JP6268531B2 - Redox flow battery - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a redox flow battery that performs charging / discharging by circulating an electrolytic solution through a battery unit.

  Recently, as a countermeasure against global warming, power generation using natural energy (so-called renewable energy) such as solar power generation and wind power generation has been actively performed worldwide. These power generation outputs greatly depend on natural conditions such as the weather. Therefore, when the proportion of natural energy in the power system increases, problems in operating the power system, for example, problems such as difficulty in maintaining the frequency and voltage are predicted. One solution to this problem is to install large-capacity storage batteries to smooth output fluctuations, store surplus power, and level load.

  One of the large-capacity storage batteries is a redox flow battery (hereinafter referred to as RF battery β) shown in FIG. The RF battery β is typically connected between a power generation unit (for example, a solar power generation device, a wind power generation device, other general power plants, etc.) and a load (such as a customer) via an AC / DC converter. The power generated by the power generation unit is charged and stored, or the stored power is discharged and supplied to the load.

  The RF battery β includes one or a plurality of battery units 100. The battery unit 100 includes a positive electrode cell part 102 containing a positive electrode 104, a negative electrode cell part 103 containing a negative electrode 105, and a diaphragm 101 that separates both the cell parts 102 and 103 and transmits ions. Responsible for charging and discharging. A positive electrode electrolyte tank 106 that stores a positive electrode electrolyte is connected to the positive electrode cell unit 102 via pipes 108 and 110. A negative electrode electrolyte tank 107 for storing a negative electrode electrolyte is connected to the negative electrode cell unit 103 via pipes 109 and 111. The pipes 108 and 109 are provided with pumps 112 and 113 for circulating the electrolytes, respectively. The battery unit 100 is connected to the positive electrode cell portion 102 (positive electrode 104) and the negative electrode cell portion 103 (negative electrode 105) by the pipes 108 to 111 and the pumps 112 and 113, respectively. The negative electrode electrolyte solution is circulated and charged and charged / discharged as the valence of metal ions (vanadium ions in the example shown in the drawing) change as the active material in the electrolyte solution at both electrodes.

  Here, in the RF battery β, the gas phase in the electrolyte tanks 106 and 107 expands or contracts due to temperature changes in the installation environment, heat generation during charging and discharging, and the like. For example, when the inside of the electrolyte tanks 106 and 107 becomes a positive pressure higher than the atmospheric pressure, the electrolyte tanks 106 and 107 may burst. Also, when the inside of the electrolyte tanks 106 and 107 has a negative pressure lower than the atmospheric pressure, the electrolyte tanks 106 and 107 may be dented and damaged. As a countermeasure, it has been proposed to provide a redox flow battery with a pressure adjustment mechanism that adjusts the inside of the electrolyte tanks 106 and 107 to near atmospheric pressure (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  Patent Document 1 discloses a pressure adjustment mechanism including a first atmospheric pressure holding container and a second atmospheric pressure holding container in which a pressure adjusting liquid is stored (see FIG. 1 of Patent Document 1). The gas phase in the first atmospheric pressure holding container is communicated with the gas phase in the liquid storage tank (electrolyte tank) by the first communication means, and the liquid phase in the first atmospheric pressure holding container and the second atmospheric pressure holding container are communicated. The liquid phase is communicated with the second communicating means. Further, the gas phase in the second atmospheric pressure holding container is open to the atmosphere. With the pressure adjusting mechanism having such a configuration, when the electrolyte tank becomes positive pressure, the liquid level of the first atmospheric pressure holding container is lowered as shown in FIG. As the liquid level rises, the pressure in the electrolyte tank drops to near atmospheric pressure. On the other hand, when the electrolyte tank has a negative pressure, the liquid level of the first atmospheric pressure holding container is raised and the liquid level of the second atmospheric pressure holding container is lowered as shown in FIG. The internal pressure rises to near atmospheric pressure.

  Furthermore, according to the configuration of Patent Document 1, it is possible to prevent the atmosphere from being sucked into the electrolyte tank when the inside of the electrolyte tank becomes negative pressure, and to prevent the electrolyte from being deteriorated by the atmosphere. Can be suppressed. The reason why the atmosphere can be prevented from being sucked into the electrolytic solution tank is that the pressure adjusting liquid is filled in the second communication means that connects the second atmospheric pressure holding container and the first atmospheric pressure holding container.

