Ultracapacitor for use at high temperatures

• US 10,475,595 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2017
• Issued: 11/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera AVX Components Corporation (Kyocera Corporation)
• Original Assignee: AVX Corporation (Kyocera Corporation)
• Inventors: Knopsnyder, Jonathan Robert, Hansen, Shawn, Ritter, Andrew P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ha, Nguyen T
• Application Number:
  US15/598,885
• Publication Number:
  US 20170338055A1
• Time in Patent Office: 908 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 11/18 against thermal overloads, e.g. heating, cooling or ventilating
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 11/24 characterised by structural features of the materials making up or comprised in the electrodes, e.g. form, surface area or porosity; characterised by the structural features of powders or particles used therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 11/32 Carbon-based
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 11/60 characterised by the solvent
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 11/68 characterised by their material
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 11/82 Fixing or assembling a capacitive element in a housing, e.g. mounting electrodes, current collectors or terminals in containers or encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 9/0003 Protection against electric or thermal overload; cooling arrangements; means for avoiding the formation of cathode films H01G9/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 9/08 Housing; Encapsulation
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 9/15 Solid electrolytic capacitors H01G11/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/13 Energy storage using capacitors

Abstract

An ultracapacitor that is in contact with a hot atmosphere having a temperature of about 80° C. or more is provided. The ultracapacitor contains a first electrode, second electrode, separator, nonaqueous electrolyte, and housing is provided. The first electrode comprises a first current collector electrically coupled to a first carbonaceous coating and the second electrode comprises a second current collector electrically coupled to a second carbonaceous coating. The capacitor exhibits a capacitance value within the hot atmosphere of about 6 Farads per cubic centimeter or more as determined at a frequency of 120 Hz and without an applied voltage.

Claims

1. An ultracapacitor comprising:

a first electrode that comprises a first current collector electrically coupled to a first carbonaceous coating;

a second electrode that comprises a second current collector electrically coupled to a second carbonaceous coating, wherein the first current collector and the second current collector each contain a substrate that includes a conductive metal;

a separator positioned between the first electrode and the second electrode;

a nonaqueous electrolyte that is in ionic contact with the first electrode and the second electrode; and

a housing within which the first electrode, the second electrode, the separator, and the electrolyte are retained;

wherein the capacitor exhibits a capacitance value of about 6 Farads per cubic centimeter or more, as determined in a hot atmosphere having a temperature of 85°

C. at a frequency of 120 Hz and without an applied voltage, further wherein the ratio of the capacitance value of the ultracapacitor after being exposed to the hot atmosphere for 1008 hours to the capacitance value of the ultracapacitor when initially exposed to the hot atmosphere is about 0.75 or more.

2. The ultracapacitor of claim 1, wherein the ratio of the capacitance value of the ultracapacitor after being exposed to the hot atmosphere and an applied voltage of about 1 volt or more to the initial capacitance value of the ultracapacitor when exposed to the hot atmosphere but prior to being applied with the applied voltage is about 0.60 or more.

3. The ultracapacitor of claim 1, wherein the ratio of the capacitance value of the ultracapacitor after being exposed to the hot atmosphere and a humidity level of about 40% or more to the initial capacitance value of the ultracapacitor when exposed to the hot atmosphere but prior to being exposed to the humidity level is about 0.7 or more.

4. The ultracapacitor of claim 1, wherein the ultracapacitor has an ESR of about 150 mohms or less as determined in the hot atmosphere at a frequency of 1 kHz and without an applied voltage.

5. The ultracapacitor of claim 1, wherein the ratio of the ESR of the ultracapacitor after being exposed to the hot atmosphere for 1008 hours to the ESR of the ultracapacitor when initially exposed to the hot atmosphere is about 1.5 or less.

6. The ultracapacitor of claim 1, wherein the ratio of the ESR of the ultracapacitor after being exposed to the hot atmosphere and an applied voltage of about 1 volt or more to the initial ESR of the ultracapacitor when exposed to the hot atmosphere but prior to being applied with the applied voltage is about 1.8 or less.

7. The ultracapacitor of claim 1, wherein the ratio of the ESR of the ultracapacitor after being exposed to the hot atmosphere and a humidity level of about 40% or more to the initial ESR of the ultracapacitor when exposed to the hot atmosphere but prior to being exposed to the humidity level is about 1.5 or less.

8. The ultracapacitor of claim 1, wherein the conductive metal is aluminum or an alloy thereof.

9. The ultracapacitor of claim 1, wherein a plurality of fiber-like whiskers project outwardly from the substrate of the first current collector, the substrate of the second current collector, or both.

10. The ultracapacitor of claim 9, wherein the whiskers contain a carbide of the conductive metal.

11. The ultracapacitor of claim 1, wherein the first carbonaceous coating, the second carbonaceous coating, or both contain activated carbon particles.

12. The ultracapacitor of claim 11, wherein at least 50% by volume of the activated carbon particles have a size of from about 0.01 to about 30 micrometers.

