Fluid-surfaced electrode

• US 8,974,939 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2009
• Issued: 03/10/2015
• 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:
  US12/589,322
• Publication Number:
  US 20110027639A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,967 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 the cathode includes a first electrochemically active fluid layer that is disposed over and clings to a first microfeatured fluid-directing structure arranged to engage the electrolyte, wherein the anode includes a second electrochemically active fluid layer that is disposed over and clings to a second microfeatured fluid-directing structure arranged to engage the electrolyte, wherein at least one of the first microfeatured fluid-directing structure and the second microfeatured fluid-directing structure is configured to direct at least one of the first electrochemically active fluid layer according to a first predetermined flow pattern and the second electrochemically active fluid layer according to a second predetermined flow pattern, and wherein the electrolyte includes a reaction product of at least a portion of the cathode with at least a portion of the anode.

2. The electrochemical device of claim 1, wherein the first microfeatured fluid-directing structure is configured to direct the first electrochemically active fluid according to the first predetermined flow pattern.

3. The electrochemical device of claim 2, wherein the second microfeatured fluid-directing structure is configured to direct the second electrochemically active fluid according to the second predetermined flow pattern.

4. The electrochemical device of claim 1, wherein the first microfeatured fluid-directing structure is configured to retain the first electrochemically active fluid at a first predetermined location.

5. The electrochemical device of claim 4, wherein the second microfeatured fluid-directing structure is configured to retain the second electrochemically active fluid at a second predetermined location.

6. The electrochemical device of claim 1, wherein the first microfeatured fluid-directing structure includes a fluid channel.

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

8. The electrochemical device of claim 1, wherein the first microfeatured fluid-directing structure includes a plurality of fluid channels, and wherein at least two of the fluid channels are connected.

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

10. The electrochemical device of claim 1, wherein the first microfeatured fluid-directing structure includes fluid-directing structures configured to direct a plurality of fluids, each according to a predetermined flow pattern.

11. The electrochemical device of claim 1, wherein the first microfeatured fluid-directing structure is configured to vary spatially the contact between the first electrochemically active fluid layer and the electrolyte.

12. 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.

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

14. 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.

15. The electrochemical device of claim 14, wherein the electrolyte further includes a solid structure.

16. The electrochemical device of claim 14, wherein the ion-transport fluid is in contact with the first electrochemically active fluid layer at only one electrode.

17. The electrochemical device of claim 14, wherein the ion-transport fluid is in contact with both of the first and second electrochemically active fluid layers.

18. The electrochemical device of claim 14, wherein the ion-transport fluid is immiscible with the first electrochemically active fluid.

19. The electrochemical device of claim 14, wherein the ion-transport fluid is connected to an external reservoir.

20. The electrochemical device of claim 14, wherein the electrolyte is configured to remove heat by flow of the ion-transport fluid.

21. The electrochemical device of claim 1, wherein a reaction product of at least a portion of the cathode with at least a portion of the anode is intermixed with the first electrochemically active fluid.

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

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

24. The electrochemical device of claim 1, wherein the first electrochemically active fluid layer includes a thixotropic fluid.

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

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

27. 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.

28. 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.

29. 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.

30. The electrochemical device of claim 1, wherein the first electrochemically active fluid layer includes a dissolved gas.

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

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

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

34. The electrochemical device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first microfeatured fluid-directing structure and the second microfeatured fluid-directing structure directs, respectively, the first electrochemically active fluid according to a first predetermined flow pattern and the first electrochemically active fluid according to a first predetermined flow pattern during operation of the electrochemical device.

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

36. The electrochemical device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second microfeatured fluid-directing structures comprises a pattern of regions having different wetting properties with respect to the electrochemically active fluid.

37. The electrochemical device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second microfeatured fluid-directing structures comprises a plurality of fluid channels.

38. The electrochemical device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second microfeatured fluid-directing structures comprises a plurality of interconnected fluid channels.