Li-Ion/polysulfide flow battery

1. A sulfur flow battery electrochemical reactor system comprising:

a first static electrode comprising a non-flowing solid lithium electroactive component;

a sulfur electrolyte comprising dissolved electroactive sulfur species in a liquid phase;

and a second flow electrode comprising a solid electron transfer material having a surface in direct contact with the sulfur electrolyte and the electroactive species dissolved therein;

wherein the first and second electrodes are configured in spaced apart relation defining a single inter-electrode flow channel for the sulfur electrolyte, and the system is without an ion selective membrane disposed within the channel interposing the electrodes.

2. The sulfur flow battery system of claim 1 wherein the material of the electroactive component of the first electrode is for desorbing active metal ions into the sulfur electrolyte during battery system discharge, and for absorbing active metal ions from the sulfur electrolyte during battery system charge.

3. The sulfur flow battery system of claim 2 wherein the solid electroactive component is in the form of a layer adhered to a current collector substrate.

4. The sulfur flow battery system of claim 3 wherein the solid electroactive component layer is porous.

5. The sulfur flow battery system of claim 4 wherein the system is a Li-ion/Sulfur flow battery system, wherein the flowing electrolyte is a non-aqueous polysulfide solution comprising electroactive polysulfide species dissolved therein.

6. The sulfur flow battery system of claim 4 wherein the thickness of the solid electroactive component layer is at least 0.5 mm.

7. The sulfur flow battery system of claim 2 wherein the metal of said active metal ion is an alkali metal and the solid electroactive component material is selected from the group consisting of an intercalation material of said active alkali metal, an alloy material of said active alkali metal, the metal of said active alkali metal, and a displacement reaction material of said active alkali metal.

8. The sulfur flow battery system of claim 2 wherein the active metal ion is lithium.

9. The sulfur flow battery system of claim 2 wherein the active metal ion is lithium and the electroactive component material is a lithium carbon intercalation material.

10. The sulfur flow battery system of claim 2 wherein the solid electroactive component material has a bulk composition conductive of electrons and lithium ions and a surface composition that in contact with the sulfur electrolyte is chemically compatible in such contact, electronically insulating and conductive of lithium ions.

11. The sulfur flow battery system of claim 2 wherein the second electrode comprises an electron transfer material having a surface in contact with the sulfur electrolyte whereon electrons are transferred from the second electrode to dissolved electroactive sulfur species during battery system discharge and electrons are transferred from dissolved electroactive sulfur species to the second electrode during battery system charge.

12. The sulfur flow battery system of claim 10 wherein the electron transfer material is selected from the group consisting of metals, semi-metals, carbons, and electronically conducting polymers.

13. The sulfur flow battery system of claim 11 wherein the electron transfer material is a carbon material.

14. The sulfur flow battery system of claim 11 , wherein the solid electroactive component material of the first electrode and the electron transfer material of the second electrode are carbon materials.

15. The sulfur flow battery system of claim 14 wherein the solid carbon electroactive component material of the first electrode has a bulk composition conductive of electrons and lithium ions and a surface composition that in contact with the sulfur electrolyte is chemically compatible in such contact, electronically insulating and conductive of lithium ions, and the carbon electron transfer material of the second electrode is selected from the group consisting of a carbon material having a bulk composition that is not conductive of lithium ions and a surface composition that is conductive of electrons and a carbon material having a surface composition that conducts electrons but does not conduct lithium ions.

16. The sulfur flow battery system of claim 14 wherein the solid electroactive carbon material has a different carbon atomic structure than that of the electron transfer carbon material.

17. The sulfur flow battery system of claim 14 wherein the solid electroactive carbon material comprises sheets having a planar graphitic structure and the electron transfer carbon material has an amorphous atomic structure.

18. The sulfur flow battery system of claim 1 further comprises an electrolyte storage tank fluidly coupled to the reactor, the tank comprising sulfur electrolyte comprising electroactive sulfur species.

19. The sulfur flow battery system of claim 18 wherein the volumetric ratio of sulfur electrolyte present in the inter-electrode channel at any given time during system operation to the volume of sulfur electrolyte in the storage tank is less than 1:10.

20. The sulfur flow battery system of claim 1 wherein the reactor is enclosed in a housing having a first inlet port through which sulfur electrolyte flows into the reactor and a first outlet port through which sulfur electrolyte flows out of the reactor.

21. The sulfur flow battery system of claim 1 further comprising an electrolyte flow device for causing electrolyte to flow through the inter-electrode channel.

22. The sulfur flow battery system of claim 1 wherein the sulfur electrolyte present in the inter-electrode channel contacts the solid electroactive component material and the electron transfer medium, and therein also provides a contiguous medium for ionic conduction between the first and second electrode.

23. The flow battery system of claim 1 wherein the composition of the sulfur electrolyte in the inter-electrode region nearby the first and second electrode is substantially the same.

24. The sulfur flow battery system of claim 1 wherein the inter-electrode channel further comprises a porous material layer disposed between the first and second electrode, the porosity of the layer sufficient to allow the desired flow rate of electrolyte along the channel length and to accommodate sufficient electrolyte in its pores to support the ionic conduction between the first and second electrode.

25. The sulfur flow battery system of claim 24 wherein the porous material layer contacts the first and second electrode.