Flow ultracapacitor

Abstract

The present application is generally directed towards electrochemical energy storage devices. The devices comprise electrode material suspended in an appropriate electrolyte. Such devices are capable of achieving economical $/kWh(cycle) values and will enable much higher power and cycle life than currently used devices.

1 . An electrochemical energy storage device comprising:
 (a) electrode material;   (b) electrolyte;   (c) an electrochemical cell; and   (d) first and second charge storage tanks in fluid connection with the electrochemical cell;   
       wherein the electrode material is suspended in the electrolyte, and wherein the electrochemical energy storage device is configured to allow the suspended electrode material to flow through the electrochemical cell to the first and second charge storage tanks in the presence of a voltage applied to the electrochemical cell. 
     
     
         2 . The electrochemical energy storage device of  claim 1 , wherein the electrode material comprises carbon. 
     
     
         3 . The electrochemical energy storage device of  claim 1 , wherein the electrode material comprises a metal oxide. 
     
     
         4 . The electrochemical energy storage device of  claim 1 , wherein the electrode material comprises a silicon alloy, titania, transition metal oxides, NMC, NMA, LiCoO 2 , LiFePO 4 , metal phosphates, MoS 2 , lithium/aluminum alloys, FeS, sodium, sulfur, a carbon material, zinc, bromine, lithium, magnesium, aluminum, iron, calcium, cadmium, iron oxide, silver oxide, nickel oxide, cadmium hydroxide, zinc oxide, nickel hydroxide, nickel oxyhydroxide, metallic iron, silver oxide, lead, lead oxide, water, air or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         5 . The electrochemical energy storage device of  claim 1 , wherein the device comprises two different electrode materials. 
     
     
         6 . The electrochemical energy storage device of  claim 1 , wherein the electrode material comprises a carbon material having a total impurity content of less than 500 ppm of elements having atomic numbers ranging from 11 to 92 as measured by proton induced x-ray emission. 
     
     
         7 . The electrochemical energy storage device of  claim 1 , wherein the electrode material comprises a carbon material comprising micropores, mesopores and a total pore volume, wherein from 40% to 90% of the total pore volume resides in micropores, from 10% to 60% of the total pore volume resides in mesopores and less than 10% of the total pore volume resides in pores greater than 20 nm. 
     
     
         8 . The electrochemical energy storage device of  claim 1 , wherein the electrode material comprises a carbon material comprising at least 1000 ppm of a bi-functional catalyst and a pore structure comprising pores, the pore structure comprising a total pore volume of at least 1 cc/g, wherein at least 50% of the total pore volume resides in pores having a pore size ranging from 2 nm to 50 nm as determined from N 2  sorption derived DFT 
     
     
         9 . The electrochemical energy storage device of  claim 1 , wherein the electrode material comprises a carbon material comprising at least 1,000 ppm of an electrochemical modifier, wherein the electrochemical modifier comprises lead, tin, antimony, bismuth, arsenic, tungsten, silver, zinc, cadmium, indium, sulfur, silicon or combinations thereof, and wherein the carbon material comprises a total of less than 500 ppm of all other elements having atomic numbers ranging from 11 to 92, as measured by proton induced x-ray emission. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the electrode material comprise a carbon material and the carbon material further comprises a material selected from a silicon alloy, titania, transition metal oxides, NMC, NMA, LiCoO 2 , LiFePO 4 , metal phosphates, MoS 2 , lithium/aluminum alloys, FeS, sodium, sulfur, a different type of carbon material, zinc, bromine, lithium, magnesium, aluminum, iron, calcium, cadmium, iron oxide, silver oxide, nickel oxide, cadmium hydroxide, zinc oxide, nickel hydroxide, nickel oxyhydroxide, metallic iron, silver oxide, lead and lead oxide. 
     
     
         11 . The electrochemical energy storage device of  claim 1 , wherein the electrode material comprises particles having an average diameter ranging from 1 μm to 20 μm. 
     
