A heating device for a flow battery system

Abstract

This utility model relates to the field of flow battery technology, and more particularly to a heating device for flow battery systems. Addressing the problems of localized high temperatures, inaccurate temperature control, and leakage risks inherent in common direct-contact resistance wire heating methods, this invention improves system heat exchange efficiency and temperature distribution uniformity within the heating device by separating the heat-conducting medium and electrolyte with inner and outer cylinders, and by adding finned flow channels in the electrolyte flow direction. This enhances system safety and reduces redundant structures. It is suitable for low-temperature preheating and operational insulation of flow battery systems.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of flow battery technology, and specifically relates to a heating device for a flow battery system. Background Technology

[0002] Flow batteries, as a large-scale energy storage technology, have attracted widespread attention in the energy storage field due to their advantages such as easy capacity expansion, long cycle life, and high safety. The electrolyte, as the core working medium of a flow battery, has a decisive impact on battery performance, efficiency, and lifespan due to its temperature uniformity. At low temperatures, the electrolyte viscosity increases and the electrochemical reaction rate decreases, leading to a decline in battery performance. Therefore, heating devices are required to maintain a suitable operating temperature.

[0003] Currently, common heating methods for flow batteries often employ a resistance wire heating tube sheathed with Teflon and directly immersed in the electrolyte for heating. Alternatively, a heating cable can be wrapped around the outer wall of the tank. While these methods are simple in structure, they have significant drawbacks: Localized high temperatures are easily generated: The surface heat load of the heating tube is high, and the electrolyte flow organization is poor, which easily forms flow dead zones and localized high temperature areas, causing the active substances in the electrolyte to precipitate and cause irreversible capacity decay.

[0004] Low accuracy of temperature control system: The electrolyte cannot be heated at a constant temperature, the temperature distribution inside the entire heater is uneven, the temperature sensor located at the inlet and outlet may not be the highest temperature inside the entire device, the heating power cannot be effectively controlled, and heating cannot be stopped in time when local high temperature occurs.

[0005] The equipment poses a risk of leakage: high-power electrical components are in direct contact with conductive electrolyte, requiring extremely high insulation and sealing, and are at risk of leakage and short circuit.

[0006] Low heating efficiency and impaired heat dissipation: Heating methods such as heating cables are not very efficient and may hinder heat dissipation from the storage tank when the ambient temperature is high.

[0007] Furthermore, other heating solutions, such as those using plate heat exchangers or chillers for temperature management, also suffer from poor system insulation, high power consumption, and high cost. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a heating device that can achieve uniform heating, precise temperature control, and high safety. Utility Model Content

[0008] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a flow battery heating device with a reasonable structure, uniform temperature control, and safety and reliability, so as to solve the problems of local overheating, inaccurate temperature control and leakage risk caused by direct contact heating, while improving heating efficiency.

[0009] This application provides a heating device for a flow battery system, comprising an upper cover, a top flange, a top flange bolt assembly, a cylinder, a finned flow channel, an inner cylinder, a heating tube, an outer temperature sensor of the inner cylinder, a bolt assembly of the upper flange of the cylinder, an outlet pipe connector, an outlet temperature sensor, a flange gasket, a bolt assembly of the lower flange of the cylinder, a lower cover, an inlet pipe connector, an inlet temperature sensor, a wiring port, and an inner cylinder temperature sensor.

[0010] By adopting the above technical solution, the flow channels of electrolyte and heat-conducting medium can be isolated, direct heating of electrolyte can be avoided, local high temperature generation can be reduced, and the risk of leakage can be lowered.

[0011] Furthermore, the upper cylinder cover includes an upper cylinder cover upper flange, an upper cylinder cover shell, and an upper cylinder cover lower flange. The cylinder body includes an upper cylinder body flange, a lower cylinder body flange, a cylinder body inlet guide structure, and a cylinder shell. The lower cylinder cover includes a lower cylinder cover shell and a lower cylinder cover flange. The top flange is connected to the upper cylinder cover upper flange via a top flange bolt assembly. The upper cylinder body flange is connected to the upper cylinder cover lower flange via an upper cylinder body flange bolt assembly. The lower cylinder body flange is connected to the lower cylinder cover flange via a lower cylinder body flange bolt assembly. The inlet pipe joint is welded to the lower cylinder cover shell, and the outlet pipe joint is welded to the cylinder shell.

[0012] By adopting the above technical solution, the various parts of the heating device can be assembled and disassembled, which facilitates maintenance and repair.

