Rolling diaphragm seal

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020006745-A1
Application number	US-201916457253-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 28, 2019
Priority date	Jun 29, 2018
Publication date	Jan 2, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

Systems and methods of the various embodiments may provide a battery including a rolling diaphragm configured to move to accommodate an internal volume change of one or more components of the battery. Systems and methods of the various embodiments may provide a battery housing including a rolling diaphragm seal disposed between an interior volume of the battery and an electrode assembly within the battery. Various embodiments may provide an air electrode assembly including an air electrode supported on a buoyant platform such that the air electrode is above a surface of a volume of electrolyte when the buoyant platform is floating in the electrolyte.

First claim

1 . An electric battery, comprising:
a rolling diaphragm, wherein the rolling diaphragm moves to accommodate an internal volume change of one or more components of the battery.

2 . The battery of claim 1 , further comprising:
an outer cylindrical housing configured to support a liquid electrolyte and electrode therein; and an inner cylinder moveably supported within the outer cylindrical housing, wherein the rolling diaphragm is a cylindrical rolling diaphragm forming a seal between the outer cylindrical housing and the inner cylinder, and wherein movement of the inner cylinder within the outer cylindrical housing convolves the cylindrical rolling diaphragm seal to change an extended length of the cylindrical rolling diaphragm seal.

3 . The battery of claim 2 , wherein the cylindrical rolling diaphragm seal is coupled at a first end to the outer cylindrical housing and a second end to the inner cylinder.

4 . The battery of claim 2 , wherein:
the outer cylindrical housing is open at a first end; the inner cylinder is open at a first end to an air environment; and the seal formed between the outer cylindrical housing and the inner cylinder by the cylindrical rolling diaphragm seal prevents the liquid electrolyte from passing between the outer cylindrical housing and the inner cylinder to the air environment.

5 . The battery of claim 2 , wherein the inner cylinder is:
open at second end opposite the first end; and configured to support an air electrode.

6 . The battery of claim 2 , wherein the rolling diaphragm is comprised of silicone.

7 . The battery of claim 2 , further comprising a honeycomb structure disposed within inner cylinder.

8 . The battery of claim 2 , wherein the outer cylindrical housing further comprises an electrical feedthrough port, the battery further comprising:
a current collector within the outer cylindrical housing; and an electrical lead attached to the current collector and passing out of the outer cylindrical housing through the electrical feedthrough port.

9 . The battery of claim 2 , wherein the cylindrical rolling diaphragm seal is coupled to the outer cylindrical housing by a band passing around the current collector.

10 . The battery of claim 2 , wherein the outer cylindrical housing comprises a double layer wall.

11 . The battery of claim 2 , wherein the electrode supported in the outer cylindrical housing is a metal electrode.

12 . The battery of claim 11 , wherein the metal electrode comprises lithium (Li), sodium (Na), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), silicon (Si), aluminum (Al), zinc (Zn), and/or iron (Fe) and/or alloys comprised of one or more of the foregoing metallic elements.

13 . The battery of claim 2 , wherein the electrode supported in the outer cylindrical housing is a liquid or solid phase electrode.

14 . The battery of claim 2 , further comprising:
the liquid electrolyte and the electrode, wherein the liquid electrolyte and electrode are disposed on a same side of the cylindrical rolling diaphragm seal.

15 . An electric battery, wherein an outer housing contains a plurality of conductors coupled to an outer surface of the battery, each of the series of rods comprising:
an upper electrical contact plate at a first end; and a lower electrical contact plate at a second end.

16 . The battery of claim 15 , wherein:
the upper electrical contact plate is configured to contact a lower electrical contact plate of a second battery when the second battery is stacked on top of the battery; and the lower electrical contact plate is configured to contact an upper electrical contact plate of a third battery when the battery is stacked on top of the third battery.

17 . The battery of claim 16 , wherein the series of rods comprises three rods.

18 . The battery of claim 15 , further comprising an electrical lead connecting the upper electrical contact plate to the lower electrical contact plate, the electrical lead passing through the outer housing and connected to a current collector within the outer housing.

19 - 22 . (canceled)

23 . A stack of electric batteries, comprising:
a series of unit cells arranged in stacked layers, wherein each unit cell comprises:
a bed of metal pellets; and
an air electrode, and
wherein each stacked layer of unit cells is fluidly connected such that electrolyte from a highest of the stacked layers flows to a lowest of the stacked layers.

24 . The stack of claim 23 , wherein the air electrode of each unit is connected to load bearing bus bars.

25 . The stack of claim 24 , wherein the highest of the stacked layers includes less unit cells than the lowest of the stacked layers.

26 . An electric battery, comprising:
a cathode configured to float in a volume of liquid electrolyte.

27 . The battery of claim 26 , wherein the cathode is a dual ORR/OER cathode.

28 . The battery of claim 26 , wherein the cathode is an air electrode.

29 . The battery of claim 26 , wherein the cathode is an ORR cathode.

30 . The battery of claim 29 , wherein the ORR cathode floats on top of the electrolyte and an OER cathode is submerged in the electrolyte.

31 . The battery of claim 26 , wherein the cathode is curved and the center of curvature resides outside the volume of liquid electrolyte.

32 . The battery of claim 26 , wherein the cathode is a planar cathode tilted at an angle greater than zero and less than 90 degrees with respect to the plane of the top of the electrolyte.

33 . The battery of claim 26 , wherein the cathode is further configured to submerge in the electrolyte during OER and float on the electrolyte during ORR.

34 - 92 . (canceled)

Assignees

• Form Energy Inc

Inventors

• Westwood Mitchell Terrance
• Slocum Alexander H
• Woodford William Henry
• Chiang Yet-Ming
• Mckay Ian Salmon
• Jaramillo Mateo Cristian
• Weber Eric
• Milshtein Jarrod David
• Su Liang
• Chakraborty Rupak
• Mumma Rachel Elizabeth
• Goulet Marc-Antoni
• Beggan Brian
• Ferrara Marco
• Wiley Theodore Alan

Classifications

• H01M12/08 Primary

  composed of a half-cell of a fuel-cell type and a half-cell of the secondary-cell type · CPC title

• H01M50/152 Primary

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

• H01M2/1653

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01M2/365 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01M2/1673

  Electricity · mapped topic