United Technologies Corporation

Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Audi Ag

Arun Pandy

Michael L Perry

Rachid Zaffou

Sergei F Burlatsky

Vadim V Atrazhev

Robert Mason Darling

Craig R Walker

Mallika Gummalla

Louis Chiappetta, Jr

Jinlei Ding

A method and system for storing and/or discharging electrical energy that has a cost, which method includes steps of: (a) providing a flow battery system comprising at least one flow battery cell and a controller; (b) operating the flow battery cell at a power density having a first value; and (c) changing the power density at which the flow battery cell is operated from the first value to a second value as a function of the cost of the electrical energy, wherein the power density is changed using the controller, and wherein the second value is different than the first value.

Method and system for operating a flow battery system based on energy costs

A flow battery stack includes a plurality of flow battery cells, a manifold and a heat exchanger. Each flow battery cell includes an electrode layer that is wet by an electrolyte solution having a reversible redox couple reactant. The manifold includes a solution passage that exchanges the electrolyte solution with the flow battery cells. The heat exchanger includes a heat exchange fluid passage. The heat exchanger exchanges heat between the electrolyte solution in the solution passage and a heat exchange fluid directed through the heat exchange fluid passage. The flow battery cells, the manifold and the heat exchanger are arranged between first and second ends of the flow battery stack.

Flow battery stack with an integrated heat exchanger

A flow battery includes an electrode operable to be wet by a solution having a reversible redox couple reactant. In one embodiment, the electrode can have plurality of micro and macro pores, wherein the macro pores have a size at least one order of magnitude greater than a size of the micro pores. In another embodiment, the electrode includes a plurality of layers, wherein one of the plurality of layers has a plurality of macro pores, and wherein another one of the plurality of layers has a plurality of micro pores. In another embodiment, the electrode has a thickness less than approximately 2 mm. In still another embodiment, the electrode has a porous carbon layer, wherein the layer is formed of a plurality of particles bound together.

Flow battery having electrodes with a plurality of different pore sizes and or different layers

A method is provided for mitigating hydrogen evolution within a flow battery system that includes a plurality of flow battery cells, a power converter and an electrochemical cell. The method includes providing hydrogen generated by the hydrogen evolution within the flow battery system to the electrochemical cell. A first electrical current generated by an electrochemical reaction between the hydrogen and a reactant is sensed, and the sensed current is used to control an exchange of electrical power between the flow battery cells and the power converter.

System and method for sensing and mitigating hydrogen evolution within a flow battery system

A flow battery system includes an ON mode, and OFF mode and a STANDBY mode. The ON mode enables access to a full energy capacity of the flow battery system with regard to an amount of electric power that can be drawn from or stored to the flow battery system. The OFF mode disables access to the full energy capacity and the STANDBY mode enables access to a portion of the full energy capacity.

Flow battery system with standby mode

A fuel cell device includes a plurality of channels that have at least one unrestricted inlet, a conduit for directing a flow having a distribution pattern to the unrestricted inlet, and a gap region between the conduit and the plurality of channels for receiving the flow distribution pattern, the gap region having such dimensions in which the distribution pattern tends to normalize within the gap region so that flow to each of the unrestricted inlets tends to normalize across said gap region.

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Manchester, CT, United States of America

Arun Pandy