[0013] Furthermore, the cylinder body and inner cylinder body are manufactured using an integral forming process.

[0014] By adopting the above technical solutions, the possibility of liquid leakage between the cylinder body and the inner cylinder body can be reduced, ensuring the safety of the inner cylinder heating process.

[0015] Furthermore, the upper cylinder cover shell and the upper cylinder cover flange, the lower cylinder cover shell and the lower cylinder cover flange, and the cylinder shell and the cylinder body flange are welded using the same material.

[0016] By adopting the above technical solutions, the sealing performance and structural strength of the heating device shell are guaranteed.

[0017] Furthermore, the upper flange of the cylinder body and the lower flange of the upper cylinder cover, the lower flange of the cylinder body and the lower cover flange, and the top flange and the upper flange of the upper cylinder cover all contain flange sealing gaskets.

[0018] The above technical solutions ensure a tight seal at the flange location.

[0019] Furthermore, the inner side of the finned flow channel is welded to the outer side of the inner cylinder, and the outer side is welded to the inner side of the outer cylinder. The surface of the finned flow channel has a concave-convex structure and a certain degree of roughness.

[0020] The above technical solutions can increase the heat exchange area, improve heat exchange efficiency, enhance electrolyte disturbance between the inner and outer cylinder layers, promote electrolyte mixing, and make the electrolyte temperature rise uniformly from the inlet to the outlet, thereby reducing the risk of local high temperature.

[0021] Furthermore, the inlet guide structure is integrally formed with the shell, and the inlet guide structure consists of several small holes between the bottom layer of the outer cylinder and the inner cylinder.

[0022] The above technical solutions can ensure that the imported electrolyte is fully mixed and that the electrolyte is fed more evenly along the circumferential direction.

[0023] Furthermore, the outer temperature sensor of the inner cylinder is fixed to the outer wall of the inner cylinder, the inlet temperature sensor is installed at the inlet pipe joint, the outlet temperature sensor is installed at the outlet pipe joint, the inner cylinder temperature sensor is located inside the upper cylinder cover, and the bottom probe extends into the inner cylinder body.

[0024] The above technical solutions can improve the accuracy of the temperature control system. The heating power is determined by the inner cylinder temperature, the heating temperature is prevented from being too high by the outer temperature of the inner cylinder, and the heating power is adjusted by the inlet and outlet temperatures.

[0025] Furthermore, the space formed by the shell and the finned flow channel is the electrolyte flow channel, and the inner cylinder is the heat-conducting medium flow channel.

[0026] The above technical solutions allow for the separate heating of a non-electrically charged heat-conducting medium within the inner cylinder, maintaining a constant temperature within the inner cylinder.

[0027] In summary, this application includes at least one of the following beneficial technical effects: 1. Increase the heat exchange area and improve the heat exchange efficiency of the heating device. A finned flow channel is fixed to the outside of the inner cylinder of the heating device in an S-shape, and the electrolyte temperature gradually increases along the flow channel direction to achieve rapid and uniform heating.

[0028] 2. Indirect heat transfer is employed to maintain a constant temperature environment. The heating element heats the heat-conducting medium within the inner cylinder, and then transfers the heat to the electrolyte in the interlayer between the inner and outer cylinders via heat conduction through the inner cylinder wall. The inner cylinder wall maintains a constant temperature, resulting in more uniform heat transfer.

[0029] 3. Enhanced electrolyte mixing reduces the risk of localized high temperatures. The finned flow channel enhances turbulence, promotes electrolyte mixing, reduces flow stagnation areas, and avoids the generation of localized high temperatures.

[0030] 4. Effective monitoring of heating temperature and real-time adjustment of heating power. The inner cylinder is heated at a constant temperature, and the inner cylinder wall is also at a constant temperature, reducing the number of wall temperature monitoring points. Monitoring the center temperature of the wall is sufficient to effectively adjust the heating power. The electrolyte temperature gradually increases from bottom to top; monitoring the inlet and outlet temperatures effectively controls the highest temperature within the system. Attached Figure Description

[0031] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the external structure of an embodiment of this application.

[0032] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of an embodiment of this application.

[0033] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of the inlet guide structure in an embodiment of this application.

