Vanadium Electrolyte Paste Preparation for Flow Battery Transport

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Solution Overview

Problem

The high-purity vanadium electrolyte for all-vanadium redox flow batteries contains a large amount of sulfuric acid, making it difficult to transport due to its fluidity and corrosive nature, which increases transportation costs and hinders its popularization.

Innovation Solution

A method involving the reduction of high-purity vanadium pentoxide using a reducing gas to form a low-valence vanadium oxide, which is then activated with sulfuric acid to create a vanadium-containing paste electrolyte that can be transported and dissolved later to produce the vanadium electrolyte, reducing corrosion and storage space requirements.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If high-purity vanadium electrolyte is prepared using conventional methods, then the electrolyte achieves high specific energy and stability, but it contains a large amount of sulfuric acid components making it highly fluid and corrosive, which greatly increases transportation cost and limits popularization

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveelectrolyte stabilityVSAvoidcorrosion and transportation difficulty

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the physical state parameter of the electrolyte from liquid to solid paste form by controlling the water content to 20-40% (compared to conventional 70-80% water content). This parameter change transforms the corrosive liquid sulfuric acid into a solidified paste, eliminating fluidity and significantly reducing corrosion to containers during transportation while maintaining the electrochemical performance and stability of the vanadium electrolyte

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent utilizes phase transition by controlling the water content to transform the vanadium electrolyte from liquid phase to solid paste phase. The sulfuric acid and vanadium salts form a solidified paste structure when water content is reduced to 20-40%, which prevents fluidity and corrosion during storage and transportation, yet allows easy dissolution back to liquid form when water is added at the application site

Inventive Principle:

Principle #36Phase transitions

2Ease of operation

If vanadium electrolyte is transported in liquid form, then it maintains its functional properties, but it requires special containers and incurs high transportation cost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetransportation convenienceVSAvoidcorrosion to container

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces water as an intermediary substance that is added at the application site to transform the solid paste into liquid form. The paste serves as an intermediary state that eliminates corrosion during transportation, then converts to functional liquid form when water (the intermediary) is added, enabling easy dissolution and immediate use without requiring special corrosion-resistant containers

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

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 method lowers transportation costs and facilitates the popularization of vanadium electrolyte by reducing corrosion and storage needs, while maintaining the quality and performance of the vanadium electrolyte, as per GB/T37204-2018 standards.

Implementation Method 1

heating high-purity vanadium pentoxide, and reducing the high-purity vanadium pentoxide by using a reducing gas to obtain a low-valence vanadium oxide

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectReduction: Reduction

Implementation Method 2

mixing low-valence vanadium oxide with an activating agent, and heating and activating to obtain vanadium-containing paste electrolyte

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHeating: Heating

Implementation Method 3

adding water to dissolve the vanadium-containing paste electrolyte to obtain the vanadium electrolyte

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectDissolution: Solvation

Data Source

PatentUS20230231170A1Method for preparing vanadium electrolyte for all-vanadium redox flow battery

Publication Date: 2023.07.20 VRB ENERGY INC

AI summary

The application relates to battery materials, and particularly discloses a method for preparing vanadium electrolyte for an all-vanadium redox flow battery. An example method includes: heating high-purity vanadium pentoxide, and reducing the high-purity vanadium pentoxide by using a reducing gas to obtain a low-valence vanadium oxide; mixing low-valence vanadium oxide with an activating agent, and heating and activating to obtain vanadium-containing paste electrolyte; and adding water to dissolve the vanadium-containing paste electrolyte to obtain the vanadium electrolyte with the average valence of vanadium between positive three and positive four. Compared with a finished product vanadium electrolyte, the vanadium-containing paste electrolyte is small in size, and the sulfuric acid is solidified, so that the corrosion of the sulfuric acid to a container can be reduced, the cost for transporting the vanadium-containing paste electrolyte is lower than the cost for directly transporting the vanadium electrolyte, and the vanadium electrolyte is promoted.