Flow battery assembly and flow battery system

Abstract

The application discloses a flow battery assembly and a flow battery system. The flow battery assembly comprises a tank, a heat exchange pipeline and an agitating member. The tank is configured to contain electrolyte. The heat exchange pipeline is arranged inside the tank. The heat exchange pipeline has an inlet and an outlet which are communicated to the outside of the tank. The inlet is configured to allow an external heat exchange medium to enter the heat exchange pipeline. The outlet is configured to allow the heat exchange medium in the heat exchange pipeline to flow out. The agitating member is arranged inside the tank and is spaced apart from the heat exchange pipeline. The agitating member is configured to agitate the electrolyte in the tank. The flow battery assembly and the flow battery system disclosed by the application can effectively control the temperature of the electrolyte without an additional heat exchange tank and an independent electrolyte circuit by arranging the heat exchange pipeline inside the tank for containing the electrolyte, so that the heat exchange medium in the heat exchange pipeline can exchange heat with the electrolyte around the surface of the heat exchange pipeline.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of flow battery technology, and more particularly to a flow battery assembly and a flow battery system. Background Technology

[0002] A flow battery is a rechargeable battery that stores energy in a liquid electrolyte and achieves charging and discharging through electrolyte circulation and electrode reactions. It is suitable for large-scale, long-term energy storage. A typical flow battery structure includes a battery stack, an electrolyte storage tank, a circulation pump, a membrane electrode assembly, and a management and control system.

[0003] During charging, the active materials in the electrolyte undergo reduction or oxidation reactions at the electrodes of the battery stack to store energy; during discharging, the reaction reverses to release electrons and generate current.

[0004] In practical applications, the electrolyte temperature continuously rises during charging and discharging. Electrolyte performance is significantly affected by temperature; excessively high temperatures can cause electrolyte precipitation and crystallization, while in cold regions, the electrolyte will crystallize due to the low temperature. These issues can lead to a sharp deterioration in battery performance. Therefore, effective control of the electrolyte temperature is crucial. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The main objective of this application is to provide a flow battery assembly and a flow battery system, which aims to achieve effective control of the electrolyte temperature in the flow battery.

[0006] One embodiment of this application provides a flow battery assembly, which includes a tank, a heat exchange pipe, and an agitator. The tank is configured to contain an electrolyte. The heat exchange pipe is assembled inside the tank and has an inlet and an outlet connecting to the outside of the tank. The inlet is configured to allow an external heat exchange medium to enter the heat exchange pipe, and the outlet is configured to allow a heat exchange medium inside the heat exchange pipe to flow out. The agitator is assembled inside the tank and spaced apart from the heat exchange pipe. The agitator is configured to stir the electrolyte inside the tank.

[0007] Another aspect of this application provides a flow battery system, which includes a plurality of flow battery components as described in the foregoing embodiments, wherein the heat exchange pipe of each flow battery component can be selectively opened or closed.

[0008] The flow battery assembly and system provided in this application embodiment, by placing the heat exchange pipe inside the tank for containing the electrolyte, enable the heat exchange medium inside the heat exchange pipe to exchange heat with the electrolyte surrounding the surface of the heat exchange pipe, thus effectively controlling the electrolyte temperature without the need for an additional heat exchange tank and a separate electrolyte circuit; in addition, by setting an agitator inside the tank to actively mix the electrolyte inside the tank, temperature stratification of the electrolyte inside the tank can be avoided, thereby ensuring the charge and discharge capacity of the flow battery. Attached Figure Description

[0009] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0010] Figure 1 These are schematic diagrams of the flow battery assembly in some embodiments of this application; Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A partial structural schematic diagram of the flow battery assembly in the embodiment; Figure 3 This is a schematic block diagram of the structure of the flow battery assembly in some embodiments of this application; Figure 4 These are schematic block diagrams of the flow battery system in some embodiments of this application; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the working principle of the flow battery system in some embodiments of this application.

