Sumitomo Electric Industries, Limited

Atsuo Ikeuchi

Takahiro Kumamoto

Takeshi Yamana

Kenji Motoi

Hirokazu Kaku

Kiyoaki Hayashi

Ryouta Tatsumi

Kazutaka Kawahigashi

Kentaro Asanuma

A redox flow battery includes a tank configured to store an electrolyte and a distribution mechanism to distribute the electrolyte to a battery cell. The tank has a partition portion partitioning a space inside the tank into a first space and a second space, the distribution mechanism has a distribution passage through which the electrolyte is distributed between the first space and the second space via the battery cell, and the partition portion is composed of a flexible material.

Redox flow battery

A battery according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a plurality of tanks () storing electrolyte containing ions of which valence is changed; a cell () configured to cause oxidation-reduction of the electrolyte so as to be charged or discharged; a pipe () connecting the plurality of tanks and the cell; and a pump () configured to circulate the electrolyte between the plurality of tanks and the cell through the pipe. The battery according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a container () housing the plurality of tanks (), the cell (), the pipe (), and the pump (). The container has a bottom (), a side (), and a top (). Accordingly, the battery in an embodiment of the present invention can be installed easily and its installation area can be reduced.

Container-type battery

A redox flow battery includes a battery cell; a positive electrolyte tank and a negative electrolyte tank configured to store therein a positive electrolyte and a negative electrolyte, respectively; a positive electrolyte circulation path and a negative electrolyte circulation path each configured to allow a corresponding one of the electrolytes to circulate between a corresponding one of the tanks and the battery cell; and a communicating tube including a tube immersed at one open end thereof in the positive electrolyte, stretched at an intermediate portion thereof above levels of both the electrolytes, and immersed at the other open end thereof in the negative electrolyte.

A redox flow battery includes a positive electrolyte tank container which houses a positive electrolyte tank for storing a positive electrolyte; a negative electrolyte tank container which houses a negative electrolyte tank for storing a negative electrolyte; and a battery container which houses a battery cell including a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a membrane, a positive electrolyte circulation mechanism configured to supply and circulate the positive electrolyte to the battery cell, and a negative electrolyte circulation mechanism configured to supply and circulate the negative electrolyte to the battery cell.

A redox flow battery includes a battery cell, a tank which stores an electrolyte to be supplied to the battery cell, piping which is connected to the battery cell and the tank and configured to circulate the electrolyte, a container which houses the battery cell, the tank, and the piping all together, and a partition wall which is provided inside the container and prevents the electrolyte from leaking out of the container. The height of the partition wall is equal to or greater than a liquid level height at the time when a predetermined amount of electrolyte leaks into the container as a consequence of damage to the piping, and the predetermined amount includes the total of an amount equivalent to the volume of the battery cell and an amount equivalent to the volume of the piping.

A redox flow battery pipe which is disposed between a tank that stores an electrolyte and a battery element and through which the electrolyte flows includes a plurality of parallel portions arranged in parallel and a plurality of bent portions connecting the parallel portions adjacent to each other. The pipe includes a meandering portion in which the parallel portions and the bent portions are integrally molded so as to be alternately connected. A ratio of a center-to-center distance X to an outer diameter D satisfies 1.2 or more and 2.5 or less where D represents an outer diameter and X represents a distance between centers of the parallel portions adjacent to each other.

Redox flow battery pipe, method for manufacturing redox flow battery pipe, pipe unit, and redox flow battery

A redox flow battery includes a cell, an electrolyte tank, and a circulation mechanism. The circulation mechanism includes a suction pipe, a circulation pump, an extrusion, and a return pipe. An absolute value of a difference between Hand His greater than or equal to 0.4 times Hand both Hand Hare less than or equal to H, where His a height from an inner bottom surface of the electrolyte tank to the in-tank liquid level, His a length from the in-tank liquid level to the open end of the suction pipe, His a length from an in-tank liquid level to an open end of the return pipe, and His a distance from the in-tank liquid level to a center of a highest segment of the return pipe.

An electrolytic solution circulation type battery includes a tank which stores an electrolyte to be circulated to a battery cell, and a pressure adjustment mechanism configured to adjust the pressure of a gas phase portion in the tank. The pressure adjustment mechanism includes a pressure adjustment bag which is provided outside the tank and expands or contracts in response to changes in pressure of the gas phase portion in the tank.

Electrolytic solution circulation type battery

Provided are an electrolyte-circulating battery in which electrolytes are unlikely to be oxidized and are easily cooled, a heat exchanger in which a corrosive liquid flowing through the inside thereof is unlikely to be oxidized and is easily cooled, and a pipe in which a corrosive liquid flowing through the inside thereof is unlikely to be oxelectrolyte-circulating batteryidized, and which is suitable for cooling the corrosive liquid. The electrolyte-circulating battery includes a battery cell and a circulation passage configured to circulate an electrolyte into the battery cell. The circulation passage includes a complex duct, and the complex duct includes a tubular main body composed of a resin and an oxygen block layer disposed on a periphery of the main body and composed of an organic material that has a lower oxygen transmission rate than the main body.

Electrolyte-circulating battery

A redox flow battery includes a battery unit, a positive electrode electrolyte tank, a negative electrode electrolyte tank, and a pressure adjustment mechanism. The battery unit includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a membrane. The positive electrode electrolyte tank stores a positive electrode electrolyte to be supplied to the battery unit. The negative electrode electrolyte tank stores a negative electrode electrolyte to be supplied to the battery unit. The pressure adjustment mechanism is attached to at least one of the electrolyte tanks and adjusts the pressure of a gas phase inside the electrolyte tank. The pressure adjustment mechanism is provided with a water sealed valve which includes a storage container that stores a pressure adjusting liquid, a first exhaust tube that extends from the gas phase inside the electrolyte tank, extends through a gas phase inside the storage container, and is open to a liquid phase inside the storage container, and a second exhaust tube whose one end is open to the gas phase inside the storage container and whose other end is open to the atmosphere. The pressure adjusting liquid is a non-volatile liquid at normal temperature and normal pressure.

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Osaka, Japan

Atsuo Ikeuchi