# US 12,191,457 B2 · Apparatus, system and method for dendrite and roughness suppression in electrochemical structures

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- Number: US 12,191,457 B2
- Document ID: US12191457B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/493,295
- Filed: 2021-10-04
- Published: 2022-01-27
- Granted: 2025-01-07
- Earliest claimed: 2016-07-13
- Assignees: Iontra Inc
- Applicants: Iontra Inc
- Inventors: Daniel A. Konopka; Reuben Sarkar
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12191457B2

## CPC

- H01M 10/4235: {Safety or regulating additives or arrangements in electrodes, separators or electrolyte (H01M10/4242 takes precedence)}
- H01M 4/628: {Inhibitors, e.g. gassing inhibitors, corrosion inhibitors}
- H01M 10/44: Methods for charging or discharging (circuits for charging H02J7/00)
- H02J 7/02: for charging batteries from AC mains by converters
- H02J 7/04: Regulation of charging current or voltage
- H02J 7/875: {Charging or discharging for charge maintenance, battery initiation or rejuvenation}
- H02J 7/92: with prioritisation of loads or sources
- H02J 7/927: {with introduction of pulses during the charging process}
- H01M 4/587: for inserting or intercalating light metals
- H01M 10/052: Li-accumulators
- H01M 10/0525: Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries
- Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries
- H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

A method, and associated batteries and battery charging units, that involve inducing electric and/or magnetic fields (field-induced current) across an electrode of a electrochemical cell, such as an anode of a battery. The field and current across the electrode may be referred to herein as a transverse current as this current is typically transverse to the ionic charge current that may be applied when charging a battery. The field and current may be induced from connecting AC energy, e.g., AC current, across the electrode or at a discrete point or points of the electrode. The induced field and current may suppress dendrite growth, experienced in conventional batteries without AC energy, among other advantages.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method comprising:
in a battery including a first electrode and a second electrode, applying a direct current (DC) bias to one of the first electrode and the second electrode; and
applying an alternating current (AC) electrical waveform to at least one of the first electrode or the second electrode of the battery comprising a plurality of layers, the AC electrical waveform inducing an electrodynamic effect in at least one layer of the battery.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the direct current bias (DC) bias comprises a charge current.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2 wherein charge current comprises at least one of a controlled current or a controlled voltage.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein applying the direct current (DC) bias to one of the first electrode and the second electrode occurs while applying the alternating current (AC) electrical waveform to at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the electrodynamic effect comprises an electrokinetic effect.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the first electrode is an anode, and the DC bias and the AC electrical waveform are applied to the anode.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the second electrode is the cathode, and the DC bias and the AC electrical waveform are applied to the cathode.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one layer of the battery comprises an interphase layer.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8 wherein the electrodynamic effect on the interphase layer comprises reducing a growth of one or more dendrites within the interphase layer.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8 wherein the interphase layer is a solid electrolyte interphase layer.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the electrodynamic effect comprises dissolving a deposit of metal in an electrolyte layer of the battery, the deposit of metal not in conductive electrical communication with the first electrode or the second electrode of the battery.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the induced electrodynamic effect comprises shifting a plurality of high current density areas and a plurality of low current density areas on a surface of at least one of the first electrode or the second electrode.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the AC electrical waveform is applied to the at least one of the first electrode or the second electrode of the battery through a single point of contact with the respective first electrode or the second electrode.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the AC electrical waveform is applied to the at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode of the battery cell through radiation of the AC electrical waveform.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the first electrode comprises graphite and the electrodynamic effect comprises inducing whetting of the graphite first electrode.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the AC electrical waveform comprises one of a continuous wave, a pulsed wave, a continuously changing wave, or a sinusoidal wave.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the electrodynamic effect comprises localized current densities and potential gradients on the at least one of the first electrode or the second electrode of the battery.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the battery comprises one of a lithium ion battery, a lithium metal battery, a lithium silicon battery, a zinc battery, a nickel battery, or a lead acid battery.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the battery comprises a plurality of layers comprising a dielectric layer adjacent the first electrode or the second electrode and a patterned layer configured to alter a potential and charge distribution at an electrode interface.

### Claim 20 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the electrodynamic effect comprises suppressing and dissolving one or more dendrites on a surface of the first electrode or the second electrode.

### Claim 21 (depends on 1)

The charging method of claim 1 wherein the application of AC energy to at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode suppresses surface irregularities.