[0011] Explanation of icon numbers: 100. Flow battery assembly; 1000. Flow battery system; 10. Tank body; 20. Heat exchange pipes; 30. Agitator; 40. Drive unit; 201. Import; 202. Export; 301. Shaft; 302. Impeller; 501. Inlet pipe; 502. Outlet pipe; 503. Flow control valve; 504. Flow sensor; 505. Temperature sensor; 1001, First flow battery assembly; 1002, Second flow battery assembly; 110, First tank body; 210, First heat exchange pipe; 310, First agitator; 410, First drive component; 5011, First liquid inlet pipe; 5021, First liquid outlet pipe; 5031, First flow control valve; 5041, First flow sensor; 5051, First temperature sensor; 120. Second tank body; 220. Second heat exchange pipe; 320. Second agitator; 420. Second drive unit; 5012. Second liquid inlet pipe; 5022. Second liquid outlet pipe; 5032. Second flow control valve; 5042. Second flow sensor; 5052. Second temperature sensor; 600. Heat exchanger; 601. Supply branch; 602. Return branch; 810. Controller; 820. Switching module; 830. Analog module; 840. Communication module; 850. Touch screen; 821. Input unit; 822. Output unit; 831. Analog input unit; 832. Frequency output unit; 901. Frequency converter; 902. Energy storage converter system; 903. Voltage acquisition smart gateway; 904. Voltage acquisition device; 905. Switching device; 906. Sensor device; 907. Cloud platform. Detailed Implementation

[0012] The present application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be particularly noted that the following embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and do not limit the scope of the application. Similarly, the following embodiments are only some, not all, embodiments of the present application, and all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0013] In this application, the reference to "embodiment" means that a specific feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of this application. The appearance of this phrase in various places throughout the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it a separate or alternative embodiment mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It will be explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments.

[0014] It should be noted that all directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.) in the embodiments of this application are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of the components in a specific posture (as shown in the attached figure). If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product, or device that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but may optionally include steps or units not listed, or may optionally include other steps or units inherent to these processes, methods, products, or devices. It is understood that the terms "first," "second," and "third" in the embodiments of this application are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Therefore, a feature defined with "first," "second," or "third" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. It should also be understood that the term “and / or” as used in this application specification and the appended claims means any combination of one or more of the associated listed items and all possible combinations, and includes such combinations.

[0015] In related technologies, to effectively control the electrolyte temperature in a flow battery, a heat exchanger needs to be integrated into the circulation loop of the positive and negative electrolytes. A common approach is to provide an additional heat exchange tank, within which a heat exchange cavity is formed to store the heat exchange medium. The heat exchange cavity has an inlet and an outlet. Inside the heat exchange cavity are two heat exchange tubes, one for the positive electrolyte and the other for the negative electrolyte, which are connected to the positive and negative electrolyte tanks respectively. An agitator is installed within the heat exchange cavity to stir the heat exchange medium. In this approach, a supply device delivers either a hot or cold medium to the heat exchange cavity to maintain the heat exchange medium at a set temperature. An additional independent electrolyte circuit with a pump is required to allow the electrolyte to flow through the heat exchange cavity for effective temperature control. This approach not only requires an additional heat exchange tank, which greatly increases the volume of the flow battery and limits its application, but also requires an additional independent electrolyte circuit with a pump, which will result in additional parasitic energy consumption.

[0016] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 2 , Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the flow battery assembly 100 in some embodiments of this application. Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A partial structural schematic diagram of the flow battery assembly 100 in the embodiment; wherein, Figure 2 Compared to Figure 1 Part of the outer casing of the flow battery assembly 100 is removed to reveal the internal structure.

[0017] The flow battery assembly 100 may include a tank 10, a heat exchange pipe 20, and a stirring element 30. The tank 10 is configured to contain an electrolyte, which may be a vanadium redox flow battery, an iron-chromium flow battery, a zinc-based flow battery, a lithium-ion flow battery, a lead flow battery, an iron flow battery, a sodium polysulfide / bromine flow battery, or other types of electrolytes. Different types of electrolytes offer different advantages for flow batteries. For example, vanadium redox flow batteries use vanadium ions in both the positive and negative electrodes, resulting in long cycle life, high safety, and capacity-power decoupling; iron-chromium flow batteries are low-cost and use a wide variety of materials; zinc-based flow batteries include zinc-bromine, zinc-iron, and zinc-iodine solutions, and are semi-deposition batteries with low cost. Appropriate flow battery electrolytes can be selected based on different application scenarios and cost requirements.

[0018] Optionally, the electrolyte in flow batteries is often a high-concentration sulfuric acid or a strongly oxidizing acidic system. The core requirements for the material of the tank body 10 are resistance to strong acids, no metal ion leaching, no oxidation of the electrolyte, sealing and impermeability, and temperature resistance of 30–50℃. Optionally, the material of the tank body 10 can be homopolymer polypropylene (PPH), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene (PP), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), steel-lined polyolefin, steel-lined polytetrafluoroethylene, or other materials that meet the requirements. Among them, steel-lined polyolefin is a corrosion-resistant composite material with steel as the matrix and polyolefin material as the inner lining, combining the strength of metal and the corrosion resistance of plastic. The polyolefin in steel-lined polyolefin includes olefin polymers such as polyethylene, polypropylene, and butene. Steel-lined polyolefin equipment usually adopts a hot-coating process, in which powdered polyolefin is uniformly sprayed onto the inner surface of heated steel pipes or containers, causing it to melt and form a lining layer of about 3 mm thickness. Steel-lined polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is a composite material consisting of a base material of metal steel and a protective layer of PTFE lining the surface. It can be understood that the tank 10 can be an electrolyte storage tank for a flow battery, i.e., used to store the electrolyte required for charging and discharging the flow battery.

