Metal air battery, method of manufacturing the same, apparatus including the metal air battery, and system and method of controlling the metal air battery

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11527794-B2
Application number	US-202117176490-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 16, 2021
Priority date	Mar 5, 2020
Publication date	Dec 13, 2022
Grant date	Dec 13, 2022

Abstract

A metal air battery apparatus includes: a metal air cell including a cathode layer including pores, an anode layer facing the cathode layer, and a solid electrolyte layer between the cathode layer and the anode layer; and a controller configured to control at least one of a charge rate or a discharge rate of the metal air cell based on a porosity of the cathode layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A metal air battery apparatus comprising:
a metal air cell comprising
a cathode layer comprising pores,
an anode layer facing the cathode layer, and
a solid electrolyte layer between the cathode layer and the anode layer; and

a controller configured to control at least one of a charge rate or a discharge rate of the metal air cell based on a porosity of the cathode layer.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the cathode layer comprises a mixed ionic-electronic conductor.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the cathode layer comprises:
an electron conductive layer that provides a path for oxygen flow; and
an ion conductive layer that provides a path for oxygen flow.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the porosity of the cathode layer is in a range of about 0.2 to about 0.9, based on a total volume of the cathode layer of 1.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the metal air cell further comprises:
a first electrode terminal;
a second electrode terminal; and
a port in fluid communication with the cathode layer,
wherein the port is configured to permit determination of the porosity of the cathode layer.

6. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein each of the electron conductive layer and the ion conductive layer is in fluid communication with a source of oxygen.

7. A metal air battery apparatus comprising:
a metal air battery comprising
a first metal air cell comprising
a first cathode layer comprising pores,
a first anode layer facing the first cathode layer, and
a solid electrolyte layer between the first cathode layer and the first anode layer, and

a second cell at a location different from a location of the first metal air cell; and

a controller configured to control at least one of a charge rate or a discharge rate of the first metal air cell based on a porosity of the first cathode layer.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein
the second cell comprises a second metal air cell comprising a second cathode layer comprising pores, and
a porosity of the second cathode layer is the same as or different from the porosity of the first cathode layer.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to control at least one of a charge rate or a discharge rate of the second metal air cell based on the porosity of the second cathode layer.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the controller comprises:
a first controller configured to control at least one of a charge rate or a discharge rate of the first metal air cell based on the porosity of the first cathode layer; and
a second controller configured to control at least one of a charge rate or a discharge rate of the second metal air cell based on the porosity of the second cathode layer.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the second cathode layer comprises a mixed ionic electronic conductor.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the second metal air cell comprises:
a second anode layer facing the second cathode layer,
a solid electrolyte layer between the second cathode layer and the second anode layer,
a first electrode terminal,
a second electrode terminal, and
a port in fluid communication with second cathode layer,
wherein the port is configured to permit determination of the porosity of the second cathode layer.

13. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the first cathode layer comprises a mixed ionic electronic conductor.

14. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the first metal air cell further comprises:
a first electrode terminal,
a second electrode terminal, and
a port in fluid communication with first cathode layer,
wherein the port is configured to permit determination of the porosity of the first cathode layer.

15. A metal air cell comprising:
a cathode layer comprising a mixed ionic electronic conductor;
an anode layer facing the cathode layer; and
a solid electrolyte layer between the cathode layer and the anode layer, wherein
a porosity P1 of the cathode layer satisfies Equation 2
(−0.122 ln( R )+0.3)≤ P 1≤(−0.122 ln( R )+0.5),

wherein R is a charge rate or a discharge rate of the metal air cell and is in a range of about 0.01 C to about 2.3 C.

16. The metal air cell of claim 15 , wherein the porosity of the cathode layer is in a range of about 0.2 to about 0.6, based on a total volume of the cathode layer of 1.

17. The metal air cell of claim 15 , wherein the porosity of the cathode layer is in a range of about 0.2 to about 0.4, based on a total volume of the cathode layer of 1.

18. A method of operating a metal air cell, the method comprising:
determining a porosity of a cathode layer of the metal air cell;
determining a charge rate or a discharge rate of the metal air cell according to Equation 3
e ((P1−0.3)/−0.122) ≤R≤e ((P1−0.5)/−0.122) ,

wherein P1 is the porosity of the cathode layer of the metal air cell and R is a charge rate or a discharge rate of the metal air cell; and
controlling at least one of a charge rate or a discharge rate of the metal air cell such that at least one of a charge rate or a discharge rate of the metal air cell satisfies Equation 3.

19. The method of claim 18 , comprising controlling the charge rate of the metal air cell.

20. The method of claim 18 , comprising controlling the discharge rate of the metal air cell.

21. The method of claim 18 , wherein P1 is in a range of about 0.2 to about 0.9, based on a total volume of the cathode layer of 1.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Heungchan
• Lee Hyunpyo
• Park Jungock

Classifications

• H01M2004/021

  Physical characteristics, e.g. porosity, surface area · CPC title

• H01M12/08 Primary

  composed of a half-cell of a fuel-cell type and a half-cell of the secondary-cell type · CPC title

• H01M4/861

  with a gradient in the porosity · CPC title

• H01M12/06 Primary

  with one metallic and one gaseous electrode · CPC title

• H01M10/44

  Methods for charging or discharging (circuits for charging H02J7/00) · CPC title