Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080268323 | Sealed Joint Structure for Electrochemical Device - Several members make up a joint in a high-temperature electrochemical device, wherein the various members perform different functions. The joint is useful for joining multiple cells (generally tubular modules) of an electrochemical device to produce a multi-cell segment-in-series stack for a solid oxide fuel cell, for instance. The joint includes sections that bond the joining members to each other; one or more seal sections that provide gas-tightness, and sections providing electrical connection and/or electrical insulation between the various joining members. A suitable joint configuration for an electrochemical device has a metal joint housing, a first porous electrode, a second porous electrode, separated from the first porous electrode by a solid electrolyte, and an insulating member disposed between the metal joint housing and the electrolyte and second electrode. One or more brazes structurally and electrically connects the first electrode to the metal joint housing and forms a gas tight seal between the first electrode and the second electrode. | 10-30-2008 |
20080286630 | Electrochemical Cell Holder and Stack - A fuel cell stack made of a plurality of cell units stacked and operatively connected at one end thereof. Each of the units includes a holder having at least one cell, typically provided as an SOFC membrane, to produce an electric current when fuel and oxidant are present as the result of an electrochemical reaction. | 11-20-2008 |
20090286114 | ACTIVE METAL FUEL CELLS - Active metal fuel cells are provided. An active metal fuel cell has a renewable active metal (e.g., lithium) anode and a cathode structure that includes an electronically conductive component (e.g., a porous metal or alloy), an ionically conductive component (e.g., an electrolyte), and a fluid oxidant (e.g., air, water or a peroxide or other aqueous solution). The pairing of an active metal anode with a cathode oxidant in a fuel cell is enabled by an ionically conductive protective membrane on the surface of the anode facing the cathode. | 11-19-2009 |
20090311567 | HYDROGELS FOR AQUEOUS LITHIUM/AIR BATTERY CELLS - Li/air battery cells are configurable to achieve very high energy density. The cells include a protected a lithium metal or alloy anode and an aqueous catholyte in a cathode compartment. In addition to the aqueous catholyte, components of the cathode compartment include an air cathode (e.g., oxygen electrode) and a variety of other possible elements. | 12-17-2009 |
20090311596 | CATHOLYTES FOR AQUEOUS LITHIUM/AIR BATTERY CELLS - Li/air battery cells are configurable to achieve very high energy density. The cells include a protected a lithium metal or alloy anode and an aqueous catholyte in a cathode compartment. In addition to the aqueous catholyte, components of the cathode compartment include an air cathode (e.g., oxygen electrode) and a variety of other possible elements. | 12-17-2009 |
20090311603 | HIGH ENERGY DENSITY AQUEOUS LITHIUM/AIR BATTERY CELLS - Li/air battery cells are configurable to achieve very high energy density. The cells include a protected a lithium metal or alloy anode and an aqueous catholyte in a cathode compartment. In addition to the aqueous catholyte, components of the cathode compartment include an air cathode (e.g., oxygen electrode) and a variety of other possible elements. | 12-17-2009 |
20090311605 | CATHODES AND RESERVOIRS FOR AQUEOUS LITHIUM/AIR BATTERY CELLS - Li/air battery cells are configurable to achieve very high energy density. The cells include a protected a lithium metal or alloy anode and an aqueous catholyte in a cathode compartment. In addition to the aqueous catholyte, components of the cathode compartment include an air cathode (e.g., oxygen electrode) and a variety of other possible elements. | 12-17-2009 |
20100038012 | JOINED CONCENTRIC TUBES - Tubular objects having two or more concentric layers that have different properties are joined to one another during their manufacture primarily by compressive and friction forces generated by shrinkage during sintering and possibly mechanical interlocking. It is not necessary for the concentric tubes to display adhesive-, chemical- or sinter-bonding to each other in order to achieve a strong bond. This facilitates joining of dissimilar materials, such as ceramics and metals. | 02-18-2010 |
20100255398 | ELECTROCHEMICAL CELL STACK ASSEMBLY - Multiple stacks of tubular electrochemical cells having a dense electrolyte disposed between an anode and a cathode preferably deposited as thin films arranged in parallel on stamped conductive interconnect sheets or ferrules. The stack allows one or more electrochemical cell to malfunction without disabling the entire stack. Stack efficiency is enhanced through simplified gas manifolding, gas recycling, reduced operating temperature and improved heat distribution. | 10-07-2010 |
