Liquid Metal Alloy Energy Storage Device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018294533-A1
Application number	US-201816003681-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 8, 2018
Priority date	Jul 20, 2009
Publication date	Oct 11, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

An energy storage device configured to exchange energy with an external device includes a container having walls, a lid covering the container and having a safety pressure valve, a negative electrode disposed away from the walls of the container, a positive electrode in contact with at least a portion of the walls of the container, and an electrolyte contacting the negative electrode and the positive electrode at respective electrode/electrolyte interfaces. The negative electrode, the positive electrode and the electrolyte include separate liquid materials within the container at an operating temperature of the battery.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An energy storage device configured to exchange energy with an external device, the energy storage device comprising:
a container having walls; a lid that covers the container, the lid having a safety pressure valve; a negative electrode disposed away from the walls of the container; a positive electrode in contact with at least a portion of the walls of the container; and an electrolyte contacting the negative electrode and the positive electrode at respective electrode/electrolyte interfaces, wherein the negative electrode, the positive electrode and the electrolyte comprise separate liquid materials within the container at an operating temperature of the battery.

2 . The energy storage device of claim 1 , further comprising a structure extending away from the lid and configured to hold the negative electrode away from the walls of the container, wherein the structure extends away from the lid in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the lid.

3 . The energy storage device of claim 1 , wherein (i) the negative electrode comprises calcium, magnesium, or a mixture thereof, (ii) the positive electrode includes a material selected from the group consisting of tin, lead, bismuth, antimony, tellurium, selenium, and combinations thereof, or (iii) the negative electrode comprises calcium, magnesium, or a mixture thereof, and the positive electrode includes a material selected from the group consisting of tin, lead, bismuth, antimony, tellurium, selenium, and combinations thereof.

4 . The energy storage device of claim 1 , wherein the energy storage device comprises one or more cells, and wherein an individual cell comprises the negative electrode, the positive electrode and the electrolyte.

5 . The energy storage device of claim 1 , wherein, during charge/discharge, a thickness of the electrolyte remains substantially constant.

6 . The energy storage device of claim 1 , wherein the energy storage device has a power capacity greater than about 1 MW.

7 . The energy storage device of claim 1 , wherein the positive electrode is liquid, and wherein at least a portion of the positive electrode is capable of providing mass transport rates in excess of diffusive transport rates.

8 . The energy storage device of claim 1 , wherein, at the operating temperature, at least two of the negative electrode, the positive electrode and the electrolyte form a layered structure that is vertically stacked according to respective densities of the at least two of the negative electrode, the positive electrode and the electrolyte, and wherein the vertically stacked, layered structure spontaneously self-segregates upon heating.

9 . An energy storage device, comprising:
a container having walls; a lid that covers the container; a negative electrode disposed away from the walls of the container; a positive electrode in contact with at least a portion of the walls of the container; and an electrolyte contacting the negative electrode and the positive electrode at respective electrode/electrolyte interfaces, wherein the electrolyte is liquid at an operating temperature of the energy storage device, wherein the negative electrode, the positive electrode, or both are liquid at the operating temperature of the energy storage device, and wherein the negative electrode comprises an active metal and at least one additional element that is present at an amount that (i) decreases a melting point of the negative electrode or (ii) reduces a thermodynamic activity of the active metal in the negative electrode.

10 . The energy storage device of claim 9 , wherein the operating temperature is less than about 750° C., and wherein the melting point of the negative electrode is less than or equal to the operating temperature.

11 . The energy storage device of claim 10 , wherein the operating temperature is greater than about 300° C. and less than about 700° C.

12 . The energy storage device of claim 9 , wherein the active metal is an active alkaline earth metal, wherein the electrolyte comprises a salt of the active alkaline earth metal and a supporting electrolyte salt that suppresses dissolution of the active alkaline earth metal from the negative electrode into the electrolyte, and wherein the supporting electrolyte salt is ligand-donating.

13 . The energy storage device of claim 9 , wherein the active metal is an active alkaline earth metal, and wherein the electrolyte comprises a halide salt of the active alkaline earth metal in an amount from about 5 mol % to about 50 mol %, which halide salt of the active alkaline earth metal conducts the active alkaline earth metal from the electrolyte to the positive electrode or from the positive electrode to the electrolyte.

14 . The energy storage device of claim 9 , wherein the active metal is an active alkaline earth metal, and wherein the electrolyte comprises a mixture of a halide salt of the active alkaline earth metal and a halide salt of an alkali metal.

15 . The energy storage device of claim 14 , wherein the electrolyte comprises a mixture of calcium chloride with a halide salt of potassium or sodium, and wherein the halide salt of potassium or sodium comprises a chloride, an iodide or a bromide salt of potassium or sodium.

16 . The energy storage device of claim 9 , wherein the electrolyte has an electrical conductivity of at least about 0.01 siemens/cm.

17 . The energy storage device of claim 9 , wherein the active metal is calcium and the at least one additional element is magnesium, lithium or sodium.

18 . The energy storage device of claim 9 , wherein a concentration of the active metal in the negative electrode is (i) greater than about 20% on an atomic basis, (ii) less than about 80% on an atomic basis, or (iii) greater than about 20% on an atomic basis and less than about 80% on an atomic basis.

19 . The energy storage device of claim 9 , wherein each of the negative electrode, the positive electrode and the electrolyte includes the active metal when the energy storage device is not fully charged, and wherein the positive electrode is nominally free of the active metal when the energy storage device is fully charged.

20 . The energy storage device of claim 19 , wherein the active metal is present in an elemental form in the negative electrode, an alloy form in the positive electrode and a salt in the electrolyte, and wherein the electrolyte comprises cations of the active metal.

Assignees

• Massachusetts Inst Technology

Inventors

• Bradwell David J
• Ceder Gerbrand
• Ortiz Luis A
• Sadoway Donald R

Classifications

• H01M50/152

  for cells having curved cross-section, e.g. round or elliptic (H01M50/15, H01M50/153 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01M50/15

  for prismatic or rectangular cells (H01M50/153 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01M2300/0057

  Chlorides · CPC title

• H01M10/399 Primary

  Cells with molten salts · CPC title

• H01M4/662

  Alloys (collectors of lead alloys H01M4/685) · CPC title