Redox Flow Battery Cell Layout for Lower Electrolyte Pressure Loss
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Solution Overview
Problem
Redox flow batteries face challenges in increasing energy efficiency due to high pressure loss of electrolyte solutions, which leads to increased pump power requirements, reducing their overall performance.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a battery cell with meandering flow paths on bipolar plates that allow for wider electrolyte solution distribution and reduced pressure loss, featuring introduction, turn-back, and discharge sections arranged in parallel, optimizing the length and cross-sectional area of these paths to enhance electrolyte flow and reduce resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If meandering flow paths are used to distribute electrolyte solution widely, then electrolyte distribution efficiency is improved, but pressure loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flow path is divided into multiple parallel meandering paths instead of a single long path. Each meandering path includes an introduction-side section, a turn-back section, and a discharge-side section, allowing the electrolyte to be distributed across multiple parallel channels. This segmentation reduces the length of each individual path while maintaining wide distribution coverage, thereby reducing pressure loss while improving electrolyte distribution efficiency.
2Speed
If pump power is increased to overcome pressure loss, then electrolyte flow rate is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the flow path into multiple parallel meandering channels, the hydraulic resistance of each channel is reduced. This allows the electrolyte to flow more easily through each path, maintaining adequate flow rates without requiring excessive pump power, thus reducing overall energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The flow path geometry is optimized by controlling the length of the parallel arrangement region to be 100 mm or more and 2000 mm or less, and by optimizing the cross-sectional area of each meandering path. These parameter changes reduce flow resistance and pressure loss, enabling efficient electrolyte circulation with lower pump power consumption.
3Area of stationary object
If flow path length is increased to improve distribution, then electrolyte coverage is improved, but pressure loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of extending the flow path in a single dimension, the invention uses multiple parallel meandering paths arranged in the widthwise direction. This multi-dimensional approach allows the electrolyte to cover a wide area through multiple short parallel paths rather than one long path, reducing the total length and pressure loss while maintaining extensive coverage.
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 reduces pump power consumption and improves battery performance by minimizing pressure loss and ensuring efficient electrolyte distribution across the electrodes, leading to enhanced energy efficiency and reaction efficiency within the battery cell.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of meandering flow paths each of which has an introduction port that is in connection with the supply edge, and a discharge port that is in connection with the discharge edge, and is serially formed from the introduction port to the discharge port
Implementation Method 2
a bipolar plate that is arranged between a positive electrode and a negative electrode
Data Source
AI summary
A battery cell that has a supply edge to which an electrolyte solution is supplied and a discharge edge from which the electrolyte solution is discharged has an introduction port that connects with the supply edge and a discharge port that connects with the discharge edge, and includes a plurality of meandering flow paths each of which is serially formed from the introduction port to the discharge port, the plurality of meandering flow paths being arranged in parallel in a widthwise direction. Each of the meandering flow paths has an introduction-side section extending from the introduction port toward a discharge edge side, a turn-back section that is turned back from an end portion on the discharge edge side of the introduction-side section toward a supply edge side, and a discharge-side section reaching the discharge port from an end portion on the supply edge side of the turn-back section.