High energy density redox flow device

• US 9,614,231 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2011
• Issued: 04/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: 24M Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Carter, W. Craig, Chiang, Yet-Ming, Duduta, Mihai, Limthongkul, Pimpa
• Primary Examiner(s): Conley, Helen O
• Application Number:
  US14/002,304
• Publication Number:
  US 20140154546A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,936 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/64 Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0206 Metals or alloys
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0215 Glass; Ceramic materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0221 Organic resins; Organic polymers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0228 in the form of layered or coated products
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0234 Carbonaceous material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/188 by recharging of redox couples containing fluids; Redox flow type batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/20 Indirect fuel cells, e.g. fuel cells with redox couple being irreversible H01M8/18 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

Redox flow devices are described including a positive electrode current collector, a negative electrode current collector, and an ion-permeable membrane separating said positive and negative current collectors, positioned and arranged to define a positive electroactive zone and a negative electroactive zone; wherein at least one of said positive and negative electroactive zone comprises a flowable semi-solid composition comprising ion storage compound particles capable of taking up or releasing said ions during operation of the cell, and wherein the ion storage compound particles have a polydisperse size distribution in which the finest particles present in at least 5 vol % of the total volume, is at least a factor of 5 smaller than the largest particles present in at least 5 vol % of the total volume.

Claims

1. An electrochemical cell comprising:

an anode;

a cathode; and

an ion-permeable membrane disposed between the anode and the cathode;

wherein at least one of the anode and the cathode includes an electrode composition comprising ion storage compound particles capable of taking up or releasing ions, and 0.5% to 10% by volume of electronically conductive particles disposed in a liquid electrolyte, the ion storage compound particles having a polydisperse size distribution and a particle packing fraction of at least 50 vol %.

2. The electrochemical cell of claim 1, wherein the electronically conductive particles form a percolating network in the electrode composition.

3. The electrochemical cell of claim 1, wherein the electrode composition is a semi-solid composition.

4. The electrochemical cell of claim 1, wherein the liquid electrolyte is a non-aqueous liquid electrolyte.

5. The electrochemical cell of claim 1, wherein the particle packing fraction is at least 70 vol %.

6. The electrochemical cell of claim 1, wherein the ion storage compound particles have a polydisperse size distribution in which the finest particles present in at least 5 vol % of the total volume, is at least a factor of 5 smaller than the largest particles present in at least 5 vol % of the total volume.

7. The electrochemical cell of claim 1, wherein the electronically conductive particles comprise a conductive inorganic compound selected from the group consisting of metals, metal carbides, metal nitrides, metal oxides, and allotropes of carbon including carbon black, graphitic carbon, carbon fibers, carbon microfibers, vapor-grown carbon fibers (VGCF), fullerenic carbons including “

buckyballs”

, carbon nanotubes (CNTs), multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWNTs), single wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs), graphene sheets or aggregates of graphene sheets, and materials comprising fullerenic fragments and mixtures thereof.

8. The electrochemical cell of claim 1, wherein the volume percentage of the ion storage compound is between 5% and 70%.

9. The electrochemical cell of claim 1, wherein the electrode composition comprises 0.5% to 5% by volume of the electronically conductive particles.

10. An electrochemical cell comprising:

an anode;

a cathode; and

an ion-permeable membrane disposed between the anode and the cathode;

wherein at least one of the anode and the cathode includes a semi-solid electrode composition comprising ion storage compound particles capable of taking up or releasing ions, and 0.5% to 10% by volume of electronically conductive particles disposed in a liquid electrolyte, the ion storage compound particles having a polydisperse size distribution and a particle packing fraction of at least 50 vol %.

11. The electrochemical cell of claim 10, wherein the particle packing fraction is at least 70 vol %.

12. The electrochemical cell of claim 10, wherein the ion storage compound particles have a polydisperse size distribution in which the finest particles present in at least 5 vol % of the total volume, is at least a factor of 5 smaller than the largest particles present in at least 5 vol % of the total volume.

13. The electrochemical cell of claim 10, wherein the volume percentage of the ion storage compound is between 5% and 70%.

14. The electrochemical cell of claim 10, wherein the electronically conductive particles form a percolating network in the electrode composition.

15. The electrochemical cell of claim 10, wherein the electronically conductive particles comprise a conductive inorganic compound selected from the group consisting of metals, metal carbides, metal nitrides, metal oxides, and allotropes of carbon including carbon black, graphitic carbon, carbon fibers, carbon microfibers, vapor-grown carbon fibers (VGCF), fullerenic carbons including “

buckyballs”

, carbon nanotubes (CNTs), multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWNTs), single wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs), graphene sheets or aggregates of graphene sheets, and materials comprising fullerenic fragments and mixtures thereof.

16. An electrochemical cell comprising:

an anode;

a cathode; and

an ion-permeable membrane disposed between the anode and the cathode;

wherein at least one of the anode and the cathode includes an electrode composition comprising a suspension of ion storage compound particles capable of taking up or releasing ions, and 0.5% to 10% by volume of electronically conductive particles disposed in a liquid electrolyte, the ion storage compound particles having a polydisperse size distribution and a particle packing fraction of at least 50 vol %.

17. The electrochemical cell of claim 16, wherein the ion storage compound particles have a particle packing fraction of at least 70 vol %.

18. The electrochemical cell of claim 16, wherein the electrode composition comprises a semi-solid composition.

19. The electrochemical cell of claim 16, wherein the liquid electrolyte is a non-aqueous liquid electrolyte.

20. The electrochemical cell of claim 16, wherein the electronically conductive particles form a percolating network in the electrode composition.

21. The electrochemical cell of claim 16, wherein the electronically conductive particles comprise a conductive inorganic compound selected from the group consisting of metals, metal carbides, metal nitrides, metal oxides, and allotropes of carbon including carbon black, graphitic carbon, carbon fibers, carbon microfibers, vapor-grown carbon fibers (VGCF), fullerenic carbons including “

buckyballs”

, carbon nanotubes (CNTs), multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWNTs), single wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs), graphene sheets or aggregates of graphene sheets, and materials comprising fullerenic fragments and mixtures thereof.

22. The electrochemical cell of claim 16, wherein the ion storage compound particles have a polydisperse size distribution in which the finest particles present in at least 5 vol % of the total volume, is at least a factor of 5 smaller than the largest particles present in at least 5 vol % of the total volume.