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Energy Storage: Flow Batteries
Search All Applications in Energy Storage: Flow Batteries
Application US20200161685
Published 2020-05-21
Electrolyte Health Management For Redox Flow Battery
Methods and systems are provided for a rebalancing reactor of a flow battery system. In one example, a pH of a battery electrolyte may be maintained by the rebalancing reactor by applying a negative potential to a catalyst bed of the rebalancing reactor. A performance of the rebalancing reactor may further be maintained by treating the catalyst bed with deionized water.
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- 1. A method for treating a rebalancing reactor of a flow battery comprising;
flowing an electrolyte of the flow battery and hydrogen gas generated in the flow battery to the rebalancing reactor; applying a negative potential to a catalyst bed of the rebalancing reactor while flowing the electrolyte; detecting a decrease in a ferric iron reduction rate at the catalyst bed below a threshold rate; flowing deionized water instead of electrolyte across the catalyst bed in response to the decrease in the ferric iron reduction rate; and indicating, after a threshold interval of rebalancing reactor operating time elapses, a request for soaking of the catalyst bed in deionized water.
- 9. A redox flow battery system, comprising;
an electrolyte circulating through a cell of the redox flow battery and hydrogen gas stored in electrolyte chambers of the redox flow battery, both the electrolyte and hydrogen gas flowed to a rebalancing reactor coupled to the cell; a negative potential applied to the catalyst bed during charging of the redox flow battery; a controller, configured with computer readable instructions stored on non-transitory memory, the instructions executable by the controller to:
apply a negative potential to the catalyst bed during charging of the redox flow battery;
flush the catalyst bed with deionized water upon detection of the rate of ferric iron reduction at the rebalancing reactor falling below a second threshold; and
indicate a request for soaking of the catalyst bed in deionized water when an interval of operating time of the redox flow battery is elapsed.
- 16. A method for treating a rebalancing reactor of a flow battery, comprising:
flowing an electrolyte of the flow battery and hydrogen gas generated in the flow battery to the rebalancing reactor; detecting a decrease in an iron reduction rate of the rebalancing reactor; and responsive to the decrease in iron reduction rate, halting flow of electrolyte and hydrogen gas to the rebalancing reactor and flowing deionized water through the rebalancing reactor.
