US 9,722,236 B2Granted

Apparatus and method for use in storing energy

AssigneeGeneral Atomics

InventorAaron J. Sathrum

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Abstract

Some embodiments provide energy storage systems that comprise: a first electrode; a second electrode; an electrolyte; the first electrode, the second electrode and the electrolyte are positioned such that the electrolyte is in contact with at least the first electrode; and a polarity reversal system electrically coupled with the first electrode and the second electrode, wherein the polarity reversal system is configured to allow the energy storage system to operate while a first polarity to charge and discharge electrical energy while operating in the first polarity, and the polarity reversal system is configured to reverse the voltage polarity across the first and second electrodes to a second polarity to allow the energy storage system to continue to operate while the second polarity is established across the first electrode and the second electrode to continue to charge and discharge electrical energy while operating in the second polarity.

Claims17

Dependent claims

An energy storage system comprising:

a first electrode;
a second electrode without a separator between the first electrode and the second electrode;
an electrolyte;
a housing in which at least a portion of the first electrode, at least a portion of the second electrode and at least a portion of the electrolyte are positioned such that the electrolyte is in contact with at least the first electrode;
a polarity reversal system electrically coupled with the first electrode and the second electrode, wherein the polarity reversal system is configured to allow the energy storage system to operate while a first polarity is established across the first electrode and the second electrode to repeatedly charge and discharge electrical energy while operating in the first polarity providing power to a load configured to be coupled to the first electrode and the second electrode, and the polarity reversal system is configured to reverse the voltage polarity across the first electrode and the second electrode to a second polarity that is opposite the first polarity to allow the energy storage system to continue to operate while the second polarity is established across the first electrode and the second electrode to continue to repeatedly charge and discharge electrical energy while operating in the second polarity providing power to the load;
multiple first electrodes and multiple second electrodes;
and
multiple energy storage units electrically cooperated to provide electrical energy to the load, wherein each energy storage unit of the multiple energy storage units comprises one of the plurality of the first electrode and one of the plurality of the second electrode;
wherein the polarity reversal system is further configured to reverse the polarity of a first energy storage unit of the multiple energy storage units to operate in the second polarity while maintaining a second energy storage unit of the multiple energy storage units in the first polarity to simultaneously continue to operate to charge and discharge in the first polarity.

6 more elements

An energy storage system comprising:

a first electrode;
a second electrode without a separator between the first electrode and the second electrode;
an electrolyte;
a housing in which at least a portion of the first electrode, at least a portion of the second electrode and at least a portion of the electrolyte are positioned such that the electrolyte is in contact with at least the first electrode;
a polarity reversal system electrically coupled with the first electrode and the second electrode, wherein the polarity reversal system is configured to allow the energy storage system to operate while a first polarity is established across the first electrode and the second electrode to repeatedly charge and discharge electrical energy while operating in the first polarity providing power to a load configured to be coupled to the first electrode and the second electrode, and the polarity reversal system is configured to reverse the voltage polarity across the first electrode and the second electrode to a second polarity that is opposite the first polarity to allow the energy storage system to continue to operate while the second polarity is established across the first electrode and the second electrode to continue to repeatedly charge and discharge electrical energy while operating in the second polarity providing power to the load;
multiple first electrodes and multiple second electrodes;
multiple energy storage units electrically cooperated to provide electrical energy to the load, wherein each energy storage unit of the multiple energy storage units comprises one of the plurality of the first electrode and one of the plurality of the second electrode;
and
multiple stacks, wherein each stack of the multiple stacks comprises a plurality of energy storage units of the multiple energy storage units, and wherein the polarity reversal system is further configured to reverse the polarity of each energy storage unit of a first stack of the multiple stacks to operate in the second polarity while maintaining energy storage unit of a second stack of the multiple stacks in the first polarity to operate in the first polarity.

6 more elements

A method of providing electrical energy, the method comprising:

repeatedly charging and discharging a first energy storage unit while in a first polarity to provide electrical power during the discharging to a load configured to be coupled with the first energy storage unit, wherein the energy storage unit comprises a first electrode and a second electrode without a separator between the first electrode and the second electrode and between which the first polarity is applied;
reversing a polarity of the first energy storage unit to a second polarity opposite the first polarity after the repeatedly charging and discharging the first energy storage unit while in the first polarity;
and
repeatedly charging and discharging the first energy storage unit while in the second polarity to continue to provide substantially the same electrical power to the load during the discharging while in the second polarity as provided during the discharging while in the first polarity;
wherein the first energy storage unit is part of a first stack of a plurality of energy storage units wherein each of the plurality of energy storage units provides electrical power to the load;
and
wherein the reversing the polarity of the first energy storage unit to the second polarity comprises reversing the polarity of the first stack and each of the plurality of energy storage units of the first stack.

4 more elements

An energy storage system comprising:

a first electrode;
a second electrode without a separator between the first electrode and the second electrode;
an electrolyte;
a housing in which at least a portion of the first electrode, at least a portion of the second electrode and at least a portion of the electrolyte are positioned such that the electrolyte is in contact with at least the first electrode;
a polarity reversal system electrically coupled with the first electrode and the second electrode, wherein the polarity reversal system is configured to allow the energy storage system to operate while a first polarity is established across the first electrode and the second electrode to repeatedly charge and discharge electrical energy while operating in the first polarity providing power to a load configured to be coupled to the first electrode and the second electrode, and the polarity reversal system is configured to reverse the voltage polarity across the first electrode and the second electrode to a second polarity that is opposite the first polarity to allow the energy storage system to continue to operate while the second polarity is established across the first electrode and the second electrode to continue to repeatedly charge and discharge electrical energy while operating in the second polarity providing power to the load;
multiple first electrodes and multiple second electrodes;
multiple energy storage units electrically cooperated to provide electrical energy to the load, wherein each energy storage unit of the multiple energy storage units comprises one of the plurality of the first electrode and one of the plurality of the second electrode;
and
a housing, wherein each of the multiple energy storage units are positioned within the housing and each of the energy storage units comprises one of the multiple first electrodes and one of the multiple second electrodes, wherein the electrolyte is in contact with the first electrodes and the second electrodes of each of multiple energy storage units.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/843,489Filed 15 Mar 2013
Published: US 2014/0266058 A118 Sep 2014
Granted: 1 Aug 2017
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

H01M 50/597
Characterised by the protection means: protection against reversal of polarity
H01M 10/06
Secondary cells; Manufacture thereof: lead-acid accumulators
H01M 10/44
Methods or arrangements for servicing or maintenance of secondary cells or secondary half-cells: methods for charging or discharging
H01M 10/46
Methods or arrangements for servicing or maintenance of secondary cells or secondary half-cells: accumulators structurally combined with charging…