Radical-ion battery and operation thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019088971-A1
Application number	US-201716098432-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 16, 2017
Priority date	Feb 18, 2016
Publication date	Mar 21, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

A electrochemical storage device, referred to herein as a radical-ion battery, is described. The radical-ion battery includes an electrolyte, first free radicals, and second free radicals, wherein the first free radicals and the second free radicals are different chemical species. The radical-ion battery also includes a separator that allows select ions to pass therethrough, but separates the electrolyte from the second free radicals.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A radical-ion battery comprising:
an electrochemical cell, the electrochemical cell comprises:
an electrolyte;
first free radicals;
second free radicals, wherein the first free radicals are different from the second free radicals;
a first anionic electrode that is configured for use a charging half-reaction is performed in the electrochemical cell; and
a second anionic electrode that is configured for use when a discharging half-reaction is performed in the electrochemical cell.

2 . The radical-ion battery, wherein the electrolyte is molten NaNO 2 .

3 . The radical-ion battery of claim 2 , wherein the first free radicals are Na atoms, and wherein the second free radicals are NO 2 molecules.

4 . The radical-ion battery of claim 1 , further comprising a separator that is configured to separate the electrolyte from the first free radicals, wherein the separator is configured to allow a particular type of ion in the electrolyte to pass through the separator.

5 . The radical-ion battery of claim 4 , wherein the separator is configured to allow Na + ions to pass therethrough.

6 . The radical-ion battery of claim 5 , wherein the separator is formed of a sodium-ion-selective membrane.

7 . The radical-ion battery of claim 1 , wherein the discharging half reaction is carried out as a two-phase process.

8 . The radical-ion battery of claim 1 , wherein the first anionic electrode is an electrically conductive housing that defines a chamber for retaining the electrolyte, and further wherein the second anionic electrode is a sparger that is electrically isolated from the conductive housing.

9 . The radical-ion battery of claim 1 , further comprising:
a storage container that is configured to store the first free radicals, wherein the storage container is placed underground.

10 . The radical-ion battery of claim 9 , wherein the first free radicals are NO 2 molecules, and further wherein boiling point elevation additives are dissolved in liquefied NO 2 in the storage container.

11 . The radical-ion battery of claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte is a mixed cation electrolyte.

12 . The radical-ion battery of claim 11 , wherein the electrochemical cell further comprises:
a first cationic electrode; and a second cationic electrode, wherein the first cationic electrode and the second cationic electrode are selectively activated during the charging half-reaction and the discharging half-reaction to maintain a substantially constant mole fraction of constituent cations in the mixed cation electrolyte.

13 . A radical-ion battery comprising:
an electrochemical cell, the electrochemical cell comprises:
an electrolyte;
first anionic electrode means that is configured to source anions to the electrolyte during a discharging half reaction;
second anionic electrode means that is configured to sink anions from the electrolyte during a charging half reaction; and
cationic electrode means that is configured to source cations to the electrolyte and sink cations from the electrolyte.

14 . The radical-ion battery of claim 13 , the electrochemical cell further comprising separator means positioned between the electrolyte and the cationic electrode means.

15 . A method for operating a radical-ion battery, the method comprising:
charging the radical-ion battery, wherein charging the radical-ion battery comprises:
in response to an electric field being applied across a mixed cation electrolyte of the radical-ion battery in an electrochemical cell of the radical-ion battery:
at an interface of an anionic electrode of the electrochemical cell and the mixed cation electrolyte, forming first free radicals;
at an interface of a first cationic electrode of the electrochemical cell and the mixed cation electrolyte, forming second free radicals; and
at an interface of a second cationic electrode of the electrochemical cell and the mixed cation electrolyte, forming third free radicals, wherein the first free radicals, the second free radicals, and the third free radicals are different chemical species.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the first free radicals are NO 2 molecules.

17 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the mixed cation electrolyte is a binary eutectic of 65/35 KNO 2 /NaNO 2 .

18 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
discharging the radical-ion battery, wherein discharging the radical-ion battery comprises: in response to a load being applied across terminals of the radical-ion battery:
at the interface of the anionic electrode and the mixed cationic electrolyte, forming negative ions, such that the negative ions are sourced to the electrolyte;
at the interface of the first cationic electrode and the mixed cationic electrolyte, forming first positive ions, such that the first positive ions are sourced to the electrolyte; and
at the interface of the second cationic electrode and the mixed cationic electrolyte, forming second positive ions, such that the second positive ions are sourced to the electrolyte.

19 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising:
maintaining a constant mole fraction of cationic constituents of the mixed cationic electrolyte when charging the radical-ion battery.

20 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the electrochemical cell comprises a separator, and wherein the separator comprises an alkalai borosilicate glass.

Assignees

• Nat Tech & Eng Solutions Sandia Llc

Inventors

• Koplow Jeffrey P

Classifications

• H01M10/38

  Construction or manufacture · CPC title

• H01M8/144

  characterised by the electrolyte material · CPC title

• H01M8/143 Primary

  with liquid, solid or electrolyte-charged reactants · CPC title

• H01M8/188

  by recharging of redox couples containing fluids; Redox flow type batteries · CPC title

• H01M8/0202

  Collectors; Separators, e.g. bipolar separators; Interconnectors · CPC title