Rechargeable electrochemical energy storage device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016164152-A1
Application number	US-201615042350-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 12, 2016
Priority date	Dec 3, 2010
Publication date	Jun 9, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A rechargeable energy storage device is disclosed. In at least one embodiment the energy storage device includes an air electrode providing an electrochemical process comprising reduction and evolution of oxygen and a capacitive electrode enables an electrode process consisting of non-faradic reactions based on ion absorption/desorption and/or faradic reactions. This rechargeable energy storage device is a hybrid system of fuel cells and ultra-capacitors, pseudo-capacitors, and/or secondary batteries.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A hybrid rechargeable energy storage device comprising:
an air electrode, wherein an electrochemical process comprising reduction and evolution of oxygen takes place; a capacitive electrode comprising a double layer electrochemical capacitor that stores energy through non-faradic reaction; a separator which is ion-permeable; and an electrolyte containing ions for non-faradic and faradic reactions, wherein said capacitive electrode comprises at least one material selected from electro-inert materials, said at least one material is configured to provide a non-faradic reaction, wherein a capacitive electrode process comprises a non-faradic reaction which contributes to the overall specific capacitance of the capacitive electrode.

2 . The hybrid rechargeable energy storage device of claim 1 , wherein the capacitive electrode process comprises a non-faradic reaction which contributes to at least about 20% of the overall specific capacitance of said capacitive electrode.

3 . The hybrid rechargeable energy storage device of claim 1 , wherein the capacitive electrode process comprises a non-faradic reaction which contributes to at least about 50% of the overall specific capacitance of said capacitive electrode.

4 . The hybrid rechargeable energy storage device of claim 1 , wherein the capacitive electrode process comprises a non-faradic reaction which contributes to at least about 90% of the overall specific capacitance of said capacitive electrode.

5 . The hybrid rechargeable energy storage device of claim 1 , wherein said air electrode is the positive electrode and said capacitive electrode is the negative electrode of said rechargeable energy storage device.

6 . The hybrid rechargeable energy storage device of claim 1 , wherein said air electrode is the negative electrode and said capacitive electrode is the positive electrode of said rechargeable energy storage device.

7 . The hybrid rechargeable energy storage device of claim 1 , wherein said air electrode comprises a porous gas-diffusion layer, wherein ingress and egress of oxygen is achieved through the porous gas-diffusion layer.

8 . The hybrid rechargeable energy storage device of claim 1 , wherein said air electrode comprises two separated electrodes, and wherein the reduction and evolution of oxygen take place at individual separated electrodes.

9 . The hybrid rechargeable energy storage device of claim 1 , wherein said air electrode contains one or more catalysts enabling reduction and evolution of oxygen.

10 . The hybrid rechargeable energy storage device of claim 1 , wherein said air electrode comprises at least one catalyst selected from metals, pyrolyzed metal porphyrins, metal oxides, metal hydroxides, metal nitrides, and functionalized carbonaceous materials, for oxygen reduction.

11 . The hybrid rechargeable energy storage device of claim 1 , wherein said air electrode comprises at least one catalyst selected from metals, metal oxides, metal sulfides, metal carbides, and metal phosphates, for oxygen evolution.

12 . The hybrid rechargeable energy storage device of claim 1 , wherein said air electrode comprises at least one bi-functional catalyst selected from the group comprising metals, pyrolyzed metal porphyins, metal oxides, metal hydroxides, metal nitrides, and functionalized carbonaceous materials.

13 . The hybrid rechargeable energy storage device of claim 1 , wherein said air electrode comprises an electrically conductive current collector selected from metals, conductive carbons, conductive oxides, and conductive polymers.

14 . The rechargeable energy storage device of claim 1 , wherein said at least one material is selected from electro-inert materials comprising: activated carbons, porous carbons, carbon foams, carbon fibers, carbon nanotubes, graphene, and carbon nanoparticles, which provide a non-faradic reaction.

15 . The hybrid rechargeable energy storage device of claim 1 , wherein said capacitive electrode comprises at least one material selected from electro-active materials, comprising metals that can form alloys with the metal cations from electrolyte during charging, semimetals, nonmetals, metal oxides, metal borates, metal sulfides, metal selenides, metal phosphides, metal nitrides, fluorinated carbons, metal phosphates, metal fluorides, metal sulfates, metal borates, metal vanadates, polyoxometalates, conductive polymers, and their mixtures, which provide a faradic reaction.

16 . The hybrid rechargeable energy storage device of claim 1 , wherein said capacitive electrode comprises a mixture or composite of at least one electro-inert electrode material providing a non-faradic reaction and at least one electro-active electrode material providing a faradic reaction.

17 . The hybrid rechargeable energy storage device of claim 1 , wherein said electrolyte comprises an aqueous solution containing a base.

18 . The hybrid rechargeable energy storage device of claim 1 , wherein said electrolyte comprises a non-aqueous electrolyte selected from organic solvents, polymer gels, polymers, ionic liquids, and ion-conductive solids.

19 . The hybrid rechargeable energy storage device of claim 18 , wherein said organic solvent comprises at least one of ethylene carbonate, diethyl carbonate, propylene carbonate, and acetonitrile.

20 . The hybrid rechargeable energy storage device of claim 18 , wherein said ion-conductive solid comprises lithium titanium phosphate and materials occupying perovskite-, NASICON- and Li 4 SiO 4 -type crystal structures.

21 . A hybrid rechargeable energy storage device comprising:
a positive air electrode comprising at least one catalyst for oxygen reduction and evolution; a negative capacitive electrode comprising a double layer electrochemical capacitor comprising at least an electro-active material consisting of a composite or compound; an ion permeable separator; and a non-aqueous electrolyte containing metal ions, wherein the negative capacitive electrode comprises at least one material selected from electro-inert materials, said at least one material is configured to provide a non-faradic reaction, and wherein a capacitive electrode process comprises a non-faradic reaction which contributes to the overall specific capacitance of said capacitive electrode.

22 . The hybrid rechargeable energy storage device of claim 21 , wherein said capacitive material comprises a composite containing a carbonaceous material and a material selected from semimetals and metals that do not dissolve during discharging.

23 . The hybrid rechargeable energy storage device of claim 21 , wherein said capacitive material comprises a compound selected from metal oxides, metal sulfides, metal selenides, metal phosphides, metal borates, metal nitrides, and their mixtures.

24 . The hybrid rechargeable energy storage device of claim 21 , wherein said at least one material is selected from electro-inert materials comprising: activated carbons, porous carbons, carbon foams, carbon fibers, carbon nanotubes, graphene, and carbon nanoparticles, which is configured to provide a non-faradic reaction.

Assignees

• Imra America Inc

Inventors

• Tan Bing
• Hu Zhendong
• Che Yong

Classifications

• H01M4/9041

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

• H01M12/02 Primary

  Details (of electrodes H01M4/00; of non-active parts H01M50/00) · CPC title

• H01M4/8605

  Porous electrodes · CPC title

• H01M2220/30

  Batteries in portable systems, e.g. mobile phone, laptop · CPC title

• H01M4/9016

  Oxides, hydroxides or oxygenated metallic salts · CPC title