Metal air electrochemical cell architecture

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020006828-A1
Application number	US-201916456860-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 metal air electrochemical cell architectures. Various embodiments may provide a battery, such as an unsealed battery or sealed battery, with an open cell arrangement configured such that a liquid electrolyte layer separates a metal electrode from an air electrode. In various embodiments, the electrolyte may be disposed within one or more vessel of the battery such that electrolyte serves as a barrier between a metal electrode and gaseous oxygen. Systems and methods of the various embodiments may provide for removing a metal electrode from electrolyte to prevent self-discharge of the metal electrode. Systems and methods of the various embodiments may provide a three electrode battery configured to operate each in a discharge mode, but with two distinct electrochemical reactions occurring at each electrode.

First claim

1 . A battery, comprising:
a first vessel; a first air electrode; a first metal electrode; and a first volume of liquid electrolyte within the first vessel, wherein the first volume of liquid electrolyte separates the first air electrode from the first metal electrode and the first volume of liquid electrolyte forms a barrier between the first metal electrode and oxygen from an air environment.

2 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the air environment is trapped within the first vessel.

3 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the first vessel is open to the air environment.

4 . The battery of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second vessel; and a second metal electrode, wherein the first volume of liquid electrolyte separates the first air electrode from the second metal electrode and the first volume of liquid electrolyte forms a barrier between the second metal electrode and oxygen from the air environment.

5 . The battery of claim 1 , further comprising:
one or more additional vessels; one or more additional air electrodes; one or more additional metal electrodes; and one or more additional volumes of liquid electrolyte, each additional volume of liquid electrolyte within its own respective one of the additional vessels, wherein each additional volume of liquid electrolyte separates a respective one of the additional air electrodes from a respective one of the additional metal electrodes.

6 . The battery of claim 5 , wherein:
the air electrodes are connected together electrically in series and the metal electrodes are connected together electrically in series; or the air electrodes are connected together electrically in parallel and the metal electrodes are connected together electrically in parallel.

7 . The battery of claim 6 , wherein the liquid electrolyte has a low solubility of oxygen.

8 . The battery of claim 1 , further comprising:
a filter configured to filter out one or both of carbon dioxide from the liquid electrolyte and carbonate from the liquid electrolyte, and/or a filter configured to filter out carbon dioxide from air.

9 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the first air electrode is configured to operate in both an oxygen evolution reaction mode and an oxygen reduction reaction mode.

10 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the first air electrode comprises:
a first electrode configured to operate in an oxygen evolution reaction mode; and a second electrode configured to operate in an oxygen reduction reaction mode.

11 . The battery of claim 1 , further comprising:
a mechanical barrier configured to block oxygen bubbles from the first metal electrode when the battery is operating in a charging mode.

12 . The battery of claim 11 , wherein the mechanical barrier comprises Polybenzimidazole (PBI), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), cotton, rayon, or cellulose acetate.

13 . The battery of claim 12 , wherein the mechanical barrier is woven, non-woven, or felted.

14 . A battery, comprising:
a vessel; an air electrode; a metal electrode; a rigid porous current collector supporting the metal electrode within the vessel; a liquid electrolyte within a portion of the vessel; and a pump fluidically coupled to the vessel, the pump configured to pump the liquid electrolyte into and out of the vessel such that the metal electrode is submerged in the liquid electrolyte when the liquid electrolyte is pumped into the vessel to a first level and the metal electrode is removed from the liquid electrolyte when the liquid electrolyte is pumped out of the vessel to a second level.

15 . The battery of claim 14 , wherein the metal electrode is comprised of iron or an iron-alloy.

16 . A battery comprising:
a vessel; an air electrode; a metal electrode; a rigid porous current collector supporting the metal electrode within the vessel; a liquid electrolyte within a portion of the vessel; and a gas filled bladder, the gas filled bladder configured to displace the liquid electrolyte such that the metal electrode is submerged in the liquid electrolyte when the gas bladder is inflated to a first size and the metal electrode is removed from the liquid electrolyte when the gas bladder is deflated to a second size.

17 . The battery of claim 16 , wherein the gas bladder is an air bladder.

18 . The battery of claim 17 , wherein the metal electrode is comprised of iron or an iron-alloy.

19 . A battery comprising:
a vessel; an air electrode; a metal electrode; a rigid porous current collector supporting the metal electrode and the air electrode within the vessel; a liquid electrolyte within a portion of the vessel; and one or more lifting system coupled to the rigid porous current collector, the lifting system configured to raise and lower the metal electrode out of and into the liquid electrolyte.

20 . The battery of claim 19 , wherein the lifting system comprises:
one or more motors; and one or more drive elements coupled to the one or more motors.

21 . The battery of claim 20 , wherein the one or more drive elements are chains, belts, screws, or gears.

22 . The battery of claim 21 , wherein the metal electrode is comprised of iron or an iron-alloy.

23 . A battery, comprising:
an anode; a first cathode; a second cathode; and an electrolyte, wherein the electrolyte floods a surface of the anode, a surface of the first cathode, and a surface of the second cathode when the battery is operating in a discharge mode and the electrolyte does not contact the second cathode when the battery is operating in a recharge mode.

24 . The battery of claim 23 , wherein the first cathode is configured to evolve oxygen in the recharge mode and to reduce oxygen in the discharge mode.

25 . The battery of claim 24 , wherein the anode is comprised of iron or an iron-alloy.

26 . The battery of claim 24 , wherein the first cathode comprises a hydrophilic portion and a hydrophobic portion.

27 . The battery of claim 26 , wherein the surface of the second cathode is hydrophilic.

28 . The battery of claim 27 , wherein the second cathode comprises a substrate coated with nickel.

29 . The battery of claim 28 , wherein the substrate comprises carbon, titanium, or copper.

30 . The battery of claim 23 , wherein the anode comprises iron ore in a form comprising taconite, magnetite, or hematite, reduced iron ore comprising iron metal (Fe0), wustite (FeO), or a mixture thereof, or reduced taconite, direct reduced (“DR”) taconite, not-yet-reduced “DR Grade” taconite, direct reduced iron (“DRI”), or any combination thereof.

31 . The battery of claim 30 wherein the iron ore or reduced iron ore comprises pellets.

32 - 81 . (canceled)

Assignees

• Form Energy Inc

Inventors

• Milshtein Jarrod David
• Westwood Mitchell Terrance
• Woodford William Henry
• Chiang Yet-Ming
• Jaramillo Mateo Cristian
• Mckay Ian Salmon
• Mumma Rachel Elizabeth
• Weber Eric
• Su Liang
• Kharey Amelie Nina
• Ferrara Marco
• Wiley Theodore Alan

Classifications

• H01M6/32

  activated through external addition of electrolyte or of electrolyte components · CPC title

• H01M10/4214

  Arrangements for moving electrodes or electrolyte · 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

• H01M12/02 Primary

  Details (of electrodes H01M4/00; of non-active parts H01M50/00) · CPC title

• H01M50/609

  Arrangements or processes for filling with liquid, e.g. electrolytes · CPC title