Integrally-Molded Bipolar Plate for Flow Battery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional all-vanadium flow batteries face challenges with high structural complexity, increased material costs, and large volume due to the design of bipolar plates, which complicates assembly and reduces energy efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A storage module using low-cost materials such as plasma-modified carbon felts and integrally-molded complex cast polar plates with a new flow-field design, incorporating graphite plates and border plates, and thinning the bipolar plate to improve energy efficiency, combining current collectors and graphite papers to enhance cell stack performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a bipolar plate is formed by clamping a graphite plate with two insulating frames, then the battery structure is complete with proper insulation and conduction, but the battery requires many components with increased material cost and large size
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the insulating frame and graphite plate into a single integrated bipolar plate structure. The bipolar plate directly provides both insulation at its edges and conduction through its body, eliminating the need for separate insulating frames clamping the graphite plate. This integration reduces the number of components while maintaining the complete battery structure.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the bipolar plate is made with conventional design, then the battery structure is stable, but the molding of a thin bipolar plate is difficult and the battery volume becomes large
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the thickness parameter of the bipolar plate by adopting a thin bipolar plate design. The integrated structure allows for precise control of the graphite layer thickness within the bipolar plate, enabling thin plate fabrication that reduces battery volume while maintaining structural stability through the integrated design.
3Loss of energy
If the flow length of electrolytes is increased to reduce shunt currents, then the internal frictions are reduced, but the structural complexity of the battery is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The bipolar plate performs multiple functions: it provides electrical conduction, structural support, and defines the flow path for electrolytes. The integrated design allows the bipolar plate itself to guide electrolyte flow through its geometry, eliminating the need for separate flow conduit structures and reducing overall structural complexity while maintaining proper flow length to reduce shunt currents.
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 solution effectively reduces material costs and improves energy efficiency by simplifying the battery structure, reducing internal frictions, and enhancing the assembly process, resulting in a more efficient and cost-effective storage module.
Implementation Method 1
All-vanadium (V) electrolyte battery uses V ions of different valences to process redox reactions for storing or releasing electrical energy
Implementation Method 2
the membrane is made of a membrane material of polysulfone (PSF) modified through atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP)
Implementation Method 3
the current collector contacts the other surface of the graphite plate at opposite side having the electrolyte flow conduits to combine the current collector, the graphite plate, and the graphite paper
Data Source
AI summary
A storage module of distributed flow battery is provided. An electrochemical reaction is processed with the positive and negative electrolytes to produce and/or discharge direct current and further output the positive and negative electrolytes after the reaction. The module comprises two end plates; two frames disposed between the two end plates; two current collectors disposed between the two frames; two complex cast polar plates disposed between the two current collectors; two electrodes disposed between the two complex cast polar plates; a membrane disposed between the two electrodes; and three gaskets. Therein, two of the gaskets are set to sandwich and enclose one of the two complex cast polar plates; and the other one of the gaskets is set between the other one of the two complex cast polar plates and an adjacent one of the current collectors.