CPC H01M 8/0254 (2013.01) [H01M 8/0215 (2013.01); H01M 8/0221 (2013.01); H01M 8/0226 (2013.01); H01M 8/188 (2013.01)] | 17 Claims |
1. A method for manufacturing a redox flow battery, comprising:
combining and treating chemical ingredients configured to form a sheet of a membrane separator via a first roll-to-roll calendering process, the first roll-to-roll calendering process comprising:
forming the sheet from the combined chemical ingredients;
molding ribs onto a surface of the sheet, the ribs extending along a vertical axis of the membrane separator relative to placement of the membrane separator within a negative electrode compartment of the redox flow battery, wherein the ribs are configured to increase turbulence in electrolyte flow between the membrane separator and a negative electrode of the negative electrode compartment, and wherein the ribs extend one or more of at an angle to the vertical axis and sinuously across the membrane separator; and
infiltrating the sheet with a cross-linked polymer network by chemically activating a dilute solution of a cross-linked polymer gel stored in pores of the sheet followed by curing the chemically activated cross-linked polymer gel of the dilute solution, wherein the dilute solution includes a monomer of the cross-linked polymer gel, and wherein the monomer is one of 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid or a sodium 4-vinyl benzene sulfonate salt; and
arranging the membrane separator in a cell of the redox flow battery on a side of a positive electrode opposite of a bipolar plate, the bipolar plate formed by a second roll-to-roll calendering process with the positive electrode bonded thereto, wherein the bipolar plate is formed of a plurality of layers that are sewn together.
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