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US3881958A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Mass flow rate control of chlorine content of electrolyte for high energy density battery

Assignee: Energy Development Associates Inc
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Filing: 1973-07-02
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Granted: 1975-05-06
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Expires: 1993-07-02
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Abstract

Abstract A high energy density battery system of the metal-chlorine electrode type, in which chlorine dissolved in or dissolved and entrained in aqueous metal chloride electrolyte is utilized as a feed to an electrode compartment, includes a conduit for withdrawing of electrolyte from the electrode compartment means for adding chlorine to the electrolyte circulating through said conduit and a return conduit, a pump to maintain the electrolyte in circulation, a sensor to measure chlorine: electrolyte ratio in a conduit by measuring the mass flow rate of material being pumped compared to said mass flow rate when a desired ratio of chlorine to aqueous electrolyte is pumped, means for controlling the addition of chlorine to the circulating electrolyte in response to the sensed mass flow rate and conduit means for returning the rejuvenated electrolyte to the electrode compartment. Sensores utilized are responsive to the mass flow rate and can distinguish between flows which are high or low in chlorine content, the former being of lower mass flow rates. The sensors may be connected to means for charging chlorine to the circulating electrolyte and thereby can automatically control the chlorine content of the electrolyte, maintaining it at about a desirable level.

Inventors

  • 👤 Peter Carr
  • 👤 Carmelo J Amato

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-01 12:22
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01M; H01M12/00; H01M12/08; H01M12/085; Y; Y02; Y02E; Y02E60/00; Y02E60/10

