Patent Application
20240006664
The present application relates to batteries and more particularly to dual-ion batteries.
This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
Dual-ion batteries (DIBs) are of significant interest as low-cost alternatives to Li-ion batteries (LIB). DIBs can be constructed from low-cost electrode materials (e.g., Al foil and graphite) using Li-free electrolytes (e.g., K+/FSI− in ethylene carbonate/dimethyl carbonate) and have reached >200 Wh/kg at the cell level with cell voltages exceeding 5 V. The main issues with DIBs are that they require excessively concentrated electrolytes and/or overly thick separators to utilize the full capacity of the electrode materials and experience substantial volume changes in the electrolyte while charging and discharging due to the need to have both ions participate in energy storage. Because of these limitations, DIBs have not made a significant commercial impact. The apparatus, systems and methods described herein solves the main issues that plague DIBs by allowing the use of an optimized conductivity electrolyte, minimally thick separators, maximally thick electrode layers, and negligible volume changes upon charging and discharging.
Features and advantages of the disclosed apparatus, systems, and methods will become apparent from the following description. Applicant is providing this description, which includes drawings and examples of specific embodiments, to give a broad representation of the apparatus, systems, and methods. Various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the application will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this description and by practice of the apparatus, systems, and methods. The scope of the apparatus, systems, and methods is not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed and the application covers all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the apparatus, systems, and methods as defined by the claims.
Applicant's apparatus, systems, and methods provide an energy storage enclosure, a negative electrode in the enclosure, a positive electrode in the enclosure, a separator between the negative electrode and the positive electrode, an electrolyte in the enclosure, and the circulation of the electrolyte through the negative electrode and the positive electrode. Applicant's apparatus, systems, and methods have use in batteries, electrical energy storage, microbatteries, next-generation batteries, hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, alternative energy, stationary energy storage, and other applications.
The apparatus, systems, and methods are susceptible to modifications and alternative forms. Specific embodiments are shown by way of example. It is to be understood that the apparatus, systems, and methods are not limited to the particular forms disclosed. The apparatus, systems, and methods cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the application as defined by the claims.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated into and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate specific embodiments of the apparatus, systems, and methods and, together with the general description given above, and the detailed description of the specific embodiments, serve to explain the principles of the apparatus, systems, and methods.
Referring to the drawings, to the following detailed description, and to incorporated materials, detailed information about the apparatus, systems, and methods is provided including the description of specific embodiments. The detailed description serves to explain the principles of the apparatus, systems, and methods. The apparatus, systems, and methods are susceptible to modifications and alternative forms. The application is not limited to the particular forms disclosed. The application covers all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the apparatus, systems, and methods as defined by the claims.
A dual ion battery is fundamentally different than a “normal” rechargeable battery in that both anion and cation are simultaneously stored (e.g., intercalated) during charging and then released (e.g., de-intercalated) during discharging. A “normal” rechargeable battery, for example, operates in a different, so-called rocking-chair format, where for example only Li+ ions, are de-intercalated from one electrode and simultaneously intercalated in the other during both charging and discharging operation. The unique ion storage mechanism of a DIB means that the electrolyte is desalinated during charging and resalinated during discharging, which can lead to a host of issues and limitations.
Applicant's apparatus, systems, and methods solve this issue and provide improved dual-ion battery performance. The applicant's apparatus, systems, and methods involve fabricating a device to allow electrolyte flow, therein creating what is called a “convection battery.” In this embodiment, electrolyte is introduced by forced convection from an external reservoir, rather than remaining sealed and stagnant within the cell. By decoupling the necessary amount of electrolyte from cell design, many of the inherent challenges of dual-ion batteries are circumvented. Namely, this idea allows for sufficient ions to participate in energy storage while not forcing the battery designer to use excessively concentrated electrolytes, employ overly thick separators, or experience substantial volume changes in the electrolyte while charging/discharging.
In the convection cell, electrolyte is pumped through porous electrodes to decrease diffusion or concentration overpotential losses and make the ion concentration and electrical potential in the electrolyte more uniform across the thickness of the cell. By substantially reducing diffusion limitations, thicker electrodes, higher specific capacity, and energy density can be achieved. Regarding the invention herein, adding electrolyte convection to a DIB is substantially more beneficial beyond these reasons because it alleviates the issue of significant volume changes in the electrolyte, allows for an optimal conductivity electrolyte concentration to be used, and frees the battery designer to use a cell design that is optimal to performance rather than large enough to accommodate sufficient ions. All these issues are resolved by simply making the electrolyte reservoir of sufficient size with sufficient flow rate.
Applicant anticipates that the performance gains by changing to this format will far outweigh the added electrolyte and pumping costs. Furthermore, there are many other benefits of having an external electrolyte reservoir system, especially in stationary storage applications.
Applicant's apparatus, systems, and methods have use in batteries, electrical energy storage, microbatteries, next-generation batteries, hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, alternative energy, and stationary energy storage. This innovation could potentially unlock DIBs for widespread use as energy storage systems and has unprecedented potential to increase the performance of conventional and emerging battery technologies.
Referring now to the drawings and in particular to
The description of the structural components of the Applicants' apparatus, systems, and methods 100 having been completed, the operation and additional description of the Applicant's apparatus, systems, and methods will now be considered in greater detail.
Referring now to
The description of the structural components of the Applicants' apparatus, systems, and methods 200 having been completed, the operation and additional description of the Applicant's apparatus, systems, and methods will now be considered in greater detail.
Referring now to
Although the description above contains many details and specifics, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the application but as merely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments of the apparatus, systems, and methods. Other implementations, enhancements and variations can be made based on what is described and illustrated in this patent document. The features of the embodiments described herein may be combined in all possible combinations of methods, apparatus, modules, systems, and computer program products. Certain features that are described in this patent document in the context of separate embodiments can also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single embodiment can also be implemented in multiple embodiments separately or in any suitable subcombination. Moreover, although features may be described above as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such, one or more features from a claimed combination can in some cases be excised from the combination, and the claimed combination may be directed to a subcombination or variation of a subcombination. Similarly, while operations are depicted in the drawings in a particular order, this should not be understood as requiring that such operations be performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, or that all illustrated operations be performed, to achieve desirable results. Moreover, the separation of various system components in the embodiments described above should not be understood as requiring such separation in all embodiments.
Therefore, it will be appreciated that the scope of the present application fully encompasses other embodiments which may become obvious to those skilled in the art. In the claims, reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean “one and only one” unless explicitly so stated, but rather “one or more.” All structural and functional equivalents to the elements of the above-described preferred embodiment that are known to those of ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to be encompassed by the present claims. Moreover, it is not necessary for a device to address each and every problem sought to be solved by the present apparatus, systems, and methods, for it to be encompassed by the present claims. Furthermore, no element or component in the present disclosure is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether the element or component is explicitly recited in the claims. No claim element herein is to be construed under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase “means for.”
While the apparatus, systems, and methods may be susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way of example in the drawings and have been described in detail herein. However, it should be understood that the application is not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed. Rather, the application is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the application as defined by the following appended claims.
This invention was made with Government support under Contract No. DE-AC52-07NA27344 awarded by the United States Department of Energy. The Government has certain rights in the invention.
