Method and system for controlling flow battery, electronic equipment and storage medium

Abstract

The invention provides a method and a system for controlling a flow battery, electronic equipment and a storage medium. The flow battery comprises an electric pile for accommodating electrolyte and a circulating pump for driving the electrolyte. According to the method, the first pressure difference between the inlet and the outlet of the galvanic pile is determined, whether the flow of the electrolyte reaches the target flow or not is determined by using a first model based on the first pressure difference, and the first model comprises the corresponding relation between the pressure difference between the inlet and the outlet of the galvanic pile and the target flow; in response to the fact that the flow of the electrolyte does not reach the target flow, the rotating speed of the circulating pump is adjusted to increase the first pressure difference, and therefore the flow of the flow battery is controlled by adjusting the first pressure difference without using a flow meter.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of energy storage technology, and in particular to a method, system, electronic device and storage medium for controlling a liquid flow battery. Background Art

[0002] A flow battery is a rechargeable battery in which an electrolyte containing one or more dissolved electroactive species flows through (in and out of) an electrochemical reactor that converts chemical energy into electrical energy. Additional electrolyte containing one or more dissolved electroactive species is stored externally, usually in tanks, and is typically pumped through the electrochemical reactor (or multiple electrochemical reactors).

[0003] The flow rate required by flow batteries in different working conditions is different, and the size of the flow rate determines the system performance and efficiency. Therefore, how to control the flow rate of flow batteries is an urgent problem to be solved. Summary of the invention

[0004] In view of this, the purpose of the present application is to propose a method, system, electronic device and storage medium for controlling a liquid flow battery, so as to solve or partially solve the above-mentioned problems.

[0005] Based on the above purpose, in a first aspect of the present application, a method for controlling a flow battery is provided, wherein the flow battery comprises a battery stack containing an electrolyte, and the flow battery further comprises a circulation pump for driving the electrolyte, and the method comprises:

[0006] determining a first pressure difference between an inlet and an outlet of the stack;

[0007] Determining whether the flow rate of the electrolyte reaches a target flow rate using a first model based on the first pressure difference, the first model including a corresponding relationship between the pressure difference between the inlet and the outlet of the stack and the target flow rate;

[0008] In response to the flow rate of the electrolyte not reaching the target flow rate, the rotation speed of the circulation pump is adjusted to increase the first pressure difference.

[0009] In a second aspect of the present application, a liquid flow battery system is provided, comprising a battery stack containing an electrolyte, wherein the liquid flow battery further comprises a circulation pump for driving the electrolyte,

[0010] The flow battery system further comprises a control unit configured to:

[0011] determining a first pressure difference between an inlet and an outlet of the stack;

[0012] Determining whether the flow rate of the electrolyte reaches a target flow rate based on the first pressure difference and a first model, wherein the first model includes a corresponding relationship between the pressure difference between the inlet and the outlet of the battery stack and the target flow rate;

[0013] In response to the flow rate of the electrolyte not reaching the target flow rate, the rotation speed of the circulation pump is adjusted to increase the first pressure difference.

[0014] In a third aspect of the present application, an electronic device is provided, comprising: a memory storing a group of computer programs; and a processor configured to execute the group of computer programs so that the electronic device implements the method described in the first aspect.

[0015] According to a fourth aspect of the present application, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium is provided, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium stores computer instructions, wherein the computer instructions are used to enable a computer to execute the method described in the first aspect.

[0016] As can be seen from the above, the present application provides a method, system, electronic device and storage medium for controlling a liquid flow battery, the liquid flow battery comprising a battery stack containing an electrolyte and a circulation pump for driving the electrolyte. The method provided in the present application determines a first pressure difference between the inlet and outlet of the battery stack, and uses a first model based on the first pressure difference to determine whether the flow rate of the electrolyte reaches a target flow rate. The first model includes a corresponding relationship between the pressure difference between the inlet and outlet of the battery stack and the target flow rate. In response to the flow rate of the electrolyte not reaching the target flow rate, the speed of the circulation pump is adjusted to increase the first pressure difference, thereby achieving control of the flow rate of the liquid flow battery by adjusting the first pressure difference without using a flow meter. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the present application or related technologies, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or related technical descriptions are briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0018] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an exemplary flow battery according to an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0019] Figure 2A A schematic diagram of an exemplary flow battery according to an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0020] Figure 2B A schematic diagram of an exemplary flow battery according to an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0021] Figure 3AA schematic diagram of an exemplary flow battery according to an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0022] Figure 3B A schematic diagram of an exemplary flow battery according to an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0023] Figure 4 A schematic flow chart of an exemplary method for controlling a flow battery according to an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0024] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present application is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] In order to make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the present application more clearly understood, the present application is further described in detail below in combination with specific embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0026] It should be noted that, unless otherwise defined, the technical terms or scientific terms used in the embodiments of the present application should be the usual meanings understood by people with ordinary skills in the field to which the present application belongs. The "first", "second" and similar words used in the embodiments of the present application do not represent any order, quantity or importance, but are only used to distinguish different components. "Including" or "comprising" and similar words mean that the elements or objects appearing in front of the word cover the elements or objects listed after the word and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects. "Connect" or "connected" and similar words are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but can include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. "Up", "down", "left", "right" and the like are only used to indicate relative positional relationships. When the absolute position of the described object changes, the relative positional relationship may also change accordingly.