13. The ultracapacitor of claim 11, wherein the activated carbon particles contain a plurality of pores, wherein the amount of pores having a size of about 2 nanometers or less is about 50 vol. % or less of the total pore volume, the amount of pores having a size of from about 2 nanometers to about 50 nanometers is about 20 vol. % to about 80 vol. % of the total pore volume, and the amount of pores having a size of about 50 nanometers or more is from about 1 vol. % to about 50 vol. % of the total pore volume.

14. The ultracapacitor of claim 1, wherein the nonaqueous electrolyte contains an ionic liquid that is dissolved in a nonaqueous solvent, wherein the ionic liquid contains a cationic species and a counterion.

15. The ultracapacitor of claim 14, wherein the nonaqueous solvent includes propylene carbonate.

16. The ultracapacitor of claim 14, wherein the cationic species includes an organoquaternary ammonium compound.

17. The ultracapacitor of claim 16, wherein the organoquaternary ammonium compound has the following structure:

18. The ultracapacitor of claim 14, wherein the ionic liquid is present at a concentration of about 1.0 M or more.

19. The ultracapacitor of claim 1, wherein the separator includes a cellulosic fibrous material.

20. The ultracapacitor of claim 1, wherein the housing contains a flexible package.

21. The ultracapacitor of claim 20, wherein the flexible package contains a barrier layer that includes a metal.

22. The ultracapacitor of claim 21, wherein the flexible package further contains an outer layer, wherein the barrier layer is positioned between the outer layer and the electrodes.

23. The ultracapacitor of claim 22, wherein the outer layer contains a film that includes a polyolefin, polyester, or a combination thereof.

24. The ultracapacitor of claim 22, wherein the flexible package further comprises an inner layer, wherein the inner layer is positioned between the barrier layer and the electrodes.

25. The ultracapacitor of claim 24, wherein the inner layer contains an ionomer.

26. The ultracapacitor of claim 1, wherein the housing contains a metal container.

27. The ultracapacitor of claim 26, wherein the metal container has a cylindrical shape.

28. The ultracapacitor of claim 1, wherein the first electrode, the second electrode, and the separator are wound into an electrode assembly having a jellyroll configuration.

29. The ultracapacitor of claim 1, wherein the hot atmosphere has a temperature of 105°

C.

30. An ultracapacitor comprising:

a first electrode that comprises a first current collector electrically coupled to a first carbonaceous coating;

a second electrode that comprises a second current collector electrically coupled to a second carbonaceous coating, wherein the first current collector and the second current collector each contain a substrate that includes a conductive metal;

a separator positioned between the first electrode and the second electrode;

a nonaqueous electrolyte that is in ionic contact with the first electrode and the second electrode; and

a housing within which the first electrode, the second electrode, the separator, and the electrolyte are retained;

wherein the capacitor exhibits a capacitance value of about 6 Farads per cubic centimeter or more, as determined in a hot atmosphere having a temperature of 85°

C. at a frequency of 120 Hz and without an applied voltage, further wherein the ratio of the ESR of the ultracapacitor after being exposed to the hot atmosphere and an applied voltage of about 1 volt or more to the initial ESR of the ultracapacitor when exposed to the hot atmosphere but prior to being applied with the applied voltage is about 1.8 or less.

31. The ultracapacitor of claim 30, wherein the ratio of the capacitance value of the ultracapacitor after being exposed to the hot atmosphere for 1008 hours to the capacitance value of the ultracapacitor when initially exposed to the hot atmosphere is about 0.75 or more.

32. The ultracapacitor of claim 30, wherein the ratio of the capacitance value of the ultracapacitor after being exposed to the hot atmosphere and an applied voltage of about 1 volt or more to the initial capacitance value of the ultracapacitor when exposed to the hot atmosphere but prior to being applied with the applied voltage is about 0.60 or more.

33. The ultracapacitor of claim 30, wherein the ratio of the capacitance value of the ultracapacitor after being exposed to the hot atmosphere and a humidity level of about 40% or more to the initial capacitance value of the ultracapacitor when exposed to the hot atmosphere but prior to being exposed to the humidity level is about 0.7 or more.

34. The ultracapacitor of claim 30, wherein the ultracapacitor has an ESR of about 150 mohms or less as determined in the hot atmosphere at a frequency of 1 kHz and without an applied voltage.

35. The ultracapacitor of claim 30, wherein the ratio of the ESR of the ultracapacitor after being exposed to the hot atmosphere for 1008 hours to the ESR of the ultracapacitor when initially exposed to the hot atmosphere is about 1.5 or less.

36. The ultracapacitor of claim 30, wherein the ratio of the ESR of the ultracapacitor after being exposed to the hot atmosphere and a humidity level of about 40% or more to the initial ESR of the ultracapacitor when exposed to the hot atmosphere but prior to being exposed to the humidity level is about 1.5 or less.

37. The ultracapacitor of claim 30, wherein the hot atmosphere has a temperature of 105°

C.