An example of a battery apparatus (10) is provided including: a housing (12) with a connection arrangement (24); a plurality of interoperable battery cartridges (36) removably fittable to the housing (12) to connect with the connection arrangement (24) to form a stack; at least one battery interface arrangement (17) adapted to be removably fitted to the housing (12) to connect with the connection arrangement (24) so as to be in communication with a selection of the plurality of interoperable battery cartridges (26) via the connection arrangement (24). Examples of battery cartridges (36), a system (5) including one or more battery apparatuses (10), and associated example methods are also disclosed.

A thermal insulation device includes a first plate, a second plate formed to nest adjacent the first plate with a gap between the first and second plates, a porous material disposed in the gap between the plates, a sealing layer disposed between the first and second plates such that the porous material is sealed from ambient at a pressure less than ambient, and a vapor generating material disposed in the gap.

Methods, systems, and computer program products for mitigating the effects of shading in photovoltaic cells using flow batteries are provided herein. A computer-implemented method includes connecting at least one fuel stack to one or more photovoltaic cells, wherein each fuel stack comprises (i) one or more ports and (ii) one or more electrochemical cells; determining that one or more portions of the one or more photovoltaic cells are impacted by a shading effect; converting chemical energy stored in an electrolytic solution to electrical energy, by interacting the electrolytic solution with the electrochemical cells of each fuel stack connected to the portions of the impacted photovoltaic cells; automatically opening the ports of each fuel stack connected to the one or more portions of the impacted photovoltaic cells; and supplying the electrical energy to the portions of the impacted photovoltaic cells.

A flow battery includes an electrochemical cell that has a first electrode, a second electrode spaced apart from the first electrode, and a separator layer arranged between the first electrode and the second electrode. The separator layer is formed of a polymer that has a polymer backbone with cyclic groups that are free of unsaturated nitrogen and one or more polar groups bonded between the cyclic groups.

A fuel cell system comprises a controller configured to determine whether a condition relating to a stop pattern of the fuel cell system satisfies a predetermined condition, and an output unit configured to output a warning when it is determined that the condition relating to the stop pattern satisfies the predetermined condition.

A direct alcohol fuel cell having an inner housing, and a proton exchange membrane separating an anode section from a cathode section. The anode section contains an anode collection element electrically connected to an anode catalyst that is in diffusive communication with a fuel supply. The cathode section contains a cathode collection element having one or more ventilation holes is electrically connected to a cathode catalyst. An oleophobic filter and/or an anion-exchange membrane is provided, which cathode catalyst via the one or more ventilation holes and the oleophobic filter and/or the anion-exchange membrane is in diffusive communication with a gaseous oxidant. The inner housing has a bottom and walls extending from the bottom to contain the anode section, the PEM and the cathode section, the bottom and/or the walls having holes allowing fluid communication from a fuel supply to the anode section. The fuel cell is suited for microelectronic devices.

Method and apparatus for generating green electrical power. During a hydrogen gas storage mode, an electrolyzer generates a stream of hydrogen gas from water supplied by a water source and using power from an input power source. A hydrogen tank temporarily stores the stream of hydrogen. During a power generation mode, a fuel cell converts the stream of hydrogen gas from the tank into output electrical power by combining the hydrogen with oxygen. An inverter conditions and supplies the electrical power to a local load. A controller circuit uses a system parameter to adaptively switch between the storage mode and the power generation mode. In some cases, external power is supplied during the generation and storage of the hydrogen gas from an electrical grid or a local renewable source such as a set of solar panels. Respective grid-tied, solar-tied, grid-only, off-grid, and electric vehicle charging configurations are provided.

A thermal energy storage system is provided, comprising an outer shell defining an outer shell volume, an energy transfer module, comprising an input port for providing energy to the energy storage system, an output port for retrieving energy from energy storage system, wherein the outer shell is provided with a fluid distribution network.

A flow battery includes a positive electrode, a positive electrode electrolyte, a negative electrode, a negative electrode electrolyte, and a polymer electrolyte membrane interposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode. The positive electrode electrolyte includes water and a first redox couple. The first redox couple includes a first organic compound which includes a first moiety in conjugation with a second moiety. The first organic compound is reduced during discharge while during charging the reduction product of the first organic compound is oxidized to the first organic compound. The negative electrode electrolyte includes water and a second redox couple. The second couple includes a second organic compound including a first moiety in conjugation with a second moiety. The reduction product of the second organic compound is oxidized to the second organic compound during discharge.

A flow battery system includes a first tank including a hydrogen reactant, a second tank including a bromine electrolyte, and at least one cell including a first electrolyte side operably connected to the first tank and a second electrolyte side operably connected to the second tank. The battery system further includes a direct connection line directly connecting the first tank and the second tank and configured such that the hydrogen reactant passes between the first tank and the second tank.