Patent application number | Description | Published |
20110059355 | HIGH-ENERGY METAL AIR BATTERIES - Disclosed herein are embodiments of lithium/air batteries and methods of making and using the same. Certain embodiments are pouch-cell batteries encased within an oxygen-permeable membrane packaging material that is less than 2% of the total battery weight. Some embodiments include a hybrid air electrode comprising carbon and an ion insertion material, wherein the mass ratio of ion insertion material to carbon is 0.2 to 0.8. The air electrode may include hydrophobic, porous fibers. In particular embodiments, the air electrode is soaked with an electrolyte comprising one or more solvents including dimethyl ether, and the dimethyl ether subsequently is evacuated from the soaked electrode. In other embodiments, the electrolyte comprises 10-20% crown ether by weight. | 03-10-2011 |
20110059364 | AIR ELECTRODES FOR HIGH-ENERGY METAL AIR BATTERIES AND METHODS OF MAKING THE SAME - Disclosed herein are embodiments of lithium/air batteries and methods of making and using the same. Certain embodiments are pouch-cell batteries encased within an oxygen-permeable membrane packaging material that is less than 2% of the total battery weight. Some embodiments include a hybrid air electrode comprising carbon and an ion insertion material, wherein the mass ratio of ion insertion material to carbon is 0.2 to 0.8. The air electrode may include hydrophobic, porous fibers. In particular embodiments, the air electrode is soaked with an electrolyte comprising one or more solvents including dimethyl ether, and the dimethyl ether subsequently is evacuated from the soaked electrode. In other embodiments, the electrolyte comprises 10-20% crown ether by weight. | 03-10-2011 |
20110114254 | ANODES FOR LITHIUM ION BATTERIES - Methods for making composite anodes, such as macroporous composite anodes, are disclosed. Embodiments of the methods may include forming a tape from a slurry including a substrate metal precursor, an anode active material, a pore-forming agent, a binder, and a solvent. A laminated structure may be prepared from the tape and sintered to produce a porous structure, such as a macroporous structure. The macroporous structure may be heated to reduce a substrate metal precursor and/or anode active material. Macroporous composite anodes formed by some embodiments of the disclosed methods comprise a porous metal and an anode active material, wherein the anode active material is both externally and internally incorporated throughout and on the surface of the macroporous structure. | 05-19-2011 |
20110262810 | Nanocomposite Protective Coatings for Battery Anodes - Modified surfaces on metal anodes for batteries can help resist formation of malfunction-inducing surface defects. The modification can include application of a protective nanocomposite coating that can inhibit formation of surface defects. such as dendrites, on the anode during charge/discharge cycles. For example, for anodes having a metal (M′), the protective coating can be characterized by products of chemical or electrochemical dissociation of a nanocomposite containing a polymer and an exfoliated compound (M | 10-27-2011 |
20120178001 | Graphene-based Battery Electrodes Having Continuous Flow Paths - Some batteries can exhibit greatly improved performance by utilizing electrodes having randomly arranged graphene nanosheets forming a network of channels defining continuous flow paths through the electrode. The network of channels can provide a diffusion pathway for the liquid electrolyte and/or for reactant gases. Metal-air batteries can benefit from such electrodes. In particular Li-air batteries show extremely high capacities, wherein the network of channels allow oxygen to diffuse through the electrode and mesopores in the electrode can store discharge products. | 07-12-2012 |
20120180945 | AIR ELECTRODES FOR HIGH-ENERGY METAL AIR BATTERIES AND METHODS OF MAKING THE SAME - Disclosed herein are embodiments of lithium/air batteries and methods of making and using the same. Certain embodiments are pouch-cell batteries encased within an oxygen-permeable membrane packaging material that is less than 2% of the total battery weight. Some embodiments include a hybrid air electrode comprising carbon and an ion insertion material, wherein the mass ratio of ion insertion material to carbon is 0.2 to 0.8. The air electrode may include hydrophobic, porous fibers. In particular embodiments, the air electrode is soaked with an electrolyte comprising one or more solvents including dimethyl ether, and the dimethyl ether subsequently is evacuated from the soaked electrode. In other embodiments, the electrolyte comprises 10-20% crown ether by weight. | 07-19-2012 |
20130040197 | Polymer-Sulfur Composite Materials for Electrodes in Li-S Energy Storage Devices - Composite materials containing sulfurized polymers and sulfur-containing particles can be used in lithium-sulfur energy storage devices as a positive electrode. The composite material exhibits relatively high capacity retention and high charge/discharge cycle stability. In one particular instance, the composite comprises a sulfurized polymer having chains that are cross-linked through sulfur bonds. The polymer provides a matrix in which sulfide and/or polysulfide intermediates formed during electrochemical charge-discharge processes of sulfur can be confined through chemical bonds and not mere physical confinement or sorption. | 02-14-2013 |
20130040204 | Functional Nanocomposite Materials, Electrodes, and Energy Storage Systems - Particular functional nanocomposite materials can be employed as electrodes and/or as electrodes in energy storage systems to improve performance. In one example, the nanocomposite material is characterized by nanoparticles having a high-capacity active material, a core particle having a comminution material, and a thin electronically conductive coating having an electronically conductive material. The nanoparticles are fixed between the core particle and the conductive coating. The comminution material has a Mohs hardness that is greater than that of the active material. The core particle has a diameter less than 5000 nm and the nanoparticles have diameters less than 500 nm. | 02-14-2013 |
