Heat energy-powered electrochemical cells

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11049667-B2
Application number	US-202017009081-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 1, 2020
Priority date	Oct 12, 2017
Publication date	Jun 29, 2021
Grant date	Jun 29, 2021

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 vehicle comprising:
a heat-generating component, a part commonly exposed to sunlight, or both; and
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 vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle comprises a heat-generating component and the heat energy-powered electrochemical cell is positioned to capture heat from the heat-generating component.

3. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle comprises a part commonly exposed to sunlight and the heat energy-powered electrochemical cell is located in the part commonly exposed to sunlight.

4. The vehicle of claim 3 , wherein the part commonly exposed to sunlight comprises a roof or hood of a car, bus, or truck.

5. The vehicle of claim 3 , wherein the part commonly exposed to sunlight comprises a wings or upper fuselage of an airplane or drone.

6. The vehicle of claim 3 , wherein the part commonly exposed to sunlight comprises the decking or upper superstructure of a boat.

7. The vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the decking or upper superstructure of a boat comprises cargo covers, sails, and solar energy collection structures.

8. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle comprises an energy source that generates waste heat and the heat energy-powered electrochemical cell is positioned to capture the waste heat.

9. The vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the energy source that generates waste heat is comprises an engine.

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

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

14. The vehicle 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 vehicle 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 vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the anode comprises a metal foil.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

26. The vehicle 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 vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the cathode comprises a metal foil.

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

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

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

31. The vehicle 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

• Y02E60/10

  Energy storage using batteries · CPC title

• H01M10/0562

  Solid materials · CPC title

• H01G11/10

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

• H01G11/56

  Solid electrolytes, e.g. gels; Additives therein · CPC title

• H01M6/18 Primary

  with solid electrolyte · CPC title