Instrumented fluid-surfaced electrode

• US 20110027621A1
• Filed: 06/17/2010
• Published: 02/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Enterprise Science Fund, LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Ishikawa, Muriel Y., Myhrvold, Nathan P., Tegreene, Clarence T., Hillis, W. Daniel, Jung, Edward K.Y., Whitmer, Charles, Gates, William, Ferren, Bran, Wood, Lowell L. JR., Hyde, Roderick A., Deane, Geoffrey F., Weaver, Thomas Allan, Kare, Jordin T., Tuckerman, David B., Wood, Victoria Y.H.
• Granted Patent: US 8,889,312 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/7
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4235 Safety or regulating additives or arrangements in electrodes, separators or electrolyte H01M10/4242 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/425 Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing printed circuits H05K1/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4264 with capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

An electrochemical device (such as a battery) includes at least one electrode having a fluid surface and one or more sensors configured to detect an operating condition of the device. Fluid-directing structures may modulate flow or retain fluid in response to the sensors. An electrolyte within the device may also include an ion-transport fluid, for example infiltrated into a porous solid support.

Claims

1-35. -35. (canceled)

36. An electrochemical device, comprising:

two electrodes;

an electrolyte 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 another of the electrodes, wherein at least one of the electrodes is a fluid-surfaced electrode including an electrochemically active fluid layer and a solid support, a surface of the electrochemically active fluid layer being in contact with the electrolyte; and

a first sensor configured to detect an operating condition of the electrochemical device,

wherein the solid support includes a electrical control region separating two electrically distinct regions.

37. The electrochemical device of claim 36, wherein the electric control region includes a passive element.

38. The electrochemical device of claim 36, wherein the electric control region includes an active element.

39. The electrochemical device of claim 36, wherein the electric control region includes an element selected from the group consisting of a resistor, a capacitor, an inductor, a diode, a transistor, an integrated circuit, a switch, and a memory.

50. The electrochemical device of claim 36, wherein the first sensor is configured to detect an operating condition of the electrochemical device in proximity to the surface of the electrochemically active fluid layer in contact with the electrolyte.

51. The electrochemical device of claim 36, further comprising a controller configured to respond to a signal from the first sensor by modifying an operating parameter of the electrochemical device.

52. The electrochemical device of claim 51, wherein the controller includes a memory.

53. The electrochemical device of claim 51, wherein the controller includes a transmitter.

54. The electrochemical device of claim 51, wherein the controller is configured to respond to a history of signals from the first sensor by modifying the operating parameter of the electrochemical device.

55. The electrochemical device of claim 36, further comprising a second sensor configured to detect an operating condition of the electrochemical device.

56. The electrochemical device of claim 55, wherein the first and second sensors are configured to detect different operating conditions.

57. The electrochemical device of claim 55, wherein the first and second sensors are configured to detect the same operating condition.

58. The electrochemical device of claim 57, wherein the first and second sensors are configured to detect the operating condition at different locations within the device.

59. The electrochemical device of claim 36, wherein the operating condition is a condition of the electrochemically active fluid layer selected from the group consisting of chemical composition, chemical activity, ion density, density, temperature, flow velocity, flow direction, viscosity, and surface tension.

60. The electrochemical device of claim 36, wherein the operating condition is selected from the group consisting of temperature, magnetic field magnitude, magnetic field direction, electrochemical potential, current, current density, and distance between two surfaces of the device.

61. The electrochemical device of claim 36, wherein the operating condition is a position of a portion of a surface of the electrochemically active fluid layer.

62. The electrochemical device of claim 36, wherein the operating condition is a gradient of a condition of the electrochemically active fluid layer selected from the group consisting of chemical composition, ion density, density, temperature, flow velocity, flow direction, viscosity, and surface tension.

63. The electrochemical device of claim 36, wherein the operating condition is a gradient of a condition selected from the group consisting of temperature, magnetic field magnitude, magnetic field direction, electrochemical potential, current, and distance between two surfaces of the device.

64. The electrochemical device of claim 36, wherein the operating condition is a local slope of a surface of the electrochemically active fluid layer relative to a component of the device.

65. The electrochemical device of claim 36, wherein the electrochemically active fluid layer is configured to cling to the solid support by a surface energy effect.

66. The electrochemical device of claim 36, wherein the solid support includes a fluid-directing structure.

67. The electrochemical device of claim 66, wherein the fluid-directing structure is configured to adjust a flow parameter of the electrochemically active fluid layer in response to an operating condition detected by the first sensor.

68. The electrochemical device of claim 36, wherein the electrolyte is further arranged to conduct an ionic current from the second electrolyte surface to the first electrolyte surface.

69. The electrochemical device of claim 36, wherein the solid support includes a solid surface impervious to the electrochemically active fluid.

70. The electrochemical device of claim 36, wherein the electrolyte includes an ion-transport fluid through which an ion can move to produce the ionic current.

71. The electrochemical device of claim 36, wherein the electrochemically active fluid layer includes a liquid metal, an ionic fluid, a finely dispersed metal, a finely dispersed semi-metal, a finely dispersed semiconductor, or a finely dispersed dielectric.

40-49. -49. (canceled)