US 12,009,553 B2
Refuelable battery for the electric grid and method of using thereof
Mateo Cristian Jaramillo, San Francisco, CA (US); Ian Salmon McKay, Seattle, WA (US); and William Henry Woodford, Cambridge, MA (US)
Assigned to FORM ENERGY, INC., Somerville, MA (US)
Filed by FORM ENERGY, INC., Somerville, MA (US)
Filed on Jul. 18, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/867,073.
Application 17/867,073 is a division of application No. 16/500,906, granted, now 11,394,035, previously published as PCT/US2018/026243, filed on Apr. 5, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/482,639, filed on Apr. 6, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2022/0352527 A1, Nov. 3, 2022
Int. Cl. H01M 6/50 (2006.01); H01M 6/52 (2006.01); H01M 50/70 (2021.01)
CPC H01M 6/5077 (2013.01) [H01M 6/52 (2013.01); H01M 50/70 (2021.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of operating a refuelable battery, comprising:
circulating an electrolyte in a battery chamber, the electrolyte moving between a seeded trap area and an area including a cathode and an iron-containing anode;
discharging the refuelable battery to generate oxidized anode material from the iron-containing anode, the oxidized anode material including iron oxide, iron hydroxide, or a combination thereof;
providing air into the battery chamber during discharge of the refuelable battery;
draining the electrolyte from the seeded trap area;
with the electrolyte drained from the seeded trap area, removing the oxidized anode material from the seeded trap area; and
inserting another instance of the iron-containing anode into the refuelable battery.