[0027] As mentioned above, the flow rate required by the flow battery in different working conditions is different, and the size of the flow rate determines the system performance and efficiency.

[0028] There is no flow sensor in the liquid flow battery. Currently, there are many types of liquid flow sensors that can be used in liquid flow batteries. However, different types of sensors have various disadvantages, such as poor accuracy, easy damage, high price, etc.

[0029] During the startup or operation of the battery, gases may be generated due to the chemical reaction of the electrolyte. If these gases accumulate inside the battery, they may affect the performance and safety of the battery. Therefore, when the battery outputs power, these gases need to be released through exhaust operations to maintain the stability of the internal environment of the battery. At the same time, exhaust operations can ensure appropriate flow in the stack of the flow battery, thereby ensuring the order of the chemical reaction of the electrolyte in the stack.

[0030] However, the flow rate established in the battery stack by exhaust operation at each power output is unstable, and the unstable flow rate will cause side reactions in the electrolyte to produce an electrode passivation film. Therefore, it is very important to accurately and stably control the flow rate of the flow battery.

[0031] In order to at least solve the above problems, the present application provides a method, system, electronic device and storage medium for controlling a liquid flow battery, the liquid flow battery comprising a battery stack containing an electrolyte and a circulation pump for driving the electrolyte. The method provided in the present application determines a first pressure difference between an inlet and an outlet of the battery stack, and uses a first model based on the first pressure difference to determine whether the flow rate of the electrolyte reaches a target flow rate. The first model includes a corresponding relationship between the pressure difference between the inlet and the outlet of the battery stack and the target flow rate. In response to the flow rate of the electrolyte not reaching the target flow rate, the speed of the circulation pump is adjusted to increase the first pressure difference, thereby achieving control of the flow rate of the liquid flow battery by adjusting the first pressure difference without using a flow meter.

[0032] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an exemplary flow battery 100 according to an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0033] like Figure 1 As shown, the flow battery 100 may include a positive electrode side 12 and a negative electrode side 14 separated by a separator (e.g., an ion exchange membrane) 102. The separator 102, the positive electrode side 12, and the negative electrode side 14 may constitute a battery cell. It is understood that the flow battery 100 may include multiple battery cells. Figure 1 This is for exemplary purposes only. The positive side 12 may include a positive electrode chamber 104 containing a positive electrolyte 18, a positive current collector 106, and a positive electrolyte reservoir 108. Similarly, the negative side 14 may include a negative electrode chamber 110 containing a negative electrolyte 20, a negative current collector 112, and a negative electrolyte reservoir 114. A diaphragm 102 is disposed between the positive electrode chamber 104 and the negative electrode chamber 110. The diaphragm 102 allows ion flow between the electroactive materials in the positive electrode chamber 104 and the negative electrode chamber 110. Therefore, the positive electrode chamber 104, the negative electrode chamber 110, the positive current collector 106, the negative current collector 112, and the diaphragm 102 form an electrochemical reactor 16, which converts chemical energy into electrical energy (i.e., release of electrical energy) or converts electrical energy into chemical energy (i.e., storage of electrical energy). The electrochemical reactor 16 may also be referred to as a stack. Thus, positive current collector 106 and negative current collector 112 may be (externally) electrically coupled (together or with other current collectors) to form an electrical circuit.

