Anaerobic Aluminum-Water Electrochemical Cell

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018287235-A1
Application number	US-201815949563-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 10, 2018
Priority date	Dec 4, 2012
Publication date	Oct 4, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

An anaerobic aluminum-water electrochemical cell that includes: a plurality of electrode stacks, each electrode stack comprising an aluminum or aluminum alloy anode, and at least one solid cathode configured to be electrically coupled to the anode; a liquid electrolyte between the anode and the at least one cathode; one or more physical separators between each electrode stack adjacent to the cathode; a housing configured to hold the electrode stacks, the electrolyte, and the physical separators; and a water injection port, in the housing, configured to introduce water into the housing. The electrolyte includes a hydroxide base at a concentration of at least 0.05 M to at most 3 M.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An anaerobic aluminum-water electrochemical cell comprising:
a plurality of electrode stacks, each electrode stack comprising an aluminum or aluminum alloy anode, and at least one solid cathode configured to be electrically coupled to the anode; a liquid electrolyte between the anode and the at least one cathode; one or more physical separators between each electrode stack adjacent to the cathode; a housing configured to hold the electrode stacks, the electrolyte, and the physical separators; and a water injection port, in the housing, configured to introduce water into the housing, wherein the electrolyte includes a hydroxide base at a concentration of at least 0.05 M to at most 3 M.

2 . The electrochemical cell according to claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte includes the hydroxide base at a concentration of at least 0.1 M to at most 2.5 M.

3 . The electrochemical cell according to claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte includes the hydroxide base at a concentration of at least 0.25 M to at most 2 M.

4 . The electrochemical cell according to claim 1 , wherein the aluminum has a purity of at least 99.95 wt %.

5 . The electrochemical cell according to claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte includes sodium chloride.

6 . The electrochemical cell according to claim 1 , wherein the water injection port is configured to introduce the water into the housing so that the water flows through the physical separators.

7 . The electrochemical cell according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more physical separators are formed from a mesh material having openings of about 100 μm or larger.

8 . The electrochemical cell according to claim 1 , wherein the aluminum has a purity of at least 99.99 wt %.

9 . An aluminum-water electrochemical system comprising:
an aluminum-water electrochemical cell according to claim 1 ; a waste separation system in fluid communication with the housing and configured to receive the electrolyte and aluminum hydroxide waste from the aluminum-water electrochemical cell and to separate the aluminum hydroxide waste from the electrolyte; and a fuel injector, in fluid communication with the waste separation system and the water injection port, configured to receive the electrolyte from the waste separation system and to provide the electrolyte to the water injection port.

10 . The electrochemical system according to claim 9 , wherein the fuel injector is further configured to receive water from a water supply.

11 . The electrochemical system according to claim 9 , wherein each electrode stack includes two cathodes on either side of the anode.

12 . The electrochemical system according to claim 9 , wherein the electrolyte includes the hydroxide base at a concentration of at least 0.25 M to at most 2 M.

13 . The electrochemical system according to claim 9 , wherein the electrolyte includes sodium chloride.

14 . The electrochemical system according to claim 9 , wherein the water injection port is configured to introduce the water into the housing so that the water flows through the physical separators.

15 . The electrochemical system according to claim 9 , wherein the one or more physical separators are formed from a mesh material having openings of about 100 μm or larger.

16 . The electrochemical system according to claim 9 , wherein the aluminum has a purity of at least 99.95 wt %.

17 . A method for generating an electrical current, comprising introducing a liquid electrolyte between the anode and at least one cathode of an electrochemical cell, the electrochemical cell comprising:
a plurality of electrode stacks, each electrode stack comprising an aluminum or aluminum alloy anode, and at least one solid cathode configured to be electrically coupled to the anode; a liquid electrolyte between the anode and the at least one cathode; one or more physical separators between each electrode stack adjacent to the cathode; a housing configured to hold the electrode stacks, the electrolyte, and the physical separators; and a water injection port, in the housing, configured to introduce water into the housing, wherein the electrolyte includes a hydroxide base at a concentration of at least 0.1 M to at most 2.5 M.

18 . The method according to claim 17 , wherein the electrolyte includes the hydroxide base at a concentration of at least 0.1 M to at most 2 M.

19 . The method according to claim 17 , wherein the electrolyte includes the hydroxide base at a concentration of at least 0.25 M to at most 2 M.

20 . The method according to claim 17 , wherein the water includes sodium chloride.

Assignees

• Massachusetts Inst Technology

Inventors

• Mckay Ian Salmon
• Macdonald Ruaridh R
• Milnes Thomas B

Classifications

• H01M8/0693

  Treatment of the electrolyte residue, e.g. reconcentrating · CPC title

• H01M2004/028

  Positive electrodes · CPC title

• H01M12/04

  composed of a half-cell of the fuel-cell type and of a half-cell of the primary-cell type · 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

• H01M2004/027

  Negative electrodes · CPC title