Results for “ELECTROCHEMICAL CELLS”

DOE OSTI2018

Solid electrolyte interphases for high-energy aqueous aluminum electrochemical cells

Electrochemical cells based on aluminum (Al) are of long-standing interest because Al is earth abundant, low cost, and chemically inert. The trivalent Al 3+ ions also offer among the highest volume-specific charge storage capacities (8040 mAh cm -3 ), approximately four times larger than achievable for Li metal anodes. Rapid and irreversible formation of a high-electrical bandgap passivating Al 2 O 3 oxide film on Al have, to date, frustrated all efforts to create aqueous Al-based electrochemical cells with high reversibility. Here, we investigate the interphases formed on metallic Al in contact with ionic liquid (IL)–eutectic electrolytes and find that artificial solid electrolyte interphases (ASEIs) formed spontaneously on the metal permanently transform its interfacial chemistry. The resultant IL-ASEIs are further shown to enable aqueous Al electrochemical cells with unprecedented reversibility. As an illustration of the potential benefits of these interphases, we create simple Al||MnO 2 aqueous cells and report that they provide high specific energy (approximately 500 Wh/kg, based on MnO 2 mass in the cathode) and intrinsic safety features required for applications.

Science & Technology - Other Topics↗

DOE OSTI2015

Dissecting graphene capacitance in electrochemical cell

Not Available

Sun, Sheng↗

DOE OSTI2020

Probing sulphur clusters in a microfluidic electrochemical cell with synchrotron-based photoionization mass spectrometry

We present synchrotron-based mass spectrometry to probe products formed in the lithium sulphide electrolyte. In operando analysis was obtained at two different potentials in a vacuum compatible microfluidic electrochemical cell. Mass spectral observations show that the charged electrolyte formed sulfur clusters under dynamic conditions, demonstrating electrolyte electron shuttling.

sulphur cluster, lithium – sulphur battery electro↗

DOE OSTI2017

Designer interphases for the lithium-oxygen electrochemical cell

An electrochemical cell based on the reversible oxygen reduction reaction: 2Li+ + 2e- + O2 ↔ Li2O2, provides among the most energy dense platforms for portable electrical energy storage. Such Lithium-Oxygen (Li-O2) cells offer specific energies competitive with fossil fuels and are considered promising for electrified transportation. Multiple, fundamental challenges with the cathode, anode, and electrolyte have limited practical interest in Li-O2 cells because these problems lead to as many practical shortcomings, including poor rechargeability, high overpotentials, and specific energies well below theoretical expectations. We create and study in-situ formation of solid-electrolyte interphases (SEIs) based on bromide ionomers tethered to a Li anode that take advantage of three powerful processes for overcoming the most stubborn of these challenges. The ionomer SEIs are shown to protect the Li anode against parasitic reactions and also stabilize Li electrodeposition during cell recharge. Bromine species liberated during the anchoring reaction also function as redox mediators at the cathode, reducing the charge overpotential. Finally, the ionomer SEI forms a stable interphase with Li, which protects the metal in high Gutmann donor number liquid electrolytes. Such electrolytes have been reported to exhibit rare stability against nucleophilic attack by Li2O2 and other cathode reaction intermediates, but also react spontaneously with Li metal anodes. We conclude that rationally designed SEIs able to regulate transport of matter and ions at the electrolyte/anode interface provide a promising platform for addressing three major technical barriers to practical Li-O2 cells.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

DOE OSTI2014

Method and design for externally applied laser welding of internal connections in a high power electrochemical cell

An electrochemical cell includes components that are welded from an external source after the components are assembled in a cell canister. The cell canister houses electrode tabs and a core insert. An end cap insert is disposed opposite the core insert. An external weld source, such as a laser beam, is applied to the end cap insert, such that the end cap insert, the electrode tabs, and the core insert are electrically coupled by a weld which extends from the end cap insert to the core insert.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

DOE OSTI2014

Minimizing electrode contamination in an electrochemical cell

An electrochemical cell assembly that is expected to prevent or at least minimize electrode contamination includes one or more getters that trap a component or components leached from a first electrode and prevents or at least minimizes them from contaminating a second electrode.

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗

DOE OSTI2017

Electrolytes for magnesium electrochemical cells

An electrochemical cell includes a high voltage cathode configured to operate at 1.5 volts or greater; an anode including Mg.sup.0; and an electrolyte including an ether solvent and a magnesium salt; wherein: a concentration of the magnesium salt in the ether is 1 M or greater.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

DOE OSTI2018

Magnesium electrochemical cells

An electrochemical cell includes a cathode including an early transition metal fluoro-bronze; an anode including magnesium metal; and an electrolyte; wherein: the early transition metal fluoro-bronze is configured for intercalation of magnesium ions.