     
         12 . The electrochemical energy storage device of  claim 1 , wherein the electrode material comprises particles having an average diameter ranging from 10 nm to 1 μm. 
     
     
         13 . The electrochemical energy storage device of  claim 1 , wherein the electrode material comprises particles having an average diameter ranging from 20 μm to 500 μm. 
     
     
         14 . The electrochemical energy storage device of  claim 1 , wherein the electrochemical cell comprises a positive current collector and a negative current collector. 
     
     
         15 . The electrochemical energy storage device of  claim 1 , wherein the electrochemical cell comprises an inert porous separator interposed between a positive current collector and a negative current collector. 
     
     
         16 . The electrochemical energy storage device of  claim 15 , wherein the electrochemical cell comprises first and second flow channels defined by the volume occupied between the positive current collector and the inert porous separator and the negative current collector and the inert porous separator, respectively. 
     
     
         17 . The electrochemical energy storage device of  claim 16 , wherein the first and second flow channels have hydraulic radii ranging from about 100 nanometers to about 500 micrometers. 
     
     
         18 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the dimensions of the electrochemical cell are sized to enable laminar flow of a first lamella containing a suspension of positively charged electrode material and electrolyte and a second lamella comprising a suspension of negatively charged electrode material and electrolyte, wherein the first and second lamellae flow in contact with one another without substantial mixing of the two lamellae. 
     
     
         19 . The device of  claim 18 , wherein the device does not comprise an inert porous separator within the electrochemical cell. 
     
     
         20 . The electrochemical energy storage device of  claim 1 , wherein the electrochemical energy storage device comprises a plurality of electrochemical cells. 
     
     
         21 . The electrochemical energy storage device of  claim 20 , wherein the plurality of electrochemical cells are connected in parallel. 
     
     
         22 . The electrochemical energy storage device of  claim 20 , wherein the plurality of electrochemical cells are connected in series. 
     
     
         23 . The electrochemical energy storage device of  claim 1 , wherein the electrical energy storage device further comprises an outer structure which is electrically insulating. 
     
     
         24 . The electrochemical energy storage device of  claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte comprises a solute dissolved in an aqueous solvent. 
     
     
         25 . The electrochemical energy storage device of  claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte comprises a solute dissolved in an non-aqueous solvent. 
     
     
         26 . The electrochemical energy storage device of  claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte comprises an ionic liquid. 
     
     
         27 . The electrochemical energy storage device of  claim 1 , wherein the electrode material comprises carbon and silicon. 
     
     
         28 . The electrochemical energy storage device of  claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte comprises a viscosity of 100 cp or less. 
     
     
         29 . The electrochemical energy storage device of  claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte comprises a viscosity of 10 cp or less. 
     
     
         30 . The electrochemical energy storage device of  claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte comprises a viscosity of 1 cp or less. 
     
     
         31 . The electrochemical energy storage device of  claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte comprises a solvent having thixotropic properties. 
     
     
         32 . The electrochemical energy storage device of  claim 1 , wherein the electrode material comprises a battery electrode material. 
     
     
         33 . An electrochemical energy storage device comprising:
 (a) electrode material;   (b) electrolyte; and   (c) an electrochemical cell,   
       wherein the electrode material is suspended in the electrolyte. 
     
     
         34 . The electrochemical energy storage device of  claim 33 , wherein the electrode material comprises carbon. 
     
     
         35 . A method for storing electrochemical energy, the method comprising:
 (a) providing a device comprising:
 (i) electrode material; 
 (ii) electrolyte; 
 (iii) an electrochemical cell; and 
 (iv) first and second charge storage tanks in fluid connection with the electrochemical cell; 
   (b) applying a voltage to the electrochemical cell; and   (c) flowing a suspension of the electrode material in the electrolyte through the electrochemical cell and into the first and second charge storage tanks.   
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35 , further comprising discharging the device by flowing the suspension of electrode material from the first and second charge storage tanks through the electrochemical cell.