top of the layered plate (10) and is used to automatically adjust the flow of electrolytes in the upper and lower layers.

2. The electrolyte storage tank for a flow battery capable of stratifying and homogenizing the electrolyte according to claim 1, characterized in that: The liquid input and output assembly comprises: A liquid inlet (2) of the liquid storage tank is provided on the top of the liquid storage tank body (1) and is used to allow electrolyte to be input from the outside into the liquid storage tank to ensure sufficient supply of electrolyte; The liquid storage tank liquid outlet (3) is provided at the bottom of the liquid storage tank body (1) and is used to allow the electrolyte to flow out of the liquid storage tank and supply the battery for charging and discharging reactions.

3. The electrolyte storage tank for a flow battery capable of stratifying and homogenizing the electrolyte according to claim 1, characterized in that: The condensate circulation component comprises: A condensate circulation pipeline (6) surrounds the bottom of the layered plate (10) and is used to increase the condensate circulation area and reduce the temperature of the electrolyte in the upper reflux zone; A condensate circulation inlet (4) is arranged on one side of the liquid storage tank body (1), and a condensate circulation outlet (5) is also arranged on the same side of the liquid storage tank body (1).

4. The electrolyte storage tank for a flow battery capable of stratifying and homogenizing the electrolyte according to claim 1, characterized in that: The top of the layered plate (10) is provided with a plurality of upper and lower electrolyte flow ports (9) distributed in a rectangular array.

5. The electrolyte storage tank for a liquid flow battery capable of stratifying and homogenizing the electrolyte according to claim 3, characterized in that: The condensate circulation pipeline (6) is distributed in a spiral shape at the bottom of the layered plate (10).

6. The electrolyte storage tank for a flow battery capable of stratifying and homogenizing the electrolyte according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper and lower pressure balance pipelines (7) are symmetrically distributed on both sides of the liquid storage tank body (1).

7. The electrolyte storage tank for a flow battery capable of stratifying and homogenizing the electrolyte according to claim 1, characterized in that: The shape of the liquid storage tank body (1) includes but is not limited to cubic and cylindrical.

8. The electrolyte storage tank for a flow battery capable of stratifying and homogenizing the electrolyte according to claim 1, characterized in that: The liquid storage tank body (1) is filled with corrosion-resistant material.

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