Flow Battery Frame Sealing Without Separate Seal Rings
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional flow batteries face challenges with complex production processes and high costs due to the use of seal rings or seal rubbers for sealing liquid passages, which complicate manufacturing.
Innovation Solution
A flow battery design featuring a proton exchange membrane with primary and secondary mating protrusions and recesses forming seal mating lines to create channels, separated by partition plates, allowing for easy manufacturing and effective sealing without the need for additional seal rings or rubbers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If seal rings or seal rubbers are used for sealing liquid passages, then sealing effectiveness is improved, but device complexity and production cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing function is merged with the frame structure itself. The frame includes protrusions that extend into grooves of adjacent frames, creating integral seal mating lines that form liquid-tight barriers without requiring separate seal rings or rubbers. This integration eliminates additional sealing components while maintaining effective sealing.
Solution Approach 2:
The frame structure serves multiple functions: it provides structural support, defines electrode positions, and creates sealing barriers through its protrusions and grooves. The same structural elements that form the battery assembly also perform the sealing function, eliminating the need for dedicated sealing components.
2Reliability
If seal rings or seal rubbers are used for sealing liquid passages, then sealing effectiveness is improved, but production cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing function is merged with the frame structure itself. The frame includes protrusions that extend into grooves of adjacent frames, creating integral seal mating lines that form liquid-tight barriers without requiring separate seal rings or rubbers. This integration eliminates additional sealing components while maintaining effective sealing.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing function is achieved through simple structural features (protrusions and grooves) that are already part of the frame, rather than using expensive specialized sealing materials. This approach uses basic structural elements to perform sealing, significantly reducing material costs.
3Reliability
If multiple sealing components are added to prevent short circuits, then electrode separation reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing function is merged with the frame structure itself. The frame includes protrusions that extend into grooves of adjacent frames, creating integral seal mating lines that form liquid-tight barriers without requiring separate seal rings or rubbers. This integration eliminates additional sealing components while maintaining effective sealing.
Solution Approach 2:
The frame structure serves multiple functions: it provides structural support, defines electrode positions, and creates sealing barriers through its protrusions and grooves. The same structural elements that form the battery assembly also perform the sealing function, eliminating the need for dedicated sealing components.
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 design achieves a good seal effect while simplifying the production process and reducing costs, ensuring effective separation of electrodes and preventing short circuits, with channels produced by the mating lines maintaining electrolyte flow efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a proton exchange membrane, the proton exchange membrane being provided at an inner hole of the frame, the first electrode being located at a first side of the proton exchange membrane, the second electrode being located at a second side of the proton exchange membrane
Implementation Method 2
opposite sides of any adjacent frames are provided with a primary mating protrusion, a primary mating recess, a first liquid inlet channel, a first liquid outlet channel, a second liquid inlet channel and a second liquid outlet channel, the primary mating protrusion and the primary mating recess form a primary seal mating line
Data Source
AI summary
Provided herein is a flow battery, provided with a primary mating protrusion, a primary mating recess, a first liquid inlet channel, a first liquid outlet channel, a second liquid inlet channel, and a second liquid outlet channel on opposite sides of any adjacent frames, wherein the primary mating protrusion and the primary mating recess form a primary seal mating line, the first liquid inlet channel, a first cavity, and the first liquid outlet channel are communicated, and the second liquid inlet channel, a second cavity and the second liquid outlet channel are communicated; and at least one of the first liquid inlet channel, first liquid outlet channel, second liquid inlet channel, and second liquid outlet channel is produced by separation by the primary seal mating line. At least one of the first liquid inlet channel, first liquid outlet channel, second liquid inlet channel, and second liquid outlet channel is separated between adjacent frames by the primary seal mating line, having advantages such as a simple production process, a low production cost, and a good sealing effect.