Heat energy-powered electrochemical cells

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10804040-B2
Application number	US-201916691344-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 21, 2019
Priority date	Oct 12, 2017
Publication date	Oct 13, 2020
Grant date	Oct 13, 2020

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 building comprising at least one roof or wall, the at least one roof or wall comprising 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 building of claim 1 , wherein at least one roof comprises the heat energy-powered electrochemical cell as an outer roof layer.

3. The building of claim 1 , wherein at least one roof comprises the heat energy-powered electrochemical cell under a protective roof layer.

4. The building of claim 3 , wherein the protective roof layer comprises shingles.

5. The building of claim 3 , wherein the protective roof layer comprises the heat energy-powered electrochemical cell on an interior roof surface or under an interior layer.

6. The building of claim 5 , wherein the interior layer comprises a ceiling.

7. The building of claim 1 , wherein at least one wall is an exterior wall comprising the heat energy-powered electrochemical cell.

8. The building of claim 1 , wherein at least one wall is an interior wall comprising the heat energy-powered electrochemical cell.

9. The building of claim 8 , wherein the interior wall surrounds heat-generating equipment.

10. The building 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.

11. The building 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.

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

13. The building of claim 1 , wherein the solid metal polymer/glass electrolyte has a Young's modulus of less than 120 GPa/mm 2 .

14. The building 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 .

15. The building 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.

16. The building of claim 1 , wherein the anode comprises a metal foil.

17. The building of claim 1 , wherein the anode comprises carbon.

18. The building of claim 1 , wherein the metal polymer comprises a metal polyacrylate.

19. The building of claim 18 , wherein the metal polyacrylate comprises sodium polyacrylate.

20. The building of claim 1 , wherein the metal polymer comprises a metal polyethylene glycol.

21. The building of claim 1 , wherein the metal in the metal polymer comprises sodium (Na), lithium (Li), or aluminum (Al).

22. The building of claim 1 , wherein the solid metal polymer/glass electrolyte adheres to the cathode, the anode, or both.

23. The building 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+ ).

24. The building 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.

25. The building of claim 24 , wherein the dipole comprises up to 50 wt % of the solid glass electrolyte weight of a dipole additive.

26. The building of claim 25 , 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.

27. The building of claim 1 , wherein the cathode comprises a metal foil.

28. The building of claim 1 , wherein the cathode comprises carbon.

29. The building of claim 1 , wherein the cathode comprises a metal foam.

30. The building of claim 1 , wherein the cathode comprises a metal oxide.

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

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

33. The building of claim 1 , further comprising a rechargeable battery or fuel cell electrically connected to the heat energy-powered electrochemical cell.

Assignees

• Hydro Quebec

Inventors

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

Classifications

• H01M2300/0091

  in the form of mixtures · CPC title

• H01M10/056

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

• H01G11/10

  Multiple hybrid or EDL capacitors, e.g. arrays or modules (housings, cases, encapsulations or mountings thereof H01G11/78) · CPC title

• H01M6/18 Primary

  with solid electrolyte · CPC title

• H01M10/0562

  Solid materials · CPC title