[0034] The positive electrode electrolyte 18 and the negative electrode electrolyte 20 are usually combined with the electrolyte for transporting positive and negative reaction material ions respectively through a soluble intermediate. The positive electrode electrolyte 18 and the negative electrode electrolyte 20 can circulate on the corresponding side of the flow battery 100 to drive the reaction in the electrochemical reactor 16. Therefore, the positive electrode electrolyte 18 and the negative electrode electrolyte 20 are movable. To this end, the positive electrode side 12 can also include an inlet / outlet pipe 116 in fluid communication with the positive electrode chamber 104 and the positive electrode electrolyte reservoir 108, and a circulation pump 118, a heat exchanger 120 and a valve 122 that are each operable with the inlet / outlet pipe 116. The circulation pump 118 can be used to drive the positive electrode electrolyte 18 so that the positive electrode electrolyte 18 circulates through the positive electrode chamber 104, the positive electrode electrolyte reservoir 108 and the inlet / outlet pipe 116. Since the electrochemical reaction can generate heat, the heat exchanger 120 can be used to achieve heat exchange with the outside of the flow battery 100 to control the temperature of the positive electrolyte 18 within a suitable temperature range. The valve 122 can be used to control the positive electrolyte 18 to flow into and / or out of the positive chamber 104.

[0035] The negative electrode side 14 may include an inlet / outlet pipe 124 in fluid communication with the negative electrode chamber 110 and the negative electrode electrolyte reservoir 114, and a circulation pump 126, a heat exchanger 128, and a valve 130 each operably arranged with the inlet / outlet pipe 124. The circulation pump 126 may be used to drive the negative electrode electrolyte 20 so that the negative electrode electrolyte 20 circulates through the negative electrode chamber 110, the negative electrode electrolyte reservoir 114, and the inlet / outlet pipe 124. Since the electrochemical reaction may generate heat, the heat exchanger 128 may be used to achieve heat exchange with the outside of the flow battery 100 to control the temperature of the negative electrode electrolyte 20 within a suitable temperature range. The valve 130 may be used to control the negative electrode electrolyte 20 to flow into and / or out of the negative electrode chamber 110.

[0036] The negative electrode side 14 may include a slurry of zinc oxide and sodium hydroxide mixed in a negative electrolyte reservoir 114 to ensure maximum dissolution of the active material (zincate) in the solution. This solution may be used as the negative electrolyte 20 of the flow battery 100. During charging, the soluble zincate reacts at the surface of the negative current collector 112, depositing zinc metal on the surface of the negative current collector 112 (adjacent to the negative electrode chamber 110). During discharge, the load reverses the reaction, oxidizing the zinc metal from the surface of the negative current collector 112. The discharge product is typically stored in the negative electrolyte reservoir 114, but should be managed to ensure that it is not deposited elsewhere in the system. It will be appreciated that the negative electrolyte is not limited to the above examples.

[0037] The flow battery 100 may also include a control unit (not shown). In some embodiments, the control unit may be a collection of multiple controllers of the flow battery 100. These controllers may be physically distributed in different locations. For example, the control unit may include a single chip microcomputer or a computer that controls the operation or stop of the circulation pump 118 and the circulation pump 126 and the opening of the valve 122 and the valve 130. It is understood that more or fewer controllers may be provided according to the actual application, but these controllers all fall within the scope of the control unit of the present application. The control unit may include a memory for storing computer instructions and at least one processor for executing the computer instructions.

[0038] The state of charge (SOC) of the flow battery 100 is affected by the flow of the positive electrolyte 18 contained in the positive electrode chamber 104 and the negative electrolyte 20 contained in the negative electrode chamber 110. The greater the flow of the electrolyte, the more active substances can be provided to participate in the reaction. Different chemical reactions inside the battery may affect the viscosity of the electrolyte or the ion concentration inside the battery, thereby changing the flow resistance of the electrolyte.

[0039] Figure 2A A schematic diagram of an exemplary flow battery 200 according to an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0040] As mentioned above, different chemical reactions inside the battery may affect the viscosity of the electrolyte or the ion concentration inside the battery, thereby changing the flow resistance of the electrolyte. Changes in flow resistance will cause different pressures for the electrolyte to flow into and out of the battery stack. Based on this, Figure 2A As shown, in some embodiments, during the charge and discharge process of the liquid flow battery, the pressure change can be determined by the pressure values ​​of the pressure sensor 204 and the pressure sensor 206 respectively arranged on both sides of the battery stack 16 (i.e., the electrochemical reactor 16), thereby obtaining the change of the electrolyte flow in the battery stack, and then adjusting the parameters of the circulation pump 202 (for example, the rotation speed of the circulation pump) based on the change of the flow in the battery stack to realize the control of the liquid flow battery flow.