[0019] A heat exchange pipe 20 is installed inside the tank 10. The heat exchange pipe 20 has an inlet 201 and an outlet 202 connecting to the outside of the tank 10. The inlet 201 is configured to allow external heat exchange medium to enter the heat exchange pipe 20, and the outlet 202 is configured to allow the heat exchange medium inside the heat exchange pipe 20 to flow out. The heat exchange medium can be a liquid or a gas. The heat exchange pipe 20 is submerged in the electrolyte within the tank 10. The heat exchange medium flows inside the heat exchange pipe 20, while the electrolyte is located outside the heat exchange pipe 20. The heat exchange medium exchanges heat with the electrolyte through the heat exchange pipe 20. This heat exchange induces natural convection in the electrolyte, eliminating the need for an additional pump structure to guide the electrolyte flow. In other words, the natural convection caused by the heat exchange is sufficient to provide enough electrolyte around the surface of the heat exchange pipe 20 for heat exchange.

[0020] Optionally, the heat exchange pipe 20 is in direct contact with the electrolyte, requiring the material of the heat exchange pipe 20 or the surface material of the heat exchange pipe 20 in contact with the electrolyte to meet the characteristics of strong acid resistance, no metal ion precipitation, no electrolyte contamination, and thermal conductivity and temperature resistance. Optionally, the material of the heat exchange pipe 20 can be TA2 titanium pipe, PTFE, polyvinylidene fluoride, or pipe with a surface coated with polyolefin / PTFE.

[0021] An agitator 30 is assembled inside the tank 10 and spaced apart from the heat exchange pipe 20; the agitator 30 is configured to stir the electrolyte inside the tank 10. When the heat exchange medium in the heat exchange pipe 20 exchanges heat with the electrolyte surrounding the surface of the heat exchange pipe 20, i.e., heat energy is introduced into or removed from the electrolyte, uneven temperature may occur inside the tank 10. That is, the electrolyte inside the tank 10 may form a stable temperature stratification, which may cause some electrolyte to only participate in the charging and discharging process to a limited extent, thereby reducing the usable charge and discharge capacity of the flow battery. This application improves the temperature distribution inside the tank 10 by assembling an agitator 30 inside the tank 10 to actively mix the electrolyte, thereby ensuring the charge and discharge capacity of the flow battery.

[0022] The flow battery assembly provided in this application embodiment allows for effective control of the electrolyte temperature by placing heat exchange pipes inside a tank for containing the electrolyte. This enables the heat exchange medium inside the heat exchange pipes to exchange heat with the electrolyte surrounding the surface of the heat exchange pipes, eliminating the need for an additional heat exchange tank and a separate electrolyte circuit. Furthermore, by installing a stirring element inside the tank to actively mix the electrolyte inside, temperature stratification of the electrolyte inside the tank can be avoided, thereby ensuring the charge and discharge capacity of the flow battery.

[0023] See again Figure 1 and Figure 2The flow battery assembly 100 may further include a drive member 40, which is located outside the tank 10 and connected to the agitator 30 to drive the agitator 30 to rotate, thereby actively stirring and mixing the electrolyte inside the tank 10 and improving the temperature distribution inside the tank 10. The drive member 40 may be a motor. Optionally, the agitator 30 may include a shaft 301 and an impeller 302, with the shaft 301 connected to the drive member 40 and the impeller 302 respectively, so that the impeller 302 rotates under the drive of the drive member 40. Furthermore, since the agitator 30 directly contacts the electrolyte, the material of the agitator 30 or the surface material of the agitator 30 in contact with the electrolyte must meet the characteristics of strong acid resistance, no metal ion precipitation, no electrolyte contamination, and thermal conductivity and temperature resistance. Optionally, the shaft 301 can be a shaft-shaped structure with a surface coated with polyolefin or polytetrafluoroethylene to meet the above-mentioned characteristic requirements; in addition, in other embodiments, the shaft 301 can be made of TA2 titanium tube, PTFE, or polyvinylidene fluoride, etc. Optionally, the impeller 302 can be made of homopolymer polypropylene, high-density polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinylidene fluoride, or a sheet with a surface coated with polyolefin / polytetrafluoroethylene.

