Micro-architected flow through electrodes for energy storage

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024291073-A1
Application number	US-202418652224-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 1, 2024
Priority date	Feb 10, 2021
Publication date	Aug 29, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

Electrochemical reactors with electrodes that have variable porosity across the electrode and associated methods are described. The electrodes are designed and micro-architected to have variable porosity and 3D flow. One example method of selecting porosities in an electrochemical reactor includes dividing an electrode of the electrochemical reactor into a plurality of unit cells and determining a plurality of cell-specific porosities for the plurality of unit cells as a function of a location for each of the plurality of unit cells. The cell-specific porosities are configured based on a rod diameter of each unit cell's internal structure relative to each unit cell's cell length, and each location in the electrode provides a selected fluid flow property and a selected conductive property to meet one or more performance metrics.

First claim

1 . A method of selecting porosities in an electrochemical reactor, the method comprising:
dividing an electrode of the electrochemical reactor into a plurality of unit cells; and determining a plurality of cell-specific porosities for the plurality of unit cells as a function of a location for each of the plurality of unit cells,
wherein the plurality of cell-specific porosities are configured based on a rod diameter of each unit cell's internal structure relative to each unit cell's cell length,
wherein each location in the electrode provides a selected fluid flow property and a selected conductive property to meet one or more performance metrics.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more performance metrics comprise one or more of:
a maximum energy density of the electrochemical reactor; a maximum efficiency of a chemical reaction in the electrochemical reactor; or a gas movement or permeation property of the electrochemical reactor.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more performance metrics comprise one or more of:
an ionic resistance; a flow resistance; a kinetic resistance; or an ohmic resistance.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of unit cells comprises at least five unit cells.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
configuring each unit cell with the cell-specific porosity based on fixing each unit cell's cell length and varying the rod diameter.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of cell-specific porosities is determined according to a continuous porosity field.

7 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
determining the continuous porosity field based on an iterative simulation that optimizes for minimal total power loss of the electrochemical reactor.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
configuring one or more of a cell-specific surface area, a cell-specific conductivity, a cell-specific permeability, a cell-specific mass transfer, or a cell-specific movability or permeation of gas bubbles for each unit cell based on individually configuring each unit cell's internal structure.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of cell-specific porosities for the plurality of unit cells forms at least two volumes within the electrode that includes:
a first volume including a first subset of unit cells having cell-specific porosities below a particular threshold, and a second volume including a second subset of unit cells having cell-specific porosities above the particular threshold, such that the second volume permits more fluid flow than the first volume.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the first volume is located within the electrode near a current collector of the electrochemical reactor, and wherein the second volume is located within the electrode near a membrane of the electrochemical reactor.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein each unit cell's internal structure comprises one or more rods in an isotruss configuration.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the electrode is submerged in an electrochemical fluid that comprises a mixture of a liquid and a gas, and wherein the mixture includes bubbles of the gas entrained in the liquid.

Assignees

• L Livermore Nat Security Llc

Inventors

• Beck Victor Alfred
• Baker Sarah
• Davis Jonathan Tesner
• Duoss Eric
• Tortorelli Daniel
• Watts Seth Evan
• Worsley Marcus A

Classifications

• C02F2001/46161

  Porous electrodes · CPC title

• C02F1/46

  by electrochemical methods · CPC title

• H01M4/8605 Primary

  Porous electrodes · CPC title

• C25B11/032

  Gas diffusion electrodes · CPC title

• C25B9/15

  Flow-through cells · CPC title