[0041] During the operation of the flow battery 200, it is necessary to ensure that the stack pressure value of the battery stack 16 meets the pressure value of the normal working range, and the stack pressure value can be obtained by the pressure sensor 204. Therefore, in some embodiments, a second model can be set, and the second model can include the corresponding relationship between the state of charge and the stack pressure value, based on the corresponding relationship between the state of charge (for example, the target state of charge) and the stack pressure value (for example, the target pressure), so as to determine whether the stack pressure value of the flow battery 200 reaches the target pressure value corresponding to the target state of charge by reading the pressure value of the pressure sensor 204. The second model can be constructed by experimentally measured data. For example, multiple intervals of the state of charge can be selected at certain intervals within the state of charge range of 0-100% (for example, 0-10% is selected as one interval, 10-20% is selected as one interval, and so on). When the charge state of the liquid flow battery 200 reaches the charge state of each interval, the stack entry pressure value in the discharge stage and the stack entry pressure value in the charging stage corresponding to the charge state of each interval are determined. For example, to achieve a charge state in the range of 0-10%, the stack entry pressure value in the discharge stage needs to be P1 and the stack entry pressure value in the charging stage needs to be P8.

[0042] In some embodiments, the second model can be obtained by fitting a certain relationship to the data obtained by the above experimental measurements (for example, the least square method can be used for approximate fitting). In some other embodiments, a large amount of data on the state of charge and stack pressure values ​​measured by the above experiments can be used as a training set for the machine learning model, and the trained machine learning model can be used as the second model to obtain a relatively accurate estimation result of the second model.

[0043] Figure 2B A schematic diagram of an exemplary flow battery 210 according to an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0044] like Figure 2B As shown, in some embodiments, the pressure difference between the inlet and outlet of the stack 16 can be obtained by connecting the differential pressure gauge 212 on both sides of the stack 16. It can be understood that in addition to the pressure sensor and the differential pressure gauge, the pressure difference between the inlet and outlet of the stack can also be measured by other methods. For example, the speed of the inlet and outlet of the stack can be measured by a speedometer, and then the pressure difference between the inlet and outlet of the stack can be determined by calculating the speed and density. Therefore, the method for obtaining the pressure difference is not limited to the present embodiment, and the embodiment of the present application is described by taking the pressure difference obtained by the pressure sensor as an example.

[0045] Figure 3A A schematic diagram of an exemplary flow battery 300 according to an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0046] like Figure 3AAs shown, considering the problem that the diaphragm 102 is easily damaged when the pressure acting on both sides of the diaphragm 102 is different, in some embodiments, a pressure sensor 302 connected to the positive electrode chamber 104 can be provided on the positive electrode side 18 of the liquid flow battery 300, and a pressure sensor 304 connected to the negative electrode chamber 110 can be provided on the negative electrode side 20. The pressure sensor 302 can be connected to a circulation pump 310 for driving the positive electrode electrolyte 18 contained in the positive electrode chamber 104, and the pressure sensor 304 can be connected to a circulation pump 312 for driving the negative electrode electrolyte 20 contained in the negative electrode chamber 110. Adjusting the parameters of the circulation pump 310 and the circulation pump 312 according to the pressure values ​​of the pressure sensors on both sides of the positive and negative electrodes can avoid damage to the diaphragm 102 due to excessive pressure difference between the positive and negative electrodes on the basis of achieving flow adjustment.

[0047] As described above, during the operation of the liquid flow battery 200, it is necessary to ensure that the stack pressure value of the battery stack 16 meets the pressure value of the normal working range. For the positive electrode chamber 104 and the negative electrode chamber 110 of the liquid flow battery 300, it is also necessary that the stack pressure value of the positive electrode chamber 104 and the stack pressure value of the negative electrode chamber 110 meet the pressure values ​​of the normal working range respectively.

[0048] The second model may include a correspondence between the state of charge and the inlet pressure value of the positive electrode chamber 104 (e.g., the pressure value of the pressure sensor 302) or a correspondence between the state of charge and the inlet pressure value of the negative electrode chamber 110 (e.g., the pressure value of the pressure sensor 304). In some embodiments, the first inlet pressure of the stack 16 (e.g., the pressure value of the pressure sensor 302 or the pressure sensor 304) may be obtained, and according to the first inlet pressure and the second model, it is determined whether the first inlet pressure reaches the target pressure corresponding to the target state of charge.

[0049] While the stacking pressure values ​​of the positive electrode chamber 104 and the negative electrode chamber 110 meet the pressure values ​​of the normal working range, it is also necessary to determine the difference between the stacking pressure value of the positive electrode chamber 104 and the stacking pressure value of the negative electrode chamber 110 (for example, the third pressure difference) according to the pressure values ​​of the pressure sensor 302 and the pressure sensor 304 to meet the pressure difference of the normal working range (for example, the pressure difference of the normal working range can be between 3kPa and 15kPa) to avoid excessive positive and negative pressure difference causing damage to the diaphragm 102. It can be understood that the third pressure difference is the difference between the pressure values ​​of the pressure sensor 302 and the pressure sensor 304, that is, the pressure difference between the inlet of the positive electrode chamber 104 and the inlet of the negative electrode chamber 110.

