Patent ID: 6475661
Filing Date: 2002-11-05
Classification: H01M,Y02E

Abstract:
A method of operating a redox flow battery comprising a plurality of cells in electrical series defined by a stacked and repetitive arrangement of a conductive intercell separator having a generally bipolar function, a positive electrode, an ion exchange membrane, a negative electrode and another conductive intercell separator, each electrode being confined in a flow compartment, comprising:flowing a positive half-cell electrolyte containing reducible and oxidizable ions of a first redox couple through the compartments containing said positive electrodes and flowing a negative half-cell electrolyte containing reducible and oxidizable ions of a second redox couple through the compartments containing said negative electrodes, wherein each of said negative half-cell electrolyte and said positive half-cell electrolyte separately flow through respective compartments of said stack in cascade through the plurality of cells by introducing each electrolyte with a given state of charge into the respective compartment of a first cell, at one end of the stack, and recovering each electrolyte from the respective compartment of a last cell of the stack, at the other end thereof, in a modified state of charge depending on the level and direction of electric current passed through the battery during a transit time through a given volume of electrolyte.