# US 2019/0245253 A1 · Moisture and carbon dioxide management system in electrochemical cells > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0245253 A1 - Document ID: US20190245253A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/318,513 - Filed: 2017-07-24 - Published: 2019-08-08 - Earliest claimed: 2016-07-22 - Assignees: Nantenergy, Inc. - Applicants: Nantenergy, Inc. - Inventors: Ramkumar KRISHNAN; Joel HAYES; Shawn FINK; Scott KLUG; Patrick SAMUELSON - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190245253A1 ## CPC - H01M 12/02: Details (of electrodes H01M4/00; of non-active parts H01M50/00) - H01M 4/38: of elements or alloys - H01M 8/04014: Heat exchange using gaseous fluids; Heat exchange by combustion of reactants - H01M 8/04037: {Electrical heating} - H01M 8/04097: {with recycling of the reactants (H01M8/04119, H01M8/04104 take precedence)} - H01M 8/04104: {Regulation of differential pressures} - H01M 8/04141: {by water containing exhaust gases} - H01M 8/04149: {by diffusion, e.g. making use of membranes} - H01M 8/04179: {by purging or increasing flow or pressure of reactants} - H01M 8/0668: Removal of carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide - H01M 12/06: with one metallic and one gaseous electrode - H01M 12/08: composed of a half-cell of a fuel-cell type and a half-cell of the secondary-cell type - Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries - Y02E 60/50: Fuel cells - H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract An electrochemical cell utilizes an air flow device that draws air through the cell from a scrubber that may be removed while the system is operating. The negative pressure generated by the air flow device allows ambient air to enter the cell housing when the scrubber is removed, thereby enabling continued operation without the scrubber. A moisture management system passes outflow air from the cell through a humidity exchange module that transfers moisture to the air inflow, thereby increasing the humidity of the air inflow. A recirculation feature comprising a valve allow a controller to recirculate at least a portion of the outflow air back into the inflow air. The system may comprise an inflow bypass conduit and valve that allows the humidified inflow air to pass into the cell inlet without passing through the scrubber. The scrubber may contain reversible or irreversible scrubber media. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An electrochemical cell comprising: a) a cell housing comprising: i) an air chamber; ii) an air chamber inflow port; iii) an air chamber outlet; iv) an electrolyte chamber for retaining a volume of an electrolyte; v) an oxidant reduction electrode for reducing a gaseous oxidant configured between the air chamber and the electrolyte chamber, vi) a fuel electrode; wherein a fuel is reacted at the fuel electrode and wherein the fuel electrode is positioned apart from the oxidant reduction electrode, thereby defining a gap, and wherein said electrolyte is in the gap; b) a scrubber module comprising an enclosure comprising: i) a scrubber media; ii) a scrubber inlet port configured to couple with an inlet air outflow port; and iii) a scrubber outlet port configured to couple with the air chamber inflow port; wherein the scrubber module is detachably attachable to said cell housing, and whereby the electrochemical cell operates when the scrubber is removed. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The electrochemical cell of claim 1, wherein the electrolyte is an ionically conductive liquid electrolyte. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The electrochemical cell of claim 2, wherein the fuel electrode comprises a metal fuel and is configured at least partially within the electrolyte wherein the fuel electrode is positioned apart from the oxidant reduction electrode, thereby defining a gap, and wherein said ionically conductive liquid electrolyte is in the gap. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The electrochemical cell of claim 1, wherein a flow of air entering the cell housing through the air chamber inflow port and from the scrubber has less carbon dioxide than a flow of air entering the scrubber through the outflow port from the cell housing. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The electrochemical cell of claim 1, wherein the scrubber media is irreversible scrubber media. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The electrochemical cell of claim 5, wherein the irreversible scrubber media is selected from the group of consisting of: soda lime, sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, and lithium hydroxide, lithium peroxide, calcium oxide, calcium carbonate, serpentinite, magnesium silicate, magnesium hydroxide, olivine, molecular sieves, amines, and monoethanolamine, and/or derivatives and/or combinations thereof. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The electrochemical cell of claim 1, wherein the scrubber media comprises a reversible scrubber media. