Zinc-air battery cell and method of manufacturing the same

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of metal air batteries, in particular to a zinc air battery monomer and a preparation method thereof. The battery monomer comprises a front panel, a reaction cavity and a rear panel; a zinc electrode is arranged between the front panel and the reaction cavity; an air electrode is arranged between the rear panel and the reaction cavity; a large-area air inlet is arranged on the rear panel, the large-area air inlet forms an air grille structure; a liquid injection port is arranged on the side of the reaction cavity, the liquid injection port is used for injecting electrolyte into the reaction cavity, and the liquid injection port is closed after the electrolyte injection is completed. The zinc air battery monomer has simple components, high integration degree and is beneficial to large-area amplification preparation; a large-area air inlet is designed, air is beneficial to entering, oxygen in the air participates in the reaction of the whole battery; meanwhile, the monomer structure can be conveniently connected in series to form an electric pile, so that the power is effectively improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of metal-air battery technology, specifically to a zinc-air battery cell and its preparation method. Background Technology

[0002] Zinc-air batteries have high energy density, are environmentally friendly, safe, abundant in resources, low in cost, and easy to recycle, making them a very promising new energy storage system. In recent years, their output value has been increasing, and they have become a focus of our research.

[0003] However, zinc-air batteries still face many problems, such as low energy conversion efficiency, low current density, high internal resistance, and insufficient air intake. Therefore, it is urgent to design a zinc-air battery to solve the existing problems and to develop a method that is easy to fabricate on a large scale, laying the foundation for subsequent series connection to form a battery stack.

[0004] Against this backdrop, this application researches and develops a zinc-air battery cell. The problems to be solved include limitations in cell size, complex battery fabrication processes, limited oxygen transport efficiency, and difficulties in industrial scale-up. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention provides a zinc-air battery cell and its preparation method. The battery cell has a simple composition and a high degree of integration, which is conducive to large-scale fabrication. It also features a large-area air inlet to facilitate air entry and allow oxygen in the air to participate in the overall battery reaction. Furthermore, the cell structure can be easily connected in series to form a battery stack, thereby effectively increasing power.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, a first aspect of the present invention provides a zinc-air battery cell, the battery cell comprising a front panel, a reaction chamber, and a rear panel;

[0007] A zinc electrode is disposed between the front panel and the reaction chamber;

[0008] An air electrode is provided between the rear panel and the reaction chamber;

[0009] A large air intake is provided on the rear panel, and the large air intake forms an air grille structure.

[0010] The reaction chamber is provided with a liquid injection port on its side, which is used to inject electrolyte into the reaction chamber and is sealed after the electrolyte injection is completed.

[0011] A second aspect of the present invention provides a method for preparing the above-mentioned battery cell, comprising:

[0012] The front panel, zinc electrode, reaction chamber, air electrode and rear panel are stacked and fastened in sequence to form a battery cell.

[0013] Electrolyte is injected into the reaction chamber through the injection port, and the injection port is sealed after the electrolyte injection is completed.

[0014] The beneficial effects of this invention are:

[0015] (1) The zinc-air battery cell proposed in this invention has a simple composition and a high degree of integration, which is conducive to large-area scale-up preparation; and it is designed with a large area air inlet, which is conducive to air entry and allows oxygen in the air to participate in the reaction of the whole battery; at the same time, the cell structure can be easily connected in series to form a stack, thereby effectively improving the power.

[0016] (2) The zinc-air battery cell proposed in this invention simplifies the design of traditional zinc-air batteries, making it easier to scale up and complete the fabrication of large-area zinc-air batteries. At the same time, a large air inlet is designed on the air electrode side (rear panel side) to ensure that oxygen in the air can fully enter the reaction chamber. Unlike the complex flow channel design of traditional zinc-air batteries, this design is simple and easy to implement. The battery cell also achieves good sealing performance, which is conducive to air circulation and improves battery performance.

[0017] Other features and advantages of the present invention will be described in detail in the following detailed description section. Attached Figure Description

[0018] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the more detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0019] Figure 1 Image a is a front view of the zinc electrode side (front panel side) of the zinc-air battery cell proposed in this invention, and image b is a top view of the zinc electrode side (front panel side).

[0020] Figure 2 Image a is a front view of the air electrode side (rear panel side) of the zinc-air battery cell proposed in this invention, and image b is a top view of the air electrode side (rear panel side).

[0021] Figure 3 This invention presents a top view of the entire zinc-air battery cell.