20100273067 | ACTIVE METAL FUEL CELLS - Active metal fuel cells are provided. An active metal fuel cell has a renewable active metal (e.g., lithium) anode and a cathode structure that includes an electronically conductive component (e.g., a porous metal or alloy), an ionically conductive component (e.g., an electrolyte), and a fluid oxidant (e.g., air, water or a peroxide or other aqueous solution). The pairing of an active metal anode with a cathode oxidant in a fuel cell is enabled by an ionically conductive protective membrane on the surface of the anode facing the cathode. | 10-28-2010 |
20110014522 | PROTECTED ACTIVE METAL ELECTRODE AND BATTERY CELL WITH IONICALLY CONDUCTIVE PREOTECTIVE ARCHITECTURE - Active metal and active metal intercalation electrode structures and battery cells having ionically conductive protective architecture including an active metal (e.g., lithium) conductive impervious layer separated from the electrode (anode) by a porous separator impregnated with a non-aqueous electrolyte (anolyte). This protective architecture prevents the active metal from deleterious reaction with the environment on the other (cathode) side of the impervious layer, which may include aqueous or non-aqueous liquid electrolytes (catholytes) and/or a variety electrochemically active materials, including liquid, solid and gaseous oxidizers. Safety additives and designs that facilitate manufacture are also provided. | 01-20-2011 |
20110179636 | INTERCALATION ANODE PROTECTION FOR CELLS WITH DISSOLVED LITHIUM POLYSULFIDES - Battery cells having lithium intercalation anodes protected by surface coatings and active sulfur cathodes, and methods for their fabrication, provide improved battery cell performance. | 07-28-2011 |
20110269007 | HIGH RATE SEAWATER ACTIVATED LITHIUM BATTERY CELLS BI-POLAR PROTECTED ELECTRODES AND MULTI-CELL STACKS - Water activated alkali metal battery cells, protected anode bi-polar electrodes and multi-cell stacks are configurable to achieve very high energy density. The cells, bi-polar electrode and multi-cell stacks include a protected anode and a cathode having a solid phase electro-active component material that is reduced during cell discharge. | 11-03-2011 |
20110269031 | ACTIVE METAL FUEL CELLS - Active metal fuel cells are provided. An active metal fuel cell has a renewable active metal (e.g., lithium) anode and a cathode structure that includes an electronically conductive component (e.g., a porous metal or alloy), an ionically conductive component (e.g., an electrolyte), and a fluid oxidant (e.g., air, water or a peroxide or other aqueous solution). The pairing of an active metal anode with a cathode oxidant in a fuel cell is enabled by an ionically conductive protective membrane on the surface of the anode facing the cathode. | 11-03-2011 |
20120094194 | LITHIUM/SULFUR BATTERY WITH HERMETICALLY SEALED ANODE - Protected anode architectures for active metal anodes have a polymer adhesive seal that provides an hermetic enclosure for the active metal of the protected anode inside an anode compartment. The compartment is substantially impervious to ambient moisture and battery components such as catholyte (electrolyte about the cathode), and prevents volatile components of the protected anode, such as anolyte (electrolyte about the anode), from escaping. The architecture is formed by joining the protected anode to an anode container. The polymer adhesive seals provide an hermetic seal at the joint between a surface of the protected anode and the container. | 04-19-2012 |
20120325678 | STRUCTURES AND FABRICATION TECHNIQUES FOR SOLID STATE ELECTROCHEMICAL DEVICES - Porous substrates and associated structures for solid-state electrochemical devices, such as solid-oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), are low-cost, mechanically strong and highly electronically conductive. Some preferred structures have a thin layer of an electrocatalytically active material (e.g., Ni-YSZ) coating a porous high-strength alloy support (e.g., SS-430) to form a porous SOFC fuel electrode. Electrode/electrolyte structures can be formed by co-firing or constrained sintering processes. | 12-27-2012 |
20130004852 | PROTECTED LITHIUM ELECTRODES HAVING A POLYMER ELECTROLYTE INTERLAYER AND BATTERY CELLS THEREOF - Active metal and active metal intercalation electrode structures and battery cells having ionically conductive protective architecture including an active metal (e.g., lithium) conductive impervious layer separated from the electrode (anode) by a porous separator impregnated with a non-aqueous electrolyte (anolyte). This protective architecture prevents the active metal from deleterious reaction with the environment on the other (cathode) side of the impervious layer, which may include aqueous or non-aqueous liquid electrolytes (catholytes) and/or a variety electrochemically active materials, including liquid, solid and gaseous oxidizers. Safety additives and designs that facilitate manufacture are also provided. | 01-03-2013 |
