Rechargeable carbon-oxygen battery

• US 9,780,424 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2013
• Issued: 10/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Christopher Ronald Graves
• Original Assignee: Danmarks Pã¦Dagogiske Universitet
• Inventors: Graves, Christopher Ronald, Mogensen, Mogens Bjerg
• Primary Examiner(s): WILLIAMS, ARUN C
• Application Number:
  US14/428,614
• Publication Number:
  US 20150222002A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,474 Days
• Field of Search: 320128
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 1/00 Electrolytic production of inorganic compounds or non-metals
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 1/02 Hydrogen or oxygen
• 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 2300/0074 Ion conductive at high temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/96 Carbon-based electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1233 with one of the reactants being liquid, solid or liquid-charged
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/2425 High-temperature cells with solid electrolytes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/2428 Grouping by arranging unit cells on a surface of any form, e.g. planar or tubular
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/243 Grouping of unit cells of tubular or cylindrical configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/2432 Grouping of unit cells of planar configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

The invention relates to a rechargeable battery and a method to operate a rechargeable battery having high efficiency and high energy density for storing energy. The battery stores electrical energy in the bonds of carbon and oxygen atoms by converting carbon dioxide into solid carbon and oxygen.

Claims

1. A rechargeable battery for storing electrical energy, said rechargeable battery comprising:

a stack of electrochemical cells configured to produce carbon monoxide gas when supplied with electricity and carbon dioxide gas;

a means for converting the carbon monoxide gas produced by the electrochemical cells into elemental carbon in its solid form; and

a means for storing the elemental carbon in its solid form;

wherein said rechargeable battery is configured to be charged by supplying electricity and carbon dioxide gas to said rechargeable battery; and

wherein said rechargeable battery is configured to be discharged by converting elemental carbon in its solid form to carbon dioxide gas, thereby generating electricity.

2. The rechargeable battery according to claim 1, wherein said means for converting is integrated in said rechargeable battery.

3. The rechargeable battery device according to claim 1, wherein said means for storing is integrated in said rechargeable battery.

4. The rechargeable battery according to claim 1, wherein said means for converting comprises said means for storing.

5. The rechargeable battery according to claim 1, wherein said means for storing is a carbon holder.

6. The rechargeable battery according to claim 1, wherein said means for storing comprises an interlayer between at least two electrochemical cells of said stack of electrochemical cells.

7. The rechargeable battery according to claim 1, wherein said means for storing comprises an electrode or an interconnect of the stack of electrochemical cells.

8. The rechargeable battery according to claim 1, wherein said means for converting is in thermal contact with said stack of electrochemical cells, such that heat transfer can occur between electrodes of the electrochemical cells and the means for converting.

9. The rechargeable battery according to claim 1, wherein each electrochemical cell in said stack of electrochemical cells comprises a solid state electrolyte layer.

10. A method of operating a rechargeable battery for storing electrical energy,

comprising:

providing a rechargeable battery comprising;

a stack of electrochemical cells configured to produce carbon monoxide gas when supplied with electricity and carbon dioxide gas;

a means for converting the carbon monoxide gas into elemental carbon in its solid form; and

a means for storing the elemental carbon in its solid form;

charging said rechargeable battery by feeding electricity and carbon dioxide gas to said rechargeable battery, thereby producing elemental carbon in its solid form that is stored in the means for storing; and

discharging said rechargeable battery by transforming at elemental carbon in its solid form that is stored in the means for holding or externally supplied into carbon dioxide gas.

11. The method of operating said rechargeable battery according to claim 10, wherein said discharging comprises:

feeding gas to said means for converting and storing; and

operating said stack of electrochemical cells in a second mode, thereby producing electricity.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the gas comprises air or oxygen.

13. A rechargeable battery comprising:

a stack of electrochemical cells, each cell comprising a porous positive electrode separated from a porous negative electrode by a layer of electrolyte, and a holder comprising a reaction chamber with surfaces configured to catalyze the Boudouard reaction;

a first port in fluid connection with the porous negative electrode of each cell of the stack of electrochemical cells;

a second port in fluid connection with the porous positive electrode of each cell of the stack of electrochemical cells;

wherein the rechargeable battery is configured to be charged by supplying electricity to the positive and negative electrodes of the stack of electromechanical cells and supplying carbon dioxide gas to the first port, whereby the carbon dioxide gas is converted to carbon monoxide gas in the stack of electrochemical cells, whereby the carbon monoxide gas is converted to solid elemental carbon in the holder.

14. The rechargeable battery according to claim 13, wherein the rechargeable battery is configured to be discharged by supplying air or oxygen gas to the second port, whereby the solid carbon in the holder is gasified into a blend of carbon monoxide gas and carbon dioxide, and whereby the carbon monoxide gas is converted into carbon dioxide in the stack of electrochemical cells thereby producing electricity.

15. The rechargeable battery according to claim 14, wherein the holder is in thermal communication with the stack of electrochemical cells, such that:

during charging of the rechargeable battery heat produced in the holder during the conversion of carbon monoxide gas to solid elemental carbon is supplied to the stack of electrochemical cells;

during discharge of the rechargeable battery, heat produced in the stack of electrochemical cells during the conversion of carbon monoxide gas to carbon dioxide is supplied to the holder.

16. The rechargeable battery according to claim 15, wherein the holder comprises a removable cartridge.

17. The rechargeable battery according to claim 15, wherein the holder comprises a plurality of layers positioned between the cells of the stack of electrochemical cells.