Battery including carbon foam current collectors

• US 6,979,513 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2004
• Issued: 12/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Firefly International Energy Co.
• Original Assignee: Firefly Energy, Inc. (Firefly International Energy Co.)
• Inventors: Kelley, Kurtis Chad, Votoupal, John J.
• Primary Examiner(s): YUAN, DAH WEI D
• Application Number:
  US10/798,875
• Publication Number:
  US 20040191632A1
• Time in Patent Office: 655 Days
• Field of Search: 429/121, 429/233, 429/236
• US Class Current: 429/121
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/06 Lead-acid accumulators semi-lead accumulators H01M10/20
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/30 Nickel accumulators H01M10/34 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/14 Electrodes for lead-acid accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/20 of pasted electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/663 containing carbon or carbonaceous materials as conductive part, e.g. graphite, carbon fibres
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/808 Foamed, spongy materials
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A battery having a current collector constructed of carbon foam. The carbon foam includes a network of pores into which a chemically active material is disposed to create either a positive or negative plate for the battery. The carbon foam resists corrosion and exhibits a large amount of surface area. The invention includes a method for making the disclosed carbon foam current collector used in the battery.

Claims

1. A battery comprising:

a housing;

a positive terminal and a negative terminal;

at least one cell disposed within the housing and including at least one positive plate and at least one negative plate connected to the positive terminal and negative terminal, respectively; and

an acidic electrolytic solution filling a volume between the positive and negative plates;

wherein the at least one positive plate further includes

a carbon foam current collector including a network of pores, and

a chemically active material disposed on the carbon foam current collector such that the chemically active material penetrates the network of pores.

2. The battery of claim 1, wherein the carbon foam current collector has a total porosity value of at least 60% and an open porosity value of at least 90%.

3. The battery of claim 1, wherein the carbon foam current collector has an electrical resistivity value of less than about 1 Ω

-cm.

4. The battery of claim 1, wherein the carbon foam current collector includes graphite foam and has an electrical resistivity value of between about 100 μ

Ω

-cm and about 2500 μ

Ω

-cm.

5. The battery of claim 1, wherein the carbon foam current collector has a density of less than about 0.6 g/cm³.

6. The battery of claim 1, wherein the at least one negative plate further includes a carbon foam current collector including a network of pores and a chemically active material disposed on the carbon foam current collector of the negative plate such that the chemically active material penetrates the network of pores.

7. The battery of claim 1, wherein the chemically active material includes a paste comprising an oxide of lead.

8. The battery of claim 1, wherein the at least one negative plate includes lead.

9. The battery of claim 1, wherein the chemically active material includes a paste comprising lead.

10. The battery of claim 1, wherein the carbon foam current collector includes graphite foam.

11. The battery of claim 1, wherein the carbon foam current collector includes carbonized wood.

12. The battery of claim 1, wherein the carbon foam current collector includes graphitized wood.

13. A battery comprising:

a housing;

a positive terminal and a negative terminal;

at least one cell disposed within the housing and including at least one positive plate and at least one negative plate connected to the positive terminal and negative terminal, respectively; and

an acidic electrolytic solution filling a volume between the positive and negative plates;

wherein the at least one negative plate further includes;

a carbon foam current collector including a network of pores, and

a chemically active material disposed on the carbon foam current collector such that the chemically active material penetrates the network of pores.

14. The battery of claim 13, wherein the at least one positive plate includes a lead current collector.

15. The battery of claim 13, wherein the carbon foam current collector has a total porosity value of at least 60% and an open porosity value of at least 90%.

16. The battery of claim 13, wherein the carbon foam current collector has an electrical resistivity value of less than about 1 Ω

-cm.

17. The battery of claim 13, wherein the carbon foam current collector has a density of less than about 0.6 g/cm³.

18. The battery of claim 13, wherein the chemically active material includes a paste comprising an oxide of lead.

19. The battery of claim 13, wherein the chemically active material includes a paste comprising lead.

20. The battery of claim 13, wherein the carbon foam current collector includes graphite foam.

21. The battery of claim 13, wherein the carbon foam current collector includes carbonized wood.

22. The battery of claim 13 wherein the carbon foam current collector includes graphitized wood.

23. The battery of claim 13, wherein the carbon foam current collector includes graphite foam and has an electrical resistivity value of between about 100 μ

Ω

-cm and about 2500 μ

Ω

-cm.