Redox gel battery

• US 6,720,107 B1
• Filed: 02/11/2001
• Issued: 04/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Farnow Technologies Pty Limited
• Original Assignee: Farnow Technologies Pty Limited
• Inventors: Holtom, Stephen Wayne, Menictas, Chris
• Primary Examiner(s): Ryan, Patrick
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mercado, Julian
• Application Number:
  US09/719,311
• Time in Patent Office: 1,157 Days
• Field of Search: 429/101, 429/105, 429/300, 429/149, 429/164, 429/94, 429/134, 429/135, 429/109
• US Class Current: 429/105
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/545 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/547 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/549 Current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/52 drive range estimation, e.g. of estimation of available travel distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0046 relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/64 Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/11 DC charging controlled by the charging station, e.g. mode 4
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/55 Capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/665 Methods related to measuring, billing or payment
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/14 Preventing excessive discharging
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/16 responding to battery ageing, e.g. to the number of charging cycles or the state of health [SoH]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/22 Balancing the charge of battery modules
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0431 Cells with wound or folded electrodes H01M10/045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/36 Accumulators not provided for in groups H01M10/05-H01M10/34
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/42 Methods or arrangements for servicing or maintenance of secondary cells or secondary half-cells H01M10/60 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2250/20 Fuel cells in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2300/0085 Immobilising or gelification of electrolyte
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/36 : Selection of substances as active materials, active masses, active liquids
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/10 : with wound or folded electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/188 : by recharging of redox couples containing fluids; Redox flow type batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 : Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00711 : with introduction of pulses during the charging process
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 : Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/167 : Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/40 : Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

A redox gel battery comprising at least one cell consisting of: (i) a positive gel electrolyte containing reactive ions which are reduced but do not undergo phase transfer during operation of the battery; (ii) a negative gel electrolyte containing reactive ions which are oxidized but do not undergo phase transfer during operation of the battery; and (iii) a membrane separating the positive and negative gel electrolytes.

Claims

1. A redox gel battery comprising at least one cell consisting of:

(i) a positive gel electrolyte containing reactive ions which are reduced but do not undergo phase transfer during operation of the battery,

(ii) a negative gel electrolyte containing reactive ions which are oxidized but do not undergo phase transfer during operation of the battery, and

(iii) a membrane separating the positive and negative gel electrolytes.

2. A redox gel battery according to claim 1 and further including:

(i) a positive electrode electrically connected to the positive gel electrolyte, and

(ii) a negative electrode electrically connected to the negative gel electrolyte.

3. A redox gel battery according to claim 2 wherein the electrodes are non-metallic.

4. A redox gel battery according to claim 2 wherein the electrodes are inert.

5. A redox gel battery according to claim 1 wherein the gels are super concentrated.

6. A redox gel battery according to claim 1 which is a Cerium/Chromium redox gel battery.

7. A redox gel battery according to claim 1 which is a Cerium Chloride/Chromium Chloride redox gel battery.

8. A redox gel battery according to claim 7 wherein the positive gel electrolyte contains Ce⁺⁺⁺⁺ ions and the negative gel electrolyte contains Cr⁺⁺ ions and where the Ce⁺⁺⁺⁺ ions are reduced to Ce⁺⁺⁺ ions and the Cr⁺⁺ ions are oxidized to Cr⁺⁺⁺ ions during discharge of the battery.

9. A redox gel battery according to claim 1 wherein each gel contains a gelling agent.

10. A redox gel battery according to claim 9 wherein the gelling agent is silica.

11. A redox gel battery according to claim 1 wherein the cell is wound as a spiral.

12. A redox gel battery according to claim 1 having a stack of N cells and wherein adjacent cells are separated by a common electrode, there is a negative electrode on the outer face of the first cell and a positive electrode on the outer surface of the Nth cell.

13. A redox gel battery according to claim 12 wherein the electrodes are non-metallic.

14. A redox gel battery according to claim 12 wherein the electrodes are inert.