USA As Represented by Secretary of the Navy

Christian R Schumacher

Thomas R Howarth

Charles J Patrissi

Steven P Tucker

Jennifer R Rizzo

A method is provided for making a ceramic lithium ion conducting membrane and for making an anode pouch for a lithium-seawater battery. The method for making the ceramic membrane includes adding pore formers into a liquid slurry of LTAP (LiO—AlO—SiO—PO—TiO) powder. The liquid slurry is converted into porous green tape and the porous green tape is laminated onto the top of nonporous green tapes to form a stack. The stack is sintered and the pore formers are decomposed to create pores in the top layer of the ceramic membrane. The porous ceramic membrane is used to create a more robust hermetic seal in an anode pouch for the battery compared to a seal made with a nonporous ceramic membrane.

Hermetic seal in anode pouch for lithium-seawater electrochemical battery

A method of making a thermoacoustic device includes molding and cutting laminated sheets into half shell portions. Carbon nanotubes are adhered to a substrate having two electrical conducting portions thereon. Electrical conductors are applied to the conducting portions of the substrate. Tab sealant strips are applied around the perimeter of the substrate. Half shell portions are positioned on the top and bottom of the substrate with the electrical conductors extending therefrom. Heat is applied to seal the half shell portions together, suspending the substrate from the tab sealant strips. The method can further include providing a tube between the half shell portions prior to applying heat.

Method for making a thermoacoustic device

A thermoacoustic device includes an outer shell having two half shells, each half shell having an outer flange and an inner region. The half shells are joined at the outer flanges such that the combined half shell inner regions define an inner cavity. A gas is provided within the outer shell inner cavity, and a substrate having electrodes is supported within the outer shell. A thermoacoustic element is mounted on the substrate in contact with the electrodes. Leads extend into the shell where they are joined to the electrodes. In further embodiments, the device is provided with a gas source and a regulator for controlling gas pressure in the inner cavity.

Thermoacoustic device with acoustically transparent housing

An electrochemical cell includes a cathode pouch, an anode pouch, and a membrane separating the anode and cathode pouch. A lithium-based catholyte is inside the cathode pouch and between the membrane and pouch. A cathode current collector is located in contact with the catholyte. An anolyte having a silicon based lithium receiving material is between the anode pouch and the membrane. An anode current collector is located in contact with the anolyte. The volume between the anode pouch and the membrane contracts and expands in order to accommodate changes in anolyte volume during charging and discharge of the cell.

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Newport, RI, United States of America

Christian R Schumacher