[0050] Figure 3B A schematic diagram of an exemplary flow battery 320 according to an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0051] like Figure 3BAs shown, the difference in the stack pressure between the positive electrode chamber 104 and the negative electrode chamber 110 can also be obtained by a differential pressure gauge 314. It can be understood that in addition to the pressure sensor and the differential pressure gauge, the difference in the stack pressure between the positive and negative electrode chambers can also be measured by other methods. For example, the speed of the entrance of the positive and negative electrode chambers can be measured by a speedometer, respectively, and then the difference in the stack pressure between the positive and negative electrode chambers can be determined by calculating the speed and density. Therefore, the method for obtaining the pressure difference is not limited to this embodiment, and the embodiment of the present application is described by taking the pressure difference obtained by a pressure sensor as an example.

[0052] When the stack pressure value and the third pressure difference meet the control target, it can be determined whether the pressure difference (for example, the first pressure difference) on both sides of the stack 16 meets the requirement. Figure 3A As shown, the positive electrode chamber 104 of the liquid flow battery 300 can also be connected to the pressure sensor 306, and the negative electrode chamber 110 can also be connected to the pressure sensor 308. It can be understood that the pressure difference between the inlet and the outlet of the battery stack 16 (i.e., the first pressure difference) can include the pressure difference on both sides of the positive electrode chamber 104 (for example, the difference in pressure values ​​between the pressure sensor 302 and the pressure sensor 306) and the pressure difference on both sides of the negative electrode chamber 110 (for example, the difference in pressure values ​​between the pressure sensor 304 and the pressure sensor 308). Taking the flow control of the positive electrode side 18 of the liquid flow battery 300 as an example, in some embodiments, the pressure difference on both sides of the positive electrode chamber 104 can be determined based on the pressure values ​​of the pressure sensor 302 and the pressure sensor 306, and whether the parameters of the circulating pump 310 need to be adjusted can be determined based on the pressure difference and the first model. In some embodiments, the first model can include the corresponding relationship between the state of charge, flow rate and pressure difference. For example, the first model can be expressed as: Where Q represents the flow rate (m 3 / s), P represents the pressure difference before and after (Pa), and p represents the fluid density (kg / m 3 ), g represents the acceleration due to gravity (m / s 2 ), S represents the pipeline specific resistance (Pa·s 2 / m 2 ), L represents the length of the pipeline (m). In this way, according to the pressure values ​​measured by the pressure sensor 302 and the pressure sensor 306 (or the pressure values ​​measured by the pressure sensor 304 and the pressure sensor 308) and the corresponding relationship between the flow rate and the pressure difference in the first model, the change of the electrolyte flow rate can be determined, and then the flow rate of the liquid flow battery can be controlled by adjusting the parameters of the circulation pump 310.

[0053] When determining the first model, the user can first determine the flow rate of the electrolyte according to the needs. The flow rate is related to the concentration of the electrolyte and the reaction speed of the electrolyte required by the user. The flow rate of the electrolyte affects the state of charge of the liquid flow battery. The first model can be constructed through experimentally measured data. For example, multiple intervals of the state of charge can be selected at certain intervals within the state of charge range of 0-100%. For example, 0-10% is selected as an interval, 10-20% is selected as an interval, and so on). Each interval corresponds to the discharge flow rate and charging flow rate that the liquid flow battery needs to achieve. For example, to achieve a state of charge in the range of 0-10%, the positive electrode electrolyte needs to reach 18m3. 3 / h charge / discharge flow rate. When the flow rate of the positive electrode electrolyte 18 reaches the target charge / discharge flow rate, the pressure values ​​of the current pressure sensor 302 and the pressure sensor 306 can be recorded respectively, and the pressure difference (for example, the second pressure difference) on both sides of the positive electrode chamber 104 can be determined; for the negative electrode side, when the flow rate of the negative electrode electrolyte 20 reaches the target charge / discharge flow rate, the pressure values ​​measured by the current pressure sensor 304 and the pressure sensor 308 can be recorded respectively, and the pressure difference (for example, the second pressure difference) on both sides of the negative electrode chamber 110 can be determined.