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The electrochemical cell of claim 7, wherein the reversible scrubber media comprises amine groups. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The electrochemical cell of claim 1, wherein the scrubber comprises a heating element. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The electrochemical cell of claim 9, wherein the heating element is a passive heating element that directs heat from the electrochemical cell to the scrubber media. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The electrochemical cell of claim 9, wherein the heating element comprises an electric heating element that is controlled by a control system comprising a microprocessor. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The electrochemical cell of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a humidity exchange module comprising: a) a humidity exchange membrane configured between the inlet airflow to the cell housing and an exhaust airflow received from the air chamber; wherein the humidity exchange membrane comprises an inflow side exposed to the inlet airflow and an outflow side exposed to the exhaust airflow; and wherein the exhaust airflow comprises moisture and wherein said moisture is transferred through said humidity exchange membrane to the inlet airflow. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The electrochemical cell of claim 12, wherein the humidity exchange membrane comprises an ionically conductive polymer. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The electrochemical cell of claim 12, wherein the humidity exchange membrane comprises a perfluorosulfonic acid polymer. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The electrochemical cell of claim 12, wherein the inlet airflow flows into the scrubber module after passing through the humidity exchange module. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The electrochemical cell of claim 1, further comprising a recirculation feature that transfers a portion of exhaust airflow to the inlet airflow, whereby at least a portion of an exhaust airflow from said air chamber is transferred through said recirculation feature into the inlet airflow. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The electrochemical cell of claim 12, further comprising a recirculation feature that transfers a portion of exhaust airflow to the inlet airflow. whereby at least a portion of an exhaust airflow from said air chamber is transferred through said recirculation feature into the inlet airflow. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The electrochemical cell of claim 17, wherein the recirculation feature is a valve and wherein the valve is controlled by the control system. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The electrochemical cell of claim 17, wherein the recirculation feature is a baffle and wherein the baffle is passively controlled by a pressure differential between the exhaust airflow and the inlet airflow. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The electrochemical cell of claim 17, wherein recirculation feature is configured upstream of the humidity exchange membrane module, wherein a portion of the exhaust airflow is recirculated into the inlet airflow after passing through the humidity exchange module. ### Claim 21 (depends on 12) The electrochemical cell of claim 12, comprising an airflow device configured to expel exhaust airflow from the cell housing; wherein the airflow device creates a reduced pressure within the cell housing that draws the inlet airflow into the cell housing, through the inflow side of the humidity exchange membrane module, through the scrubber, through the air chamber and through the outflow side of the humidity exchange membrane module. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The electrochemical cell of claim 21, wherein the reduced pressure within the cell housing will draw a flow of ambient airflow through the inflow port to the scrubber when the scrubber is detached from the electrochemical cell; whereby the electrochemical cell operates with the scrubber removed. ### Claim 23 (depends on 1) The electrochemical cell of claim 1, further comprising an inflow bypass valve and inflow bypass conduit, wherein the inflow bypass conduit diverts inlet airflow to the cell chamber without passing through the scrubber. ### Claim 24 (depends on 1) The electrochemical cell of claim 1, wherein the inflow bypass valve is controlled by the control system. ### Claim 25 (depends on 1) The electrochemical cell of claim 1, further comprising a bypass adapter that comprises a conduit that couples the outflow port to the inflow port, wherein the bypass adapter diverts inlet airflow to the cell chamber without passing through the scrubber. ### Claim 26 (depends on 1) The electrochemical cell of claim 1, further comprising a heating element that heats the scrubber media. ### Claim 27 An electrochemical cell comprising: a) a cell housing comprising: i) an air chamber; ii) an air chamber inflow port; iii) an air chamber outlet; iv) an