[0034] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 1. Upper cylinder cover; 101. Upper flange of the upper cylinder cover; 102. Upper cylinder cover shell; 103. Lower flange of the upper cylinder cover; 2. Top flange; 3. Top flange bolt set; 4. Cylinder body; 401. Upper flange of the cylinder body; 402. Lower flange of the cylinder body; 403. Cylinder body inlet guide structure; 404. Cylinder shell; 5. Finned flow channel; 6. Inner cylinder body; 7. Heating tube; 8. Temperature sensor on the outer side of the inner cylinder; 9. Bolt set of the upper flange of the cylinder body; 10. Outlet pipe connector; 11. Outlet temperature sensor; 12. Flange gasket; 13. Bolt set of the lower flange of the cylinder body; 14. Lower cylinder cover; 1401. Lower cylinder cover shell; 1402. Lower cylinder cover flange; 15. Inlet pipe connector; 16. Inlet temperature sensor; 17. Wiring port; 18. Inner cylinder temperature sensor. Detailed Implementation

[0035] The following is in conjunction with the appendix Figure 1-2 The present application will be further described in detail with reference to the embodiments.

[0036] This application discloses a heating device for a flow battery system. (See reference...) Figure 1 The heating device is composed of an upper cylinder cover 1, a cylinder body 4, and a lower cylinder cover 14. The upper cylinder cover 1 is connected to a top flange 2. The upper cylinder cover 1 and the cylinder body 4, as well as the cylinder body 4 and the lower cylinder cover 14, are all connected by flanges, and there is a flange sealing gasket 12 between the two connected flanges.

[0037] refer to Figure 1 , Figure 2The upper cover 1 includes an upper flange 101, an upper cover housing 102, and a lower flange 103, the lower flange 103 being a blind flange. The upper flange 101 is a weld neck flange, and the upper cover housing 102 is a cylindrical housing. The heating tube 7 is welded to the lower flange 103. The upper cover 1 has a wiring port 17 for connecting to a power source. An opening is provided on the lower flange 103 to allow the inner cylinder temperature sensor 18 to extend into the inner cylinder 6. The cylinder 4 includes an upper flange 401, a lower flange 402, an inlet guide structure 403, and a shell 404. The outer diameter of the shell 404 is the same as that of the upper cover housing 102. The inner cylinder 6 and the outer shell 404 are both welded to the upper flange 401 of the cylinder. The finned flow channel 5 is spirally welded between the inner side of the outer shell 404 and the outer side of the inner cylinder 6. The surface of the finned flow channel 5 is surface treated and has a certain degree of roughness. The lower cylinder cover 14 includes a lower cylinder cover shell 1401 and a lower cylinder cover flange 1402. The lower cylinder cover shell 1401 is an arc-shaped end cap, and the lower cylinder cover flange 1402 is welded to the outer surface of the lower cylinder cover shell 1401.

[0038] refer to Figure 1 , Figure 2 In a 5MW / 20MWh flow battery system, the calculated flow rate is 25 m³ / h. The outer diameter of the cylindrical body 4 is 500 mm, the outer diameter of the inner cylindrical body 6 is 300 mm, the total length of the cylindrical body 4 is 1000 mm, the finned flow channel 5 rotates 10 times, and the gap between the outer side of the inner cylindrical body 6 and the inner side of the shell 404 is 100 mm. The electrolyte flow velocity inside the heating device does not exceed 1 m / s. The heating tube 7 inside the inner cylindrical body 6 is a U-shaped tube, with an outer U-shaped tube height of 950 mm and an inner U-shaped tube height of 850 mm.

[0039] refer to Figure 2 , Figure 3 The inner cylinder 6 is connected to the inlet guide structure 403 at an outer diameter of 300mm, and the outer shell 404 is connected at an outer diameter of 500mm. There are several circumferentially distributed circular holes at an outer diameter of 300mm to 500mm, with an outer diameter of 10mm.

[0040] refer to Figure 1 The inlet pipe connector 15 is equipped with an inlet temperature sensor 16, and the outlet pipe connector 10 is equipped with an outlet temperature sensor 11, used to monitor the inlet and outlet temperatures and adjust the heating power. An outer inner cylinder temperature sensor 8 is installed on the outside of the inner cylinder 6 to monitor the temperature of the outer wall of the inner cylinder 6 and prevent overheating. An inner cylinder temperature sensor 18 is installed inside the upper cylinder cover 1, with its probe extending into the inner cylinder 6 to monitor the internal heating temperature. The heating power is adjusted by regulating the internal heating temperature.