[0054] In some embodiments, the first model can be obtained by fitting a certain relationship of the data obtained by the above experimental measurements (for example, the least square method can be used for approximate fitting). In some other embodiments, a large amount of data of flow, state of charge and pressure values ​​measured by the above experiments can be used as a training set of the machine learning model, and the trained machine learning model can be used as the first model to obtain a relatively accurate estimation result of the first model.

[0055] After the target state of charge that the flow battery 300 needs to achieve is determined, the target flow rate required for the positive electrolyte 18 to achieve the target state of charge can be achieved based on the first model. Then, the pressure difference threshold corresponding to the target flow rate is determined according to the first model. For example, the pressure difference threshold in the discharge stage can be dP1. When the pressure difference on both sides of the positive electrode chamber 104 (determined according to the pressure value generated by the pressure sensor 302 and the pressure sensor 306) is lower than the threshold dP1, it means that the rotation speed of the circulation pump 310 cannot make the positive electrolyte 18 reach the target flow rate. At this time, the pressure difference on both sides of the positive electrode chamber 104 can be increased by increasing the rotation speed of the circulation pump 310 to reach the pressure difference threshold dP1.

[0056] In some embodiments, the pressure difference in the first model can be set as the lower limit of the control flow rate, that is, the pressure difference is the minimum value that can make the positive electrode electrolyte reach the target flow rate. In this way, when the parameters of the circulation pump 310 are adjusted according to the pressure difference on both sides of the positive electrode chamber 104 during operation, the circulation pump 310 can be maintained in a low power consumption state.

[0057] When the pressure difference on both sides of the battery stack does not meet the required lower limit threshold, it is necessary to increase the speed of the circulation pump to increase the flow rate. Considering that an excessive increase in flow rate will also cause an excessive pressure difference between the positive and negative electrodes, in some embodiments, the problem of excessive increase in flow rate can be avoided by setting an upper limit value for the stack inlet pressure. When the pressure value of the pressure sensor 302 reaches the overpressure threshold Pup, the circulation pump 310 can be stopped. Pup refers to the maximum pressure that the inlet pressure of the battery stack can withstand. All set pressure values ​​cannot be higher than Pup, whether it is a set value or an adjusted value during operation. This is a protective pressure value for the safety of the system itself.

[0058] It is understood that the above embodiments are only described by taking the flow control on the positive electrode side as an example, and do not constitute a limitation on the present application. The flow control method shown in the above embodiments is also applicable to the negative electrode side.

[0059] In some embodiments, the priority of the control strategy can be set, for example, first determine whether the pressure difference between the pressure sensor 302 and the pressure sensor 304 meets the pressure difference in the normal working range, and then determine whether the pressure difference between the pressure sensor 302 and the pressure sensor 306 on the positive side meets the requirements, and whether the pressure difference between the pressure sensor 304 and the pressure sensor 308 on the negative side meets the requirements. Then, on the basis that both of the pressure differences meet the requirements, the circulation pump can be controlled to run at the lowest speed so that the circulation pump maintains a low power consumption.

[0060] Figure 4 1 is a flow chart of an exemplary method 400 for controlling a flow battery according to an embodiment of the present application. The method 400 can be applied to a flow battery 300. The flow battery includes a battery stack (e.g., Figure 3A The stack 16 in the electrolyte) and a circulating pump for driving the electrolyte (for example, Figure 3A The circulation pump 310 or 312 in the flow battery may further include a control unit, and the method 400 may be executed by the control unit. Figure 4 As shown, method 400 may include the following steps.

[0061] In step 402, the control unit may determine a first pressure difference between the inlet and outlet of the stack (eg, based on Figure 3A The pressure difference is determined by the pressure values ​​of the pressure sensor 302 and the pressure sensor 306).

[0062] In some embodiments, the stack includes a cathode chamber (e.g., Figure 3A The positive electrode chamber 104) and the negative electrode chamber (e.g., Figure 3A The control unit may determine a third pressure difference between the inlet of the positive electrode chamber and the inlet of the negative electrode chamber (e.g., according to Figure 3AIn response to the third pressure difference being within the target range, the first pressure difference is determined. By determining whether the third pressure difference is within the target range, it is possible to avoid damage to the diaphragm in the stack due to excessive pressure difference between the positive and negative electrodes.

[0063] In some embodiments, the control unit may obtain a first inlet pressure of the stack (eg, according to Figure 3A The first inlet pressure is determined by the pressure sensor 302 or the pressure sensor 304), and whether the first inlet pressure reaches the target pressure is determined according to the first inlet pressure and the second model, and the second model includes a correspondence between the target pressure and the target state of charge. In response to the first inlet pressure reaching the target pressure, a second pressure difference is determined. The first inlet pressure and the second model can be used to determine whether the inlet pressure of the positive and negative electrode chambers meets the requirements for normal operation of the liquid flow battery.

