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

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024392456-A1
Application number	US-202418793550-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 2, 2024
Priority date	Sep 19, 2022
Publication date	Nov 28, 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 ion-conducting and ion-selective material embedded in a first matrix configured to pass ions; a first solution to store the first ions which are first transported from a feed solution through the first membrane; a second membrane comprising a second ion-conducting and ion-selective material embedded in a second matrix configured to pass second ions, wherein the second ions are different from the first ions; and a second solution to store the second ions, wherein the system is configured such that each of the first ions passes through an ion-conducting transport pathway of the first ion-conducting and ion-selective material of the first membrane.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first solution is an electrolyte solution configured to store the first ions, and the second solution is configured to the second ions.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first solution and the second solution are each configured to function as an electrode.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first ion-conducting and ion-selective material is configured to extract the first ions, wherein the first ions are lithium ions.

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

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the system is configured such that the ion-conducting transport pathway does not contain any solid-solid interface.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the ion-conducting transport pathway is configured to increase conductivity for the passage of each of the first ions, wherein the increased conductivity is based at least in part on the ion-conducting transport pathway being more direct in comparison to a transport pathway not through the first ion-conducting and ion-selective material of the first membrane.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of:
the first membrane comprises a first selectivity to pass the first ions over one or more other ions; the second membrane comprises a second selectivity to pass the first ions over the one or more other ions; and the first selectivity differs from the second selectivity.

9 . A system, comprising:
a first membrane comprising a first selectivity to pass lithium ions; a first solution to store the lithium ions which are first transported from a feed solution through the first membrane, wherein the feed solution is an input source separate from the first solution through the first membrane; a second membrane comprising a second selectivity to pass lithium ions, wherein the second selectivity differs from the first selectivity; and a second solution to store second ions, wherein the second ions differ from the lithium ions.

10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the first solution is an electrolyte solution configured to store the lithium ions, and the second solution is configured to store the second ions.

11 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the first solution and the second solution are each configured to function as an electrode.

12 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the feed solution is located on a first side of the first membrane, and the first solution is located on a second side of the first membrane.

13 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the system is configured such that each of the lithium ions passes through a ion-conducting transport pathway of the first membrane.

14 . The system of claim 9 , wherein at least one of:
the first membrane comprises a first selectivity to pass the first ions over one or more other ions; the second membrane comprises a second selectivity to pass the first ions over the one or more other ions; and the first selectivity differs from the second selectivity.

15 . An extraction system, comprising:
a first membrane comprising a first ion-conducting and ion-selective material embedded in a first matrix, wherein the first membrane has a first selectivity relative to first ions, and a first solution to store the first ions which are first transported from a feed solution through the first membrane, wherein the feed solution is an input source separate from the first solution through the first membrane.

16 . The extraction system of claim 15 , further comprising a second membrane that has a second selectivity relative to the first ions, wherein the first selectivity is different from the second selectivity.

17 . The extraction system of claim 15 , wherein the first selectivity increases transport of the first ion through the ion-conducting and ion-selective material of the first membrane.

18 . The extraction system of claim 15 , wherein the first solution is an electrolyte solution configured to store the first ions, and the first solution is configured to function as an electrode.

19 . The extraction system of claim 15 , wherein the first membrane is configured to extract the first ions, and the feed solution is located on a first side of the first membrane, and the first solution is located on a second side of the first membrane.

20 . The extraction system of claim 15 , wherein the system is configured such that each of the first ions passes through a ion-conducting transport pathway of the first membrane, wherein the first ions are lithium ions.

Assignees

• Lyten Inc

Inventors

• Baucom Jesse
• Kolli Sanjeev

Classifications

• H01M10/54

  Reclaiming serviceable parts of waste accumulators · CPC title

• C25C7/02 Primary

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

• C25C1/02 Primary

  of light metals · CPC title