20130045428 | AQUEOUS LITHIUM AIR BATTERIES - Aqueous Li/Air secondary battery cells are configurable to achieve high energy density and prolonged cycle life. The cells include a protected a lithium metal or alloy anode and an aqueous catholyte in a cathode compartment. The aqueous catholyte comprises an evaporative-loss resistant and/or polyprotic active compound or active agent that partakes in the discharge reaction and effectuates cathode capacity for discharge in the acidic region. This leads to improved performance including one or more of increased specific energy, improved stability on open circuit, and prolonged cycle life, as well as various methods, including a method of operating an aqueous Li/Air cell to simultaneously achieve improved energy density and prolonged cycle life. | 02-21-2013 |
20130059177 | LI-ION/POLYSULFIDE FLOW BATTERY - Li-Ion/Polysulfide flow battery systems are provided to achieve high energy density and long service life. The system is configured to minimize corrosion of the lithium electrode by providing an electrochemical reactor comprising a first and a second electrode configured in spaced apart relation defining an inter-electrode channel through which the sulfur electrolyte is caused to flow. | 03-07-2013 |
20130122334 | AQUEOUS ELECTROLYTE LITHIUM SULFUR BATTERIES - Provided are lithium sulfur battery cells that use water as an electrolyte solvent. In various embodiments the water solvent enhances one or more of the following cell attributes: energy density, power density and cycle life. Significant cost reduction can also be realized by using an aqueous electrolyte in combination with a sulfur cathode. For instance, in applications where cost per Watt-Hour (Wh) is paramount, such as grid storage and traction applications, the use of an aqueous electrolyte in combination with inexpensive sulfur as the cathode active material can be a key enabler for the utility and automotive industries, providing a cost effective and compact solution for load leveling, electric vehicles and renewable energy storage. | 05-16-2013 |
20130122344 | AQUEOUS ELECTROLYTE LITHIUM SULFUR BATTERIES - Provided are lithium sulfur battery cells that use water as an electrolyte solvent. In various embodiments the water solvent enhances one or more of the following cell attributes: energy density, power density and cycle life. Significant cost reduction can also be realized by using an aqueous electrolyte in combination with a sulfur cathode. For instance, in applications where cost per Watt-Hour (Wh) is paramount, such as grid storage and traction applications, the use of an aqueous electrolyte in combination with inexpensive sulfur as the cathode active material can be a key enabler for the utility and automotive industries, providing a cost effective and compact solution for load leveling, electric vehicles and renewable energy storage. | 05-16-2013 |
20130122380 | CATHOLYTES FOR AQUEOUS LITHIUM/AIR BATTERY CELLS - Li/air battery cells are configurable to achieve very high energy density. The cells include a protected a lithium metal or alloy anode and an aqueous catholyte in a cathode compartment. In addition to the aqueous catholyte, components of the cathode compartment include an air cathode (e.g., oxygen electrode) and a variety of other possible elements. | 05-16-2013 |
20130141050 | AQUEOUS ELECTROLYTE LITHIUM SULFUR BATTERIES - Provided are lithium sulfur battery cells that use water as an electrolyte solvent. In various embodiments the water solvent enhances one or more of the following cell attributes: energy density, power density and cycle life. Significant cost reduction can also be realized by using an aqueous electrolyte in combination with a sulfur cathode. For instance, in applications where cost per Watt-Hour (Wh) is paramount, such as grid storage and traction applications, the use of an aqueous electrolyte in combination with inexpensive sulfur as the cathode active material can be a key enabler for the utility and automotive industries, providing a cost effective and compact solution for load leveling, electric vehicles and renewable energy storage. | 06-06-2013 |
20130295471 | CATHODE ARCHITECTURES FOR ALKALI METAL / OXYGEN BATTERIES - Electrochemical energy storage devices, such as alkali metal-oxygen battery cells (e.g., non-aqueous lithium-air cells), have a cathode architecture with a porous structure and pore composition that is tailored to improve cell performance, especially as it pertains to one or more of the discharge/charge rate, cycle life, and delivered ampere-hour capacity. A porous cathode architecture having a pore volume that is derived from pores of varying radii wherein the pore size distribution is tailored as a function of the architecture thickness is one way to achieve one or more of the aforementioned cell performance improvements. | 11-07-2013 |
20130302704 | LITHIUM BATTERY WITH HERMETICALLY SEALED ANODE - Protected anode architectures for active metal anodes have a polymer adhesive seal that provides a hermetic enclosure for the active metal of the protected anode inside an anode compartment. The compartment is substantially impervious to ambient moisture and battery components such as catholyte (electrolyte about the cathode), and prevents volatile components of the protected anode, such as anolyte (electrolyte about the anode), from escaping. The architecture is formed by joining the protected anode to an anode container. The polymer adhesive seals provide a hermetic seal at the joint between a surface of the protected anode and the container. | 11-14-2013 |
