Flow Battery Electrolyte Channels for Data Transmission and Sensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems integrate chemical and electrical energy sources separately, leading to undesirable bulk, weight, and cost, necessitating techniques to reduce these parameters while improving system performance.
Innovation Solution
Integrate a flowable electrolyte, such as a redox flow battery, to embed data communication and sensing capabilities within structural elements, using flexible and stretchable channels to transmit electrical signals and sense deformations, replacing traditional conductors and enhancing energy density.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If separate power subsystems, data communication subsystems, and structural subsystems are used in traditional devices, then each subsystem can be optimized independently, but the system suffers from undesirable bulk, weight, and cost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines power storage, data communication, and structural functions into a single integrated flow battery system. The electrolyte channels serve dual purposes: circulating electrolyte for energy storage and transmitting electrical signals for data communication. This merging eliminates the need for separate copper wires and rigid conductors, directly reducing system weight while maintaining independent optimization capabilities through modular electrode and channel design.
Solution Approach 2:
The flow battery system is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: energy storage through redox reactions, data communication through electrical signal transmission in the electrolyte, and structural support through the channel network. The electrolyte channels act as both fluid conduits and electrical communication pathways, creating a universal system that replaces multiple specialized subsystems and reduces overall weight.
2Ease of manufacture
If separate power subsystems, data communication subsystems, and structural subsystems are used in traditional devices, then each subsystem can be optimized independently, but the system suffers from undesirable bulk
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges power storage and data communication functions into the same physical infrastructure. The electrolyte channels that circulate through the battery cells serve as both fluid pathways for energy storage and electrical conduits for data transmission. This consolidation eliminates the volume occupied by separate copper wiring harnesses and rigid conductors, reducing overall system bulk while maintaining independent subsystem optimization through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
The flow battery system achieves multi-functionality by using the electrolyte channel network for both energy storage circulation and electrical signal transmission. This universal use of the channel structure eliminates the need for additional volume-dense components like separate communication cables, thereby reducing system bulk while allowing independent optimization of battery performance and communication capabilities.
3Reliability
If traditional copper wires and rigid conductors are used for data communication, then reliable electrical signal transmission is achieved, but the system weight and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical copper wire transmission system with an electrical field-based signal transmission through the electrolyte. Instead of using physical copper conductors, the system uses the ionic conductivity of the flowing electrolyte to transmit electrical signals between electrodes. This substitution maintains reliable data communication while eliminating the weight of copper wiring, as the electrolyte already serves as the energy storage medium.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrolyte serves dual functions: as the energy storage medium for power delivery and as the transmission medium for data communication signals. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate copper wires, reducing system weight while maintaining reliable electrical signal transmission through the conductive electrolyte that is already present in the battery system.
4Reliability
If traditional copper wires and rigid conductors are used for data communication, then reliable electrical signal transmission is achieved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the complex mechanical assembly of copper wires, connectors, and rigid conductors with a simplified electrical field-based transmission system using the electrolyte. The flowing electrolyte naturally provides the conduction pathway, eliminating the need for separate wiring harnesses and reducing device complexity while maintaining reliable signal transmission through the battery's existing electrical architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrolyte channel network performs multiple functions simultaneously: energy storage circulation, heat dissipation, and data communication signal transmission. This multi-functionality reduces device complexity by consolidating what would traditionally require separate systems into a single integrated infrastructure, eliminating the need for additional copper wires and rigid conductors while maintaining reliable electrical signal transmission.
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
This integration reduces system weight and improves energy density by incorporating data transmission and sensing functions, eliminating the need for additional conductors and enhancing overall system performance.
Implementation Method 1
a first electrode configured to impart and/or receive a first electrical signal in the first flowable electrolyte
Implementation Method 2
the battery is a redox flow battery (RFB) or a hybrid RFB
Data Source
AI summary
A data communication device includes a battery having a first flowable electrolyte. In some embodiments, the battery is a redox flow battery (RFB) or a hybrid RFB. A first channel contains the first flowable electrolyte of the battery (i.e., contains at least a portion of the first flowable electrolyte). The first channel may include a tube and/or a reservoir. At least a portion of the first channel may be flexible and/or stretchable. The first channel has a first electrode configured to impart and/or receive a first electrical signal in the first flowable electrolyte. The first electrical signal may be a digital signal. The first electrical signal may be an encoded signal. The device may include a transceiver in electronic communication with the first electrode.