Fluid-surfaced electrode

• US 8,968,903 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2009
• Issued: 03/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Enterprise Science Fund, LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Deane, Geoffrey F., Ferren, Bran, Gates, William, Hillis, W. Daniel, Hyde, Roderick A., Ishikawa, Muriel Y., Jung, Edward K. Y., Kare, Jordin T., Myhrvold, Nathan P., Tegreene, Clarence T., Tuckerman, David B., Weaver, Thomas A., Whitmer, Charles, Wood, Lowell L. Jr., Wood, Victoria Y. H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ruddock, Ula C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): AMPONSAH, OSEI K
• Application Number:
  US12/589,323
• Publication Number:
  US 20110027627A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,960 Days
• Field of Search: 429/105, 429101-104, 429/51
• US Class Current: 429/105
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/617 for achieving uniformity or desired distribution of temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/654 located inside the innermost case of the cells, e.g. mandrels, electrodes or electrolytes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6567 Liquids
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2004/021 Physical characteristics, e.g. porosity, surface area
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/02 Electrodes composed of, or comprising, active material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/36 Selection of substances as active materials, active masses, active liquids
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/366 as layered products
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49108 Electric battery cell making

Abstract

An electrochemical device (such as a battery) includes at least one electrode having a fluid surface, which may employ a surface energy effect to maintain a position of the fluid surface and/or to modulate flow within the fluid. Fluid-directing structures may also modulate flow or retain fluid in a predetermined pattern. An electrolyte within the device may also include an ion-transport fluid, for example infiltrated into a porous solid support.

Claims

1. An electrochemical device, comprising:

two electrodes including a cathode and an anode; and

an electrolyte that is separate and distinct from the two electrodes and is arranged to conduct an ionic current from a first electrolyte surface in contact with one of the electrodes to a second electrolyte surface in contact with the other electrode,

wherein at least one of the electrodes includes

an electrochemically active fluid layer that is disposed over a micropatterned support and has a surface in contact with the electrolyte; and

the micropatterned support including a fluid-directing structure configured to retain the electrochemically active fluid at a predetermined location during operation of the electrochemical device to generate an electrical potential between the electrodes,

and wherein the electrolyte includes a reaction product of at least a portion of the cathode with at least a portion of the anode.

3. The electrochemical device of claim 1, wherein the micropatterned support includes fluid-directing structures configured to retain a plurality of fluids, each at a predetermined location.

4. The electrochemical device of claim 1, wherein the micropatterned support includes a first fluid-directing structure configured to retain an electrochemically active fluid of the anode, and a second fluid-directing structure configured to retain an electrochemically active fluid of the cathode.

5. The electrochemical device of claim 1, wherein the micropatterned support is configured to spatially vary the contact between the electrochemically active fluid layer and the electrolyte.

6. The electrochemical device of claim 1, wherein the micropatterned support includes a fluid channel.

7. The electrochemical device of claim 6, wherein the fluid channel has a surface that wets the electrochemically active fluid.

8. The electrochemical device of claim 6, wherein the fluid channel is configured to retain the electrochemically active fluid by surface tension.

9. The electrochemical device of claim 6, wherein a dimension of the fluid channel varies along its length.

10. The electrochemical device of claim 1, wherein the micropatterned support includes a plurality of fluid channels, and wherein at least two of the fluid channels are connected.

11. The electrochemical device of claim 1, wherein the micropatterned support includes a first region and a second region, the first and second regions having different wetting behavior with the electrochemically active fluid layer.

12. The electrochemical device of claim 1, wherein the electrochemical device is configured to dynamically change a property of the fluid-directing structure.

13. The electrochemical device of claim 12, wherein the electrochemical device is configured to dynamically change the property of the fluid-directing structure in response to a property of the device.

14. The electrochemical device of claim 1, wherein the electrolyte is further arranged to conduct an ionic current from the second electrolyte surface to the first electrolyte surface.

15. The electrochemical device of claim 1, wherein the electrolyte includes a solid surface impervious to the electrochemically active fluid.

16. The electrochemical device of claim 1, wherein the electrolyte includes a fluid-directing structure configured to direct fluid flow of the electrochemically active fluid layer.

17. The electrochemical device of claim 1, wherein the electrolyte includes an ion-transport fluid through which an ion can move to produce the ionic current.

18. The electrochemical device of claim 17, wherein the electrolyte further includes a solid structure.

19. The electrochemical device of claim 18, wherein the solid structure includes a porous structure infiltrated by the ion-transport fluid.

20. The electrochemical device of claim 17, wherein the cathode and the anode each include an electrochemically active fluid layer, and wherein the ion-transport fluid is in contact with the respective electrochemically active fluid layer at each of the two electrodes.

21. The electrochemical device of claim 17, wherein the ion-transport fluid is immiscible with the electrochemically active fluid.

22. The electrochemical device of claim 17, wherein the ion-transport fluid is connected to an external reservoir.

23. The electrochemical device of claim 1, wherein the electrochemically active fluid layer includes a fluid selected from the group consisting of a liquid, a paste, a gel, an emulsion, and a non-Non-Newtonian fluid.

24. The electrochemical device of claim 1, wherein the electrochemically active fluid layer is an ionic conductor.

25. The electrochemical device of claim 1, wherein the electrochemically active fluid layer includes a carrier fluid that is not electrochemically active.

26. The electrochemical device of claim 1, wherein the electrochemically active fluid layer wets the electrolyte.

27. The electrochemical device of claim 1, wherein the electrochemically active fluid layer clings to the electrolyte.

28. The electrochemical device of claim 1, wherein the anode includes at least one element selected from the group consisting of lithium, sodium, mercury, tin, cesium, rubidium, and potassium.

29. The electrochemical device of claim 1, wherein the cathode includes at least one element selected from the group consisting of gallium, iron, mercury, tin, sulfur, and chlorine.

30. The electrochemical device of claim 1, wherein the electrolyte includes at least one material selected from the group consisting of perchlorate, ether, graphene, polyimide, succinonitrile, polyacrylonitrile, polyethylene oxide, polyethylene glycol, ethylene carbonate, beta-alumina, and an ion-conducting glass.

31. The electrochemical device of claim 1, wherein the fluid layer includes a liquid metal.

32. The electrochemical device of claim 1, wherein the electrochemically active fluid layer is connected to an external reservoir.

33. The electrochemical device of claim 1, wherein the fluid layer is configured to transport heat energy away from the battery.

2. An electrode for a battery, comprising:

an electrochemically active fluid layer that is disposed over and clings to a micropatterned solid support by a surface energy effect, the electrochemically active fluid layer being configured to contact an electrolyte that is separate and distinct from the electrode, and the micropatterned solid support including a fluid-directing structure configured to retain electrochemically active fluid at a predetermined location during operation of the electrode to generate an electrical potential,

wherein the electrolyte includes a reaction product of at least a portion of a cathode with at least a portion of an anode.