[0022] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the actual model of a zinc-air battery cell proposed in this invention.

[0023] Figure 5 This invention presents a schematic diagram for testing the open-circuit voltage of a zinc-air battery cell.

[0024] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the stability test of a zinc-air battery cell proposed in this invention. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The following provides a detailed description of specific embodiments of the present invention. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are for illustrative and explanatory purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

[0026] This invention provides a zinc-air battery cell, such as... Figure 1-4 As shown, the battery cell includes a front panel, a reaction chamber, and a rear panel;

[0027] A zinc electrode is installed between the front panel and the reaction chamber;

[0028] An air electrode is installed between the rear panel and the reaction chamber;

[0029] A large air intake is set on the rear panel, forming an air grille structure.

[0030] An injection port is provided on the side of the reaction chamber. The injection port is used to inject electrolyte into the reaction chamber and is sealed after the electrolyte injection is completed.

[0031] The zinc-air battery cell of this invention has a simple composition and a high degree of integration, which is conducive to large-scale fabrication. It is also designed with a large air inlet to facilitate air entry and allow oxygen in the air to participate in the overall battery reaction. At the same time, the cell structure can be easily connected in series to form a stack, thereby effectively improving the power.

[0032] According to the present invention, the air electrode is a composite structure formed by hot pressing of a catalyst layer, a gas diffusion layer and a current collection layer.

[0033] According to the present invention, the catalyst layer is prepared by ultrasonic spraying.

[0034] According to the present invention, the catalyst layer is formed by ultrasonically spraying a catalyst slurry onto a carbon substrate.

[0035] According to the present invention, a first sealing ring is provided between the front panel and the reaction chamber;

[0036] A second sealing ring is provided between the reaction chamber and the rear panel;

[0037] The zinc electrode is located between the front panel and the first sealing ring;

[0038] The air electrode is located between the rear panel and the second sealing ring;

[0039] The distance between the zinc electrode and the air electrode is the thickness of the reaction chamber in which the battery cell performs the battery reaction;

[0040] Both the first and second sealing rings are rubber sealing rings.

[0041] Preferably, the battery cell adopts a sandwich laminated structure;

[0042] The sandwich laminate structure comprises, in sequence: a front panel, a zinc electrode, a first sealing ring, a reaction chamber, a second sealing ring, an air electrode, and a rear panel.

[0043] The zinc-air battery designed in this invention adopts a sandwich laminated structure design, which includes, in sequence: a front panel (anode integrated end plate, i.e. zinc electrode side), a structured zinc electrode, an adaptive sealing ring, a reaction chamber, a gradient catalytic air electrode, and a rear panel (cathode airflow end plate, i.e. air electrode side).

[0044] According to the present invention, the front panel, the reaction chamber and the rear panel are evenly distributed with multiple fastening screw holes, and the front panel, the reaction chamber and the rear panel are fastened by multiple fastening bolts passing through the fastening screw holes;

[0045] The number of multiple fastening screw holes shall not be less than 16;

[0046] Each fastening bolt passes through a fastening screw hole.

[0047] In the assembly of the battery cell in this invention, the air electrode side, air electrode, reaction chamber, zinc electrode and zinc electrode side are arranged in sequence and fixed with bolts to assemble a zinc-air battery cell.

[0048] According to the present invention, the front panel, the reaction chamber and the rear panel are all made of polyetheretherketone material by 3D printing;

[0049] The electrolyte is a mixture of a strong alkaline solution and a zinc precursor solution;

[0050] The concentration of the strong alkali solution is 5-7 mol / L;

[0051] The concentration of the zinc precursor solution is 0.1-0.3 mol / L.

[0052] In this invention, when the battery is working, the electrolyte is injected from the inlet through the electrolyte pump. The electrolyte fills the entire reaction chamber through the inlet, so that the air electrode side and the zinc electrode side are in full contact with the electrolyte. At the same time, an air channel can be formed in the middle of the reaction chamber, which can also prevent the air electrode side and the zinc electrode side from contacting each other. The large-area air inlet designed on the air electrode side can also allow air to enter and be blown into the battery reaction chamber, so that the oxygen in the air can react fully.

[0053] The zinc-air battery cell of this invention simplifies the design of traditional zinc-air batteries, making it easier to scale up and fabricate large-area zinc-air batteries. At the same time, a large air inlet is designed on the air electrode side (rear panel side) to ensure that oxygen in the air can fully enter the reaction chamber. Unlike the complex flow channel design of traditional zinc-air batteries, this design is simple and easy to implement. The battery cell also achieves good sealing performance, which is conducive to air circulation and improves battery performance.

