FLOW BATTERY HAVING A LOW RESISTANCE MEMBRANE
A flow battery includes a membrane having a thickness of less than approximately one hundred twenty five micrometers; and a solution having a reversible redox couple reactant, wherein the solution wets the membrane.
1 . A flow battery, comprising:
a membrane having an area specific resistance of less than approximately four hundred twenty five milliohms-square centimeter across the membrane; and
a solution having a reversible redox couple reactant, wherein the solution wets the membrane.
2 . The flow battery of claim 1 , further comprising a first electrode and a second electrode, wherein the membrane is operable to transfer ionic current between the first electrode and the second electrode at a current density greater than one hundred milliamps per square centimeter.
3 . The flow battery of claim 1 , wherein the membrane is configured as permeable to a non-redox couple reactant within the solution.
4 . The flow battery of claim 1 , wherein the membrane has a thickness of less than approximately one hundred twenty five micrometers.
5 . The flow battery of claim 1 , wherein the membrane comprises a composite of a first ion exchange material and a material different than the first ion exchange material.
6 . The flow battery of claim 1 , wherein the membrane comprises a first layer and a second layer, wherein the first layer has a first ion exchange material, and wherein the second layer has a material different than the first ion exchange material.
7 . A flow battery, comprising:
a membrane having a thickness of less than approximately one hundred twenty five micrometers; and
a solution having a reversible redox couple reactant, wherein the solution wets the membrane.
8 . The flow battery of claim 7 , further comprising a first electrode and a second electrode, wherein the membrane is operable to transfer ionic current between the first electrode and the second electrode at a current density greater than one hundred milliamps per square centimeter.
9 . The flow battery of claim 7 , wherein the membrane is configured as permeable to a non-redox couple reactant within the solution.
10 . The flow battery of claim 7 , wherein the membrane has an area specific resistance of less than approximately four hundred twenty five milliohms-square centimeter across the membrane.
11 . The flow battery of claim 7 , wherein the membrane comprises a composite of a first ion exchange material and a material different than the first ion exchange material.
12 . The flow battery of claim 10 , wherein the membrane comprises a first layer and a second layer, wherein the first layer has an ion exchange material, and wherein the second layer has a material different than the ion exchange material.
13 . A flow battery, comprising:
a membrane having an ion exchange material and a matrix; and
a solution having a reversible redox couple reactant, wherein the solution wets the membrane.
14 . The flow battery of claim 13 , wherein the matrix comprises a nonconductive fibrous material.
15 . The flow battery of claim 14 , wherein the nonconductive fibrous material comprises one of fiber glass, polytetrafluoroethylene fibers, and a porous sheet of polytetrafluoroethylene.
16 . The flow battery of claim 13 , wherein the ion exchange material is a binder that is impregnated into the matrix.
17 . The flow battery of claim 13 , wherein the ion exchange material comprises one of a perfluorosulfonic acid and a perfluoroalkyl sulfonimide ionomer.
18 . The flow battery of claim 13 , wherein the membrane has at least one of:
a thickness of less than approximately one hundred twenty five micrometers; and
an area specific resistance of less than approximately four hundred twenty five milliohms-square centimeter across the membrane.
19 . A flow battery, comprising:
a membrane having a first layer and a second layer, wherein the first layer has an ion exchange material, and wherein the second layer has a material different than the ion exchange material; and
a solution having a reversible redox couple reactant, wherein the solution wets the membrane.
20 . The flow battery of claim 19 , wherein the material in the second layer that is different than the ion exchange material in the first layer comprises a matrix of nonconductive fibrous material.
21 . The flow battery of claim 20 , wherein the matrix is impregnated with an ion exchange binder.
22 . The flow battery of claim 19 , wherein the material in the second layer that is different than the ion exchange material in the first layer comprises a hydrophobic porous material.
23 . The flow battery of claim 19 , wherein the ion exchange material in the first layer comprises one type of ionomer and the second layer comprises a second type of ionomer.
24 . The flow battery of claim 19 , wherein the second layer is disposed between the first layer and a third layer, and wherein the third layer has a second ion exchange material.
25 . The flow battery of claim 19 , wherein the membrane has at least one of:
a thickness of less than approximately one hundred twenty five micrometers; and
an area specific resistance of less than approximately four hundred twenty five milliohms-square centimeter across the membrane.