Heat energy-powered electrochemical cells

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10490360-B2
Application number	US-201715782443-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 12, 2017
Priority date	Oct 12, 2017
Publication date	Nov 26, 2019
Grant date	Nov 26, 2019

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a heat energy-powered electrochemical cell including an anode, a cathode, and a solid metal polymer/glass electrolyte. The solid metal polymer/glass electrolyte includes between 1% and 50% metal polymer by weight as compared to total solid metal polymer/glass electrolyte weight and between 50% and 90% solid glass electrolyte by weight as compared to the total solid metal polymer/glass electrolyte weight. The solid glass electrolyte includes a working cation and an electric dipole. The heat energy-powered electrochemical cells may be used to capture heat from a variety of sources, including solar hear, waste heat, and body heat. The heat energy-powered electrochemical cells may be fabricated at large-area, thin cells.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A heat energy-powered electrochemical cell comprising:
an anode;
a cathode; and
a solid metal polymer/glass electrolyte, wherein the metal polymer and the glass electrolyte are intermixed with each other” comprising:
between 1% and 50% metal polymer by weight as compared to total solid metal polymer/glass electrolyte weight; and
between 50% and 90% solid glass electrolyte by weight as compared to the total solid metal polymer/glass electrolyte weight,
wherein the solid glass electrolyte comprises:
a working cation; and
an electric dipole.

2. The heat energy-powered electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the heat energy-powered electrochemical cell delivers, at a given temperature or within a given temperature range, at least 85% as much electric power (P dis ) as an electrochemical cell having the same anode, the same cathode, and the solid glass electrolyte but lacking the metal polymer.

3. The heat energy-powered electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the heat energy-powered electrochemical cell delivers, at a given temperature or within a given temperature range, at least 125% as much electric power (P dis ) as an electrochemical cell having the same anode, the same cathode, and the solid glass electrolyte but lacking the metal polymer.

4. The heat energy-powered electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the heat energy-powered electrochemical cell has a Young's modulus of less than 120 GPa/mm 2 .

5. The heat energy-powered electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the solid metal polymer/glass electrolyte has a Young's modulus of less than 120 GPa/mm 2 .

6. The heat energy-powered electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the heat energy-powered electrochemical cell has a surface area of a largest external surface of at least 1 m 2 .

7. The heat energy-powered electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the solid metal polymer/glass electrolyte has an ionic conductivity that is at least 25% of the ionic conductivity of the solid glass electrolyte at 25 ° C.

8. The heat energy-powered electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the anode comprises a metal foil.

9. The heat energy-powered electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the anode comprises carbon.

10. The heat energy-powered electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the metal polymer comprises a metal polyacrylate.

11. The heat energy-powered electrochemical cell of claim 10 , wherein the metal polyacrylate comprises sodium polyacrylate.

12. The heat energy-powered electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the metal polymer comprises a metal polyethylene glycol.

13. The heat energy-powered electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the metal in the metal polymer comprises sodium (Na), lithium (Li), or aluminum (Al).

14. The heat energy-powered electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the solid metal polymer/glass electrolyte adheres to the cathode, the anode, or both.

15. The heat energy-powered electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the working cation comprises lithium ion (Li + ), sodium ion (Na + ), potassium ion (K + ) magnesium ion (Mg 2+ ), copper ion (Cu + ), or aluminum ion (Al 3+ ).

16. The heat energy-powered electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the dipole has the general formula A y X z or the general formula A y−1 X z −q , wherein A is Li, Na, K, Mg, and/or Al, X is S and/or O , 0<z≤3, y is sufficient to ensure charge neutrality of dipoles of the general formula A y X z , or a charge of −q of dipoles of the general formula A y−1 X z −q , and 1≤q≤3.

17. The heat energy-powered electrochemical cell of claim 16 , wherein the dipole comprises up to 50 wt % of the solid glass electrolyte weight of a dipole additive.

18. The heat energy-powered electrochemical cell of claim 17 , wherein the dipole additive comprises one or a combination of compounds having the general formula A y X z or the general formula A y−1 X z −q , wherein A is Li, Na, K, Mg, and/or Al, X is S, O, Si, and/or OH, 0<z≤3, y is sufficient to ensure charge neutrality of dipole additives of the general formula A y X z , or a charge of −q of dipole additives of the general formula A y−1 X z −q , and 1≤q≤3.

19. The heat energy-powered electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the cathode comprises a metal foil.

20. The heat energy-powered electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the cathode comprises carbon.

21. The heat energy-powered electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the cathode comprises a metal foam.

22. The heat energy-powered electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the cathode comprises a metal oxide.

23. The heat energy-powered electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the heat energy-powered electrochemical cell is powered by solar heat.

24. The heat energy-powered electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the heat energy-powered electrochemical cell is powered by body heat.

25. The heat energy-powered electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the heat energy-powered electrochemical cell is powered by waste heat.

26. A heat energy-powered battery system comprising a heat energy-powered electrochemical cell of claim 1 .

27. A heat energy-powered battery system comprising:
a heat energy-powered electrochemical cell of claim 1 ; and
a rechargeable battery or fuel cell electrically connected to the heat energy-powered electrochemical cell.

Assignees

• Univ Texas

Inventors

• Goodenough John B
• De Oliveira Braga Maria Helena Sousa Soares
• Murchison Andrew

Classifications

• H01M2300/0091

  in the form of mixtures · CPC title

• H01M14/00

  Electrochemical current or voltage generators not provided for in groups H01M6/00 - H01M12/00; Manufacture thereof · CPC title

• H01M2300/0082

  Organic polymers · CPC title

• H01M10/056

  characterised by the materials used as electrolytes, e.g. mixed inorganic/organic electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M6/18 Primary

  with solid electrolyte · CPC title