Poeppelmeier, Kenneth↗

DOE OSTI2023

Compact high temperature electrochemical cell stack architecture

An electrochemical cell unit comprises a first electrochemical cell comprising a first oxidant electrode and a first fuel electrode, and a second electrochemical cell comprising a second oxidant electrode and a second fuel electrode. An interconnect interposed between the first electrochemical cell and the second electrochemical cell. The interconnect comprises an interconnect main body defining a longitudinal channel along a longitudinal axis thereof. The interconnect main body includes a plurality of corrugations defining a plurality of fuel channels on a first surface of the interconnect main body facing the first electrochemical cell, and a plurality of oxidant channels on a second surface of the interconnect main body facing the second electrochemical cell. Each of the plurality of fuel channels and the plurality of oxidant channel positioned around the longitudinal channel.

Brown, Casy Cloudless↗

DOE OSTI2018

Cobalt-substituted SrTi 0.3 Fe 0.7 O 3–δ : a stable high-performance oxygen electrode material for intermediate-temperature solid oxide electrochemical cells

A key need in the development of solid oxide cells (SOCs) is for electrodes that promote fast oxygen reduction and oxygen evolution reactions at reduced operating temperature (≤700 °C), with sufficient durability to allow operation over desired 40 000 h lifetimes. A wide range of electrode materials have been investigated, with some providing resistance low enough for cell operation below 700 °C, but it is generally found that the electrode performance degrades over time. Here we demonstrate an oxygen electrode material, Sr(Ti 0.3 Fe 0.7–x Co x )O 3–δ (STFC), that provides a unique combination of excellent oxygen electrode performance and long-term stability. The addition of a relatively small amount of Co to Sr(Ti 0.3 Fe 0.7 )O 3–δ , e.g., x = 0.07, reduces the electrode polarization resistance by >2 times. The STFC electrode yields stable performance in both fuel cell and electrolysis modes at 1 A cm –2 . The fundamental oxygen diffusion and surface exchange coefficients of STFC are determined, and shown to be substantially better than those of La 0.6 Sr 0.4 Co 0.2 Fe 0.8 O 3–δ , the most widely used SOC oxygen electrode material. Here, while other electrode materials have been shown to exhibit better oxygen transport coefficients than STFC, they do not match its stability.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

DOE OSTI2024

Methods of forming bilayer cathodes for electrochemical cells

Materials for electrochemical cells are provided. BaZr 0.4 Ce 0.4 M 0.2 O 3 compounds, where M represents one or more rare earth elements, are provided for use as electrolytes. PrBa 0.5 Sr 0.5 Co 2−x Fe x O 5+δ is provided for use as a cathode. Also provided are electrochemical cells, such as protonic ceramic fuel cells, incorporating the compounds as electrolytes and cathodes.

Haile, Sossina M.↗

DOE OSTI2013

Systems, methods and computer readable media for estimating capacity loss in rechargeable electrochemical cells

A system includes an electrochemical cell, monitoring hardware, and a computing system. The monitoring hardware periodically samples charge characteristics of the electrochemical cell. The computing system periodically determines cell information from the charge characteristics of the electrochemical cell. The computing system also periodically adds a first degradation characteristic from the cell information to a first sigmoid expression, periodically adds a second degradation characteristic from the cell information to a second sigmoid expression and combines the first sigmoid expression and the second sigmoid expression to develop or augment a multiple sigmoid model (MSM) of the electrochemical cell. The MSM may be used to estimate a capacity loss of the electrochemical cell at a desired point in time and analyze other characteristics of the electrochemical cell. The first and second degradation characteristics may be loss of active host sites and loss of free lithium for Li-ion cells.