[0024] Driven by the driving component 40, the agitator 30 stirs the electrolyte inside the tank 10 to improve the temperature distribution of the electrolyte within the tank 10. Understandably, when the flow battery is not operating, i.e., when no heat is introduced or removed from the electrolyte inside the tank 10, the driving component 40 generally does not operate, i.e., the agitator 30 does not stir, to save power consumption of the flow battery. In other words, when heat is introduced or removed from the electrolyte inside the tank 10, i.e., during charging, discharging, or heat load phases of the flow battery, the driving component 40 drives the agitator 30 to stir the electrolyte to equalize the temperature distribution of the electrolyte inside the tank 10.

[0025] Please see Figure 3 , Figure 3 This is a schematic block diagram of the structure of the flow battery assembly 100 in some embodiments of this application. The flow battery assembly 100 may further include an inlet pipe 501 connected to the inlet 201 and an outlet pipe 502 connected to the outlet 202. The inlet pipe 501 is provided with a flow control valve 503, and the outlet pipe 502 is provided with a flow sensor 504 and a temperature sensor 505.

[0026] The heat exchange medium enters the heat exchange pipe 20 through the inlet pipe 501 and flows out through the outlet pipe 502. A flow control valve 503 is configured to control the flow rate of the heat exchange medium in the inlet pipe 501 to ensure effective heat exchange between the heat exchange medium and the electrolyte. A flow sensor 504 is configured to detect the flow rate of the heat exchange medium flowing out of the outlet pipe 502, providing data support for real-time control of the flow control valve 503. A temperature sensor 505 is configured to sense the temperature of the heat exchange medium flowing out of the outlet pipe 502 to calculate the heat exchange efficiency and provide data support for real-time control of the flow control valve 503. For example, if the flow sensor 504 detects that the flow rate of the heat exchange medium flowing out of the outlet pipe 502 is lower than expected, the flow control valve 502 can be controlled to increase the inflow of the heat exchange medium into the inlet pipe 501. For example, if the temperature sensor 505 detects that the temperature of the heat exchange medium flowing out of the liquid outlet pipe 502 exceeds the expected temperature (too high or too low), the flow control valve 502 can be controlled to reduce the amount of heat exchange medium flowing into the liquid inlet pipe 501.

[0027] In practical applications, flow batteries not only include the flow battery assembly 100 in the above embodiments, but also typically require a battery stack and a management and control system to achieve charging and discharging. In other words, flow batteries are usually used in system-level flow battery systems to achieve large-scale, long-term energy storage. In related flow battery system solutions, the supply equipment delivers a hot or cold medium to the heat exchange chamber to maintain the heat exchange medium at a set temperature; additionally, an independent electrolyte circuit with a pump is required to allow the electrolyte to flow through the heat exchange chamber for effective temperature control. This solution, on the one hand, requires an additional heat exchange tank, greatly increasing the size and complexity of the flow battery system and limiting its application; on the other hand, the additional independent electrolyte circuit with a pump results in excessive energy consumption of the flow battery system.

[0028] Furthermore, this application will now describe a flow battery system to simplify the complexity of flow battery systems in the related art and to reduce the energy consumption of flow battery systems.

[0029] Please see Figure 4 , Figure 4 This is a schematic block diagram of the structure of a flow battery system 1000 in some embodiments of this application. The flow battery system 1000 may include multiple flow battery assemblies 100, which may be the flow battery assemblies 100 in the foregoing embodiments. The heat exchange pipe 20 of each flow battery assembly 100 can be selectively opened or closed.

[0030] like Figure 4As shown, the flow battery system 1000 includes two flow battery assemblies (i.e., a first flow battery assembly 1001 and a second flow battery assembly 1002). It can be understood that... Figure 4 The invention is illustrated by means of only two flow battery assemblies, but is not limited thereto. Any other flow battery assembly quantities that can be directly derived by those skilled in the art based on the present application should be within the scope of protection of this application.

[0031] The first flow battery assembly 1001 may include a first tank 110, a first heat exchange pipe 210, a first agitator 310, a first drive unit 410, a first liquid inlet pipe 5011, and a first liquid outlet pipe 5021. The second flow battery assembly 1002 may include a second tank 120, a second heat exchange pipe 220, a second agitator 320, a second drive unit 420, a second liquid inlet pipe 5012, and a second liquid outlet pipe 5022.

