Standby electrical energy storage devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9819032-B2
Application number	US-201414772249-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 26, 2014
Priority date	Mar 4, 2013
Publication date	Nov 14, 2017
Grant date	Nov 14, 2017

Abstract

This invention relates to the formation of standby structural composite electrical energy storage devices, and a method of producing same. The device may be a standby battery or supercapacitor with first and second electrodes which are separated by a separator structure, wherein the device contains an electrolyte retained in a reservoir. The use of at least one valve allows the addition, removal of electrolyte fluids, and venting of any outgassing by products.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A standby structural composite electrical energy storage device which can be used in place of an existing panel or element that forms part of a structural body, the energy storage device comprising:
a first electrode structure and a second electrode structure each of said first and second electrode structures being formed as a composite material comprising electrically conductive fibres in a respective electrode binder matrix;
a separator structure, said separator structure being formed as a composite material comprising electrically insulating fibres in a separator binder matrix ;
a reservoir structure, said reservoir structure being formed as a composite material comprising electrically insulating fibres in a reservoir binder matrix;
said electrode, separator, and reservoir structures being encapsulated in a composite binder matrix to form an integral, cured fibre polymer composite wherein the separator structure separates the first and second electrode structures respectively;
at least one electrolyte void between said first and second electrode structures, said electrolyte void being capable of being filled with an electrolyte; and
at least one reservoir comprising an electrolyte, said reservoir being at least one reservoir void in the reservoir structure, wherein said reservoir is operably linked by a valve to said at least one electrolyte void, such that operation of said valve allows the electrolyte void to be charged with the electrolyte.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the device comprises a vent system.

3. The device according to claim 1 wherein the valve is mechanical, chemical, electromechanical or thermal.

4. The device according to claim 1 wherein the valve is a mechanical valve that comprises a Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems (“MEMS”) actuator.

5. The device according to claim 1 comprising a liquid or gel electrolyte.

6. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the energy storage device is a composite battery or a composite supercapacitor.

7. The device according to claim 1 wherein the first and second electrodes form anode and cathode structures to form a composite battery, and said device further comprises nickel-zinc, nickel-iron, nickel-cadmium, nickel metal hydride, lead acid or silver-zinc, or Li-ion electrochemically active materials.

8. The device according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second electrode and the separator structure contains a porous additive which increases access of the electrolyte when present in said structure.

9. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte void is a porous material, structural lattice, or a partially bonded separator structure.

10. A method of activating a standby structural composite electrical energy storage device which can be used in place of an existing panel or element that forms part of a structural body, the method comprising:
providing a device having a first electrode structure and a second electrode structure, each of said first and second electrode structures being formed as a composite material comprising electrically conductive fibres in a respective electrode binder matrix;
a separator structure, said separator structure being formed as a composite material comprising electrically insulating fibres in a separator binder matrix;
a reservoir structure, said reservoir structure being formed as a composite material comprising electrically insulating fibres in a reservoir binder matrix;
said electrode, separator, and reservoir structures being encapsulated in a composite binder matrix to form an integral, cured fibre polymer composite, wherein the separator structure separates the first and second electrode structures respectively;
at least one electrolyte void between said first and second electrode structures, said electrolyte void being capable of being filled with an electrolyte; and
at least one reservoir comprising an electrolyte, said reservoir being at least one reservoir void in the reservoir structure, wherein said reservoir is operably linked by a valve to said at least one electrolyte void, such that operation of said valve allows the electrolyte void to be charged with the electrolyte; and
causing the valve to open, causing the electrolyte to be transferred from the reservoir to the at least one electrolyte void.

11. A panel on a vehicle, vessel, or craft, comprising at least one standby structural composite energy storage device used in place of a panel or element that would otherwise serve as a structural component of the vehicle, vessel, or craft, wherein the composite energy storage device includes:
a first electrode structure and a second electrode structure, each of said first and second electrode structures being formed as a composite material comprising electrically conductive fibres in a respective electrode binder matrix;
a separator structure, said separator structure being formed as a composite material comprising electrically insulating fibres in a separator binder matrix;
a reservoir structure, said reservoir structure being formed as a composite material comprising electrically insulating fibres in a reservoir binder matrix;
said electrode, separator, and reservoir structures being encapsulated in a composite binder matrix to form an integral, cured fibre polymer composite wherein the separator structure separates the first and second electrode structures respectively;
at least one electrolyte void between said first and second electrode structures, said electrolyte void being capable of being filled with an electrolyte; and
at least one reservoir comprising an electrolyte, said reservoir being at least one reservoir void in the reservoir structure, wherein said reservoir is operably linked by a valve to said at least one electrolyte void, such that operation of said valve allows the electrolyte void to be charged with the electrolyte.

Assignees

• Bae Systems Plc

Inventors

• Hucker Martyn John
• Haq Sajad
• Dunleavy Michael

Classifications

• H01M50/437

  Glass · CPC title

• H01M2220/20

  Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane · CPC title

• H01M6/32 Primary

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

• H01G11/62

  characterised by the solute, e.g. salts, anions or cations therein · CPC title

• H01M4/364

  as mixtures · CPC title