Fluid-surfaced electrode

• US 20110027639A1
• Filed: 10/20/2009
• 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 A Limited Liability Corporation of The State of Delaware
• Inventors: Weaver, Thomas A., Myhrvold, Nathan P., Gates, William, Deane, Geoffrey F., Tuckerman, David B., Ishikawa, Muriel Y., Tegreene, Clarence T., Hillis, W. Daniel, Jung, Edward K.Y., Whitmer, Charles, Ferren, Bran, Wood, Lowell L. JR., Hyde, Roderick A., Kare, Jordin T., Wood, Victoria Y.H.
• Granted Patent: US 8,974,939 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/101
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/617 for achieving uniformity or desired distribution of temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/654 located inside the innermost case of the cells, e.g. mandrels, electrodes or electrolytes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6567 Liquids
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2004/021 Physical characteristics, e.g. porosity, surface area
• 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: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49108 Electric battery cell making

Abstract

An electrochemical device (such as a battery) includes at least one electrode having a fluid surface, which may employ a surface energy effect to maintain a position of the fluid surface and/or to modulate flow within the fluid. Fluid-directing structures may also modulate flow or retain fluid in a predetermined pattern. An electrolyte within the device may also include an ion-transport fluid, for example infiltrated into a porous solid support.

Claims

1-137. -137. (canceled)

138. An electrochemical device, comprising:

two electrodes including a cathode and an anode; and

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 the cathode includes a first electrochemically active fluid layer configured to cling to a first microfeatured fluid-directing structure arranged to engage the electrolyte, and

wherein the anode includes a second electrochemically active fluid layer configured to cling to a second microfeatured fluid-directing structure arranged to engage the electrolyte.

139. The electrochemical device of claim 138, wherein the first microfeatured fluid-directing structure is configured to direct the first electrochemically active fluid according to a first predetermined flow pattern.

140. The electrochemical device of claim 139, wherein the second microfeatured fluid-directing structure is configured to direct the second electrochemically active fluid according to a second predetermined flow pattern.

141. The electrochemical device of claim 138, wherein the first microfeatured fluid-directing structure is configured to retain the first electrochemically active fluid at a first predetermined location.

142. The electrochemical device of claim 141, wherein the second microfeatured fluid-directing structure is configured to retain the second electrochemically active fluid at a second predetermined location.

149. The electrochemical device of claim 138, wherein the first microfeatured fluid-directing structure includes a fluid channel.

150. The electrochemical device of claim 149, wherein a dimension of the fluid channel varies along its length.

153. The electrochemical device of claim 138, wherein the first microfeatured fluid-directing structure includes a plurality of fluid channels, and wherein at least two of the fluid channels are connected.

155. The electrochemical device of claim 138, wherein the electrochemical device is configured to dynamically change a property of the first microfeatured fluid-directing structure.

195. The electrochemical device of claim 138, wherein the first microfeatured fluid-directing structure includes fluid-directing structures configured to direct a plurality of fluids, each according to a predetermined flow pattern.

196. The electrochemical device of claim 138, wherein the first microfeatured fluid-directing structure is configured to spatially vary the contact between the first electrochemically active fluid layer and the electrolyte.

206. The electrochemical device of claim 138, wherein the electrolyte is further arranged to conduct an ionic current from the second electrolyte surface to the first electrolyte surface.

207. The electrochemical device of claim 138, wherein the electrolyte includes a solid surface impervious to the electrochemically active fluid.

209. The electrochemical device of claim 138, wherein the electrolyte includes an ion-transport fluid through which an ion can move to produce the ionic current.

210. The electrochemical device of claim 209, wherein the electrolyte further includes a solid structure.

219. The electrochemical device of claim 209, wherein the ion-transport fluid is in contact with the first electrochemically active fluid layer at only one electrode.

220. The electrochemical device of claim 209, wherein the ion-transport fluid is in contact with both of the first and second electrochemically active fluid layers.

221. The electrochemical device of claim 209, wherein the ion-transport fluid is immiscible with the first electrochemically active fluid.

222. The electrochemical device of claim 209, wherein the ion-transport fluid is connected to an external reservoir.

223. The electrochemical device of claim 209, wherein the electrolyte is configured to remove heat by flow of the ion-transport fluid.

231. The electrochemical device of claim 138, wherein the electrolyte includes a reaction product of at least a portion of the cathode with at least a portion of the anode.

239. The electrochemical device of claim 138, wherein a reaction product of at least a portion of the cathode with at least a portion of the anode is intermixed with the first electrochemically active fluid.