[0064] In step 404, the control unit may determine whether the flow rate of the electrolyte reaches the target flow rate based on the first pressure difference using a first model, wherein the first model includes a correspondence between the pressure difference between the inlet and the outlet of the stack and the target flow rate.

[0065] In some embodiments, the control unit may determine a target state of charge of the flow battery, determine a target flow rate and a second pressure difference between an inlet and an outlet of the battery stack in response to the flow battery reaching the target state of charge, and determine a first model according to the target flow rate and the second pressure difference. Through the first model established according to the target state of charge, the flow rate of the flow battery may be controlled by the second pressure difference so that the flow battery reaches the target state of charge.

[0066] In some embodiments, the control unit may determine a target pressure difference corresponding to the target flow rate based on the first model, and in response to the first pressure difference being less than the target pressure difference, determine that the flow rate of the electrolyte has not reached the target flow rate. The target pressure difference may be the minimum value that enables the flow battery to reach the target flow rate, so that the circulation pump can be maintained in a low power consumption state.

[0067] In step 406 , in response to the flow rate of the electrolyte not reaching the target flow rate, the control unit may adjust the rotation speed of the circulation pump to increase the first pressure difference.

[0068] In some embodiments, the control unit can adjust the speed of the circulation pump so that the first pressure difference is greater than or equal to the target pressure difference. In this way, the circulation pump can be controlled by the pressure difference without a flow meter, thereby realizing the control of the flow rate of the flow battery.

[0069] In some embodiments, the control unit may obtain the second inlet pressure of the stack, and in response to the second inlet pressure being greater than or equal to a threshold, stop the circulation pump. The problem of excessive increase in flow rate is avoided by setting an upper limit of the stack inlet pressure.

[0070] The present application provides a method, system, electronic device and storage medium for controlling a liquid flow battery, the liquid flow battery comprising a battery stack containing an electrolyte and a circulation pump for driving the electrolyte. The method provided in the present application determines a first pressure difference between an inlet and an outlet of the battery stack, and uses a first model based on the first pressure difference to determine whether the flow rate of the electrolyte reaches a target flow rate, the first model includes a corresponding relationship between the pressure difference between the inlet and the outlet of the battery stack and the target flow rate, and in response to the flow rate of the electrolyte not reaching the target flow rate, adjusts the speed of the circulation pump to increase the first pressure difference, thereby achieving control of the flow rate of the liquid flow battery by adjusting the first pressure difference without using a flow meter.

[0071] It should be noted that the method of the embodiment of the present application can be performed by a single device, such as a computer or server. The method of this embodiment can also be applied to a distributed scenario and completed by multiple devices cooperating with each other. In the case of such a distributed scenario, one of the multiple devices can only perform one or more steps in the method of the embodiment of the present application, and the multiple devices will interact with each other to complete the described method.

[0072] It should be noted that the above describes some embodiments of the present application. Other embodiments are within the scope of the appended claims. In some cases, the actions or steps recorded in the claims can be performed in an order different from that in the above embodiments and still achieve the desired results. In addition, the processes depicted in the accompanying drawings do not necessarily require the specific order or continuous order shown to achieve the desired results. In some embodiments, multitasking and parallel processing are also possible or may be advantageous.

[0073] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of an electronic device 500 according to an embodiment of the present application is shown. The electronic device 500 may include a processor 502 and a memory 504. The memory 504 stores a set of computer instructions. The processor 502 may execute the set of computer instructions to enable the electronic device 500 to perform the method 400. In some embodiments, the electronic device 500 may be part of a control unit.

[0074] Based on the same technical concept, corresponding to any of the above-mentioned method 400, the present application also provides a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium stores computer instructions, and the computer instructions are used to enable the computer to execute the method 400 described in any of the above embodiments.

[0075] The computer-readable medium of the embodiment of the present application includes permanent and non-permanent, removable and non-removable media, and information storage can be implemented by any method or technology. Information can be a computer-readable instruction, a data structure, a module of a program, or other data. Examples of computer storage media include, but are not limited to, phase change memory (PRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), other types of random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory or other memory technology, read-only compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), digital versatile disk (DVD) or other optical storage, magnetic cassettes, tape disk storage or other magnetic storage devices or any other non-transmission media that can be used to store information that can be accessed by a computing device.