20130202920 | Dendrite-Inhibiting Salts in Electrolytes of Energy Storage Devices - The performance and the lifetime of energy storage devices can be hindered by the growth of metal dendrites during operation. Electrolytes having dendrite-inhibiting additives can result in significant improvement. In particular, energy storage devices having an electrode containing a metallic element, M1 can be characterized by a non-aqueous, liquid electrolyte having a first salt and a dendrite-inhibiting salt. The first salt can have a cation of M1 and the dendrite-inhibiting salt can have a cation of metallic element, M2, wherein the cation of M2 has an ionic size greater than, or equal to, the cation of M1. | 08-08-2013 |
20130260204 | Energy Storage Systems Having an Electrode Comprising LixSy - Improved lithium-sulfur energy storage systems can utilizes Li | 10-03-2013 |
20130273443 | HIGH-ENERGY METAL AIR BATTERIES - Disclosed herein are embodiments of lithium/air batteries and methods of making and using the same. Certain embodiments are pouch-cell batteries encased within an oxygen-permeable membrane packaging material that is less than 2% of the total battery weight. Some embodiments include a hybrid air electrode comprising carbon and an ion insertion material, wherein the mass ratio of ion insertion material to carbon is 0.2 to 0.8. The air electrode may include hydrophobic, porous fibers. In particular embodiments, the air electrode is soaked with an electrolyte comprising one or more solvents including dimethyl ether, and the dimethyl ether subsequently is evacuated from the soaked electrode. In other embodiments, the electrolyte comprises 10-20% crown ether by weight. | 10-17-2013 |
20130344354 | Hybrid Anodes for Energy Storage Devices - Energy storage devices having hybrid anodes can address at least the problems of active material consumption and anode passivation that can be characteristic of traditional batteries. The energy storage devices each have a cathode separated from the hybrid anode by a separator. The hybrid anode includes a carbon electrode connected to a metal electrode, thereby resulting in an equipotential between the carbon and metal electrodes. | 12-26-2013 |
20140113203 | ELECTROLYTE ADDITIVES FOR LITHIUM ION BATTERY AND LITHIUM ION BATTERY CONTAINING SAME - Electrolyte additives are described that enhance cycling stability of electrolytes and lithium composite electrodes that prolong cycling lifetimes and improve electrochemical performance of lithium ion batteries. The electrolyte additives minimize voltage fading and capacity fading observed in these batteries by reducing accumulation of passivation films on the electrode surface. | 04-24-2014 |
20140141291 | Hybrid Anodes for Redox Flow Batteries - RFBs having solid hybrid electrodes can address at least the problems of active material consumption, electrode passivation, and metal electrode dendrite growth that can be characteristic of traditional batteries, especially those operating at high current densities. The RFBs each have a first half cell containing a first redox couple dissolved in a solution or contained in a suspension. The solution or suspension can flow from a reservoir to the first half cell. A second half cell contains the solid hybrid electrode, which has a first electrode connected to a second electrode, thereby resulting in an equipotential between the first and second electrodes. The first and second half cells are separated by a separator or membrane. | 05-22-2014 |
20140199596 | Sodium-Based Energy Storage Device Based on Surface-Driven Reactions - The performance of sodium-based energy storage devices can be improved according to methods and devices based on surface-driven reactions between sodium ions and functional groups attached to surfaces of the cathode. The cathode substrate, which includes a conductive material, can provide high electron conductivity while the surface functional groups can provide reaction sites to store sodium ions. During discharge cycles, sodium ions will bind to the surface functional groups. During charge cycles, the sodium ions will be released from the surface functional groups. The surface-driven reactions are preferred compared to intercalation reactions. | 07-17-2014 |
20140295298 | Graphene-based Battery Electrodes Having Continuous Flow Paths - Some batteries can exhibit greatly improved performance by utilizing electrodes having randomly arranged graphene nanosheets forming a network of channels defining continuous flow paths through the electrode. The network of channels can provide a diffusion pathway for the liquid electrolyte and/or for reactant gases. Metal-air batteries can benefit from such electrodes. In particular Li-air batteries show extremely high capacities, wherein the network of channels allow oxygen to diffuse through the electrode and mesopores in the electrode can store discharge products. | 10-02-2014 |
20150063072 | INJECTABLE ACOUSTIC TRANSMISSION DEVICES AND PROCESS FOR MAKING AND USING SAME - Injectable acoustic tags and a process of making are described for tracking host animals in up to three dimensions. The injectable acoustic tags reduce adverse biological effects and have a reduced cost of manufacture compared with conventional surgically implanted tags. The injectable tags are powered by a single power source with a lifetime of greater than 30 days. The injectable tags have an enhanced acoustic signal transmission range that enhances detection probability for tracking of host animals. | 03-05-2015 |