Method and apparatus for liquefied gas solvent delivery for electrochemical devices

A fill setup for forming a liquefied gas electrolyte in an electrochemical device, the setup comprising:

• a salt inside the electrochemical device;
• a liquefied gas solvent source connected to a flow meter, wherein the liquefied gas solvent has a vapor pressure above an atmospheric pressure of 100 kPa at a room temperature of 293.15 K;
• the flow meter connected to the electrochemical device;
• a valve structure constructed to allow the liquefied gas solvent to flow from the liquefied gas solvent source to the electrochemical device;
• wherein the connection between the flow meter and electrochemical device comprises:
• a waste volume;
• a pressure sensor constructed to detect the pressure of the waste volume;
• and
• a temperature sensor constructed to detect the temperature of the waste volume;
• a controller connected to the flowmeter, valve structure, pressure sensor and temperature sensor, the controller adapted to perform the following steps:
• a. receiving a preset amount of the liquefied gas solvent to be delivered to the electrochemical device;
• b. actuating the valve structure to allow for the flow of the liquefied gas solvent to the electrochemical device;
• c. determining the amount of the liquefied gas solvent in the waste volume based on the pressure and temperature sensors;
• d. determining the amount of the liquefied gas solvent supplied based on the flow meter;
• e. actuating the valve structure to stop the flow of the liquefied gas solvent to the electrochemical device based on the preset amount in step (a), the amount in step (c) and the amount in step (d);
• wherein the liquefied gas solvent mixes with the salt inside the electrochemical device to form a liquefied gas electrolyte.

A method of forming a liquefied gas electrolyte in an electrochemical device, the method comprising:

• providing a fill setup comprising:
• a liquefied gas solvent source connected to a flow meter, wherein the liquefied gas solvent has a vapor pressure above an atmospheric pressure of 100 kPa at a room temperature of 293.15 K;
• the flow meter connected to the electrochemical device;
• a valve structure constructed to allow the liquefied gas solvent to flow from the liquefied gas solvent source to the electrochemical device;
• wherein the connection between the flow meter and electrochemical device comprises:
• a waste volume;
• a pressure sensor constructed to detect the pressure of the waste volume;
• and
• a temperature control element constructed to maintain the temperature of the waste volume at preset temperature;
• a. setting a preset amount of the liquefied gas solvent to be delivered to the electrochemical device;
• b. adding salt to the electrochemical device;
• c. actuating the valve structure to allow for the flow of the liquefied gas solvent to the electrochemical device, wherein the liquefied gas solvent mixes with the salt to form a liquefied gas electrolyte;
• d. determining the amount of the liquefied gas solvent in the waste volume based on the pressure sensor and the present temperature;
• e. determining the amount of the liquefied gas solvent supplied based on the flow meter;
• f. actuating the valve structure to stop the flow of the liquefied gas solvent to the electrochemical device based on the preset amount in step (a), the amount in step (d) and the amount in step (e).