Electrical energy generating device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11545672-B2
Application number	US-201916455927-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 28, 2019
Priority date	May 30, 2019
Publication date	Jan 3, 2023
Grant date	Jan 3, 2023

Abstract

An electrical energy generating device includes an electrical energy generating element, a first container, a second container, and a liquid having positive and negative ions. The electrical energy generating element includes a first porous electrode, an eggshell membrane, and a second porous electrode stacked on each other in that order. The first container is located on a side of the first porous electrode away from the eggshell membrane. The second container is located on a side of the second porous electrode away from the eggshell membrane. The liquid is located in at least one of the first container and the second container, and the liquid is configured to penetrate from one of the first container and the second container to another through the electrical energy generating element.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electrical energy generating device consisting of:
an electrical energy generating element consisting of a first porous electrode, an eggshell membrane, and a second porous electrode stacked on each other in that order, to form a sandwich structure, so that the eggshell membrane is sandwiched between the first porous electrode and the second porous electrode; wherein each of the first porous electrode and the second porous electrode is a carbon nanotube film, a metal mesh, a porous metal sheet, or a composite structure made of carbon nanotube and polyaniline;
a first container on a side of the first porous electrode away from the eggshell membrane, wherein the first container is in direct contact with the first porous electrode;
a second container on a side of the second porous electrode away from the eggshell membrane, wherein the second container is in direct contact with the second porous electrode; and
a liquid comprising positive ions and negative ions, wherein the first container and the second container are configured to hold the liquid, and the liquid is in at least one of the first container and the second container; and the electrical energy generating element is configured to generate electrical potentials by the liquid diffusing from the first container to the second container, or vice versa, via the electrical energy generating element, wherein the liquid flows through the eggshell membrane.

2. The electrical energy generating device of claim 1 , wherein the eggshell membrane is in direct contact with each of the first porous electrode and the second porous electrode.

3. The electrical energy generating device of claim 1 , wherein the electrical energy generating element further comprises a third porous electrode and an additional eggshell membrane, the third porous electrode is on a side of the first porous electrode away from the eggshell membrane, and the additional eggshell membrane is between the third porous electrode and the first porous electrode.

4. The electrical energy generating device of claim 1 , wherein the first container defines a first opening, and the first porous electrode covers the first opening.

5. The electrical energy generating device of claim 1 , wherein the second container defines a second opening, and the second porous electrode covers the second opening.

6. The electrical energy generating device of claim 1 , further comprising a third container and an additional electrical energy generating element, the third container is at a side of the first container away from the second container, the additional electrical energy generating element is between the third container and the first container, and the liquid diffuses from the third container to the first container, or vice versa, via the electrical energy generating elements.

7. The electrical energy generating device of claim 1 , wherein the liquid is a potassium chloride solution, a sodium chloride solution, or water.

8. An electrical energy generating device comprising:
an electrical energy generating element comprising a first porous electrode, an eggshell membrane, and a second porous electrode stacked on each other in that order, to form a sandwich structure, so that the eggshell membrane is sandwiched between the first porous electrode and the second porous electrode; wherein the first porous electrode is in direct contact with the eggshell membrane, and each of the first porous electrode and the second porous electrode is a carbon nanotube film, a metal mesh, a porous metal sheet, or a composite structure made of carbon nanotube and poly aniline;
a container, wherein the electrical energy generating element is in the container; the container comprises a first sidewall and a third sidewall opposite to the first sidewall, the electrical energy generating element comprises a first side and a second side opposite to the first side, the first side is in direct contact with the first sidewall, and the second side is spaced apart from the third sidewall; and a water barrier film is between the second side of the electrical energy generating element and the third sidewall of the container; and
a liquid comprising positive ions and negative ions, wherein the liquid is in the container; and the electrical energy generating element is configured to generate electrical potentials by the liquid flowing through the eggshell membrane.

9. The electrical energy generating device of claim 8 , wherein the container comprises a sidewall, and the electrical energy generating element is in direct contact with the sidewall.

10. The electrical energy generating device of claim 8 , wherein the container is divided into a first space and a second space separated from each other by the water barrier film and the electrical energy generating element, and the liquid is in at least one of the first space and the second space.

11. The electrical energy generating device of claim 8 , wherein the liquid is a potassium chloride solution, a sodium chloride solution, or water.

12. The electrical energy generating device of claim 8 , wherein the liquid is water.

13. The electrical energy generating device of claim 8 , wherein the electrical energy generating element further comprises a third porous electrode and an additional eggshell membrane, the third porous electrode is on a side of the first porous electrode away from the eggshell membrane, and the additional eggshell membrane is between the third porous electrode and the first porous electrode.

14. The electrical energy generating device of claim 8 , wherein the second porous electrode is in direct contact with the eggshell membrane.

15. The electrical energy generating device of claim 1 , wherein the first porous electrode has a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, the first surface is contact with the eggshell membrane, the second surface in contact with the first container; and the first container, the first porous electrode, and the eggshell membrane are stacked on each other in that order, the first porous electrode is sandwiched between the first container and the eggshell membrane.

16. The electrical energy generating device of claim 1 , wherein the first container defines a first opening, and the first porous electrode covers the first opening, so that the eggshell membrane also covers the first opening.

17. The electrical energy generating device of claim 1 , wherein the eggshell membrane comprises a first membrane surface and a second membrane surface opposite to the first membrane surface, the liquid diffuses from a surface of the first porous electrode away from the eggshell membrane to a surface of the second porous electrode away from the eggshell membrane, such that the liquid also diffuses from the first membrane surface to the second membrane surface.

18. The electrical energy generating device of claim 8 , wherein the eggshell membrane comprises a first membrane surface and a second membrane surface opposite to the first membrane surface, the liquid diffuses from a surface of the first porous electrode away from the eggshell membrane to a surface of the second porous electrode away from the eggshell membrane, such that the liquid also diffuses from the first membrane surface to the second membrane surface.

Assignees

• Univ Tsinghua
• Hon Hai Prec Ind Co Ltd

Inventors

• Gao Dan
• Liu Chang-Hong
• Fan Shou-Shan

Classifications

• H01M8/0293

  Matrices for immobilising electrolyte solutions · CPC title

• H01M50/429

  Natural polymers · CPC title

• H01M4/96

  Carbon-based electrodes · CPC title

• H01M50/411

  Organic material · CPC title

• H02N3/00 Primary

  Generators in which thermal or kinetic energy is converted into electrical energy by ionisation of a fluid and removal of the charge therefrom (discharge tubes functioning as thermionic generators H01J45/00) · CPC title