[0041] The implementation principle of a heating device for a flow battery system according to an embodiment of this application is as follows: A heating rod is connected to electricity through a wiring port. The heating tube transfers heat to the heat-conducting medium inside the inner cylinder. An inner cylinder temperature sensor monitors the temperature inside the inner cylinder, and the heating power is adjusted by controlling the temperature of the heat-conducting medium inside the inner cylinder. The electrolyte flows into the heating device from the inlet pipe joint, and the initial temperature of the electrolyte is measured by the inlet temperature sensor. The electrolyte flows evenly through the inlet guide structure and swirls around the inner cylinder along the finned flow channel. An outer cylinder temperature sensor monitors the temperature of the outer wall surface of the inner cylinder to prevent overheating. During the flow of the electrolyte through the finned flow channel, the electrolyte is fully mixed due to the disturbance effect of the flow channel, preventing the generation of local high temperatures. The temperature of the electrolyte gradually and uniformly rises along the height of the heating device, and the outlet temperature sensor can accurately reflect the final heating temperature of the electrolyte after it flows out of the heating device. By observing the temperature difference shown by the inlet and outlet temperature sensors and the final temperature that the electrolyte needs to reach, the heating power of the inner cylinder heating tube is adjusted to achieve precise control.

[0042] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit this application. Various modifications and variations can be made to this application by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A heating device for a flow battery system, characterized in that, Includes upper cylinder cover (1), top flange (2), top flange bolt assembly (3), cylinder (4), finned flow channel (5), inner cylinder (6), heating tube (7), inner cylinder outer temperature sensor (8), upper cylinder flange bolt assembly (9), outlet pipe joint (10), outlet temperature sensor (11), flange gasket (12), lower cylinder flange bolt assembly (13), lower cylinder cover (14), inlet pipe joint (15), inlet temperature sensor (16), wiring port (17), and inner cylinder temperature sensor (18).

2. The heating device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The upper cylinder cover (1) includes an upper cylinder cover upper flange (101), an upper cylinder cover shell (102), and an upper cylinder cover lower flange (103); the cylinder body (4) includes a cylinder body upper flange (401), a cylinder body lower flange (402), a cylinder body inlet guide structure (403), and a cylinder shell (404); the lower cylinder cover (14) includes a lower cylinder cover shell (1401) and a lower cylinder cover flange (1402); the top flange (2) and the upper cylinder cover upper flange (103) 01) Connected by top flange bolt sleeve (3); the upper flange (401) of the cylinder body and the lower flange (103) of the upper cylinder cover are connected by upper flange bolt sleeve (9); the lower flange (402) of the cylinder body and the lower cylinder cover flange (1402) are connected by lower cylinder flange bolt sleeve (13); the inlet pipe joint (15) is welded to the lower cylinder cover shell (1401), and the outlet pipe joint (10) is welded to the cylinder shell (404).

3. The heating device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The cylinder (4) and inner cylinder (6) are integrally formed to reduce liquid leakage between the inner and outer cylinders.

4. The heating device as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The upper cylinder cover shell (102) is welded to the upper cylinder cover upper flange (101) and the upper cylinder cover lower flange (103), the lower cylinder cover shell (1401) and the lower cylinder cover flange (1402), and the cylinder shell (404) is welded to the cylinder body upper flange (401) and the cylinder body lower flange (402) using the same material to ensure sealing.

5. The heating device as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The upper flange (401) of the cylinder body and the lower flange (103) of the upper cylinder cover, the lower flange (402) of the cylinder body and the lower cylinder cover flange (1402), and the top flange (2) and the upper flange (101) of the upper cylinder cover all contain flange gaskets (12).

6. A heating device for a flow battery system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The inner side of the finned flow channel (5) is welded to the outer side of the inner cylinder (6), and the outer side is welded to the inner side of the cylinder (4). The surface of the finned flow channel (5) has a concave-convex structure and a certain roughness.

7. The heating device as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The inlet guide structure (403) is integrally formed with the shell (404), and the inlet guide structure (403) consists of several small holes between the bottom layer of the shell (4) and the inner shell (6).

8. The heating device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The outer temperature sensor (8) of the inner cylinder is fixed on the outer wall of the inner cylinder; the inlet temperature sensor (16) is installed at the inlet pipe joint (15); the outlet temperature sensor is installed at the outlet pipe joint (10); the inner cylinder temperature sensor is located inside the upper cylinder cover (1), and the bottom probe extends into the inner cylinder body (6).

9. The heating device as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The space formed by the shell (404) and the finned flow channel (5) is the electrolyte flow channel, and the inner cylinder (6) is the heat-conducting medium flow channel.

Images