Protected lithium electrode fuel cell system incorporating a PEM fuel cell

• US 8,361,664 B2
• Filed: 07/13/2011
• Issued: 01/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: PolyPlus Battery Company
• Original Assignee: PolyPlus Battery Company
• Inventors: Visco, Steven J., Nimon, Yevgeniy S., Katz, Bruce D., De Jonghe, Lutgard C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Conley, Helen O
• Application Number:
  US13/182,322
• Publication Number:
  US 20110269031A1
• Time in Patent Office: 566 Days
• Field of Search: 429/417, 429/416, 429/418, 429/492, 429/491
• US Class Current: 429/417
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 12/04 composed of a half-cell of the fuel-cell type and of a half-cell of the primary-cell type
• 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 16/003 of fuel cells with other electrochemical devices, e.g. capacitors, electrolysers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/40 Alloys based on alkali metals
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/431 Inorganic material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/434 Ceramics
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/437 Glass
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/40 Fuel cell technologies in production processes

Abstract

Active metal fuel cells are provided. An active metal fuel cell has a renewable active metal (e.g., lithium) anode and a cathode structure that includes an electronically conductive component (e.g., a porous metal or alloy), an ionically conductive component (e.g., an electrolyte), and a fluid oxidant (e.g., air, water or a peroxide or other aqueous solution). The pairing of an active metal anode with a cathode oxidant in a fuel cell is enabled by an ionically conductive protective membrane on the surface of the anode facing the cathode.

Claims

1. An electrochemical device, comprising:

an alkali metal fuel cell comprising

an alkali metal anode;

a cathode structure comprising water as a fluid oxidant;

an alkali metal ion conductive protective membrane adjacent the alkali metal anode, the membrane interposed between the anode and the cathode structure, the membrane isolating the anode from components of the cathode structure; and

further comprising a PEM H₂/O₂ fuel cell that, coupled to the alkali metal fuel cell, captures and uses as fuel hydrogen released from the alkali metal fuel cell.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the alkali metal is lithium.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the anode comprises alkali metal dissolved in a solvent as fuel.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the solvent is selected from the group consisting amides, amines and ammonia.

5. The device of claim 3, wherein the solvent is selected from the group consisting of HMPA, methylamine, and ammonia.

6. The device of claim 3, wherein the alkali metal is lithium.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the anode comprises solid lithium metal as fuel.

8. The device of claim 7, further comprising additional solid lithium metal fuel bonded to the anode by a bonding layer interposed between and in contact with surfaces of the original and additional alkali metal solid fuels.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the bonding layer is a thin metal foil.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein said bonding layer is a metal selected from the group consisting of Ag, Al, Sn and other alkali metal alloy forming layer.

11. The device of claim 7, wherein said anode further comprises lithium dissolved in a solvent on the anode side of the membrane, and wherein lithium ions electrically migrate through the membrane to the cathode side during discharge of the fuel cell.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the ionic conductivity of the protective membrane is at least 10⁻

5S/cm.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the protective membrane comprises:

one or more materials configured to provide a first surface chemically compatible with the alkali metal anode in contact with the anode, and a second surface substantially impervious to and chemically compatible with the cathode structure and in contact with the cathode structure.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the protective membrane comprises a composite, the composite comprising,

a first material component in contact with the anode that is ionically conductive and chemically compatible with the anode, the first material component comprising a composite reaction product selected from the group consisting of consisting of a composite reaction product of the alkali metal with a metal nitride, a composite reaction product of the alkali metal with a metal halide, a composite reaction product of the alkali metal with a metal phosphide, a reaction product of the alkali metal with red phosphorus, and a reaction product of the alkali metal with LiPON coated with a wetting layer;

and

a second material component in contact with the first material component, the second material being substantially impervious, ionically conductive and chemically compatible with the first material component and the cathode structure.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the first component is an in situ reaction product of active metal of the active metal anode with a first component precursor formed by application of the active metal anode to the precursor disposed on the second component.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the second component comprises a material selected from the group consisting of glassy or amorphous metal ion conductors, ceramic active metal ion conductors, and glass-ceramic active metal ion conductors.

17. The device of claim 15, wherein the second component is an ion conductive glass-ceramic having the following composition:

18. The device of claim 14, wherein the protective membrane is a composite laminate.

19. The device of claim 14, wherein the protective membrane is a graded composite.