Wound Redox Flow Battery Module Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
The high investment costs of redox flow batteries are primarily due to the complex construction of the battery stack, particularly in terms of flow guidance and sealing, which is a significant obstacle to their widespread use as an efficient method for storing electricity.
Innovation Solution
A wound redox flow battery module design featuring at least two half cells separated by membrane foils, with electrically conductive deflection films acting as electrodes and spacers creating flow channels, allowing for countercurrent flow and reducing the complexity of the stack design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional plate-and-frame systems with sealing frames are used, then leak-tightness is ensured, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The battery stack is divided into modular units where each unit contains a membrane spiral wound around a central body. This segmentation allows the complex sealing function to be distributed across multiple simpler modular components rather than requiring a single complex sealed structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The membrane is spiral-wound around a central body, creating a nested structure where the membrane encloses the electrolyte flow channels. This nesting eliminates the need for external sealing frames because the membrane itself forms the sealed containment structure.
2Ease of operation
If conventional plate-and-frame systems with sealing frames are used, then proper flow guidance is achieved, but manufacturing cost and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The membrane is configured in a spiral curvature around a central body, creating continuous curved flow channels. This curved geometry naturally guides the electrolyte flow through the battery stack without requiring additional straight piping or complex flow distribution manifolds.
Solution Approach 2:
The membrane serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as the electrolyte containment barrier, defines the flow channel geometry, and provides the sealing function. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate sealing frames and flow guidance components.
3Device complexity
If membrane spiral design is used, then device complexity and manufacturing cost are reduced, but proper sealing and flow guidance must be maintained
Solution Approach 1:
The membrane is used as a flexible thin film that is spiral-wound around the central body. This flexible film configuration allows the membrane to conform to the central body and maintain effective sealing through the spiral winding, eliminating rigid sealing frames while ensuring leak-tightness.
4Device complexity
If membrane spiral design is used, then device complexity and manufacturing cost are reduced, but proper flow guidance must be maintained
Solution Approach 1:
The membrane is configured in a spiral curvature around a central body, creating continuous curved flow channels. This curved geometry naturally guides the electrolyte flow through the battery stack without requiring additional straight piping or complex flow distribution manifolds.
Solution Approach 2:
The membrane serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as the electrolyte containment barrier, defines the flow channel geometry, and provides the sealing function. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate sealing frames and flow guidance 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 reduces the complexity and cost of the battery stack, enabling more efficient and cost-effective energy storage by simplifying the flow guidance and sealing processes, thus lowering the overall investment costs.
Implementation Method 1
During the charging and discharging process, ions must be exchanged between the electrolytes to balance the charge. Negatively charged ions can be transferred using anion exchange membranes, while positively charged ions can be transferred using cation exchange membranes.
Implementation Method 2
During the charging and discharging process, the active materials in the actual redox flow battery are oxidized or reduced in separate half-cells, with electron exchange occurring via the electrodes
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a redox flow battery comprising at least one wound redox flow battery module (10a, 10b) having at least two half cells separated by at least one membrane film, through each of which fluid electrolytes (106, 107) flow, said electrolytes having a respective one of two redox active substances (101, 103) dissolved in a solvent, which interact with one another via a redox reaction, wherein the at least two separated half cells are formed by winding at least one first section (3a) of at least one membrane film, a section of at least one first electrically conductive deflection film (4a), at least one second section (3b) of the at least one membrane film, and a section of at least one second electrically conductive deflection film (4b) onto a central body (1), wherein respective flow channels (8a, 8b, 8c, 8d) are formed by at least one spacer (9) between the membrane film sections and deflection film sections after the winding.