[0032] Both the first tank 110 and the second tank 120 are used to contain electrolyte. Optionally, one of the first tank 110 and the second tank 120 is used to contain cathode electrolyte, and the other is used to contain anolyte. Optionally, both the first tank 110 and the second tank 120 are used to contain cathode electrolyte, and the flow battery system 1000 may further include other flow battery components for effectively controlling the temperature of the anolyte. Optionally, both the first tank 110 and the second tank 120 are used to contain anolyte, and the flow battery system 1000 may further include other flow battery components for effectively controlling the temperature of the cathode electrolyte. It is understood that this application does not specifically limit the type of electrolyte contained in the tanks, and can be flexibly set according to actual application scenarios; therefore, further specific description is not provided here.

[0033] The first heat exchange pipe 210 is connected to the first liquid inlet pipe 5011 and the first liquid outlet pipe 5021 to form a flow loop for the heat exchange medium, thereby performing heat exchange treatment on the electrolyte in the first tank 110. The second heat exchange pipe 220 is connected to the second liquid inlet pipe 5012 and the second liquid outlet pipe 5022 to form a flow loop for the heat exchange medium, thereby performing heat exchange treatment on the electrolyte in the second tank 120.

[0034] The first driving member 410 is disposed outside the first tank 110 and is used to drive the first agitator 310 disposed inside the first tank 110 to rotate, so as to actively mix the electrolyte in the first tank 110. The second driving member 420 is disposed outside the second tank 120 and is used to drive the second agitator 320 disposed inside the second tank 120 to rotate, so as to actively mix the electrolyte in the second tank 120.

[0035] Optionally, the flow control valve 503 may include a first flow control valve 5031 disposed on the first inlet pipe 5011 and a second flow control valve 5032 disposed on the second inlet pipe 5012. The first flow control valve 5031 is used to control the flow rate of the heat exchange medium in the first inlet pipe 5011, and the second flow control valve 5032 is used to control the flow rate of the heat exchange medium in the second inlet pipe 5012.

[0036] Optionally, the flow sensor 504 may include a first flow sensor 5041 disposed on the first liquid outlet pipe 5021 and a second flow sensor 5042 disposed on the second liquid outlet pipe 5022. The first flow sensor 5041 is used to detect the flow rate of the heat exchange medium flowing out of the first liquid outlet pipe 5021, and the second flow sensor 5042 is used to detect the flow rate of the heat exchange medium flowing out of the second liquid outlet pipe 5022.

[0037] Optionally, the temperature sensor 505 may include a first temperature sensor 5051 disposed on the first liquid outlet pipe 5021 and a second temperature sensor 5052 disposed on the second liquid outlet pipe 5022. The first temperature sensor 5051 is used to detect the temperature of the heat exchange medium flowing out of the first liquid outlet pipe 5021, and the second temperature sensor 5052 is used to detect the temperature of the heat exchange medium flowing out of the second liquid outlet pipe 5022.

[0038] In some embodiments, the flow battery system 1000 may further include a heat exchange device 600, and a supply branch 601 and a return branch 602 respectively connected to the heat exchange device 600. The heat exchange medium output from the heat exchange device 600 flows into the heat exchange pipe 20 of the flow battery assembly 100 via the supply branch 601, and the heat exchange medium in the heat exchange pipe 20 flows back into the heat exchange device 600 via the return branch 602. Optionally, the heat exchange device 600 may be a chiller unit with both cooling and heating modes, capable of outputting either cooled or heated liquid to facilitate temperature control of the heat exchange medium. In this case, the heat exchange medium is a liquid. Optionally, the heat exchange device 600 may be an air-cooled system with both cooling and heating modes, capable of outputting either cooled or heated gas to facilitate control of the heat exchange medium. In this case, the heat exchange medium is a gas. Furthermore, the supply branch 601 of the heat exchange device 600 is connected to the liquid inlet pipe 501 of the flow battery assembly 100, and the return branch 602 of the heat exchange device 600 is connected to the liquid outlet pipe 502 of the flow battery assembly 100. That is, the heat exchange medium output by the heat exchange device 600 enters the heat exchange pipe 20 of the flow battery assembly 100 in sequence through the supply branch 601 and the liquid inlet pipe 501, and the heat exchange medium in the heat exchange pipe 20 enters the heat exchange device 600 in sequence through the liquid outlet pipe 502 and the return branch 602.

[0039] Each flow battery assembly 100 has a flow control valve 503 on its inlet pipe 501 to control the fluid flow rate on each inlet pipe 501. The inlet pipe 501 of the flow battery assembly 100 is connected to the supply branch 601. Figure 4 As shown, both the first inlet pipe 5011 and the second inlet pipe 5012 are connected to the supply branch 601 to supply heat exchange medium to the first heat exchange pipe 210 and the second heat exchange pipe 220, respectively. Specifically, the first flow control valve 5031 on the first inlet pipe 5011 is used to regulate the fluid flow rate of the first inlet pipe 5011; and the second flow control valve 5032 on the second inlet pipe 5012 is used to regulate the fluid flow rate of the second inlet pipe 5012.

