Apparatus, system and method for dendrite and roughness suppression in electrochemical structures
A method, and associated batteries and battery charging units, that involve inducing electric and/or magnetic fields (field-induced current) across an electrode of a electrochemical cell, such as an anode of a battery. The field and current across the electrode may be referred to herein as a transverse current as this current is typically transverse to the ionic charge current that may be applied when charging a battery. The field and current may be induced from connecting AC energy, e.g., AC current, across the electrode or at a discrete point or points of the electrode. The induced field and current may suppress dendrite growth, experienced in conventional batteries without AC energy, among other advantages.
1. A method comprising:
applying an alternating current (AC) electrical waveform to an electrode of a battery cell comprising a plurality of layers, the AC electrical waveform inducing an electrodynamic effect in at least one layer of the plurality of layers of the battery cell.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the electrodynamic effect comprises an electrokinetic effect.
3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
in the presence of the AC waveform, applying a charging current to the electrode of the battery cell, the charging current different from the AC electrical waveform.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the electrode of the battery cell is an anode.
5. The method of claim 4 wherein the at least one layer of the plurality of layers of the battery cell comprises a solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer between the anode and an electrolyte layer.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein the electrodynamic effect on the SEI layer comprises reducing a growth of one or more dendrites within the SEI layer.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the electrodynamic effect comprises dissolving a deposit of metal in an electrolyte layer of the battery cell, the deposit of metal not in conductive electrical communication with the electrode of the battery cell.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein the induced electrodynamic effect comprises shifting a plurality of high current density areas and a plurality of low current density areas on a surface of the electrode.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein the AC electrical waveform is applied to the electrode of the battery cell through a single point of contact with the electrode.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein the AC electrical waveform is applied to the electrode of the battery cell through radiation of the AC electrical waveform.
11. The method of claim 1 wherein the electrode comprises graphite and the electrodynamic effect comprises inducing whetting of the graphite electrode.
12. The method of claim 1 wherein the AC electrical waveform comprises one of a continuous wave, a pulsed wave, or a continuously changing wave.
13. The method of claim 1 wherein the electrodynamic effect comprises localized current densities and potential gradients on the electrode of the battery cell.
14. The method of claim 1 wherein the battery cell comprises one of a lithium ion battery, a lithium metal battery, a lithium silicon battery, a zinc battery, a nickel battery, or a lead acid battery.
15. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of layers of the battery cell comprises at least a dielectric layer adjacent the electrode and a modified conductive layer configured to alter a potential and charge distribution at an electrode interface.
16. The method of claim 1 wherein the electrodynamic effect comprises suppressing and dissolving one or more dendrites attached to a surface of the electrode.