JP 2001-253495 A

  However, in the configuration of Patent Document 1, since the gas phase in the second atmospheric pressure holding container is open to the atmosphere, the pressure adjusting liquid in the container evaporates. For this reason, it is necessary to monitor the amount of the pressure-regulating liquid at a considerable frequency and replenish it appropriately. Since the labor of maintenance during operation of such a redox flow battery is complicated, it is desired to reduce the labor.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a redox flow battery that requires less maintenance during operation.

  The redox flow battery which concerns on 1 aspect of this invention is equipped with a battery unit, the electrolyte solution tank for positive electrodes, the electrolyte solution tank for negative electrodes, and a pressure adjustment mechanism. The battery unit has a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a diaphragm. The positive electrode electrolyte tank stores the positive electrode electrolyte supplied to the battery unit. The negative electrode electrolyte solution tank stores the negative electrode electrolyte supplied to the battery unit. The pressure adjustment mechanism is attached to at least one of the positive electrode electrolyte tank and the negative electrode electrolyte tank, and adjusts the pressure of the gas phase in the electrolyte tank. The pressure adjusting mechanism includes a storage container for storing the pressure adjusting liquid, and a first exhaust pipe that extends from the gas phase in the electrolyte tank, passes through the gas phase in the storage container, and opens into the liquid phase in the storage container And a second exhaust pipe having one end opened to the gas phase in the storage container and the other end opened to the atmosphere, and the pressure adjusting liquid is a non-volatile liquid at normal temperature and normal pressure It is.

  The above redox flow battery requires less maintenance.

It is a schematic block diagram of the redox flow battery which concerns on embodiment. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of a pressure adjustment mechanism shown in Embodiment 1. FIG. 6 is a schematic configuration diagram of a pressure adjustment mechanism shown in Embodiment 2. FIG. It is an operation | movement principle figure of a redox flow battery.

[Description of Embodiment of the Present Invention]
First, the contents of the embodiment according to the present invention will be listed and described.

[1] A redox flow battery according to an embodiment includes a battery unit, an electrolyte tank for a positive electrode, an electrolyte tank for a negative electrode, and a pressure adjustment mechanism. The battery unit has a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a diaphragm. The positive electrode electrolyte tank stores the positive electrode electrolyte supplied to the battery unit. The negative electrode electrolyte solution tank stores the negative electrode electrolyte supplied to the battery unit. The pressure adjustment mechanism is attached to at least one of the positive electrode electrolyte tank and the negative electrode electrolyte tank, and adjusts the pressure of the gas phase in the electrolyte tank. The pressure adjusting mechanism includes a storage container for storing the pressure adjusting liquid, and a first exhaust pipe that extends from the gas phase in the electrolyte tank, passes through the gas phase in the storage container, and opens into the liquid phase in the storage container And a second exhaust pipe having one end opened to the gas phase in the storage container and the other end opened to the atmosphere, and the pressure adjusting liquid is non-volatile at normal temperature and normal pressure It is liquid.

  The water seal valve provided in the pressure adjusting mechanism of the redox flow battery can release the gas in the electrolyte tank to the atmosphere when the inside of the electrolyte tank becomes a positive pressure. The movement state of the gas in the electrolytic solution tank will be specifically described. The gas in the electrolytic solution tank is discharged to the liquid phase in the storage container through the first exhaust pipe, and moves to the gas phase in the storage container. Since the gas in the storage container is released to the atmosphere through the second exhaust pipe, as a result, the gas in the electrolytic solution tank is released to the outside, and the electrolytic solution tank is prevented from bursting. On the other hand, the water seal valve also contributes to increasing the pressure of the electrolyte tank when the inside of the electrolyte tank becomes negative pressure. This is because when the electrolyte tank becomes negative pressure, the pressure adjusting liquid is sucked into the first exhaust pipe, and the volume of the gas phase in the first exhaust pipe decreases accordingly.

  Moreover, a redox flow battery provided with the said pressure adjustment mechanism is a redox flow battery with little maintenance effort. This is because the pressure adjusting liquid stored in the storage container of the water seal valve is a non-volatile liquid at normal temperature and normal pressure, and the pressure adjusting liquid hardly decreases in the first place.

