ENERGY STORAGE DEVICE AND METHODS

• US 20140035540A1
• Filed: 01/25/2013
• Published: 02/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dais Analytic Corporation
• Original Assignee: Dais Analytic Corporation
• Inventors: Ehrenberg, Scott G.
• Granted Patent: US 9,293,269 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/167
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 11/04 Hybrid capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 11/32 Carbon-based
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 11/36 Nanostructures, e.g. nanofibres, nanotubes or fullerenes
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 11/56 Solid electrolytes, e.g. gels; Additives therein
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 11/84 Processes for the manufacture of hybrid or EDL capacitors, or components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/13 Energy storage using capacitors

Abstract

In one aspect, energy storage devices and methods are disclosed that include (preferably in order): a cationic electrode cover layer, a cationic electrode, a cationic exchange polymer electrolyte layer, a separation dielectric layer, an anionic exchange polymer electrolyte layer, an anionic electrode, and an anionic electrode cover layer. In certain embodiments, the device is configured to be initially placed in an ionized state, and optionally, can be configured to be further charged to store energy in an electrostatic mode. In another aspect, ionic solid dielectric materials, energy storage devices including ionic solid dielectric materials, and methods of making and using such materials and devices are disclosed herein.

Claims

1. An energy storage device comprising:

a separation dielectric layer having at least a first major surface and a second major surface;

a cationic exchange polymer electrolyte layer having at least a first major surface and a second major surface, wherein the first major surface of the cationic exchange polymer electrolyte layer is adjacent a portion of the first major surface of the separation dielectric layer, and wherein the cationic exchange polymer electrolyte layer comprises at least one polymer having a plurality of chemically bound negative ions and a plurality of electrostatically bound positive ions;

a cationic electrode having at least a first major surface and a second major surface, wherein the first major surface of the cationic electrode is adjacent at least a portion of the second major surface of the cationic exchange polymer electrolyte layer;

a cationic electrode cover layer comprising a first optional vacuum port and a first electrical contact in electrical communication with the cationic electrode, wherein the cationic electrode cover layer is configured to provide a gas tight seal around the cationic exchange polymer electrolyte layer and the cationic electrode to exposed portions of the first major surface of the separation dielectric layer;

an anionic exchange polymer electrolyte layer having at least a first major surface and a second major surface, wherein the first major surface of the cationic exchange polymer electrolyte layer is adjacent a portion of the second major surface of the separation dielectric layer, and wherein the anionic exchange polymer electrolyte layer comprises at least one polymer having a plurality of chemically bound positive ions and a plurality of electrostatically bound negative ions;

an anionic electrode having at least a first major surface and a second major surface, wherein the first major surface of the anionic electrode is adjacent at least a portion of the second major surface of the anionic exchange polymer electrolyte layer; and

an anionic electrode cover layer comprising a second optional vacuum port and a second electrical contact in electrical communication with the anionic electrode, wherein the anionic electrode cover layer is configured to provide a gas tight seal around the anionic exchange polymer electrolyte layer and the anionic electrode to exposed portions of the second major surface of the separation dielectric layer.

2. The energy storage device of claim 1 wherein the first vacuum port comprises an electrically conductive metal and is the first electrical contact;

and the second vacuum port comprises an electrically conductive metal and is the second electrical contact.

3. The energy storage device of claim 1 wherein the cationic electrode cover layer comprises an insulating material, and the anionic electrode cover layer comprises an insulating material.

4. The energy storage device of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the electrostatically bound positive ions of the cationic exchange polymer electrolyte layer comprise hydrogen ions (H⁺), and wherein at least a portion of the electrostatically bound negative ions of the anionic exchange polymer electrolyte layer comprise chloride ions (Cl⁻

).

5. The energy storage device of claim 1 further comprising a non-electrically conductive dielectric oil at least partially within one or more solid electrolyte layers.

6. The energy storage device of claim 5 wherein the non-electrically conductive dielectric oil comprises polydimethylsiloxane.

7. The energy storage device of claim 1 wherein one or both of the cationic electrode and the anionic electrode comprise graphite and/or graphene.

8. A method of placing an energy storage device in an ionized state, the method comprising:

providing an energy storage device according to claim 1;

applying a negative potential to the first electrical contact of the cationic electrode cover layer effective to cause at least a portion of the electrostatically bound positive ions to migrate to the cationic electrode and be reduced to a neutral species;

applying a positive potential to the second electrical contact of the anionic electrode cover layer effective to cause at least a portion of the electrostatically bound negative ions to migrate to the anionic electrode and be oxidized to a neutral species;

optionally applying at least a partial vacuum to the first optional vacuum port of the cationic electrode cover layer effective to remove at least a portion of the reduced neutral species; and

optionally applying at least a partial vacuum to the second optional vacuum port of the anionic electrode cover layer effective to remove at least a portion of the oxidized neutral species.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein at least a portion of the reduced neutral species comprise molecular hydrogen (H₂), and wherein at least a portion of the oxidized neutral species comprise molecular chlorine (Cl₂).

