Metal-air battery

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11955618-B2
Application number	US-202217696142-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 16, 2022
Priority date	Mar 16, 2021
Publication date	Apr 9, 2024
Grant date	Apr 9, 2024

Abstract

A metal-air battery and methods for generating electricity in a metal-air battery are described herein. The battery and the method includes heating an anhydrous salt to obtain a molten salt electrolyte; contacting the molten salt electrolyte to at least one cathode communicating with air; reducing air at the cathode to obtain oxygen ions for diffusing through the molten salt electrolyte; oxidizing at least one metal anode by the oxygen ions in the electrolyte thereby generating electricity and forming a metal anode oxide; and cooling at least one section of the metal-air battery for precipitating the metal anode oxide.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for generating electricity in a metal-air battery, the method comprising:
heating an anhydrous salt to obtain a molten salt electrolyte;
contacting the molten salt electrolyte to at least one cathode submerged in a bath of the molten salt electrolyte;
injecting air through pores in the cathode for communication with oxygen in the air;
reducing oxygen from air at the cathode to obtain oxygen ions for diffusing into the molten salt electrolyte;
oxidizing at least one metal anode by the oxygen ions in the electrolyte to obtain positive ions of the metal anode thereby generating electricity and forming a dissolved metal anode oxide; and
cooling at least one section of the metal-air battery for precipitating the metal anode oxide.

2. The method according to claim 1 further comprising prior to pumping, drying air with at least one selected from: a dryer, a heat exchanger, and a dehumidifier.

3. The method according to claim 1 communicating further comprises controlling flow of air to the cathode.

4. The method according to claim 1 further comprising displacing the anode and the cathode for rotation in a parallel, off-vertical orientation to accommodate the metal anode oxide and direct oxygen bubbles.

5. The method according to claim 1 further comprising, insulating the battery.

6. The method according to claim 1 further comprising, connecting electric conductors to the cathode and the anode for harvesting electricity.

7. The method according to claim 1 further comprising regenerating the metal anode.

8. The method according to claim 7 , regenerating the metal anode further comprises removing the cathode and the anode from the molten salt electrolyte, inserting at least one small electrode in the molten salt electrolyte for reducing multipolar metal oxide, and depositing metal on the electrode.

9. The method according to claim 1 further comprising, maintaining a temperature of the battery, wherein the temperature is more than a eutectic temperature of the molten salt electrolyte and is less than a melting temperature of the anode.

10. The method according to claim 1 further comprising, separating the anode and the cathode by insulating separators thereby maintaining distance between the anode and the cathode.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising pumping the air though a channel or passage leading to the pores in the cathode for forming air bubbles in the molten salt electrolyte.

Assignees

• Worcester Polytech Inst

Inventors

• Powell Adam C
• Sun Hongyi
• Shahabi Mahya
• Zhong Yu

Classifications

• H01M12/06 Primary

  with one metallic and one gaseous electrode · CPC title

• H01M4/38

  of elements or alloys · CPC title

• H01M4/9041

  Metals or alloys (H01M4/92 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01M4/905

  specially used in fuel cell operating at high temperature, e.g. SOFC · CPC title

• H01M6/5022

  Arrangements for moving electrodes or separating elements · CPC title