Redox Flow Battery Frame Body Surface Roughness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cell frames in redox flow batteries experience displacement due to vibration or internal pressure, leading to electrolyte leakage when surfaces are excessively smooth, while excessively rough surfaces create large gaps that also result in leakage.
Innovation Solution
The frame body and cell frame feature frame-facing surfaces with a surface roughness of 0.03 µm to 3.2 µm, and sealing grooves with matching roughness to prevent displacement and ensure proper sealing, using a loop-shaped sealing member to enhance friction and adherence, thereby reducing electrolyte leakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the frame-facing surface is made excessively smooth, then the sealing performance is improved, but the cell frames become displaced due to vibration or internal pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by optimizing the surface roughness of the frame-facing surface within a specific range (Ra 0.03-3.2 µm). This parameter optimization balances two opposing requirements: sufficient smoothness for sealing performance and sufficient roughness for friction-based position stability during vibration and pressure conditions.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the frame-facing surface is made excessively rough, then the position stability of cell frames is improved, but large gaps are formed between adjacent cell frames
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves this contradiction by establishing an upper bound for the surface roughness parameter (Ra ≤ 3.2 µm). This ensures that while sufficient friction is maintained for position stability, the surface does not become so rough as to create large gaps that would compromise sealing performance.
3Force
If the surface roughness is increased to prevent displacement, then the friction between adjacent cell frames is improved, but the manufacturing precision requirements become more stringent
Solution Approach 1:
The patent balances friction force requirements with manufacturing feasibility by specifying a surface roughness range (Ra 0.03-3.2 µm) that provides sufficient friction while remaining achievable through conventional manufacturing processes. This range avoids extreme values that would be difficult to control precisely during manufacturing.
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 configuration effectively suppresses electrolyte leakage during transportation and operation by maintaining appropriate friction between adjacent cell frames and ensuring the loop-shaped sealing member remains in place, preventing gaps and enhancing sealing performance.
Implementation Method 1
the frame-facing surfaces of the one surface and the other surface of the frame body have a surface roughness Ra of 0.03 µm or more and 3.2 µm or less
Implementation Method 2
using a loop-shaped sealing member to enhance friction and adherence, thereby reducing electrolyte leakage
Data Source
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AI summary
A frame body that is a part of a flat cell frame for a cell stack of a redox flow battery, and that supports, on an outer peripheral side of a bipolar plate of the cell frame, the bipolar plate, the frame body including a frame-facing surface that is to face, when a plurality of the cell frames are stacked, a frame body of another cell frame that is adjacent to the cell frame in a stacking direction, wherein the frame-facing surface has a surface roughness Ra of 0.03 µm or more and 3.2 µm or less.