Energy reclamation and carbon-neutral system for ultra-efficient ev battery recycling

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024093397-A1
Application number	US-202318516724-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 21, 2023
Priority date	Sep 19, 2022
Publication date	Mar 21, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

The presently disclosed concepts relate to ultra-efficient EV battery recycling systems. Alkali metal extraction (and in particular lithium extraction) is accomplished using a solid electrolyte membrane. By using a solid electrolyte embedded in a matrix, alkali metals, in particular lithium, can be (energy-wise) efficiently separated from feed solutions. The energy used to initially extract lithium from a feed solution is stored as electrochemical energy, which electrochemical energy is reclaimed in subsequent extraction processing steps. This energy storage and energy reclamation is performed in continuous ultra-efficient ongoing cycles. Since irrecoverable energy losses incurred in each cycle are limited to negligible amounts of joule heating of the system components and feed solution, the system can be sustainably powered using locally-generated renewable energy.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system, comprising:
a first membrane comprising a first solid electrolyte embedded in a first matrix, wherein the first membrane is configured to transport lithium ions; a first electrode to store the lithium ions which are first transported from a feed solution through the first membrane, wherein the first transportation requires an input of energy; a second membrane comprising a second solid electrolyte embedded in a second matrix, wherein the second membrane is configured to transport second ions, wherein the second ions are different from the lithium ions; a second electrode to store the second ions; and an electrolyte solution to store the lithium ions which are second transported from the first electrode through the first membrane, wherein the second transportation recovers at least a portion of the input of energy.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first solid electrolyte is configured to extract the lithium ions.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the feed solution is a separate input source from the first electrode through the first membrane.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the feed solution is a separate input source from a first electrolyte solution associated with the first electrode.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the feed solution is located on a first side of the first membrane, and the first electrode is located on a second side of the first membrane.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the feed solution is located on a first side of the first membrane, and a filtrate solution is located on a second side of the first membrane.

7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the filtrate includes the transported lithium ions.

8 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the filtrate is configured as the first electrode.

9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the feed solution is based on at least one of lithium minerals, lithium-containing brines, recycled lithium batteries, or seawater.

10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the voltage drop is proportional to a thickness of at least one of the first membrane or the second membrane.

11 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the system is configured such that each of the lithium ions passes through a single particle of the first solid electrolyte of the first membrane.

12 . The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the first membrane and the second membrane are each water impermeable; the first membrane is ion-selective for the lithium ions; second membrane is ion-selective for the second ions; and the second ions include at least one of sodium, potassium, or hydrogen.

13 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the system is configured such that:
the first transportation of lithium ions from the feed solution into the first electrode through the first solid electrolyte coincides with an expulsion of the second ions from the second electrode to the feed solution through the second solid electrolyte; and the second transportation of lithium ions from the first electrode into the electrolyte solution through the first solid electrolyte coincides with an uptake of the second ions from the electrolyte solution into the second electrode through the second solid electrolyte.

14 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first solid electrolyte is at least one of LATP, LZP, LAGP, LiSICON, or LTO; and the second solid electrolyte is at least one of NaSiCON or K2Fe4O7.

15 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the system is configured such that the first membrane serves as an electrical buffer between the first electrode and at least one of the feed solution or the electrolyte solution; and the second membrane serves as an electrical buffer between the second electrode and at least one of the feed solution or the electrolyte solution.

16 . The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of:
a diameter of the first solid electrolyte is at least 10 μm (microns); a material for the first matrix and the second matrix is the same; or
a material for the first matrix and the second matrix is different.

17 . The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first electrode or the second electrode comprises a second electrolyte, a binder, active material particles, and a current collector.

18 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the second electrolyte is liquid, and one or more sides of the first electrode and the second electrode are lined by an adhesive configured to prevent the feed solution containing the lithium ions from reaching the active material particles of the either of the first electrode or the second electrode.

19 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the system is configured such that the input of energy is stored as electrochemical energy of the lithium ions stored in the first electrode, and the recovered at least a portion of the input of energy reduces a carbon footprint of a manufacturing facility.

Assignees

• Lyten Inc

Inventors

• Baucom Jesse
• Kolli Sanjeev

Classifications

• C25C1/02 Primary

  of light metals · CPC title

• C25C7/02 Primary

  Electrodes (consumable anodes for the refining the metals C25C1/00 - C25C5/00); Connections thereof · CPC title

• H01M10/54

  Reclaiming serviceable parts of waste accumulators · CPC title