Curved Redox Flow Battery Stack for Lower Pressure Drop
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing redox flow battery stacks face challenges with electrolyte mass transport restrictions, high internal power consumption, and increased production costs due to complex manifold designs, limiting their efficiency and scalability.
Innovation Solution
A streamlined shape design for redox flow battery stacks with increased cell size at the inlet and middle portions and decreased size at the outlet, eliminating inactive sites and utilizing a Gielis equation to optimize electrolyte distribution, reducing pressure drop and manufacturing costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional rectangular stack design is used, then manufacturing is simple, but inactive sites at corners restrict mass transport and reduce efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies curvature by transitioning from a rectangular cell design to a circular cell design. This eliminates the corner inactive sites present in rectangular designs, as the circular geometry provides continuous active perimeter throughout the electrode structure, thereby improving mass transport efficiency without significantly complicating manufacturing
2Productivity
If complex manifold and flow field channels are introduced, then electrolyte distribution improves, but device complexity and production costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the complex manifold system from the conventional rectangular design. By adopting a circular cell geometry with continuous peripheral flow channels, the design removes the need for intricate manifold structures while maintaining effective electrolyte distribution across the electrode surface
Solution Approach 2:
The circular cell design inherently provides more uniform electrolyte distribution compared to rectangular designs with dead zones at corners. The curved geometry ensures continuous flow paths and eliminates stagnant regions, achieving improved distribution without requiring additional complex manifold components
3Loss of energy
If pumping flow rate is reduced to decrease pressure drop, then pump power consumption decreases, but concentration polarization increases and voltage efficiency reduces
Solution Approach 1:
The circular cell design with continuous peripheral flow channels creates more efficient flow paths that reduce pressure drop. This geometric optimization allows the system to maintain effective electrolyte circulation at lower pumping rates, thereby reducing pump power consumption while avoiding the concentration polarization issues that would otherwise occur
4Power
If cell size is increased to handle larger currents, then power density increases, but pressure drop increases proportionally with path length
Solution Approach 1:
The circular cell geometry provides shorter and more uniform flow paths compared to rectangular designs. As cell size increases, the circular configuration maintains more consistent electrolyte velocity and pressure distribution, preventing the pressure drop from increasing proportionally with path length while still accommodating higher power densities
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The streamlined design enhances electrolyte distribution, reduces pressure drop, and lowers power consumption, enabling higher current densities and overall system efficiency while minimizing production costs.
Implementation Method 1
The streamlined design enhances electrolyte distribution, reduces pressure drop, and lowers power consumption
Implementation Method 2
allows an improved electrolyte distribution, and decreases the pressure drop thereof
Implementation Method 3
The redox flow battery is a battery charged and discharged by utilizing the difference in oxidation-reduction potential between an ion contained in a positive electrode electrolyte and an ion contained in a negative electrode electrolyte
Implementation Method 4
a membrane (1) which is an ion exchange membrane that separates the electrodes and prevents the electrolytes from mixing, but allows selected ions to pass through
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a redox flow battery cell stack having a streamlined shape design that allows an improved electrolyte distribution, and decreases the pressure drop thereof, through increasing the size of the cell at the inlet and middle portion and decreasing the size at the outlet portion. The redox flow battery cell stack comprises at least one membrane; at least two flow frames disposed on both sides of the membrane; at least two electrodes disposed in cavities inside the flow frames; at least two gaskets between said frames, at least two bipolar plates and at least two outer frames; and two inlets and two outlets for circulating electrolytes; characterized in that said electrodes have a streamlined design; wherein the length thereof is larger than the width thereof, and the inlet and middle portions having dimensions larger than the outlet thereof.