[2] As the redox flow battery of the present embodiment, a form in which the specific gravity of the pressure adjusting liquid is lighter than the specific gravity of water can be mentioned. In this case, the water seal valve further includes an overflow pipe that opens to the side or bottom of the storage container and discharges the condensed water that accumulates below the pressure adjusting liquid in the storage container.

  Since the vapor phase in the storage container contains a lot of water vapor, when the temperature of the redox flow battery installation environment decreases, the water vapor in the storage container is condensed, and the pressure inside the storage container Condensed water accumulates on the surface. When the amount of liquid in the storage container becomes too large due to condensed water, there are problems that the pressure value to be adjusted increases, and that the pressure adjusting liquid overflows from the second exhaust pipe and the water seal valve does not function. For such a problem, by providing an overflow pipe that discharges condensed water from the storage container, the amount of liquid stored in the storage container can be limited to a predetermined amount or less, thereby suppressing the occurrence of the above problem. can do.

[3] The redox flow battery of the present embodiment can include a form in which the specific gravity of the pressure adjusting liquid is heavier than the specific gravity of water. In that case, the water seal valve further includes an overflow pipe that opens to the side portion of the storage container and discharges the condensed water accumulated above the pressure adjusting liquid in the storage container.

  As already described, condensed water accumulates in the storage container. Condensed water accumulates above the pressure-regulating liquid due to the specific gravity, so if the amount of liquid in the storage container becomes too large due to condensed water, the condensed water may overflow from the second exhaust pipe and the water seal valve may not function. . For such a problem, by providing an overflow pipe for discharging condensed water from the storage container, the amount of liquid in the storage container can be limited to a predetermined amount or less, so that the occurrence of the above problem can be suppressed. it can.

[4] As a redox flow battery according to an embodiment in which the specific gravity of the pressure adjusting liquid is heavier than the specific gravity of water and dew condensation water is discharged from above the pressure adjusting liquid, the water seal valve is further provided on the opening side of the first exhaust pipe. An embodiment may be mentioned in which a portion is housed inside and a wave-proof cylinder is provided that suppresses the undulation of the liquid level in the storage container caused by bubbles discharged from the first exhaust pipe. The opening on the lower side and the opening on the upper side of the wave preventing cylinder are opened at a position lower than the opening of the first exhaust pipe and a position higher than the liquid level, respectively.

  Since the opening on the lower side of the breaker tube opens below the opening of the first exhaust pipe, most of the bubbles discharged from the electrolyte tank to the first exhaust pipe are liquid in the breaker tube. Get into the phase. Since the upper opening of the wave-breaking cylinder is opened at a position higher than the liquid level, bubbles that have entered the liquid phase in the wave-breaking cylinder can be repelled by the liquid level inside the wave-breaking cylinder. Since the liquid level inside the wave breaker is separated from the liquid level outside the wave breaker by the wave breaker, the liquid surface outside the wave breaker can be prevented from undulating and bubbling. In this way, by suppressing the undulation and foaming of the liquid level in the storage container, it is possible to suppress the mixing of the condensed water and the pressure adjusting liquid near the liquid level in the storage container. It is possible to suppress discharge from the overflow pipe.

[5] The redox flow battery of the present embodiment may include a form including a breathing bag attached to at least one of the positive electrode electrolyte tank and the negative electrode electrolyte tank.

  According to the redox flow battery including the breathing bag, the electrolyte tank can be effectively prevented from being recessed when the inside of the electrolyte tank becomes negative pressure.

[Details of the embodiment of the present invention]
A redox flow battery (hereinafter referred to as an RF battery) according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, this invention is not necessarily limited to these illustrations, is shown by the claim, and intends that all the changes within the claim, the meaning equivalent, and the range are included.

<Embodiment 1>
The RF battery α shown in FIG. 1 has the same configuration as that of the RF battery β described with reference to the operation principle diagram of FIG. 4 except that the gas phase communication pipe 9 and the pressure adjustment mechanism 1 are provided. Therefore, in the RF battery α of FIG. 1, the same components as those of the RF battery β of FIG.

≪Overall configuration of RF battery≫
The RF battery α shown in FIG. 1 has a battery unit 100 and a circulation mechanism (electrolyte tanks 106 and 107, pipes 108 to 111, a pump 112 for supplying an electrolytic solution to the battery unit 100, similarly to the conventional RF battery β. 113). However, the arrangement of each member in the RF battery α shown in FIG. 1 is close to the actual arrangement. For example, the positions of the electrolyte tanks 106 and 107 in FIG. 1 are arranged at a position lower than the battery unit 100.