20130344397 | SUBSTANTIALLY IMPERVIOUS LITHIUM SUPER ION CONDUCTING MEMBRANES - A composite solid electrolyte includes a monolithic solid electrolyte base component that is a continuous matrix of an inorganic active metal ion conductor and a filler component used to eliminate through porosity in the solid electrolyte. In this way a solid electrolyte produced by any process that yields residual through porosity can be modified by the incorporation of a filler to form a substantially impervious composite solid electrolyte and eliminate through porosity in the base component. Methods of making the composites are also disclosed. The composites are generally useful in electrochemical cell structures such as battery cells and in particular protected active metal anodes, particularly lithium anodes, that are protected with a protective membrane architecture incorporating the composite solid electrolyte. The protective architecture prevents the active metal of the anode from deleterious reaction with the environment on the other (cathode) side of the architecture, which may include aqueous, air and organic liquid electrolytes and/or electrochemically active materials. | 12-26-2013 |
20140004447 | ACTIVE METAL FUEL CELLS | 01-02-2014 |
20140057153 | Lithium battery having a protected lithium electrode and an ionic liquid catholyte - Active metal and active metal intercalation electrode structures and battery cells having ionically conductive protective architecture including an active metal (e.g., lithium) conductive impervious layer separated from the electrode (anode) by a porous separator impregnated with a non-aqueous electrolyte (anolyte). This protective architecture prevents the active metal from deleterious reaction with the environment on the other (cathode) side of the impervious layer, which may include aqueous or non-aqueous liquid electrolytes (catholytes) and/or a variety of electrochemically active materials, including liquid, solid and gaseous oxidizers. Safety additives and designs that facilitate manufacture are also provided. | 02-27-2014 |
20140170465 | PROTECTED LITHIUM ELECTRODES HAVING A POROUS ELECTROLYTE INTERLAYER AND ASSOCIATED BATTERY CELLS - Active metal and active metal intercalation electrode structures and battery cells having ionically conductive protective architecture including an active metal (e.g., lithium) conductive impervious layer separated from the electrode (anode) by a porous separator impregnated with a non-aqueous electrolyte (anolyte). This protective architecture prevents the active metal from deleterious reaction with the environment on the other (cathode) side of the impervious layer, which may include aqueous or non-aqueous liquid electrolytes (catholytes) and/or a variety electrochemically active materials, including liquid, solid and gaseous oxidizers. Safety additives and designs that facilitate manufacture are also provided. | 06-19-2014 |
20140322584 | AQUEOUS ELECTROLYTE LITHIUM SULFUR BATTERIES - Provided are lithium sulfur battery cells that use water as an electrolyte solvent. In various embodiments the water solvent enhances one or more of the following cell attributes: energy density, power density and cycle life. Significant cost reduction can also be realized by using an aqueous electrolyte in combination with a sulfur cathode. For instance, in applications where cost per Watt-Hour (Wh) is paramount, such as grid storage and traction applications, the use of an aqueous electrolyte in combination with inexpensive sulfur as the cathode active material can be a key enabler for the utility and automotive industries, providing a cost effective and compact solution for load leveling, electric vehicles and renewable energy storage. | 10-30-2014 |
20140335392 | BI-POLAR PROTECTED ELECTRODES AND MULTI-CELL STACKS - Water activated alkali metal battery cells, protected anode bi-polar electrodes and multi-cell stacks are configurable to achieve very high energy density. The cells, bi-polar electrode and multi-cell stacks include a protected anode and a cathode having a solid phase electro-active component material that is reduced during cell discharge. | 11-13-2014 |
20150024251 | PROTECTED ACTIVE METAL ELECTRODE AND BATTERY CELL STRUCTURES WITH NON-AQUEOUS INTERLAYER ARCHITECTURE - Active metal and active metal intercalation electrode structures and battery cells having ionically conductive protective architecture including an active metal (e.g., lithium) conductive impervious layer separated from the electrode (anode) by a porous separator impregnated with a non-aqueous electrolyte (anolyte). This protective architecture prevents the active metal from deleterious reaction with the environment on the other (cathode) side of the impervious layer, which may include aqueous or non-aqueous liquid electrolytes (catholytes) and/or a variety of electrochemically active materials, including liquid, solid and gaseous oxidizers. Safety additives and designs that facilitate manufacture are also provided. | 01-22-2015 |