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US 6,444,339 B1Granted
Microcell electrochemical device assemblies with thermal management subsystem, and method of making and using the same
AssigneeMicrocell Corporation
InventorRay R. Eshraghi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Microcell structures and assemblies utilized for electrochemical generation/conversion of energy, in which high voltage, high power density outputs are produced for applications such as fuel cell and battery systems, with high efficiency extraction of heat produced in electrochemical reaction. The superior efficacy of thermal management achieved by the invention permits highly compact, small footprint electrochemical cells to be usefully employed in a variety of vehicular, consumer and industrial applications.
Claims46
An electrochemical cell module, comprising:
- a multiplicity of microcells in an assembly,
- each microcell comprising an inner electrode,
- a microporous membrane separator in contact with the inner electrode,
- an electrolyte in pores of the microporous membrane separator,
- an outer electrode,
- with the microcell assembly including a plurality of hollow, nonporous tubular heat exchange elements arranged for flow of a coolant medium through a central lumen thereof, with the hollow, nonporous tubular heat exchange elements being distributed in said assembly for heat removal from the assembly during electrochemical reaction in operation of the module;
- a source of said coolant medium;
- and
- flow circuitry interconnecting the source of said coolant medium and said hollow, nonporous tubular heat exchange elements.
6 more elements
An electrochemical cell module, comprising:
- a multiplicity of microcells in an assembly,
- each microcell comprising an inner electrode,
- a microporous membrane separator in contact with the inner electrode,
- an electrolyte in pores of the microporous membrane separator, and
- an outer electrode,
- wherein the assembly is mounted in a housing, and oriented along an axis of the housing, with a first end potted in a first potting member through which open ends of the microcell fibers are exposed for fluid flow therethrough, with the first potting member isolating the shell side of the microcell fibers from the bore side thereof, and with current collectors constituting heat exchange elements and extending axially of the first potting member and further potted in a second potting member in spaced relationship to the first potting member, to define between the first and second potting members a closed volume of the housing, and with a housing inlet communicating with the closed volume, for introduction of feed into the closed volume, for flow through the assembly on the bore side of the microcell fibers thereof, and wherein said second potting member defines with the housing a closed end volume, with the current collectors constituting heat exchange elements extending through the second potting member and terminating in the closed end volume at open ends thereof, and with a coolant medium inlet communicating with the closed end volume, for introduction of coolant medium into the closed end volume for flow through the current collectors constituting heat exchange elements, to remove heat of electrochemical reaction from the assembly;
- with a second end of the assembly potted in an opposite potting member through which open opposite ends of the microcell fibers are exposed for fluid flow therethrough, with the opposite potting member isolating the shell side of the microcell fibers from the bore side thereof, and with opposite current collectors extending axially of the opposite potting member and current collections constituting heat exchange elements terminating at the opposite potting number, and with a housing outlet communicating with the closed volume, for discharge of depleted fuel and coolant medium from the closed volume, for removal of heat of electrochemical reaction from the assembly;
- and wherein said current collectors at their ends are joined in series or parallel with one another to form a terminal leak-tightly extending out of the housing.
5 more elements
An electrochemical cell module, comprising:
- a multiplicity of microcells in an assembly,
- each microcell comprising an inner electrode,
- a microporous membrane separator in contact with the inner electrode,
- an electrolyte in pores of the microporous membrane separator,
- an outer electrode,
- wherein the assembly is mounted in a housing, and oriented along an axis of the housing, with a first end potted in a potting member through which open ends of the microcell fibers are exposed for fluid flow therethrough, with the potting member isolating the shell side of the microcell fibers from the bore side thereof to form a closed end volume, and with current collectors constituting heat exchange elements and extending axially of the potting member into the closed end volume, and coupled to at least one heat exchange passage in the housing, with said at least one heat exchange passage being arranged for flow of a coolant medium therethrough, and with a housing inlet communicating with the closed end volume, for introduction of feed into the closed end volume, for flow through the assembly on the bore side of the microcell fibers thereof;
- with a second end of the assembly potted in an opposite potting member through which open opposite ends of the microcell fibers are exposed for fluid flow therethrough, with the opposite potting member isolating the shell side of the microcell fibers from the bore side thereof to form a closed end volume isolating the shell side of the microcell fibers from the bore side thereof, and with current collectors constituting heat exchange elements and extending axially of the opposite potting member into the closed end volume, and coupled to at least one second heat exchange passage in the housing, with said at least one second heat exchange passage being arranged for flow of a coolant medium therethrough, and with a housing outlet communicating with the closed end volume, for discharge of depleted fuel from the closed end volume;
- and wherein said current collectors at their ends are joined in series or parallel with one another to form a terminal leak-tightly extending out of the housing.
5 more elements
An electrochemical cell module, comprising:
- a multiplicity of microcells in an assembly,
- each microcell comprising an inner electrode active material,
- a microporous membrane separator in contact with the inner electrode active element,
- an electrolyte in pores of the microporous membrane separator,
- an outer electrode active element,
- with each of the inner and outer electrode active elements comprising at least one of electrode, current collector and electrocatalyst components, and said assembly including electrode or current collector components extending externally of the assembly to end portions thereof;
- wherein the assembly is contained in a housing including a coolant reservoir;
- a coolant in the coolant reservoir;
- and
- said end portions of said electrode or current collector components being coupled in solid heat conduction relationship with said coolant, to enable solid conduction transfer of heat from said assembly of microcells through said electrode or current collector components to the coolant, to thereby remove heat generated by electrochemical reaction in said microcells during operation of the module.
