METAL AIR BATTERY AND METHOD OF OPERATING THE SAME

• US 20170018826A1
• Filed: 01/12/2016
• Published: 01/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: KIM, Kihyun, IM, Dongmin, CHOI, Kyounghwan
• Granted Patent: US 11,127,997 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 12/02 Details of electrodes H01M4/00; of non-active parts H01M50/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 12/08 composed of a half-cell of a fuel-cell type and a half-cell of the secondary-cell type
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04522 of cathode exhausts
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04544 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0662 Treatment of gaseous reactants or gaseous residues, e.g. cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A metal air battery includes a first battery cell module which generates electricity by oxidation of a metal and reduction of oxygen, a second battery cell module in fluid-communication with the first battery cell module and which generates electricity by oxidation of a metal and reduction of oxygen, and an air purifier in fluid-communication with the second battery cell module, where the air purifier purifies external air to supply first purified air to the second battery cell module, and the second battery cell module supplies second purified air generated by the oxidation of the metal and the reduction of the oxygen to the first battery cell module

Claims

1. A metal air battery comprising:

a first battery cell module which generates electricity by oxidation of a metal and reduction of oxygen;

a second battery cell module in fluid-communication with the first battery cell module and which generates electricity by oxidation of a metal and reduction of oxygen; and

an air purifier in fluid-communication with the second battery cell module,

wherein

the air purifier purifies external air to supply first purified air to the second battery cell module, and

the second battery cell module supplies second purified air generated by the oxidation of the metal and the reduction of the oxygen to the first battery cell module.

2. The metal air battery of claim 1, further comprising:

a moisture concentration measurer which measures a moisture concentration of the second purified air supplied to the first battery cell module.

3. The metal air battery of claim 2, wherein the second battery cell module is replaced when the moisture concentration of the second purified air measured by the moisture concentration measurer is equal to or higher than a predetermined reference moisture concentration.

4. The metal air battery of claim 1, further comprising:

a voltage measurer which measures a discharge voltage of the second battery cell module.

5. The metal air battery of claim 4, wherein the second battery cell module is replaced when the discharge voltage measured by the voltage measurer is less than or equal to a predetermined reference discharge voltage.

6. The metal air battery of claim 1, wherein a battery capacity of the second battery cell module is less than a battery capacity of the first battery cell module.

7. The metal air battery of claim 1, wherein

the second battery cell module comprises a plurality of second battery cell modules arranged between the air purifier and the first battery cell module, and

each of the plurality of second battery cell modules is in fluid-communication with the air purifier and the first battery cell module.

8. The metal air battery of claim 7, further comprising:

a plurality of fluid regulators between the plurality of second battery cell modules and the air purifier and which regulates fluid-communication between the plurality of second battery cell modules and the air purifier; and

a controller which controls operations of the plurality of fluid regulators.

9. The metal air battery of claim 8, further comprising:

a moisture concentration measurer which measures a moisture concentration of the first purified air discharged from each of the plurality of second battery cell modules,

wherein the controller closes a corresponding fluid regulator of the plurality of fluid regulators when the moisture concentration of the first purified air measured by the moisture concentration measurer is equal to or greater than a predetermined reference moisture concentration.

10. The metal air battery of claim 8, further comprising:

a voltage measurer which measures a discharge voltage of the plurality of second battery cell modules,

wherein the controller closes a corresponding fluid regulator of the plurality of fluid regulators when the discharge voltage measured by the voltage measurer is less than or equal to a predetermined reference discharge voltage.

11. The metal air battery of claim 1, wherein the air purifier operates via at least one of a pressure swing adsorption method, a thermal swing adsorption method, a pressure thermal swing adsorption method, a vacuum swing adsorption method, and a selective separation method.

12. The metal air battery of claim 11, wherein the air purifier comprises at least one of an adsorbent and a selective transmitting film.

13. The metal air battery of claim 12, wherein the adsorbent comprises at least one selected from zeolite, alumina, silica gel, metal-organic framework, zeolitic imidazolate framework and activated carbon.

14. The metal air battery of claim 1, wherein the metal air battery is a lithium air battery.

15. A method of operating the metal air battery of claim 1, the method comprising:

removing a plurality of impurities from the external air using the air purifier; and

introducing the first purified air to the second battery cell module; and

discharging the second purified air from the second battery cell module.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

measuring a moisture concentration of the second purified air discharged from the second battery cell module; and

replacing the second battery cell module when the measured moisture concentration is equal to or greater than a predetermined reference moisture concentration.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

measuring a discharge voltage of the second battery cell module; and

replacing the second battery cell module when the measured discharge voltage is less than or equal to a predetermined reference discharge voltage.