  This RF battery α includes a gas phase communication pipe 9 that communicates the gas phase in the positive electrode electrolyte tank 106 and the gas phase in the negative electrode electrolyte tank 107. The gas phase communication pipe 9 can handle the gas phases in the electrolyte tanks 106 and 107 as a unit. A maintenance valve may be provided in the middle of the gas phase communication pipe 9.

  The RF battery α includes two pressure adjusting mechanisms 1 attached to the electrolyte tanks 106 and 107, and two breathing bags 3 attached to the electrolyte tanks 106 and 107. These members 1 and 3 are for adjusting the pressure in the electrolyte tanks 106 and 107, and the pressure adjusting mechanism 1 mainly functions when the pressure in the electrolyte tanks 106 and 107 becomes positive. The breathing bag 3 functions mainly when the inside of the electrolyte tanks 106 and 107 becomes a negative pressure.

≪Pressure adjustment mechanism≫
The pressure adjustment mechanism 1 includes a water seal valve 1A as shown in FIG. One pressure adjusting mechanism 1 is provided in each of the electrolyte tanks 106 and 107 so that even if one of them fails, the other functions so that the pressure in the electrolyte tanks 106 and 107 can be adjusted. It is to make it.

[Water seal valve]
The water seal valve 1 </ b> A of the pressure adjustment mechanism 1 includes a storage container 10, a first exhaust pipe 11, and a second exhaust pipe 12. The storage container 10 is a member that stores the pressure adjusting liquid 10L. The first exhaust pipe 11 is a member that extends from the gas phase in the electrolyte tank 106 (107), passes through the gas phase in the storage container 10, and opens into the liquid phase in the storage container 10. The second exhaust pipe 12 is a member having one end opened to the gas phase in the storage container 10 and the other end opened to the atmosphere.

As the pressure adjusting liquid 10L, a liquid that is a non-volatile liquid at normal temperature and pressure and has a specific gravity lower than that of water is used. In addition, the properties required for the pressure adjusting liquid 10L include properties such as low toxicity, separation from water, and difficulty in freezing. Examples of the pressure adjusting liquid 10L satisfying such characteristics include silicone oil and liquid paraffin. In particular, silicone oil is preferable as the pressure adjusting liquid 10L because it is excellent in heat resistance, cold resistance, and water resistance and has little change in viscosity over a wide temperature range. There are multiple types of silicone oil depending on the number of side chains, etc., but the specific gravity is generally lighter than the specific gravity of water. The amount of the pressure adjusting liquid 10L stored in the storage container 10 is preferably 0.1 liter (100 cm ³ ) or more and 5 liters or less.

  The storage container 10, the first exhaust pipe 11, and the second exhaust pipe 12 can be made of a resin such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), for example. Polyvinyl chloride is preferable because it is water resistant, acid resistant, alkali resistant, solvent resistant and inexpensive. The storage container 10 is preferably transparent so that the amount of the pressure adjusting liquid 10L in the storage container 10 can be confirmed from the outside. PVC can respond to such a request. Of course, the first exhaust pipe 11 and the second exhaust pipe 12 may be transparent.

  The internal volume of the storage container 10 is preferably 0.5 liters or more and 10 liters or less. If it is the storage container 10 which has the internal volume of this range, the function as 1 A of water seal valves can fully be exhibited.

  The lower end position of the first exhaust pipe 11 connected to the gas phase of the electrolyte solution tank 106 (107) is preferably set to a predetermined height that does not reach the bottom surface of the storage container 10. The lower end position is preferably higher than the upper limit water level in the storage container 10 for the condensed water 10W described later. By doing so, it can be avoided that bubbling occurs in the dew condensation water 10W, which will be described later, and the pressure adjusting liquid 10L and the dew condensation water 10W are vigorously mixed. The inner diameter of the first exhaust pipe 11 is preferably 1 cm or more and 10 cm or less. If it is the 1st exhaust pipe 11 which has an internal diameter of this range, discharge | emission of the gas from the electrolyte solution tank 107 will be smooth, and it will be formed with the gas discharged | emitted from the 1st exhaust pipe 11 to the liquid phase in the storage container 10. It is possible to avoid the bubble size from becoming too large. If the bubbles become too large, the pressure adjusting liquid 10L and dew condensation water 10W described later may be violently mixed at the bottom of the storage container 10. In this example, the opening end of the first exhaust pipe 11 is obliquely cut in order to limit the discharge direction of the bubbles discharged from the first exhaust pipe 11 to one side.

