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US 9,005,793 B2Granted
Energy storage article and method
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsAlec Roger Tilley, Hiroshi Ohata, Koichi Kanie
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems and methods for obtaining and/or maintaining a column height of an electrolyte relative to a separator surface within an energy storage device. Embodiments of the invention provide a wicking component, a current collector, and a bias component. The current collector is positioned to force the bias component to press the wicking component tight to an inner surface of a separator. The bias component maintains contact between the wicking component and the surface of separator and creates a capillary gap in which sodium wicks.
Claims19
An energy storage article, comprising:
- an electrically insulative, ionically conductive separator having an inner surface defining a volume;
- a wicking component having an inner surface and an outer surface, and the outer surface contacting the inner surface of separator;
- and
- a bias component having an inner surface and an outer surface, the outer surface contacting the inner surface of the wicking component, wherein the bias component urges the wicking component against the separator inner surface such that a capillary gap is maintained between the wicking component outer surface and the separator inner surface.
1 more element
A system, comprising:
- an ionically conductive, electrically insulative separator having an inner surface defining a volume, and the volume is configured to receive liquid electrolyte at a determined state of charge;
- a wicking component in capillary contact with the separator inner surface such that a capillary gap is defined between a surface of a wicking component and at least a portion of the inner surface of the separator;
- a bias component configured to urge the wicking component against the separator inner surface at a plurality of contact points with a determined amount of force such that the capillary gap is obtained and maintained at a determined gap distance and with a determined gap distance uniformity;
- and
- a current collector in contact with the bias component to support the bias component.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.