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim 141 words
AN IMPROVED METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE ADDITION OF CHLORINE TO AN ELECTRIC ENERGY STORAGE DEVICE OF THE METALCHLORINE TYPE, HAVING AN ELECTRODE COMPARTMENT WITH AN INLET MEANS AND AN OUTLET MEANS WHEREIN CHLORINE LADEN AQUEOUS METAL HALIDE ELECTRLYTE IS PASSED INTO THE ELECTRODE COMPARRTMENT INLET AND ELECTRLYTE HAVING LOWER CHLORINE CONTENT THAN THAT PASSING INTO SAID INLET IS PASSED OUT OF THE ELECTRODE COMPARTMENT OUTLET WHILE A PUMPING MEANS CIRCULATES THE ELECTROLYTE FROM SAID OUTLET TO SAID INLET THROUGH A MEANS FOR SENSING THE CHLORINE TO AQUEOUS ELECTROLYTE RATIO, THEN COMPARING SAID RATIO TO A DESIRED RATIO OF CHLORINE TO AQUEOUS ELECTROLYTE WHEREIN THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISES SENSING THE CHLORINE TO AQUEOUS ELECTROLYTE RATIO BY MEASURING THE MASS FLOW RATE OF SAID CIRCULATING ELECTROLYTE AND CONTROLLING THE ADDITION OF CHLORINE TO SAID CIRCULATING ELECTROLYTE IN RESPONSE TO THE SENSED MASS FLOW RATE.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 141 words
AN IMPROVED METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE ADDITION OF CHLORINE TO AN ELECTRIC ENERGY STORAGE DEVICE OF THE METALCHLORINE TYPE, HAVING AN ELECTRODE COMPARTMENT WITH AN INLET MEANS AND AN OUTLET MEANS WHEREIN CHLORINE LADEN AQUEOUS METAL HALIDE ELECTRLYTE IS PASSED INTO THE ELECTRODE COMPARRTMENT INLET AND ELECTRLYTE HAVING LOWER CHLORINE CONTENT THAN THAT PASSING INTO SAID INLET IS PASSED OUT OF THE ELECTRODE COMPARTMENT OUTLET WHILE A PUMPING MEANS CIRCULATES THE ELECTROLYTE FROM SAID OUTLET TO SAID INLET THROUGH A MEANS FOR SENSING THE CHLORINE TO AQUEOUS ELECTROLYTE RATIO, THEN COMPARING SAID RATIO TO A DESIRED RATIO OF CHLORINE TO AQUEOUS ELECTROLYTE WHEREIN THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISES SENSING THE CHLORINE TO AQUEOUS ELECTROLYTE RATIO BY MEASURING THE MASS FLOW RATE OF SAID CIRCULATING ELECTROLYTE AND CONTROLLING THE ADDITION OF CHLORINE TO SAID CIRCULATING ELECTROLYTE IN RESPONSE TO THE SENSED MASS FLOW RATE.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 109 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein the mass flow rate is measured at a point between the pump and the electrode compartment inlet and the pump is located between the site of chlorine addition and the electrode compartment inlet, the addition of chlorine to the circulating electrolyte in response to the sensed mass flow rate being such that when the mass flow rate diminishes below a perdetermined level at which the chlorine : aqueous metal halide electrolyte ratio is that desired, addition of chlorine gas to the electrolyte is diminished or halted and when the mass flow rate increases above such level, chlorine addition is resumed or increased.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 33 words
means to compare the mass flow rate with a desired ratio of chlorine to electrolyte while controlling the addition of chlorine to the circulating electrolyte in response to the sensed mass flow rate.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 33 words
means to compare the mass flow rate with a desired ratio of chlorine to electrolyte while controlling the addition of chlorine to the circulating electrolyte in response to the sensed mass flow rate.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 46 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein a device for sensing the mass flow rate of material being pumped is at the position between the situs of the pump and the electrode compartment inlet and it automatically controls the addition of chlorine to the circulating electrolyte.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 125 words
A method according to claim 1, which comprises pumping this electrolyte-chlorine mixture with a pump of fixed pumping power located between the situs of the chlorine addition and the electrode compartment inlet sensing the mass flow rate of material being pumped at a position between the situs of the pump and the electrode compartment inlet and controlling the addition of chlorine to the circulating electrolyte in response to the sensed mass flow rate so that when the mass flow rate diminishes below a predetermined level at which the chlorine : aqueous metal halide electrolyte ratio is that desired, addition of chlorine to the electrolyte is diminished or halted and when the mass flow rate increases above such level addition of chlorine is resumed or increased.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 51 words
A method according to claim 1, which comprises pumping the electrolyte-chlorine mixture at a point between the situs of the chlorine addition and the electrode compartment inlet, sensing the mass flow rate of material being pumped by measuring the power being consumed by the pump when utilizing a constant speed pump.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 62 words
An improved electric storage device of the metal chlorine type having an electrode compartment with an inlet means and an outlet means for passage of an aqueous metal halide electrolyte into said compartment and out of said compartment with means for circulating said electrolyte from said outlet means through a first conduit and back to said inlet means, wherein the improvement comprises:
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 62 words
An improved electric storage device of the metal chlorine type having an electrode compartment with an inlet means and an outlet means for passage of an aqueous metal halide electrolyte into said compartment and out of said compartment with means for circulating said electrolyte from said outlet means through a first conduit and back to said inlet means, wherein the improvement comprises:
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 28 words
The device of claim 6, further comprising pumping means located in said first conduit and positioned between the situs of chlorine addition and the electrode compartment inlet means.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 21 words
The device of claim 7, wherein the sensing means is positioned between the pumping means and the electrode compartment inlet means.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 73 words
The device of claim 8, wherein the sensing means to control the addition of chlorine to the circulating electrolyte automatically so that when the mass flow rate diminishes below a predetermined level at which the chlorine : aqueous metal chloride electrolyte ratio is that desired, addition of chlorine to the electrolyte is diminished or halted and when the mass flow rate increases above such level addition of chlorine gas is resumed or increased.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 38 words
The device of claim 6, wherein the sensing means is capable of sensing the mass flow rate of material being pumped by measuring the power being consumed by the pump when the pump is a constant speed pump.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 74 words
The device of claim 6, wherein the sensor includes means to control automatically the addition of chlorine to the circulating electrolyte so that when the mass flow rate diminishes below a predetermined level at which the chlorine : aqueous metal chloride electrolyte ratio is that desired addition of chlorine gas to the electrolyte is diminished or halted and when the mass flow rate increases above such level addition of chlorine is resumed or increased.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3542597A Cited
US3716416A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1978-05-05 1978-11-04 1979-05-06 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1982-05-05 1982-11-04 1983-05-06 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1986-05-05 1986-11-04 1987-05-06 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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