  The inner diameter of the second exhaust pipe 12 is preferably 1 cm or more and 10 cm or less. If it is the 2nd exhaust pipe 12 which has the internal diameter of this range, the gas in the storage container 10 can be rapidly arrange | positioned outside.

  The water seal valve 1A having the above configuration has a function of adjusting the pressure inside the electrolyte tanks 106 and 107 to near atmospheric pressure when the inside of the electrolyte tanks 106 and 107 becomes a positive pressure. Specifically, when the inside of the electrolyte tanks 106 and 107 becomes positive pressure, the gas in the electrolyte tanks 106 and 107 passes through the first exhaust pipe 11 and is discharged to the liquid phase in the storage container 10. (See thick arrow). The gas discharged to the liquid phase becomes bubbles and rises in the liquid phase and moves to the gas phase in the storage container 10. The gas in the storage container 10 is released to the atmosphere through the second exhaust pipe 12 as indicated by the thick arrow. In this way, the gas in the electrolyte tanks 106 and 107 is released to the outside by the water seal valve 1A, and the pressure inside the electrolyte tanks 106 and 107 is adjusted to near atmospheric pressure. As a result, rupture of the electrolyte tanks 106 and 107 can be prevented.

  Here, the pressure adjusting liquid 10L in the water seal valve 1A may be intensively bubbled. However, since the pressure adjusting liquid 10L is composed of a non-volatile liquid at normal temperature and normal pressure, the pressure adjusting liquid 10L in the storage container 10 hardly decreases. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the trouble of monitoring the amount of the pressure adjusting liquid 10L or replenishing the pressure adjusting liquid 10L appropriately.

  The water seal valve 1A having the above-described configuration also has a function of bringing the pressure inside the electrolyte tanks 106 and 107 close to atmospheric pressure when the electrolyte tanks 106 and 107 become negative pressure. When the electrolyte tanks 106 and 107 have a negative pressure, the pressure adjusting liquid 10L is sucked into the first exhaust pipe 11, and the volume of the gas phase in the first exhaust pipe 11 decreases accordingly. As a result, the pressure inside the electrolyte tanks 106 and 107 increases, and the explosion of the electrolyte tanks 106 and 107 is suppressed.

  The gas generated inside the electrolyte tanks 106 and 107 may be harmful gas. Therefore, it is preferable to provide a gas removal device in the middle of the first exhaust pipe 11 or in the middle of the second exhaust pipe 12. As the gas removal device, for example, those described in JP-A-2007-311209 (for example, a filter using copper oxide) can be used.

  The water seal valve 1 </ b> A of this example further includes an overflow pipe 14. The overflow pipe 14 is a member that limits the liquid level of the pressure adjusting liquid 10L stored in the storage container 10 to a predetermined position or less. Since the vapor phase in the storage container 10 contains a large amount of water vapor, when the temperature of the installation environment of the RF battery α (see FIG. 1) decreases, the water vapor in the storage container 10 condenses and the storage container 10, condensed water 10W accumulates below the pressure adjusting liquid 10L. If the amount of liquid in the storage container 10 is excessively increased by the dew condensation water 10W, the pressure value to be adjusted increases, or the pressure adjusting liquid 10L overflows from the second exhaust pipe 12, and the water seal valve 1A does not function. Such a problem may occur. With respect to such a problem, by providing the overflow pipe 14 that discharges the condensed water 10W from the storage container 10, the amount of liquid stored in the storage container 10 can be limited to a predetermined amount or less. Can be suppressed.

  The overflow pipe 14 includes a horizontal pipe 141 communicating with the side portion near the lower end in the height direction of the storage container 10, a vertical pipe 142 extending vertically upward, and a horizontal pipe 143 connected to the upper end side of the vertical pipe 142, Is provided. By setting it as such a structure, when the liquid level in the storage container 10 reaches the height of the upper sideways piping 143, the dew condensation water 10W can be automatically discharged from the overflow pipe 14. FIG. That is, the amount of liquid in the storage container 10 does not exceed the upper horizontal pipe 143, and the liquid does not overflow from the storage container 10. The overflow pipe 14 may communicate with the bottom of the storage container 10.

