Vissers Battery Corporation

UChicago Argonne, LLC

Daniel R Vissers

Manoel Tenorio

Khalil Amine

Paul Vannest Braun

Zonghai Chen

Ujjal Das

Christopher S Johnson

Michael M Thackeray

Arthur J Kahaian

A lithium or sodium battery includes a cathode containing manganese; an anode containing an active anode material; a separator; an electrolyte; and a transition metal ion sequestration agent; wherein the transition metal ion sequestration agent contains a micron or nano-sized inorganic compound and the transition metal ion sequestration agent is located at the anode, in the electrolyte, or any combination thereof.

Materials to improve the performance of lithium and sodium batteries

A battery includes a fluid negative electrode and a fluid positive electrode separated by a solid electrolyte at least when the electrodes and electrolyte are at an operating temperature. The solid electrolyte comprises a salt formed by ions of the negative electrode material forming the fluid negative electrode. In one example, the fluid negative electrode comprises lithium (Li), the fluid positive electrode comprises sulfur (S) and the solid electrolyte comprises lithium iodide (LiI).

Molten fluid apparatus with solid non-brittle electrolyte

An apparatus comprises a reaction chamber and at least one negative electrode reservoir configured to contain a negative electrode material. An electrode material distribution system is configured to manage the transfer of fluid electrode material between the at least one negative electrode reservoir and the reaction chamber.

Devices, systems, and methods for molten fluid electrode apparatus management

Performance of a thermal lithium battery is improved by improving the ion-transport characteristics of a solid lithium iodide electrolyte. The lithium iodide lattice of the solid electrolyte includes defects that improve the ion-transport characteristics of the solid lithium iodide electrolyte. In one example, the defects are due to the introduction of nanoparticles that result in grain boundary defects. The defects resulting at the grain boundaries with the nanoparticles improve the ion transport characteristics of the electrolyte. In another example, defects originating from the synthesis process are pinned by the presence of nanoparticles and/or the reinforcing structure. In another example, the defects are aliovalent substitution defects. A cation that is aliovalent to the lithium cation (Li), such as a barium cation (Ba), creates an aliovalent substitution defect in the lithium iodide lattice. In order to maintain charge neutrality in the lattice, two lithium cations are replaced by a single barium cation creating the defect in the lattice.

Molten fluid electrode apparatus with solid lithium iodide electrolyte having improved lithium ion transport characteristics

An apparatus comprises a reaction chamber and at least one negative electrode reservoir configured to contain a negative electrode material. A heating system is configured to heat negative electrode material within the at least one negative electrode material reservoir and the reaction chamber and to heat positive electrode material in reaction chamber. An electrode material distribution system is configured to manage the transfer of fluid electrode material between the at least one negative electrode reservoir and the reaction chamber.

A battery includes a fluid negative electrode and a fluid positive electrode separated by a solid electrolyte at least when the electrodes and electrolyte are at an operating temperature. The solid electrolyte includes ions of the negative electrode material forming the fluid negative electrode and has a softness less than beta-alumina solid electrolyte (BASE) ceramics. In one example, the fluid negative electrode comprises lithium (Li), the fluid positive electrode comprises sulfur (S) and the solid electrolyte comprises lithium iodide (LiI).

A battery includes negative electrode material and positive electrode material where the materials are in a solid phase except for selected portions that are heated to transform the selected portions into a fluid. The fluid portion of negative electrode material is directed to a negative electrode region of a reaction chamber and the fluid portion of positive electrode material is directed to a positive electrode region of the reaction chamber where a solid electrolyte containing ions of the negative electrode separates the positive electrode region from the negative electrode region.

Molten fluid electrode apparatus

A lithium or sodium battery includes a cathode containing manganese; an anode containing an active anode material; a separator; an electrolyte; and a transition metal ion sequestration agent; wherein the transition metal ion sequestration agent contains a micron or nano-sized inorganic compound and the transition metal ion sequestration agent is located on and/or within the separator; on and/or within the anode; in the electrolyte; or any combination thereof.

An apparatus comprises a plurality of negative electrode reservoirs configured to contain a negative electrode material, at least one positive electrode reservoir configured to contain a positive electrode material and a reaction chamber. A heating system is configured to heat negative electrode material within a selected negative electrode material reservoir and to heat positive electrode material in the at least one positive electrode material reservoir to maintain the electrode materials in the selected reservoirs in a fluid state while maintaining, in a non-fluid state, negative electrode material in a non-selected negative electrode reservoir. An electrode material distribution system is configured to transfer, during a discharge state of the apparatus, fluid negative electrode material from the selected negative electrode reservoir to the reaction chamber.

A thermal battery includes a negative electrode and a positive electrode separated from the negative electrode by an electrolyte where at least the positive electrode is in a fluid state at the operating temperature of the battery. A solid product isolation system decreases the concentration of solid products within the fluid positive electrode at least within the region near the electrolyte.

Methods, devices and systems to isolate solid products in molten fluid electrode apparatus

A thermal runaway mitigation system cools fluid electrode material in a thermal battery to prevent a thermal runaway in the thermal battery. In response to a thermal runaway trigger, the thermal runway prevention system cools at least one of the fluid positive electrode material and the fluid negative electrode material. In some situations, the fluid material electrode material is sufficiently cooled to place the electrode material in a solid state.

Devices, systems, and methods to mitigate thermal runaway conditions in molten fluid electrode apparatus

An apparatus comprises a plurality of negative electrode reservoirs configured to contain a negative electrode material, a plurality of positive electrode reservoirs configured to contain a positive electrode material and a reaction chamber. A heating system is configured to heat negative electrode material within a selected negative electrode material reservoir and to heat positive electrode material in a selected positive electrode material reservoir to maintain the electrode materials in the selected reservoirs in a fluid state while maintaining, in a non-fluid state, negative electrode material in a non-selected negative electrode reservoir and positive electrode material in a non-selected positive electrode reservoir. An electrode material distribution system is configured to cycle fluid positive electrode material between the selected positive electrode reservoir and the reaction chamber and configured to transfer, during a discharge state of the apparatus, fluid negative electrode material from the selected negative electrode reservoir to the reaction chamber.

An electrochemical device includes a thermally-triggered intumescent material or a gas-triggered intumescent material. Such devices prevent or minimize short circuits in a device that could lead to thermal run-away. Such devices may include batteries or supercapacitors.

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Wheaton, IL, United States of America

Daniel R Vissers