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US 12,463,231 B2Granted
Flow-through electrochemical cell
AssigneePaul Sinclair
InventorPaul Lincoln Sinclair
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present disclosure provides a flow-through rechargeable electrochemical cell including a container housing a cathode and an anode; a closed loop fluidly connected to the container; a fluid electrolyte in the container and closed loop and including a working ion; and a pump configured to cause the fluid electrolyte to flow through the closed loop, the porous cathode, and the porous anode in a first direction during discharge of the electrochemical cell. The present disclosure further includes a flow-through rechargeable battery including multiple electrochemical cells, a closed loop, and a pump.
Claims46
A flow-through rechargeable electrochemical cell comprising:
- a container housing a porous cathode comprising a high-porosity cathode base material coated with a cathode active material to form a cathode active material surface and a porous anode comprising a high porosity anode base material coated with an anode active material to form an anode active material surface;
- a closed loop fluidly connected to the container;
- a fluid electrolyte in the container and closed loop and comprising a working ion;
- a pump configured to cause the fluid electrolyte to flow through the closed loop, the porous cathode, and the porous anode during discharge of the electrochemical cell;
- wherein a plurality of pores of the porous cathode comprise straight channels with a single cross-sectional geometric shape and have a length equal to the width of the porous cathode in a direction perpendicular to the cross-sectional plane of the plurality of pores of the porous cathode;
- wherein a plurality of pores of the porous anode comprise straight channels with a single cross-sectional geometric shape and have a length equal to the width of the porous anode in a direction perpendicular to the cross-sectional plane of the plurality of pores of the porous anode;
- wherein flow of the electrolyte through the plurality of pores of the porous cathode and in contact with an electrode is parallel to the cathode active material surface for a length of the plurality of pores of the porous cathode and
- wherein flow of the electrolyte through the plurality of pores of the porous anode and in contact with an electrode is parallel to the anode active material surface for a length of the plurality of pores of the porous anode.
5 more elements
A flow-through rechargeable battery comprising:
- a plurality of electrochemical cells each comprising:
- a container housing a porous cathode comprising a high-porosity cathode base material coated with a cathode active material to form a cathode active material surface and a porous anode comprising a high porosity anode base material coated with an anode active material to form an anode active material surface;
- wherein a plurality of pores of the porous cathode comprise channels with a single cross-sectional geometric shape and have a length equal to the width of the porous cathode in a direction perpendicular to the cross-sectional plane of the plurality of pores of the porous cathode;
- wherein a plurality of pores of the porous anode comprise channels with a single cross-sectional geometric shape and have a length equal to the width of the porous anode in a direction perpendicular to the cross-sectional plane of the plurality of pores of the porous anode;
- and
- a fluid electrolyte comprising a working ion;
- a closed loop fluidly connected to containers of the electrochemical cells and containing the fluid electrolyte;
- and
- a pump configured to cause the fluid electrolyte to flow through the closed loop and the electrochemical cells during discharge of the battery;
- wherein flow of the electrolyte through the plurality of pores of the porous cathode and in contact with an electrode is parallel to the cathode active material surface for a length of the plurality of pores of the porous cathode and
- wherein flow of the electrolyte through the plurality of pores of the porous anode and in contact with an electrode is parallel to the anode active material surface for a length of the plane of the pore of the porous anode.
8 more elements
A flow-through rechargeable electrochemical cell comprising:
- a container housing a porous cathode comprising a high-porosity cathode base material coated with a cathode active material to form a cathode active material surface and a porous anode comprising a high porosity anode base material coated with an anode active material to form an anode active material surface;
- a closed loop fluidly connected to the container;
- a fluid electrolyte in the container and closed loop and comprising a working ion;
- a pump configured to cause the fluid electrolyte to flow through the closed loop, the porous cathode, and the porous anode during discharge of the electrochemical cell;
- wherein a plurality of pores of the porous cathode comprise straight channels with a single cross-sectional geometric shape and have a length equal to the width of the porous cathode in a direction perpendicular to the cross-sectional plane of the plurality of pores of the porous cathode;
- wherein a plurality of pores of the porous anode comprise straight channels with a single cross-sectional geometric shape and have a length equal to the width of the porous anode in a direction perpendicular to the cross-sectional plane of the plurality of pores of the porous anode;
- and
- wherein flow of the electrolyte through the porous cathode and the porous anode is laminar flow.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.