Internally manifolded flow cell for an all-iron hybrid flow battery
In one example, a system for a flow cell for a flow battery, comprising: a first flow field; and a polymeric frame, comprising: a top face; a bottom face, opposite the top face; a first side; a second side, opposite the first side; a first electrolyte inlet located on the top face and the first side of the polymeric frame; a first electrolyte outlet located on the top face and the second side of the polymeric frame; a first electrolyte inlet flow path located within the polymeric frame and coupled to the first electrolyte inlet; and a first electrolyte outlet flow path located within the polymeric frame and coupled to the first electrolyte outlet. In this way, shunt currents may be minimized by increasing the length and/or reducing the cross-sectional area of the electrolyte inlet and electrolyte outlet flow paths.
1. A system for a flow cell stack for a flow battery, comprising:
two or more electrolyte inlet feeds;
two or more electrolyte outlet feeds; and
two or more flow cells, each flow cell comprising:
a first flow field plate;
a second flow field plate; and
a polymeric frame, comprising:
a top face;
a bottom face;
a first side;
a second side, opposite the first side;
a first electrolyte inlet located on the top face and the first side of the polymeric frame;
a first electrolyte outlet located on the top face and the second side of the polymeric frame;
a first electrolyte inlet flow path located within the polymeric frame and coupled to the first electrolyte inlet;
a first electrolyte outlet flow path located within the polymeric frame and coupled to the first electrolyte outlet;
a second electrolyte inlet located on the bottom face and the first side of the polymeric frame;
a second electrolyte outlet located on the bottom face and the second side of the polymeric frame;
a second electrolyte inlet flow path located within the polymeric frame and coupled to the first electrolyte inlet; and
a second electrolyte outlet flow path located within the polymeric frame and coupled to the first electrolyte outlet,
wherein the first electrolyte inlet flow path wraps around a first side, a second side, and a third side of the first flow field plate.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the two or more electrolyte inlet feeds are coupled to an inlet manifold located within the flow cell stack, wherein the inlet manifold comprises one or more junction stages and a series of manifold distribution channel sets fluidly coupling the junction stages.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the two or more electrolyte outlet feeds are coupled to an outlet manifold located within the flow cell stack.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the two or more electrolyte inlet feeds are coupled to an electrolyte tank via an electrolyte pump.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the flow cell stack further comprises two or more sub-stacks, each sub-stack comprising one or more flow cells.
6. The system of claim 5 , wherein each sub-stack is coupled to a separate electrolyte feed, such that each sub-stack receives electrolyte independently from all other sub-stacks.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the polymeric frame comprises an inlet/outlet region, wherein an outer ridge surrounds the inlet/outlet region.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein each flow cell comprises a redox plate, a redox electrode, a barrier, and a plating electrode.
9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the plating electrode comprises a plurality of fins having a plicate structure, wherein the fins comprise a cross-sectional shape that is sinusoidally curved, square, or trapezoidal.
10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the flow cell stack is one of a plurality of fluidicially isolated substacks in a battery.