electrolyte chamber for retaining a volume of an electrolyte; v) an oxidant reduction electrode for reducing a gaseous oxidant configured between the air chamber and the electrolyte chamber, vi) a fuel electrode; wherein a fuel is reacted at the fuel electrode and wherein the fuel electrode is positioned apart from the oxidant reduction electrode, thereby defining a gap, and wherein said electrolyte is in the gap; b) a scrubber module comprising an enclosure comprising: i) a scrubber media; ii) a scrubber inlet port configured to couple with an inlet air outflow port; and iii) a scrubber outlet port configured to couple with the air chamber inflow port; wherein the scrubber module is detachably attachable to said cell housing, and whereby the electrochemical cell operates when the scrubber is removed; c) a humidity exchange module comprising: i) humidity exchange membrane configured between the inlet airflow to the cell housing and an exhaust airflow received from the air chamber; wherein the humidity exchange membrane comprises an inflow side exposed to the inlet airflow and an outflow side exposed to the exhaust airflow; and wherein the exhaust airflow comprises moisture and wherein said moisture is transferred through said humidity exchange membrane to the inlet airflow; d) a recirculation feature that transfers a portion of exhaust airflow to the inlet airflow, whereby at least a portion of an exhaust airflow from said air chamber is transferred through said recirculation feature into the inlet airflow. ### Claim 28 A method of conserving moisture within an electrochemical cell comprising the steps of: a) Providing an electrochemical cell comprising: i) a cell housing comprising: an air chamber; an air chamber air inlet; an air chamber air outlet; an electrolyte chamber for retaining a volume of an ionically conductive liquid electrolyte; an oxidant reduction electrode for reducing a gaseous oxidant configured between the air chamber and the electrolyte chamber, a fuel electrode comprising a metal fuel and configured at least partially within the electrolyte chamber; wherein the fuel electrode is positioned apart from the oxidant reduction electrode, thereby defining a gap, and wherein said ionically conductive liquid electrolyte is in the gap; ii) a scrubber module comprising an enclosure comprising: a scrubber media; a scrubber inlet port; and a scrubber outlet port; wherein the scrubber module is detachably attachable to said cell housing, and whereby the electrochemical cell operates when the scrubber is removed; iii) a humidity exchange module comprising: humidity exchange membrane configured between the inlet airflow to the cell housing and an exhaust airflow received from the air chamber; wherein the humidity exchange membrane comprises an inflow side exposed to the inlet airflow and an outflow side exposed to the exhaust airflow; and wherein the exhaust airflow comprises moisture and wherein said moisture is transferred through said humidity exchange membrane to the inlet airflow; iv) a recirculation feature comprising a recirculation valve, wherein the recirculation feature is configured to transfer a portion of exhaust airflow to the inlet airflow, whereby at least a portion of an exhaust airflow from said air chamber is transferred through said recirculation feature into the inlet airflow; v) an airflow device configured to expel exhaust airflow from the cell housing; b) operating the airflow device to create a reduced pressure within the cell housing that draws the inlet airflow into the cell housing, through the inflow side of the humidity exchange membrane module, through the scrubber, through the air chamber and through the outflow side of the humidity exchange membrane module; c) opening the recirculation valve to whereby at least a portion of an exhaust airflow from said air chamber is transferred through said recirculation feature into the inlet airflow. ### Claim 29 (depends on 28) The method of conserving moisture within an electrochemical cell of claim 28, wherein recirculation feature is configured upstream of the humidity exchange membrane module, wherein a portion of the exhaust airflow is recirculated into the inlet airflow after passing through the humidity exchange module. ### Claim 30 (depends on 28) The method of conserving moisture within an electrochemical cell of claim 28, wherein the scrubber comprises a heating element and wherein absorbed moisture on the scrubber media is driven into the electrochemical cell housing by the inlet airflow through scrubber and heating of the scrubber media by the heating element. ### Claim 31 (depends on 30) The method of conserving moisture within an electrochemical cell of claim 30, further comprising the step of: running the airflow device when the electrochemical cell is not actively producing electricity to absorb moisture from the environment on the scrubber media; and subsequently, driving said absorbed moisture from the scrubber media by the inlet airflow through scrubber and heating of the scrubber media by the heating element.