Long-life rechargeable ion batteries

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018062214-A1
Application number	US-201715685485-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 24, 2017
Priority date	Aug 25, 2016
Publication date	Mar 1, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

An aspect of the present disclosure is an electrochemical device that includes a first electrode, an ion reservoir electronically connected to the electrode by a first circuit, an electrolyte positioned between the first electrode and the ion reservoir and ionically connecting the first electrode and the ion reservoir, and a regulating element, where the regulating element is positioned between the first electrode and the ion reservoir, the regulating element electronically and/or ionically connects the ion reservoir and the first electrode, and the regulating element limits the transfer of at least one of electrons and/or ions between the ion reservoir and the first electrode.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electrochemical device comprising:
a first electrode; an ion reservoir electronically connected to the electrode by a first circuit; an electrolyte positioned between the first electrode and the ion reservoir and ionically connecting the first electrode and the ion reservoir; and a regulating element, wherein: the regulating element is positioned between the first electrode and the ion reservoir, the regulating element electronically or ionically connects the ion reservoir and the first electrode, and the regulating element limits the transfer of at least one of electrons or ions between the ion reservoir and the first electrode.

2 . The electrochemical device of claim 1 , wherein:
the ion reservoir comprises a solid capable of being oxidized according to a first reaction comprising M M n+ +ne − having a first standard reduction potential E St 0 , M is an element, and n is an integer value greater than zero.

3 . The electrochemical device of claim 2 , wherein the solid comprises at least one of lithium, magnesium, aluminum, potassium, zinc, or vanadium.

4 . The electrochemical device of claim 2 , wherein M n+ comprises at least one of Li + , Na + , K + , Fe 3+ , Cu 2+ , V 2+ , or Mg 2+ .

5 . The electrochemical device of claim 2 , wherein:
the first electrode behaves as a cathode capable of being reduced according to a second reaction comprising X+M n+ +ne − MX having a second standard reduction potential E cat 0 , X comprises an element, and E St 0 <E cat 0 .

6 . The electrochemical device of claim 5 , wherein X comprises at least one of FePO 4 , FeCl 3 , Mn 2 O 4 , CoO 2 , sulfur, a NiCoAlO 2 alloy, a NiMnCoO 2 alloy, or a vanadate.

7 . The electrochemical device of claim 6 , wherein the first reaction is Li Li + +e − and V St 0 is about −3.04 V.

8 . The electrochemical device of claim 7 , wherein the second reaction is FePO 4 +Li + +e − LiFePO 4 and E cat 0 is about 0.36 V.

9 . The electrochemical device of claim 2 , wherein:
the first electrode behaves as an anode capable of being oxidized according to a second reaction comprising Y Y n+ +ne − having a second standard reduction potential E ano 0 , Y comprises an element, and E St 0 <E ano 0 .

10 . The electrochemical device of claim 9 , wherein Y comprises at least one of carbon, silicon, tin, sodium, zinc, magnesium, vanadium, or TiO 3 .

11 . The electrochemical device of claim 10 , wherein the first reaction is Li Li + +e − and E St 0 is about −3.04 V.

12 . The electrochemical device of claim 11 , wherein the second reaction is LiC 6 Li + +e − +C and E ano 0 is about −2.99 V.

13 . The electrochemical device of claim 1 , wherein:
the ion reservoir comprises a solid capable of being reduced according to a first reaction comprising M+ne − M − having a first standard reduction potential E St 0 , M is an element, and n is an integer value greater than zero.

14 . The electrochemical device of claim 13 , wherein:
the first electrode behaves as a cathode capable of being reduced according to a second reaction comprising MX+ne − X+M n− having a second standard reduction potential E cat 0 , X comprises an element, and E St 0 >E cat 0 .

15 . The electrochemical device of claim 13 , wherein:
the first electrode behaves as a anode capable of being oxidized according to a second reaction comprising Y+M n− MY+n e− having a second standard reduction potential E cat 0 , Y comprises an element, and E St 0 >E cat 0 .

16 . The electrochemical device of claim 1 , wherein the regulating element comprises at least one of a resistor or a diode.

17 . The electrochemical device of claim 1 , wherein the regulating element is positioned in the first circuit between the first electrode and the ion reservoir.

18 . The electrochemical device of claim 1 , wherein the first electrode and the ion reservoir are fluidly connected by a bridge containing the electrolyte.

19 . The electrochemical device of claim 26 , wherein the regulating element is positioned within the bridge and limits the flow of ions from the ion reservoir to the first electrode.

20 . A method comprising:
transferring ions to an electrode of an electrochemical device, wherein the transferring is accomplished by: electronically and ionically connecting the electrode to an ion reservoir containing the ions, and positioning a regulating element between the electrode and the ion reservoir, wherein: the regulating element limits the flow of the ions from the ion reservoir to the electrode, and the transferring extends the life of the electrochemical device.

21 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the transferring comprises a continuous flow of ions from the ion reservoir to the electrode.

22 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the transferring of ions from the reservoir to the electrode is triggered when a set-point for a parameter is attained or when the parameter is in a specific range.

23 . The method of claim 22 , wherein the parameter comprises a charge capacity.

Assignees

• Alliance Sustainable Energy

Inventors

• Smith Kandler Alan
• Neubauer Jeremy Stephan
• SANTHANAGOPALAN Shriram
• COLCLASURE Andrew Michael
• Cao Lei

Classifications

• H01M10/4242 Primary

  Regeneration of electrolyte or reactants · CPC title

• H01M10/0525

  Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries · CPC title

• Y02P70/50

  Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product · CPC title

• H01M10/05

  Accumulators with non-aqueous electrolyte (H01M10/39 takes precedence) · CPC title

• Y02E60/10

  Energy storage using batteries · CPC title