7 more elements
A microcell module comprising an assembly of microcells wherein each microcell includes:
- an inner electrode active material,
- a microporous membrane separator in contact with the inner electrode active element,
- an electrolyte in pores of the microporous membrane separator, and
- an outer electrode active element,
- with each of the inner and outer electrode active elements comprising at least one of electrode, current collector and electrocatalyst components, and said microcell including an elongate electrode or current collector;
- means for extracting heat from the assembly selected from the group consisting of:
- (a) hollow, nonporous tubular heat exchange elements extending through the assembly of microcells, wherein said heat exchange elements do not constitute current collectors;
- (b) hollow, nonporous tubular heat exchange elements extending through the assembly of microcells, wherein said heat exchange elements constitute current collectors;
- and
- (c) solid current collectors extending from the assembly of microcells and coupled in heat exchange relationship with a coolant medium.
7 more elements
A process for generating electrochemical energy, comprising:
- (A) providing an electrochemical cell module, comprising:
- a multiplicity of microcells in an assembly,
- each microcell comprising an inner electrode,
- a microporous membrane separator in contact with the inner electrode,
- an electrolyte in pores of the microporous membrane separator,
- an outer electrode,
- with the microcell assembly including a plurality of hollow, nonporous tubular heat exchange elements arranged for flow of a coolant medium through a central lumen thereof, with the hollow, nonporous tubular heat exchange elements being distributed in said assembly for heat removal from the assembly during electrochemical reaction in operation of the module;
- a source of said coolant medium;
- flow circuitry interconnecting the source of said coolant medium and said hollow tubular heat exchange elements;
- (B) providing fuel to the electrochemical cell module to one of the shell side and bore side of the microcells in said assembly;
- (C) concurrently providing oxidant to the electrochemical cell module to the opposite one of the shell side and bore side of the microcells in said assembly, relative to the side receiving fuel, and thereby effecting electrochemical reaction to generate electrical energy and heat;
- (D) discharging depleted feed from the electrochemical cell module;
- (E) flowing said coolant medium from said source of same through said flow circuitry and said hollow, nonporous tubular heat exchange elements to remove heat from the electrochemical cell module;
- (F) discharging said coolant medium from the module.
11 more elements
A method of thermally managing operation of an electrochemical cell module comprising:
- a multiplicity of microcells in an assembly,
- each microcell comprising an inner electrode,
- a microporous membrane separator in contact with the inner electrode,
- an electrolyte in pores of the microporous membrane separator,
- an outer electrode,
- said method comprising disposing in the microcell assembly a plurality of hollow, nonporous fiber heat exchange elements arranged for flow of a coolant medium through a central lumen thereof, with the hollow, nonporous fiber heat exchange elements being distributed in said assembly for heat removal from the assembly during electrochemical reaction in operation of the module;
- and
- flowing a coolant medium through said hollow, nonporous fiber heat exchange elements during electrochemical reaction in the microcell assembly.
5 more elements
A method of generating electrochemical energy, including the steps of:
- fabricating an electrochemical cell module comprising a plurality of fibrous microcell elements in an assembly including internal and external current collectors extending outwardly therefrom;
- operating said electrochemical cell module to generate electrochemical energy;
- and
- extracting heat from at least one of said internal and external current collectors during said operating, to thereby remove heat of electrochemical reaction from said electrochemical cell module.
1 more element
A method of generating electrochemical energy in an electrochemical cell module, wherein said electrochemical cell module comprises:
- a multiplicity of microcells in an assembly, each microcell comprising an inner electrode active material, a microporous membrane separator in contact with the inner electrode active element, an electrolyte in pores of the microporous membrane separator, and an outer electrode active element, with each of the inner and outer electrode active elements comprising at least one of electrode, current collector and electrocatalyst components, and said assembly includes electrode or current collector components extending externally of the assembly to end portions thereof;
- said method comprising:
- mounting the assembly in a housing including a coolant reservoir with the end portions of said electrode or current collector components positioned in the reservoir;
- and
- providing a coolant in the coolant reservoir to immerse the end portions of the electrode or current collector elements in the coolant, to enable solid conduction transfer of heat from said assembly of microcells through said electrode or current collector components to the coolant, to thereby remove heat generated by electrochemical reaction in said microcells during operation of the module.
2 more elements
A method of thermal management of a microcell module comprising an assembly of microcells wherein each microcell includes:
- an inner electrode active material,
- a microporous membrane separator in contact with the inner electrode active element,
- an electrolyte in pores of the microporous membrane separator, and
- an outer electrode active element,
- with each of the inner and outer electrode active elements comprising at least one of electrode, current collector and electrocatalyst components, and said microcell including an elongate electrode or current collector;
- said method comprising extracting heat from the assembly by use of a means selected from the group consisting of:
- (a) hollow, nonporous tubular heat exchange elements extending through the assembly of microcells, wherein said tubular heat exchange elements do not constitute current collectors;
- (b) hollow, nonporous tubular heat exchange elements extending through the assembly of microcells, wherein said tubular heat exchange elements constitute current collectors;
- and
- (c) solid current collectors extending from the assembly of microcells and coupled in heat exchange relationship with a coolant medium.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.