[0040] Each flow battery assembly 100 has a temperature sensor 505 and a flow sensor 504 installed on its outlet pipe 502 to detect the fluid temperature and flow rate in each outlet pipe 502, respectively. The outlet pipe 502 of the flow battery assembly 100 is connected to the return branch 602. Figure 4 As shown, both the first outlet pipe 5021 and the second outlet pipe 5022 are connected to the loop branch 602 to transport the heat exchange medium flowing out of the first heat exchange pipe 210 and the second heat exchange pipe 220 to the loop branch 602, respectively. Specifically, the first flow sensor 5041 on the first outlet pipe 5021 is used to detect the flow rate of the heat exchange medium in the first outlet pipe 5021, and the second flow sensor 5042 on the second outlet pipe 5022 is used to detect the flow rate of the heat exchange medium in the second outlet pipe 5022; the first temperature sensor 5051 on the first outlet pipe 5021 is used to detect the temperature of the heat exchange medium in the first outlet pipe 5021, and the second temperature sensor 5052 on the second outlet pipe 5022 is used to detect the temperature of the heat exchange medium in the second outlet pipe 5022.

[0041] Please see Figure 5 , Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the working principle of a flow battery system 1000 in some embodiments of this application. The flow battery system 1000 may further include a controller 810, a switching module 820, an analog module 830, and a communication module 840. The controller 810 is used to generate corresponding frequency modulation commands and switching control commands based on the flow battery charging and discharging parameters, switching status, and communication data. The switching module 820 is used to monitor the switching status of the flow battery and to control the switching of the flow battery according to the switching control commands generated by the controller 810. The analog module 830 is used to monitor the charging and discharging parameters of the flow battery and to control the frequency converter 901 of the flow battery according to the frequency modulation commands generated by the controller 810. The communication module 840 is used to acquire communication data.

[0042] In this flow battery, the positive and negative electrolyte tanks (such as the first tank 210 and the second tank 220) are continuously circulated with electrolyte via a variable frequency pump. The electrolyte flows into the battery stack and undergoes a chemical reaction to generate charge movement, thereby realizing the charging and discharging function of the flow battery. The flow battery system 1000 manages the charging and discharging process to ensure the safety of the flow battery. Based on user commands, it automatically controls the initiation and speed of electrolyte circulation, and continuously adjusts the parameters through monitoring to ensure the normal operation of the flow battery.

[0043] Specifically, the switch module 820, analog module 830, and communication module 840 are connected to various electrical components of the flow battery system 1000. The switch module 820, analog module 830, and communication module 840 monitor the charging and discharging parameters, switching status, and other equipment data of the flow battery in real time and feed them back to the controller 810. The controller 810 generates corresponding frequency modulation commands and switching control commands based on the feedback data, so that the switch module 820 and analog module 830 perform switching and frequency modulation control, respectively.

[0044] Frequency control refers to adjusting the frequency of the inverter 901 in the flow battery to control the operating speed of the variable frequency pump, thereby controlling the electrolyte circulation speed and thus the charging and discharging rate. Switch control is the instruction to turn a device on or off, such as turning an alarm on or off, or turning the variable frequency pump on or off. It can promptly alert or shut down certain devices in case of a fault, and can also automatically turn on relevant devices upon receiving a charging or discharging command, achieving multiple functions such as unattended operation, timed charging and discharging, and automatic alarms.

[0045] The communication module 840 provides a communication interface for the controller 810, enabling the controller 810 to acquire communication data through the interface. This communication data may include battery stack voltage data, frequency converter data, multifunction meter data, and energy storage converter data. The controller 810 establishes communication connections with the energy storage converter system 902, the voltage acquisition smart gateway 903, and the voltage collector 904 through the communication module 840, receiving energy storage converter data uploaded by the energy storage converter system 902, multifunction meter data and frequency converter data uploaded by the voltage acquisition smart gateway 903, and battery stack voltage data uploaded by the voltage collector 905.

[0046] Optionally, the communication module 840 can be a network switch or other network device, establishing connections with the energy storage converter system 902, the voltage acquisition smart gateway 903, and the voltage acquisition device 904 via the network switch. The energy storage converter system 902 achieves data communication with the controller 810 through the network switch; the voltage acquisition smart gateway 903 is directly connected to the frequency converter 901 and the multifunction meter to acquire frequency converter data and multifunction meter data, and then transmits them to the controller 810 through the network switch; the voltage acquisition device 904 is directly used to acquire the voltage of the battery stack, and then feeds back the stack voltage to the controller 810 through the network switch.

