Nickel-zinc battery

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10276896-B2
Application number	US-201615358608-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 22, 2016
Priority date	Jul 9, 2014
Publication date	Apr 30, 2019
Grant date	Apr 30, 2019

Abstract

Provided is a highly reliable nickel-zinc battery, which includes a separator exhibiting hydroxide ion conductivity and water impermeability. The separator is disposed in a hermetic container to separate a positive-electrode chamber from a negative-electrode chamber. The positive-electrode chamber has an extra positive-electrode space having a volume that meets part of a variation in amount of water in association with the positive electrode reaction, and the negative-electrode chamber has an extra negative-electrode space having a volume that meets part of a variation in amount of water in association with the negative electrode reaction. The battery further includes a gas-liquid flow channel that connects the extra positive-electrode space to the extra negative-electrode space, and the gas-liquid flow channel allows the electrolytic solution and gas in the positive-electrode and negative-electrode chambers to pass through the flow channel in response to a variation in amount of water caused by charge and discharge reactions.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A nickel-zinc battery comprising:
a positive electrode comprising nickel hydroxide and/or nickel oxyhydroxide;
a positive-electrode electrolytic solution comprising an alkali metal hydroxide, the positive electrode being immersed in the positive-electrode electrolytic solution;
a negative electrode comprising zinc and/or zinc oxide;
a negative-electrode electrolytic solution comprising an alkali metal hydroxide, the negative electrode being immersed in the negative-electrode electrolytic solution;
a hermetic container accommodating the positive electrode, the positive-electrode electrolytic solution, the negative electrode, and the negative-electrode electrolytic solution; and
an inorganic solid electrolyte separator comprising a layered double hydroxide exhibiting hydroxide ion conductivity and water impermeability, the separator being disposed in the hermetic container so as to separate a positive-electrode chamber accommodating the positive electrode and the positive-electrode electrolytic solution from a negative-electrode chamber accommodating the negative electrode and the negative-electrode electrolytic solution,
wherein the positive-electrode chamber has an extra positive-electrode space having a volume that meets at least part of a variation in amount of water in association with reaction at the positive electrode during charge and discharge of the battery, and the negative-electrode chamber has an extra negative-electrode space having a volume that meets at least part of a variation in amount of water in association with reaction at the negative electrode during charge and discharge of the battery, and
wherein the nickel-zinc battery further comprises a gas-liquid flow channel that connects the extra positive-electrode space to the extra negative-electrode space such that the spaces are in gas-liquid communication with each other, and the gas-liquid flow channel allows the positive-electrode electrolytic solution and gas in the positive-electrode chamber to pass through the flow channel into the negative-electrode chamber and also allows the negative-electrode electrolytic solution and gas in the negative-electrode chamber to pass through the flow channel into the positive-electrode chamber in response to a variation in amount of water caused by charge and discharge reactions.

2. The nickel-zinc battery according to claim 1 , wherein the gas-liquid flow channel is an opening provided in the separator.

3. The nickel-zinc battery according to claim 1 , wherein the extra positive-electrode space is not filled with the positive electrode and the extra negative-electrode space is not filled with the negative electrode.

4. The nickel-zinc battery according to claim 1 , further comprising a gas flow channel that connects the extra positive-electrode space to the extra negative-electrode space such that these spaces are in gas communication with each other.

5. The nickel-zinc battery according to claim 1 , wherein the separator is vertically disposed, the extra positive-electrode space is provided in an upper portion of the positive-electrode chamber, and the extra negative-electrode space is provided in an upper portion of the negative-electrode chamber.

6. The nickel-zinc battery according to claim 5 , wherein the positive electrode is disposed below the gas-liquid flow channel of the positive-electrode chamber, and the negative electrode is disposed below the gas-liquid flow channel of the negative-electrode chamber.

7. The nickel-zinc battery according to claim 1 , wherein at least part of the extra positive-electrode space is preliminarily filled with the positive-electrode electrolytic solution and at least part of the extra negative-electrode space is preliminarily filled with the negative-electrode electrolytic solution such that the positive-electrode electrolytic solution and the negative-electrode electrolytic solution always run through the gas-liquid flow channel.

8. The nickel-zinc battery according to claim 1 , wherein the inorganic solid electrolyte has a relative density of 90% or more.

9. The nickel-zinc battery according to claim 1 , wherein the layered double hydroxide has a basic composition represented by the formula:
M 2+ 1−x M 3+ x (OH) 2 A n− x/n ·m H 2 O

where M 2+ represents at least one divalent cation, M 3+ represents at least one trivalent cation, A n− represents an n-valent anion, n is an integer of 1 or more, x is 0.1 to 0.4, and m is any real number.

10. The nickel-zinc battery according to claim 1 , wherein the inorganic solid electrolyte is in a plate, membrane, or layer form.

11. The nickel-zinc battery according to claim 1 , further comprising a porous substrate on either or both of the surfaces of the separator.

12. The nickel-zinc battery according to claim 11 , wherein the inorganic solid electrolyte is in a membrane or layer form, and is disposed on or in the porous substrate.

13. The nickel-zinc battery according to claim 1 , wherein the inorganic solid electrolyte is densified through hydrothermal treatment.

14. The nickel-zinc battery according to claim 1 , wherein the alkali metal hydroxide is potassium hydroxide.

15. The nickel-zinc battery according to claim 1 , further comprising a positive-electrode collector in contact with the positive electrode, and a negative-electrode collector in contact with the negative electrode.

Assignees

• Ngk Insulators Ltd

Inventors

• Hayashi Hiroshi
• Yamada Naohito
• Kitoh Kenshin

Classifications

• H01M2300/0014

  Alkaline electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M4/32

  Nickel oxide or hydroxide electrodes · CPC title

• H01M10/28

  Construction or manufacture · CPC title

• H01M10/30 Primary

  Nickel accumulators (H01M10/34 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01M2300/0088

  Composites · CPC title