10. The method of claim 8 wherein applying a negative potential to the first electrical contact of the cationic electrode cover layer comprises applying sufficient potential to cause substantially all of the electrostatically bound positive ions to migrate to the cationic electrode and be reduced to the neutral species, and wherein applying a positive potential to the second electrical contact of the anionic electrode cover layer comprises applying sufficient potential to cause substantially all of the electrostatically bound negative ions to migrate to the anionic electrode and be oxidized to the neutral species.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the energy storage device in the ionized state is in an electrically neutral state having no potential across the first and second electrical contacts.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein the energy storage device has a high dielectric constant.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein the anionic exchange polymer electrolyte layer and the cationic exchange polymer electrolyte layer of the energy storage device in the ionized state are under compressive strain.

14. A method of storing energy comprising:

providing an energy storage device according to claim 1;

applying a negative potential to the first electrical contact of the cationic electrode cover layer effective to cause substantially all of the electrostatically bound positive ions to migrate to the cationic electrode and be reduced to a neutral species;

applying a positive potential to the second electrical contact of the anionic electrode cover layer effective to cause substantially all of the electrostatically bound negative ions to migrate to the anionic electrode and be oxidized to a neutral species;

optionally applying at least a partial vacuum to the first optional vacuum port of the cationic electrode cover layer effective to remove at least a portion of the reduced neutral species; and

optionally applying at least a partial vacuum to the second optional vacuum port of the anionic electrode cover layer effective to remove at least a portion of the oxidized neutral species; and

further applying a positive potential to the first electrical contact of the cationic electrode cover layer and negative potential to the second electrical contact of the anionic electrode cover layer under conditions effective to electrostatically store charge on the device.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the storage of charge on the device is sufficient to partially or fully relieve compressive strain between the anionic exchange polymer electrolyte layer and the cationic exchange polymer electrolyte layer.

16. A cell or cell pack comprising one or more energy storage devices according to claim 1.

17. An ionic solid dielectric material comprising:

at least one polymer having a plurality of chemically bound positive ions; and

at least one polymer having a plurality of chemically bound negative ions,

wherein at least a portion of the plurality of chemically bound positive ions are ionically associated with at least a portion of the plurality of chemically bound negative ions.

24. An energy storage device comprising:

a first conductive plate;

a second conductive plate; and

at least one ionic solid dielectric layer comprising at least one ionic solid dielectric material according to claim 17 between the first conductive plate and the second conductive plate.

25. The device of claim 24 wherein at least one conductive plate is selected from the group consisting of a metal conductive plate, a carbon conductive plate, a porous metal conductive plate, a porous carbon conductive plate, and a carbon composite electrode.

26. The energy storage device of claim 24 wherein one or both of the first conductive plate and the second conductive plate comprise graphite and/or graphene.

27. The device of claim 24 further comprising a non-electrically conductive dielectric oil within the at least one ionic solid dielectric layer.

28. The device of claim 27 wherein the non-electrically conductive dielectric oil comprises polydimethylsiloxane.

29. A method of storing energy, the method comprising:

providing an energy storage device according to claim 24; and

applying a field negatively polarized with respect to the first conductive plate and positively polarized with respect to the second conductive plate under conditions effective to electrostatically store charge on the device.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein conditions effective to store charge on the device comprise applying a field having a potential of at least 1 volt direct current, but no greater than the breakdown voltage of the ionic solid dielectric layer.

31. A system for storing and discharging energy, the system comprising:

one or more energy storage devices according to claim 24;

a means for applying a field negatively polarized with respect to the first conductive plate and positively polarized with respect to the second conductive plate under conditions effective to electrostatically store charge on the device; and

a means for discharging energy from electrostatically stored charge on the device.

32. A cell or cell pack comprising one or more energy storage devices according to claim 24.

18. A method of preparing an ionic solid dielectric material comprising:

providing an anionic exchange polymer electrolyte solution comprising at least one polymer having a plurality of chemically bound positive ions and a plurality of electrostatically bound negative ions;

providing a cationic exchange polymer electrolyte solution comprising at least one polymer having a plurality of chemically bound negative ions and a plurality of electrostatically bound positive ions;

combining the anionic exchange polymer electrolyte solution and the cationic exchange polymer electrolyte solution under conditions effective to allow at least a portion of the plurality of chemically bound positive ions of the anionic exchange polymer electrolyte to ionically associate with at least a portion of the plurality of chemically bound negative ions of the cationic exchange polymer electrolyte and form the ionic solid dielectric material.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising casting the formed ionic solid dielectric material as a film on a substrate.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the substrate is a release substrate or a conductive plate.

21. The method of claim 18 wherein the electrostatically bound negative ions of the anionic exchange polymer electrolyte comprise Cl⁻

ions; and

the electrostatically bound positive ions of the cationic exchange polymer electrolyte comprise H⁺ ions.

22. The method of claim 19 wherein the film of the formed ionic solid dielectric material further comprises at least a portion of the negative ions that were electrostatically bound to the anionic exchange polymer electrolyte, and at least a portion of the positive ions that were electrostatically bound to the cationic exchange polymer electrolyte.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising removing at least a portion of the negative and/or positive ions from the ionic solid dielectric film by washing the film with deionized, distilled water.