[0047] Optionally, the switch module 820 may include an input unit 821 and an output unit 822. The input unit 821 is used to receive the switch status signal of the flow battery and feed the switch status signal back to the controller 810 to realize the switch status monitoring function. The output unit 822 is used to output the corresponding switch control signal to open or close the corresponding switch according to the switch control command issued by the controller 810.

[0048] The switch status signals include liquid level signals, water-cooled valve signals, pipeline valve signals (e.g., flow control valve 503), leak switch signals, and smoke alarm switch signals (signals reflecting the status of each switching device 905). Through these signals, the controller 810 can determine whether each pipeline valve is fully open or closed, whether the water-cooled valve is fully open or closed, and whether a leak alarm or smoke alarm is being triggered. The controller 810 can make timely control responses based on the switch status signals to ensure the safe operation of the flow battery. At the same time, the switch status signals can also reflect user commands. For example, if the emergency stop signal in the switch status signal is in the open state, the controller 810 can quickly shut down the equipment according to the emergency stop command, responding to the user's command.

[0049] The switching control signals include valve (e.g., flow control valve 503) control signals, inverter 901 start / stop control signals, cooling water circulation pump control signals, air conditioning control signals, hydrogen exhaust fan control signals, buzzer control signals, and DC contactor signals. The controller 810 can issue switching control commands according to the actual operating status of the flow battery, and the output unit 822 outputs corresponding switching control signals to control the start / stop of the inverter 901, cooling water circulation pump, valve (e.g., flow control valve 503), positive and negative safety exhaust solenoid valves, hydrogen exhaust fan, electrical cabinet heat sink, buzzer, DC contactor, emergency stop, gateway power supply, and other equipment (all of the above equipment belong to switching devices 905).

[0050] Optionally, the analog module 830 may include an analog input unit 831 and a frequency output unit 832. The analog input unit 831 is used to receive charging and discharging parameters and feed them back to the controller 810. The frequency output unit 832 is used to output a frequency control signal to the frequency converter 901 according to the frequency adjustment command issued by the controller 810. The charging and discharging parameters include pipeline pressure, pipeline flow rate, pipeline temperature, electrolyte storage tank pressure, DC bus voltage, charging current, and discharging current. These charging and discharging parameters can be monitored in real time by various devices (i.e., sensor devices 906) such as pressure sensors, voltage and current detectors, flow sensors (e.g., flow sensor 504), and temperature sensors (e.g., temperature sensor 505) and sent to the analog input unit 831, which in turn feeds them back to the controller 810. The controller 810 issues a frequency adjustment command based on the summarized parameters and data, and outputs a frequency control signal to the frequency converter 901 through the frequency output unit 832 to adjust the power of the variable frequency pump, thereby achieving the effect of adjusting the electrolyte circulation speed. Understandably, in the foregoing embodiments, the controller 810 can adjust the output heat exchange medium rate of the heat exchange device 600 based on the monitoring data of the flow sensor 504 and the temperature sensor 505, thereby achieving the purpose of adjusting the circulation speed of the heat exchange medium in the heat exchange pipe 20; the controller 810 can also obtain the signal of the flow control valve 503, and issue the opening and closing control command of the flow control valve 503 based on the monitoring data of the flow sensor 504 and the temperature sensor 505, so as to adjust the circulation speed of the heat exchange medium.

[0051] Optionally, the flow battery system 1000 may also include a touchscreen 850, which displays the flow battery data uploaded by the controller 810 and communication module 840 to the user via a display panel, and uploads the flow battery data to the cloud platform 907. It is understood that the touchscreen 850 not only displays various data parameters of the flow battery, but also uploads these data parameters to the cloud platform 907, allowing staff to remotely download programs and perform remote diagnostics.

[0052] In some embodiments, the controller 810 of the flow battery system 1000 is configured to selectively open or close the flow control valve 503 on each inlet pipe 501, thereby regulating the fluid flow rate on each inlet pipe 501. Furthermore, the controller 810 may also be configured to control the drive member 40 to drive the rotating member 30 to stir the electrolyte within the tank 10.

[0053] Specifically, the controller 810 can individually control the opening or closing of each flow control valve 503, allowing independent control of the inflow or outflow of the heat exchange medium in each heat exchange pipe 20, thereby improving the thermal management effect of the flow battery system 1000. Furthermore, the controller 810 can individually control each drive component 40 to drive its corresponding rotating component 30, effectively controlling the electrolyte temperature within each tank 10, thus improving the charging and discharging effect of the flow battery system 1000. Flow sensors 504 and 505 are arranged on the outlet pipe 502. The controller 810 can calculate the heat exchange power of the electrolyte inside the tank 10 based on the heat exchange medium flow rate measured by the flow sensor 504, the heat exchange medium temperature measured by the temperature sensor 505, and the initial reference temperature of the heat exchange medium in the inlet pipe 501, and then control the flow control valve 503 to adjust the flow rate of the heat exchange medium based on this heat exchange power.

