Radical-ion battery and operation thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10879552-B2
Application number	US-201716098432-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 16, 2017
Priority date	Feb 18, 2016
Publication date	Dec 29, 2020
Grant date	Dec 29, 2020

Abstract

A electrochemical storage device, referred to herein as a radical-ion battery, is described. The radical-ion battery includes an electrolyte, first free radicals, and second free radicals, wherein the first free radicals and the second free radicals are different chemical species. The radical-ion battery also includes a separator that allows select ions to pass therethrough, but separates the electrolyte from the second free radicals.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A radical-ion battery comprising:
an electrochemical cell, the electrochemical cell comprises:
an electrolyte;
first free radicals in liquid form;
second free radicals in gaseous form, wherein the first free radicals are different from the second free radicals;
a first anionic electrode that is configured for use when a charging half-reaction is performed in the electrochemical cell; and
a second anionic electrode that is configured for use when a discharging half-reaction is performed in the electrochemical cell.

2. The radical-ion battery of claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte is molten NaNO 2 .

3. The radical-ion battery of claim 2 , wherein the first free radicals are Na atoms, and wherein the second free radicals are NO 2 molecules.

4. The radical-ion battery of claim 1 , further comprising a separator that is configured to separate the electrolyte from the first free radicals, wherein the separator is configured to allow a particular type of ion in the electrolyte to pass through the separator.

5. The radical-ion battery of claim 4 , wherein the separator is configured to allow Na + ions to pass therethrough.

6. The radical-ion battery of claim 5 , wherein the separator is formed of a sodium-ion-selective membrane.

7. The radical-ion battery of claim 1 , wherein the discharging half reaction is carried out as a two-phase process.

8. The radical-ion battery of claim 1 , wherein the first anionic electrode is an electrically conductive housing that defines a chamber for retaining the electrolyte, and further wherein the second anionic electrode is a sparger that is electrically isolated from the conductive housing.

9. The radical-ion battery of claim 1 , further comprising:
a storage container that is configured to store the first free radicals, wherein the storage container is placed underground.

10. The radical-ion battery of claim 9 , wherein the second free radicals are NO 2 molecules, and further wherein boiling point elevation additives are dissolved in liquefied NO 2 in the storage container.

11. The radical-ion battery of claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte is a mixed cation electrolyte.

12. The radical-ion battery of claim 11 , wherein the electrochemical cell further comprises:
a first cationic electrode; and
a second cationic electrode, wherein the first cationic electrode and the second cationic electrode are selectively activated during the charging half-reaction and the discharging half-reaction to maintain a substantially constant mole fraction of constituent cations in the mixed cation electrolyte.

13. A radical-ion battery comprising:
an electrochemical cell, the electrochemical cell comprises:
an electrolyte;
first free radicals in liquid form;
second free radicals in gaseous form, wherein the first free radicals are different from the second free radicals;
first anionic electrode means that is configured to source anions to the electrolyte during a discharging half reaction;
second anionic electrode means that is configured to sink anions from the electrolyte during a charging half reaction; and
cationic electrode means that is configured to source cations to the electrolyte and sink cations from the electrolyte.

14. The radical-ion battery of claim 13 , the electrochemical cell further comprising separator means positioned between the electrolyte and the first free radicals.

Assignees

• Nat Tech & Eng Solutions Sandia Llc

Inventors

• Koplow Jeffrey P

Classifications

• Y02P70/50

  Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product · CPC title

• H01M8/143 Primary

  with liquid, solid or electrolyte-charged reactants · CPC title

• H01M8/0202

  Collectors; Separators, e.g. bipolar separators; Interconnectors · CPC title

• H01M8/144

  characterised by the electrolyte material · CPC title

• H01M10/399

  Cells with molten salts · CPC title