Ovonic Battery Company, Inc.

Kwo-hsiung Young

Michael A Fetcenko

Jean Nei

William C Mays

Benjamin S Chao

Taihei Ouchi

Tiejun Meng

Benjamin Reichman

Baoquan Huang

Diana F Wong

Lixin Wang

Provided are sealed pouch-cell batteries that are alkaline batteries or non-aqueous proton-conducing batteries. A pouch cell includes a flexible housing such as is used for pouch cell construction where the housing is in the form of a pouch, a cathode comprising a cathode active material suitable for use in an alkaline battery, an anode comprising an anode active material suitable for use in an alkaline battery, an electrolyte that is optionally an alkaline or proton-conducting electrolyte, and wherein the pouch does not include or require a safety vent or other gas absorbing or releasing system. The batteries provided function contrary to the art recognized belief that such battery systems were impossible due to unacceptable gas production during cycling.

Alkaline and non-aqueous proton-conducting pouch-cell batteries

Provided are sealed pouch-cell batteries that are alkaline batteries or non-aqueous proton-conducing batteries. A pouch cell includes a flexible housing such as is used for pouch cell construction where the housing is in the form of a pouch, a cathode comprising a cathode active material suitable for use in an alkaline battery, an anode comprising an anode active material suitable for use in an alkaline battery, an electrolyte that is optionally an alkaline or proton-conducting electrolyte, and wherein the pouch does not include or require a safety vent or other gas absorbing or releasing system as the anode active material and the cathode active material do not increase the internal atmospheric pressure any more than 2 psig during cycling. The batteries provided function contrary to the art recognized belief that such battery systems were impossible due to unacceptable gas production during cycling.

Laves phase-related BCC metal hydride alloys historically have limited electrochemical capabilities. Provided are processes of activating these alloys to produce hydrogen storage materials with greater than 200 mAh/g capacities and commonly much greater than 300 mAh/g capacities. The processes include cooling the alloy during hydrogenation to reduced temperatures or by subjecting the materials to significantly increased hydrogen pressures. Temperatures in many embodiments do not exceed 300&#xb0; C. By decreasing the temperature or increasing the hydrogen pressure the phase structure of the material is optimized to increase a synergistic effect between multiple phases in the resulting alloy thereby greatly improving the electrochemical capacities.

Activation of laves phase-related BCC metal hydride alloys for electrochemical applications

A hydrogen storage alloy material includes a primary phase having an ABtype structure and a secondary phase having a Bstructure that enhances the electrochemical properties of the alloy. The A component of the primary phase includes La and Ce, and the B component of the primary phase includes Ni, Co, Al, and Mn. The secondary phase may include Al, Mn, and Ni. Also disclosed are battery systems including the alloy material.

Synergistic multiphase hydride alloy

An electrochemical cell is provided that includes a structurally and compositionally disordered electrochemically active alloy material as an anode active material with unexpected capacity against a nickel hydroxide based cathode active material. The disordered metal hydroxide alloy includes three or more transition metal elements and is formed in such a way so as to produce the necessary disorder in the overall system. When an anode active material includes nickel as a predominant, the resulting cells represent the first demonstration of a functional Ni/Ni cell.

Disordered anodes for Ni-metal rechargeable battery

A hybrid power cell is provided that combines a nickel-metal hydride battery, solid state hydrogen storage, and alkaline fuel cell technologies in a single cell operating within a targeted intermediate temperature range. A cell includes a cathode that is capable of using raw atmospheric air as an oxygen source and an anode that is capable of reversible electrochemical and gas phase hydrogen storage, where the anode and the cathode are highly functional at intermediate temperatures. The resulting hybrid power cell overcomes prior challenges of reliable high-capacity grid-tied energy storage necessary for greater renewable energy adoption.

Shared electrode hybrid battery-fuel cell system

A structurally and compositionally disordered electrochemically active alloy material is provided with excellent capacity and cycle life, as well as superior high-rate dischargeability. The alloy employs a disordered AB+x(AB) structure, wherein x is a number between 1 and 4. This crystal structure combined with a tailored amount of electrochemically active ABsecondary phase material produces superior electrochemical properties.

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Troy, MI, United States of America

Kwo-hsiung Young