[0054] Understandably, the flow battery system 1000 includes multiple flow battery modules 100. The controller 810 controls the corresponding flow control valve 503 to adjust the flow rate of the heat exchange medium based on the data from the temperature sensor 505 and flow sensor 504 of each flow battery module 100, thereby improving the temperature control effect of the electrolyte in the tank 10. Furthermore, the controller 810 can flexibly control the drive component 40 of each flow battery module 100 to drive the rotating component 30 to stir the electrolyte in the tank 10 according to actual needs, which can balance the flow rate of the heat exchange medium among the multiple flow battery modules 100 to balance the electrolyte temperature in each tank 10.

[0055] The flow battery assembly and system provided in this application embodiment, by placing the heat exchange pipe inside the tank for containing the electrolyte, enable the heat exchange medium inside the heat exchange pipe to exchange heat with the electrolyte surrounding the surface of the heat exchange pipe, thus effectively controlling the electrolyte temperature without the need for an additional heat exchange tank and a separate electrolyte circuit; in addition, by setting an agitator inside the tank to actively mix the electrolyte inside the tank, temperature stratification of the electrolyte inside the tank can be avoided, thereby ensuring the charge and discharge capacity of the flow battery.

[0056] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily conceive of various equivalent modifications or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in this application, and these modifications or substitutions should all be covered within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A flow battery assembly, characterized in that, The flow battery assembly includes: The tank is configured to contain the electrolyte; A heat exchange pipe is installed inside the tank; the heat exchange pipe has an inlet and an outlet connecting to the outside of the tank, the inlet being configured to allow external heat exchange medium to enter the heat exchange pipe, and the outlet being configured to allow heat exchange medium inside the heat exchange pipe to flow out; and An agitator is assembled inside the tank and spaced apart from the heat exchange pipe; the agitator is configured to agitate the electrolyte inside the tank.

2. The flow battery assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The flow battery assembly further includes an inlet pipe connected to the inlet and an outlet pipe connected to the outlet; wherein, the inlet pipe is equipped with a flow control valve, and the outlet pipe is equipped with a flow sensor and a temperature sensor.

3. The flow battery assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The tank body is made of homopolymer polypropylene, high-density polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinylidene fluoride, steel-lined polyolefin, or steel-lined polytetrafluoroethylene; the heat exchange pipe is made of TA2 titanium pipe, PTFE, polyvinylidene fluoride, or pipe with a surface coated with polyolefin / PTFE.

4. The flow battery assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The flow battery assembly further includes a drive unit, and the agitator includes a shaft and an impeller. The shaft is connected to the drive unit and the impeller respectively, so as to drive the impeller to rotate under the drive of the drive unit.

5. The flow battery assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that, The shaft surface is coated with polyolefin or polytetrafluoroethylene, or the shaft material is TA2 titanium tube, PTFE, or polyvinylidene fluoride; the impeller material is homopolymer polypropylene, high-density polyethylene, polypropylene, or polyvinylidene fluoride, or the impeller surface is coated with polyolefin or polytetrafluoroethylene.

6. A flow battery system, characterized in that, The flow battery system includes a plurality of flow battery components as described in any one of claims 1-5, wherein the heat exchange conduit of each flow battery component can be selectively opened or closed.

7. The flow battery system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The flow battery system also includes a heat exchange device, and a supply branch and a return branch respectively connected to the heat exchange device; The inlet pipe of the flow battery assembly is connected to the supply branch, and the outlet pipe of the flow battery assembly is connected to the return branch. The heat exchange medium output by the heat exchange device flows into the heat exchange pipe sequentially through the supply branch and the inlet pipe, and the heat exchange medium in the heat exchange pipe flows into the heat exchange device sequentially through the outlet pipe and the return branch.

8. The flow battery system according to claim 6, characterized in that, Each of the flow battery components is equipped with a flow control valve on its inlet pipe; and a temperature sensor and a flow sensor are respectively installed on the outlet pipe of each of the flow battery components.

9. The flow battery system according to claim 8, characterized in that, The flow battery system also includes a controller configured to selectively open or close the flow control valve on each of the inlet pipes.

10. The flow battery system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The flow battery system further includes a controller and a drive unit, the drive unit being connected to the agitator, and the controller being configured to control the drive unit to drive the agitator to stir the electrolyte in the tank.

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