≪breathing bag≫
As shown in FIG. 1, the breathing bag 3 is a member that hangs down in the electrolyte tanks 106 and 107 and communicates with the inside thereof in the atmosphere. For the breathing bag 3, for example, a known configuration described in JP-A-2002-175825 can be used.

  When the inside of the electrolyte tanks 106 and 107 becomes negative pressure, the breathing bag 3 sucks air into the inside thereof to reduce the internal volume of the electrolyte tanks 106 and 107 (excluding the breathing bag 3). The pressure in the tanks 106 and 107 is increased. The breathing bag 3 also functions when the pressure in the electrolyte tanks 106 and 107 becomes positive. Specifically, the gas inside the breathing bag 3 is released to the atmosphere, the internal volume of the electrolyte tanks 106 and 107 (excluding the breathing bag 3) is increased, and the pressure in the electrolyte tanks 106 and 107 is reduced.

≪Others≫
By using the water seal valve 1A described with reference to FIG. 2, it is possible to configure a backup mechanism for when the breathing bag 3 fails and does not operate. In that case, the second exhaust pipe 12 of the water seal valve 1A may be communicated with the gas phase in the electrolyte tank 106 (107), and the first exhaust pipe 11 may be communicated with the atmosphere. With such a configuration, when the breathing bag 3 breaks down when the inside of the electrolyte tanks 106 and 107 becomes a negative pressure, the air is sucked from the first exhaust pipe 11 and is passed through the second exhaust pipe 12. Air flows into the electrolyte tanks 106 and 107. As a result, the pressure in the electrolytic solution tanks 106 and 107 increases, and the electrolytic solution tanks 106 and 107 are prevented from bursting. In addition, since there exists a possibility that electrolyte solution may deteriorate with air | atmosphere, this structure is for emergency measures when the breathing bag 3 fails to the last.

<Embodiment 2>
Embodiment 2 demonstrates the structure of the water seal valve 1B using the pressure regulation liquid 10L whose specific gravity is heavier than water based on FIG.

  The specific gravity of the pressure adjusting liquid 10L used for the water seal valve 1B shown in FIG. 3 is heavier than that of water. Other characteristics required for the pressure adjusting liquid 10L of this example are the same as those of the pressure adjusting liquid 10L of the first embodiment (nonvolatile, etc.). Examples of the pressure adjusting liquid 10L satisfying such characteristics include phosphate ester, chlorinated paraffin, and fluorine oil.

  When the specific gravity of the pressure adjusting liquid 10L is heavier than the specific gravity of water, the condensed water 10W accumulates above the pressure adjusting liquid 10L. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the overflow pipe 15 is connected to the side portion in the intermediate portion in the height direction of the storage container 10. The overflow pipe 15 includes a U-shaped pipe 152 and two lateral pipes 151 and 153 arranged at both ends thereof. The lateral piping 153 on the right side is arranged at a slightly lower position than the lateral piping 151 on the left side (storage container 10 side) of the U-shaped piping 152. With such a configuration, when the liquid level in the storage container 10 reaches the height of the right lateral pipe 153, the condensed water 10W is automatically discharged from the overflow pipe 15 without discharging the gas in the storage container 10. Can be made. That is, the amount of liquid in the storage container 10 does not exceed the height of the right-side side piping 153, and the liquid does not overflow from the storage container 10.

  The water seal valve 1 </ b> B of this example may further include a wave-proof cylinder 13 (see a broken line) inside the storage container 10. The wave preventing tube 13 is a member that accommodates a portion of the first exhaust pipe 11 on the opening side and suppresses the ripple of the liquid level in the storage container 10 caused by bubbles discharged from the first exhaust pipe 11. Both ends of the wave barrier 13 are open.

