Patent ID: 6617070
Filing Date: 2003-09-09
Classification: G01N,H01M,Y02E

Abstract:
An electrochemical process for energy storage and/or power delivery comprising the steps of:(i) maintaining and circulating electrolyte flows in a fully liquid system in which the active constituents are fully soluble in a single cell or in an array of repeating cell structures, each cell with a chamber (+ve chamber) containing an inert +ve electrode and a chamber (âˆ’ve chamber) containing an inert âˆ’ve electrode, the chambers being separated from one another by an ion exchange membrane, the electrolyte circulating in the âˆ’ve chamber of each cell during power delivery containing a sulphide, and the electrolyte circulating in the +ve chamber during power delivery containing bromine as an oxidising agent, (ii) restoring or replenishing the electrolytes in the +ve and âˆ’ve chambers by circulating the electrolyte from each chamber to storage means comprising a volume of electrolyte greater than the cell volume for extended delivery of power over a longer discharge cycle than the cell volume alone would permit, and (iii) monitoring the electrolyte stream containing sulfide as a reducing agent in order to detect the onset of colloid formation within said electrolyte stream by a method which comprises applying an oscillating electric field to the solution and monitoring the amplitude of the resultant acoustic signal, the onset of colloid formation being detected by a sharp change in the amplitude of the resultant acoustic signal.