[0076] The computer instructions stored in the storage medium of the above embodiment are used to enable the computer to execute the method 400 described in any of the above embodiments, and have the beneficial effects of the corresponding method embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0077] Those skilled in the art should understand that the discussion of any of the above embodiments is merely illustrative and is not intended to imply that the scope of the present application (including the claims) is limited to these examples. In line with the concept of the present application, the technical features in the above embodiments or different embodiments may be combined, the steps may be implemented in any order, and there are many other variations of the different aspects of the embodiments of the present application as described above, which are not provided in detail for the sake of simplicity.

[0078] In addition, to simplify the description and discussion, and in order not to make the embodiments of the present application difficult to understand, the known power supply / ground connection with the integrated circuit (IC) chip and other components may or may not be shown in the provided drawings. In addition, the device can be shown in the form of a block diagram to avoid making the embodiments of the present application difficult to understand, and this also takes into account the fact that the details of the implementation of these block diagram devices are highly dependent on the platform to be implemented in the embodiments of the present application (that is, these details should be fully within the scope of understanding of those skilled in the art). In the case of elaborating specific details (e.g., circuits) to describe exemplary embodiments of the present application, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that the embodiments of the present application can be implemented without these specific details or when these specific details are changed. Therefore, these descriptions should be considered to be illustrative rather than restrictive.

[0079] Although the present application has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments of the present application, many replacements, modifications and variations of these embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing description. For example, other memory architectures (e.g., dynamic RAM (DRAM)) may use the embodiments discussed.

[0080] The embodiments of the present application are intended to cover all such substitutions, modifications and variations that fall within the broad scope of the appended claims. Therefore, any omissions, modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the embodiments of the present application should be included in the scope of protection of the present application.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a flow battery, the flow battery comprising a battery stack containing an electrolyte and a circulation pump for driving the electrolyte, the method comprising: determining a first pressure difference between an inlet and an outlet of the stack; Determining whether the flow rate of the electrolyte reaches a target flow rate using a first model based on the first pressure difference, the first model including a corresponding relationship between the pressure difference between the inlet and the outlet of the stack and the target flow rate; In response to the flow rate of the electrolyte not reaching the target flow rate, the rotation speed of the circulation pump is adjusted to increase the first pressure difference.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining a target state of charge of the flow battery; In response to the flow battery reaching the target state of charge, determining the target flow rate and a second pressure difference between an inlet and an outlet of the battery stack; The first model is determined according to the target flow rate and the second pressure difference.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein: The determining whether the flow rate of the electrolyte reaches the target flow rate using a first model based on the first pressure difference further includes: Determine a target pressure difference corresponding to the target flow rate based on the first model; In response to the first pressure difference being less than the target pressure difference, it is determined that the flow rate of the electrolyte has not reached the target flow rate.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein: The step of adjusting the rotation speed of the circulation pump to increase the first pressure difference further comprises: The rotation speed of the circulation pump is adjusted so that the first pressure difference is greater than or equal to the target pressure difference.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein: The stack includes a positive electrode chamber and a negative electrode chamber, and determining a first pressure difference between an inlet and an outlet of the stack further includes: determining a third pressure differential between an inlet of the positive electrode chamber and an inlet of the negative electrode chamber; In response to the third pressure differential being within a target range, the first pressure differential is determined.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein: Determining a third pressure difference between the inlet of the positive electrode chamber and the inlet of the negative electrode chamber further comprises: Acquiring a first inlet pressure of the fuel cell stack; determining whether the first inlet pressure reaches a target pressure according to the first inlet pressure and a second model, wherein the second model includes a corresponding relationship between the target pressure and the target state of charge; In response to the first inlet pressure reaching the target pressure, the third pressure differential is determined.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising: Obtaining a second inlet pressure of the fuel cell stack; In response to the second inlet pressure being greater than or equal to a threshold, the circulation pump is stopped.

8. A flow battery system comprising a battery stack containing an electrolyte and a circulation pump for driving the electrolyte, The flow battery system further comprises a control unit configured to: determining a first pressure difference between an inlet and an outlet of the stack; Determining whether the flow rate of the electrolyte reaches a target flow rate based on the first pressure difference and a first model, wherein the first model includes a corresponding relationship between the pressure difference between the inlet and the outlet of the battery stack and the target flow rate; In response to the flow rate of the electrolyte not reaching the target flow rate, the rotation speed of the circulation pump is adjusted to increase the first pressure difference.

9. An electronic device, comprising: a memory storing a set of computer programs; as well as A processor is configured to execute the group of computer programs so that the electronic device implements the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer instructions, wherein: The computer instructions are used to enable a computer to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

Images