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗

DOE OSTI2022

Rationally designed negative electrode for selective CO 2 -to-CO conversion in protonic ceramic electrochemical cells

Protonic ceramic electrochemical cells (PCECs) are solid-state electrochemical devices that employ proton-conducting oxides as electrolytes, which offer a promising approach for electrification of chemical manufacturing, including CO 2 reduction to produce value-added chemicals (e.g., CO). The primary advantage of PCECs is their intermediate operating temperatures (300–600 °C), which thermodynamically and kinetically favor the CO 2 reduction chemistry at the negative electrode. However, the conventional negative electrodes of PCECs, such as BaZr 0.8–x Ce x Y 0.2 O 3-δ -Ni or BaZr 0.8–x Ce x Y 0.1 Yb 0.1 O 3-δ -Ni, cannot reduce CO 2 to either CH 4 or CO with a selectivity of >99 %, leading to the production of a CO and CH 4 mixture. Herein, an oxide-supported in-situ exsolved Ni-Fe alloyed nanoparticle electrocatalyst, Sr 2 Fe 1.4 Mo 0.5 O 6-δ -Ni0.175 (SFM-Ni0.175), is first employed as the negative electrode of PCECs. The PCECs equipped with this new negative electrode selectively favor the CO 2 -to-CO conversion. A selectivity of ~100 % toward CO has been demonstrated over a wide range of operating temperatures (400–600 °C) and applied potentials/current densities. The negative electrode demonstrated in this work fully suppresses the CH 4 production. In situ diffuse reflectance infrared spectroscopy (DRIFTS) was performed to probe the CO 2 reduction mechanisms over both SFM-Ni0.175 and the traditional negative electrode (BCZYYb7111 +Ni), which indicates SFM-Ni0.175 inhibits the formation of formate species, leading to selective production of CO. Finally, this work validates that PCECs equipped with the rationally designed negative electrode can selectively manufacture chemicals.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

DOE OSTI2015

Electrochemical cells and methods of manufacturing the same

Electrochemical cells and methods of making electrochemical cells are described herein. In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a multi-layer sheet for encasing an electrode material for an electrochemical cell. The multi-layer sheet including an outer layer, an intermediate layer that includes a conductive substrate, and an inner layer disposed on a portion of the conductive substrate. The intermediate layer is disposed between the outer layer and the inner layer. The inner layer defines an opening through which a conductive region of the intermediate layer is exposed such that the electrode material can be electrically connected to the conductive region. Thus, the intermediate layer can serve as a current collector for the electrochemical cell.

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗

DOE OSTI2016

Electrochemical cells and methods of manufacturing the same

Electrochemical cells and methods of making electrochemical cells are described herein. In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a multi-layer sheet for encasing an electrode material for an electrochemical cell. The multi-layer sheet including an outer layer, an intermediate layer that includes a conductive substrate, and an inner layer disposed on a portion of the conductive substrate. The intermediate layer is disposed between the outer layer and the inner layer. The inner layer defines an opening through which a conductive region of the intermediate layer is exposed such that the electrode material can be electrically connected to the conductive region. Thus, the intermediate layer can serve as a current collector for the electrochemical cell.

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗

DOE OSTI2017

Electrochemical cells and methods of manufacturing the same

Electrochemical cells and methods of making electrochemical cells are described herein. In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a multi-layer sheet for encasing an electrode material for an electrochemical cell. The multi-layer sheet including an outer layer, an intermediate layer that includes a conductive substrate, and an inner layer disposed on a portion of the conductive substrate. The intermediate layer is disposed between the outer layer and the inner layer. The inner layer defines an opening through which a conductive region of the intermediate layer is exposed such that the electrode material can be electrically connected to the conductive region. Thus, the intermediate layer can serve as a current collector for the electrochemical cell.

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗

DOE OSTI2020

Electrochemical cells and methods of manufacturing the same

Electrochemical cells and methods of making electrochemical cells are described herein. In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a multi-layer sheet for encasing an electrode material for an electrochemical cell. The multi-layer sheet including an outer layer, an intermediate layer that includes a conductive substrate, and an inner layer disposed on a portion of the conductive substrate. The intermediate layer is disposed between the outer layer and the inner layer. The inner layer defines an opening through which a conductive region of the intermediate layer is exposed such that the electrode material can be electrically connected to the conductive region. Thus, the intermediate layer can serve as a current collector for the electrochemical cell.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

DOE OSTI2021

Electrochemical cells and methods of manufacturing the same

Electrochemical cells and methods of making electrochemical cells are described herein. In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a multi-layer sheet for encasing an electrode material for an electrochemical cell. The multi-layer sheet including an outer layer, an intermediate layer that includes a conductive substrate, and an inner layer disposed on a portion of the conductive substrate. The intermediate layer is disposed between the outer layer and the inner layer. The inner layer defines an opening through which a conductive region of the intermediate layer is exposed such that the electrode material can be electrically connected to the conductive region. Thus, the intermediate layer can serve as a current collector for the electrochemical cell.

Bazzarella, Ricardo↗