  Since the opening on the lower side of the wave breaker 13 is open below the opening of the first exhaust pipe 11, many of the bubbles discharged from the electrolyte tank 106 (107) to the first exhaust pipe 11 Enters the liquid phase in the wave-proof tube 13. Since the opening on the upper side of the wave preventing tube 13 opens at a position higher than the liquid level, the bubbles that have entered the liquid phase in the wave preventing tube 13 can be repelled by the liquid level inside the wave preventing tube 13. Since the liquid surface inside the wave preventing tube 13 is partitioned from the liquid surface outside the wave preventing tube 13 by the wave preventing tube 13, it is possible to suppress the undulation and foaming of the liquid surface outside the wave preventing tube 13. it can. In this way, by suppressing the undulation and foaming of the liquid surface in the storage container 10, it is possible to suppress the mixing of the condensed water 10 </ b> W and the pressure regulating liquid 10 </ b> L near the liquid surface in the storage container 10, and the condensed water 10 </ b> W. At the same time, the pressure adjusting liquid 10L can be prevented from being discharged from the overflow pipe 15.

  The redox flow battery of the present invention can be suitably used as a battery for load leveling or for measures against instantaneous voltage drop or power failure.

α Redox flow battery (RF battery)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Pressure regulation mechanism 1A, 1B Water seal valve 10 Storage container 11 1st exhaust pipe 12 2nd exhaust pipe 13 Wave-proof cylinder 14 Overflow pipe 141,143 Horizontal piping 142 Vertical piping 15 Overflow pipe 151,153 Horizontal piping 152 U-shape Piping 10L Pressure adjusting liquid 10W Condensed water 3 Breathing bag 9 Vapor communication pipe β Redox flow battery (RF battery)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Battery unit 101 Diaphragm 102 Positive electrode cell part 103 Negative electrode cell part 104 Positive electrode 105 Negative electrode 106 Electrolyte tank for positive electrodes 107 Electrolyte tank for negative electrodes 108-111 Piping 112,113 Pump

Claims (4)

A battery unit having a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a diaphragm;
An electrolyte tank for a positive electrode that stores a positive electrode electrolyte supplied to the battery unit;
An electrolyte tank for a negative electrode that stores a negative electrode electrolyte supplied to the battery unit;
A pressure adjustment mechanism that is attached to at least one of the positive electrode electrolyte tank and the negative electrode electrolyte tank and adjusts the pressure of the gas phase in the electrolyte tank;
The pressure adjusting mechanism includes a storage container for storing the pressure adjusting liquid, a first gas phase that extends from the gas phase in the electrolyte tank, passes through the gas phase in the storage container, and opens into the liquid phase in the storage container. A water seal valve comprising: one exhaust pipe; and a second exhaust pipe having one end opened to the gas phase in the storage container and the other end opened to the atmosphere;
The tone liquid is lighter than the specific gravity specific gravity of water, and Ri liquid der nonvolatile at normal temperature and pressure,
The water seal valve is a redox flow battery further including an overflow pipe that opens to a side portion or a bottom portion of the storage container and discharges condensed water that accumulates below the pressure adjusting liquid in the storage container to the outside . A battery unit having a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a diaphragm;
An electrolyte tank for a positive electrode that stores a positive electrode electrolyte supplied to the battery unit;
An electrolyte tank for a negative electrode that stores a negative electrode electrolyte supplied to the battery unit;
A pressure adjustment mechanism that is attached to at least one of the positive electrode electrolyte tank and the negative electrode electrolyte tank and adjusts the pressure of the gas phase in the electrolyte tank;
The pressure adjusting mechanism includes a storage container for storing the pressure adjusting liquid, a first gas phase that extends from the gas phase in the electrolyte tank, passes through the gas phase in the storage container, and opens into the liquid phase in the storage container. A water seal valve comprising: one exhaust pipe; and a second exhaust pipe having one end opened to the gas phase in the storage container and the other end opened to the atmosphere;
The tone liquid, the specific gravity heavier than the specific gravity of water, and Ri liquid der nonvolatile at normal temperature and pressure,
The water seal valve is a redox flow battery further comprising an overflow pipe that opens to a side portion of the storage container and discharges condensed water accumulated in the storage container above the pressure adjusting liquid to the outside . The water seal valve further houses a portion on the opening side of the first exhaust pipe inside, and a wave-proof cylinder that suppresses the ripple of the liquid level in the storage container caused by bubbles discharged from the first exhaust pipe With
Opening of the lower side of the anti-wave tube, and upper side, respectively opening of the position lower than the opening of the first exhaust pipe, and claim 2 which opens at a position higher than the liquid level Redox flow battery. The redox flow battery according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a breathing bag attached to at least one of the electrolyte tank for the positive electrode and the electrolyte tank for the negative electrode.

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