Instrumented fluid-surfaced electrode

• US 20110027628A1
• Filed: 02/16/2010
• Published: 02/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Enterprise Science Fund, LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Ishikawa, Muriel Y., Myhrvold, Nathan P., Tegreene, Clarence T., Hillis, W. Daniel, Jung, Edward K.Y., Whitmer, Charles, Gates, William, Ferren, Bran, Wood, Lowell L. JR., Hyde, Roderick A., Deane, Geoffrey F., Weaver, Thomas Allan, Kare, Jordin T., Tuckerman, David B., Wood, Victoria Y.H.
• Granted Patent: US 8,865,361 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/50
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/484 for measuring electrolyte level, electrolyte density or electrolyte conductivity
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/63 Control systems charging or discharging in response to temperature H01M10/44 , H01M10/443; measurement of temperature H01M10/48 , H01M10/486
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/654 located inside the innermost case of the cells, e.g. mandrels, electrodes or electrolytes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2004/021 Physical characteristics, e.g. porosity, surface area
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/00 Electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/02 Electrodes composed of, or comprising, active material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/36 Selection of substances as active materials, active masses, active liquids
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/366 as layered products
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/368 Liquid depolarisers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/38 of elements or alloys
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/387 Tin or alloys based on tin
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/405 Alloys based on lithium
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04186 of liquid-charged or electrolyte-charged reactants
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1009 with one of the reactants being liquid, solid or liquid-charged H01M8/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/225 Fuel cells in which the fuel is based on materials comprising particulate active material in the form of a suspension, a dispersion, a fluidised bed or a paste
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

An electrochemical device (such as a battery) includes at least one electrode having a fluid surface and one or more sensors configured to detect an operating condition of the device. Fluid-directing structures may modulate flow or retain fluid in response to the sensors. An electrolyte within the device may also include an ion-transport fluid, for example infiltrated into a porous solid support.

Claims

1. An electrochemical device, comprising:

two electrodes;

an electrolyte arranged to conduct an ionic current from a first electrolyte surface in contact with one of the electrodes to a second electrolyte surface in contact with another of the electrodes, wherein at least one of the electrodes includes an electrochemically active fluid layer, a surface of the electrochemically active fluid layer being in contact with the electrolyte; and

a first sensor configured to detect an operating condition of the electrochemical device in proximity to the surface of the electrochemically active fluid layer in contact with the electrolyte.

2. The electrochemical device of claim 1, further comprising a controller configured to respond to a signal from the first sensor by modifying an operating parameter of the electrochemical device.

3. The electrochemical device of claim 2, wherein the controller includes a memory.

4. The electrochemical device of claim 2, wherein the controller includes a transmitter.

5. The electrochemical device of claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to respond to a history of signals from the first sensor by modifying the operating parameter of the electrochemical device.

6. The electrochemical device of claim 1, further comprising a second sensor configured to detect an operating condition of the electrochemical device.

7. The electrochemical device of claim 6, wherein the first and second sensors are configured to detect different operating conditions.

8. The electrochemical device of claim 6, wherein the first and second sensors are configured to detect the same operating condition.

9. The electrochemical device of claim 8, wherein the first and second sensors are configured to detect the operating condition at different locations within the device.

10. The electrochemical device of claim 6, wherein the second sensor is configured to detect an operating condition in proximity to the surface of the electrochemically active fluid layer in contact with the electrolyte.

11. The electrochemical device of claim 1, wherein the operating condition is a condition of the electrochemically active fluid layer selected from the group consisting of chemical composition, chemical activity, ion density, density, temperature, flow velocity, flow direction, viscosity, and surface tension.

12. The electrochemical device of claim 1, wherein the operating condition is selected from the group consisting of temperature, magnetic field magnitude, magnetic field direction, electrochemical potential, current, current density, and distance between two surfaces of the device.

13. The electrochemical device of claim 1, wherein the operating condition is a position of a portion of a surface of the electrochemically active fluid layer.

14. The electrochemical device of claim 1, wherein the operating condition is a gradient of a condition of the electrochemically active fluid layer selected from the group consisting of chemical composition, ion density, density, temperature, flow velocity, flow direction, viscosity, and surface tension.

15. The electrochemical device of claim 1, wherein the operating condition is a gradient of a condition selected from the group consisting of temperature, magnetic field magnitude, magnetic field direction, electrochemical potential, current, and distance between two surfaces of the device.

16. The electrochemical device of claim 1, wherein the operating condition is a local slope of a surface of the electrochemically active fluid layer relative to a component of the device.

17. The electrochemical device of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the electrodes includes a solid support, wherein the electrochemically active fluid layer is configured to cling to the solid support by a surface energy effect.

18. The electrochemical device of claim 17, wherein the solid support includes a fluid-directing structure.

19. The electrochemical device of claim 18, wherein the fluid-directing structure is configured to adjust a flow parameter of the electrochemically active fluid layer in response to an operating condition detected by the first sensor.

20. The electrochemical device of claim 1, wherein the electrolyte is further arranged to conduct an ionic current from the second electrolyte surface to the first electrolyte surface.

21. The electrochemical device of claim 1, wherein the electrolyte includes a solid surface impervious to the electrochemically active fluid.

22. The electrochemical device of claim 1, wherein the electrolyte includes an ion-transport fluid through which an ion can move to produce the ionic current.

23. The electrochemical device of claim 22, wherein the electrolyte further includes a solid structure.

24. The electrochemical device of claim 1, wherein the electrochemically active fluid layer includes a liquid metal, an ionic fluid, a finely dispersed metal, a finely dispersed semi-metal, a finely dispersed semiconductor, or a finely dispersed dielectric.

25. The electrochemical device of claim 1, wherein one of the electrodes includes at least one element selected from the group consisting of lithium, sodium, mercury, tin, cesium, rubidium, calcium, magnesium, strontium, aluminum, and potassium.

26. The electrochemical device of claim 1, wherein one of the electrodes includes at least one element selected from the group consisting of gallium, iron, mercury, tin, sulfur, oxygen, fluorine, and chlorine.

27. The electrochemical device of claim 1, wherein the electrolyte includes at least one material selected from the group consisting of a perchlorate, an ether, tetrahydrofuran, graphene, a polyimide, a succinonitrile, a polyacrylonitrile, polyethylene oxide, polyethylene glycol, ethylene carbonate, beta-alumina, an ion-conducting glass, and an ion-conducting ceramic.

28. A method of supplying electrochemical energy, comprising:

connecting an electrical load to a first and a second electrode separated by an electrolyte arranged to conduct an ionic current from a first electrolyte surface in contact with the first electrode to a second electrolyte surface in contact with the second electrode; and

monitoring a sensor configured to detect an operating condition of the electrochemical device in proximity to the first or second electrolyte surface,

wherein at least one of the first and second electrodes includes an electrochemically active fluid layer in contact with the electrolyte.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein monitoring a sensor includes adjusting an operating parameter of the electrochemical device in response to a signal from the sensor.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the sensor is configured to detect an operating condition local to the sensor, and wherein adjusting an operating parameter includes adjusting an operating parameter local to the sensor.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein adjusting an operating parameter includes adjusting a fluid flow parameter.

32-49. -49. (canceled)