Fluid-surfaced electrode
View Patent ↗An electrochemical device (such as a battery) includes at least one electrode having a fluid surface, which may employ a surface energy effect to maintain a position of the fluid surface and/or to modulate flow within the fluid. Fluid-directing structures may also modulate flow or retain fluid in a predetermined pattern. An electrolyte within the device may also include an ion-transport fluid, for example infiltrated into a porous solid support.
1. An electrochemical device, comprising:
two electrodes including a cathode and an anode; and
an electrolyte that is separate and distinct from the two electrodes and is arranged to conduct an ionic current from a first electrolyte surface in contact with one of the electrodes to a second electrolyte surface in contact with the other electrode,
wherein at least one of the electrodes includes
an electrochemically active fluid layer that is disposed over a micropatterned support and has a surface in contact with the electrolyte; and
the micropatterned support including a fluid-directing structure configured to retain the electrochemically active fluid at a predetermined location during operation of the electrochemical device to generate an electrical potential between the electrodes,
and wherein the electrolyte includes a reaction product of at least a portion of the cathode with at least a portion of the anode.
2. An electrode for a battery, comprising:
an electrochemically active fluid layer that is disposed over and clings to a micropatterned solid support by a surface energy effect, the electrochemically active fluid layer being configured to contact an electrolyte that is separate and distinct from the electrode, and the micropatterned solid support including a fluid-directing structure configured to retain electrochemically active fluid at a predetermined location during operation of the electrode to generate an electrical potential,
wherein the electrolyte includes a reaction product of at least a portion of a cathode with at least a portion of an anode.
3. The electrochemical device of claim 1 , wherein the micropatterned support includes fluid-directing structures configured to retain a plurality of fluids, each at a predetermined location.
4. The electrochemical device of claim 1 , wherein the micropatterned support includes a first fluid-directing structure configured to retain an electrochemically active fluid of the anode, and a second fluid-directing structure configured to retain an electrochemically active fluid of the cathode.
5. The electrochemical device of claim 1 , wherein the micropatterned support is configured to spatially vary the contact between the electrochemically active fluid layer and the electrolyte.
6. The electrochemical device of claim 1 , wherein the micropatterned support includes a fluid channel.
7. The electrochemical device of claim 6 , wherein the fluid channel has a surface that wets the electrochemically active fluid.
8. The electrochemical device of claim 6 , wherein the fluid channel is configured to retain the electrochemically active fluid by surface tension.
9. The electrochemical device of claim 6 , wherein a dimension of the fluid channel varies along its length.
10. The electrochemical device of claim 1 , wherein the micropatterned support includes a plurality of fluid channels, and wherein at least two of the fluid channels are connected.
11. The electrochemical device of claim 1 , wherein the micropatterned support includes a first region and a second region, the first and second regions having different wetting behavior with the electrochemically active fluid layer.
12. The electrochemical device of claim 1 , wherein the electrochemical device is configured to dynamically change a property of the fluid-directing structure.
13. The electrochemical device of claim 12 , wherein the electrochemical device is configured to dynamically change the property of the fluid-directing structure in response to a property of the device.
14. The electrochemical device of claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte is further arranged to conduct an ionic current from the second electrolyte surface to the first electrolyte surface.
15. The electrochemical device of claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte includes a solid surface impervious to the electrochemically active fluid.
16. The electrochemical device of claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte includes a fluid-directing structure configured to direct fluid flow of the electrochemically active fluid layer.
17. The electrochemical device of claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte includes an ion-transport fluid through which an ion can move to produce the ionic current.
18. The electrochemical device of claim 17 , wherein the electrolyte further includes a solid structure.
19. The electrochemical device of claim 18 , wherein the solid structure includes a porous structure infiltrated by the ion-transport fluid.
20. The electrochemical device of claim 17 , wherein the cathode and the anode each include an electrochemically active fluid layer, and wherein the ion-transport fluid is in contact with the respective electrochemically active fluid layer at each of the two electrodes.
21. The electrochemical device of claim 17 , wherein the ion-transport fluid is immiscible with the electrochemically active fluid.
22. The electrochemical device of claim 17 , wherein the ion-transport fluid is connected to an external reservoir.
23. The electrochemical device of claim 1 , wherein the electrochemically active fluid layer includes a fluid selected from the group consisting of a liquid, a paste, a gel, an emulsion, and a non-Non-Newtonian fluid.
24. The electrochemical device of claim 1 , wherein the electrochemically active fluid layer is an ionic conductor.
25. The electrochemical device of claim 1 , wherein the electrochemically active fluid layer includes a carrier fluid that is not electrochemically active.
26. The electrochemical device of claim 1 , wherein the electrochemically active fluid layer wets the electrolyte.
27. The electrochemical device of claim 1 , wherein the electrochemically active fluid layer clings to the electrolyte.
28. The electrochemical device of claim 1 , wherein the anode includes at least one element selected from the group consisting of lithium, sodium, mercury, tin, cesium, rubidium, and potassium.
29. The electrochemical device of claim 1 , wherein the cathode includes at least one element selected from the group consisting of gallium, iron, mercury, tin, sulfur, and chlorine.
30. The electrochemical device of claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte includes at least one material selected from the group consisting of perchlorate, ether, graphene, polyimide, succinonitrile, polyacrylonitrile, polyethylene oxide, polyethylene glycol, ethylene carbonate, beta-alumina, and an ion-conducting glass.
31. The electrochemical device of claim 1 , wherein the fluid layer includes a liquid metal.
32. The electrochemical device of claim 1 , wherein the electrochemically active fluid layer is connected to an external reservoir.
33. The electrochemical device of claim 1 , wherein the fluid layer is configured to transport heat energy away from the battery.