DualFlow: Dual circuit battery for hydrogen and value added chemical production

DualFlow开发了一种全新的能量转换和存储概念，将水电解，电池存储和脱碳化学品的联合生产结合到一个单一的混合技术中，使用水溶性氧化还原介质作为能量转移载体。该系统可用于电力储存或将能量转化为氢气和增值化学品。在能量存储操作期间，该系统作为传统的固定液流电池工作。当电池充满时，能量转换就开始了，但是有大量廉价的绿色电力可用。现在，电池在介导电解中进行化学放电，以产生氢气和增值化学品。能量转换是通过将充电的电池电解液泵送通过反应器来实现的。对于制氢，反应器中填充有催化颗粒以催化电子转移和析氢。对于增值化学品生产，反应器由两相系统组成，其中带电电解质氧化有机相中的化学品。然后将反应产物萃取到有机相中。能量转换操作仅需要用于析氢的反应器和催化剂，表明双回路的附加成本是最小的。这一概念产生了能够同时储存能量和将能量转化为氢的灵活系统。我们坚信，这一概念提供了以灵活的方式生产廉价氢气的可能性，而无需使用任何关键的原材料。

DualFlow develops a radically new energy conversion and storage concept that combines water electrolysis, battery storage and coproduction of decarbonized chemicals into one single hybrid technology using water soluble redox mediators as energy transfer vectors. The system can be operated for electricity storage or for energy conversion to hydrogen and value added chemicals. During energy storage operation, the system works as a conventional stationary flow battery. The energy conversion starts when the battery is full but there is abundant inexpensive green electricity available. Now the battery is chemically discharged in a mediated electrolysis to produce hydrogen and value added chemicals. The energy conversion is realized by pumping charged battery electrolytes through reactors. For hydrogen production, reactor is filled with catalytic particles to catalyze electron transfer and hydrogen evolution. For value added chemical production the reactor consists of biphasic system where charged electrolyte oxidizes chemicals in an organic phase. The reaction products are then extracted into the organic phase. The energy conversion operation requires only reactors and catalyst for hydrogen evolution, indicating that the additive costs of the dual circuit is minimal. The concept results in flexible system capable of both energy storage and energy conversion to hydrogen. We strongly believe that this concept offers possibilities to produce inexpensive hydrogen, in a flexible manner without utilizing any critical raw materials.