US 12,191,546 B2
Pressure-compensated flow battery for submerged use
Dwane F. Sample, San Diego, CA (US); and Carl E. Lostrom, San Diego, CA (US)
Assigned to United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy, Washington, DC (US)
Filed by United States of America as Represented by the Secretary of the Navy, San Diego, CA (US)
Filed on Sep. 23, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/483,503.
Prior Publication US 2023/0088777 A1, Mar. 23, 2023
Int. Cl. H01M 8/18 (2006.01); H01M 8/04276 (2016.01); H01M 8/0273 (2016.01)
CPC H01M 8/188 (2013.01) [H01M 8/04276 (2013.01); H01M 8/0273 (2013.01)] 8 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A subsea flow battery comprising:
first and second collapsible tanks configured to be positioned on a seafloor and directly exposed to ambient seawater and to contain an ionic salt solution, wherein an oxidation state of the ionic salt solution differs between the first and second collapsible tanks, wherein each collapsible tank further comprises a rigid or semi-rigid cylindrical storage reservoir;
first and second compressible, flexible hoses, each of the first and second hoses wrapped in a coil around each of the respective storage reservoirs and having opposed hose ends in fluid communication through opposite ends of the respective storage reservoir, wherein each of the first and second compressible, flexible hoses is long enough and compressible enough such that a pressure of the ionic salt solution in each of the first and second collapsible tanks is equal to an ambient pressure surrounding the subsea flow battery due to compression of the first and the second compressible, flexible hoses;
a reaction chamber in fluid communication with the first and second collapsible tanks via the respective first and second compressible, flexible hoses, wherein the ionic salt solution from the first collapsible tank is separated from the ionic salt solution from the second collapsible tank within the reaction chamber by an ion exchange membrane; and
first and second pumps configured to respectively pump the ionic salt solution through the reaction chamber from, and then back into, the respective storage reservoirs of the first and second collapsible tanks via the first and second compressible, flexible hoses.