242. The electrochemical device of claim 138, wherein the first electrochemically active fluid layer includes a fluid selected from the group consisting of a liquid, a paste, a gel, an emulsion, a supercritical fluid, and a non-Newtonian fluid.

245. The electrochemical device of claim 138, wherein the first electrochemically active fluid layer includes a carrier fluid that is not electrochemically active.

246. The electrochemical device of claim 138, wherein the first electrochemically active fluid layer includes a thixotropic fluid.

247. The electrochemical device of claim 138, wherein the first electrochemically active fluid layer wets the electrolyte.

248. The electrochemical device of claim 138, wherein the first electrochemically active fluid layer clings to the electrolyte.

249. The electrochemical device of claim 138, wherein the anode includes at least one element selected from the group consisting of lithium, sodium, mercury, tin, cesium, rubidium, and potassium.

251. The electrochemical device of claim 138, wherein the cathode includes at least one element selected from the group consisting of gallium, iron, mercury, tin, sulfur, and chlorine.

253. The electrochemical device of claim 138, wherein the electrolyte includes at least one material selected from the group consisting of perchlorate, ether, graphene, polyimide, succinonitrile, polyacrylonitrile, polyethylene oxide, polyethylene glycol, ethylene carbonate, beta-alumina, and an ion-conducting glass.

254. The electrochemical device of claim 138, wherein the first electrochemically active fluid layer includes a dissolved gas.

256. The electrochemical device of claim 138, wherein the first electrochemically active fluid layer includes a liquid metal.

262. The electrochemical device of claim 138, wherein the first electrochemically active fluid layer is connected to an external reservoir.

263. The electrochemical device of claim 138, wherein the first fluid layer is configured to transport heat energy away from the battery.

143-148. -148. (canceled)

151. (canceled)

152. (canceled)

154. (canceled)

156. A method of supplying electrochemical energy, comprising:

connecting an electrical load to a cathode and an anode separated by an electrolyte, the electrolyte arranged to conduct an ionic current from a first electrolyte surface in contact with the cathode to a second electrolyte surface in contact with the anode, the cathode including a first microfeatured fluid-directing structure arranged to engage the electrolyte and the anode including a second microfeatured fluid-directing structure arranged to engage the electrolyte;

flowing a first electrochemically active fluid along the first microfeatured fluid-directing structure in engagement with the electrolyte; and

flowing a second electrochemically active fluid along the second microfeatured fluid-directing structure in engagement with the electrolyte.

157. A method of charging a battery, comprising:

connecting an electrical potential to a cathode and an anode separated by an electrolyte, the electrolyte arranged to conduct an ionic current from a first electrolyte surface in contact with the anode to a second electrolyte surface in contact with the cathode, the cathode including a first microfeatured fluid-directing structure arranged to engage the electrolyte and the anode including a second microfeatured fluid-directing structure arranged to engage the electrolyte;

flowing a first electrochemically active fluid along the first microfeatured fluid-directing structure in engagement with the electrolyte; and

flowing a second electrochemically active fluid along the second microfeatured fluid-directing structure in engagement with the electrolyte.

158. A method of charging a battery having an electrode including a first electrochemically active fluid layer that clings to a first microfeatured fluid-directing structure arranged to engage an electrolyte and a second electrochemically active fluid layer that clings to a second microfeatured fluid-directing structure arranged to engage the electrolyte, the method comprising:

refreshing the first electrochemically active fluid layer by flowing the first electrochemically active fluid along the first microfeatured fluid-directing structure.

159. The method of claim 158, wherein refreshing the first electrochemically active fluid layer includes removing electrochemically active fluid depleted of a charge carrier and introducing electrochemically active fluid containing the charge carrier.

160. (canceled)

161. A pair of electrodes for a battery, comprising:

a first microfeatured fluid-directing structure arranged to engage an electrolyte and to support a first electrochemically active fluid layer; and

a second microfeatured fluid-directing structure arranged to engage the electrolyte and to support a second electrochemically active fluid layer.

162. A method of making a battery, comprising:

coupling an electrolyte with two electrodes including a cathode and an anode, the cathode including a first microfeatured fluid-directing structure arranged to engage the electrolyte and to support a first electrochemically active fluid layer and the anode including a second microfeatured fluid-directing structure arranged to engage the electrolyte and to support a second electrochemically active fluid layer.

163-194. -194. (canceled)

197-205. -205. (canceled)

208. (canceled)

211-218. -218. (canceled)

224-230. -230. (canceled)

232-238. -238. (canceled)

240-241. -241. (canceled)

243-244. -244. (canceled)

250. (canceled)

252. (canceled)

255. (canceled)

257-261. -261. (canceled)

264-265. -265. (canceled)