[0054] The present invention also provides a method for preparing the above-mentioned battery cell, characterized in that it includes:

[0055] The front panel, zinc electrode, reaction chamber, air electrode and rear panel are stacked and fastened in sequence to form a battery cell.

[0056] Electrolyte is injected into the reaction chamber through the injection port, and the injection port is sealed after the electrolyte injection is completed.

[0057] According to the present invention, it further includes:

[0058] Sealing rings are added between the front panel and the reaction chamber, and between the reaction chamber and the rear panel for sealing.

[0059] Example 1

[0060] This embodiment proposes a zinc-air battery cell, such as Figure 1-4 As shown, a zinc electrode is added between the front panel (zinc electrode side) and the reaction chamber of the battery cell, and an air electrode is added between the rear panel (air electrode side) and the reaction chamber; a large air inlet is provided on the air electrode side, which is a fixed air grille.

[0061] In this embodiment, there are sixteen fastening screw holes around the front panel, reaction chamber, and rear panel, which is beneficial to improving battery safety; there are sealing rings between the front panel and the reaction chamber, and between the reaction chamber and the rear panel, which have good sealing performance; a zinc plate is added between the front panel side and the sealing ring, and an air electrode is added between the rear panel side and the sealing ring; by passing fastening bolts through the screw holes, the electrolyte can be effectively prevented from flowing out when tightened.

[0062] The front panel, rear panel, and reaction chamber are all made of PEEK (polyether ether ketone) material through 3D printing. The entire battery has high strength, is resistant to acid and alkali corrosion, can prevent leakage, and improve the stability of the entire battery.

[0063] In this embodiment, the electrolyte used in the reaction chamber is a strong alkaline solution and a Zn precursor solution. The present invention uses a 6 mol / L KOH solution and a 0.2 mol / L ZnSO4 solution.

[0064] The air electrode uses a three-layer structure consisting of a catalyst layer, a gas diffusion layer, and a current collection layer, which has good air permeability and waterproofness.

[0065] The rear panel features a large air grille, which facilitates the entry of a large amount of air. It serves as both an air intake and an airflow channel, which helps improve battery performance.

[0066] There are liquid injection ports on both sides of the reaction chamber. After the liquid injection is completed, the ports can be sealed to effectively prevent leakage.

[0067] In this embodiment, the sealing ring used in the battery cell is a rubber sealing ring;

[0068] The air electrode in the reaction chamber is composed of a catalyst layer, an air diffusion layer, and a current collection layer.

[0069] Test Example 1

[0070] This test example proposes a method for preparing a zinc-air battery cell, including: tightening the air electrode side, sealing ring, air electrode, reaction chamber, zinc plate, sealing ring, and zinc electrode side with bolts to form a zinc-air battery; injecting electrolyte through a circulating pump; and cutting the zinc plate and air electrode into 10*10cm pieces. 2 Square shapes are used as zinc and air electrodes to assemble a zinc-air battery cell; an electrolyte is injected, consisting of a 6 mol / L KOH solution and a 0.2 mol / L ZnSO4 solution.

[0071] In this test example, a discharge test was performed on a zinc-air battery cell with injected electrolyte under a certain current. Figure 5 As shown, the battery open-circuit voltage is 1.55V. After standing still for a period of time, the open-circuit voltage is 1.48V. The battery has a high open-circuit voltage and good stability.

[0072] A constant charge-discharge test was performed on a zinc-air battery cell with injected electrolyte under a certain current condition. The test results are as follows: Figure 6 As shown; the test results indicate that the battery has good charge and discharge performance and high stability.

[0073] The battery design features a large air inlet, which facilitates electrochemical reactions within the battery. Furthermore, the entire battery structure is simple, easy to design and mass-produce, highly integrated, stable, and well-sealed.

[0074] Comparative Example 1

[0075] We compared our system with currently available zinc-air batteries.

[0076] A zinc-air battery is manufactured by tightening bolts around the front panel, sealing ring, air electrode, reaction chamber, zinc plate, sealing ring, and rear panel.

[0077] A zinc electrode is added between the front panel (zinc electrode side) and the reaction chamber, and an air electrode is added between the rear panel (air electrode side) and the reaction chamber.

[0078] There are four fastening screw holes around the front panel, reaction chamber and rear panel, which result in poor sealing after tightening;

[0079] The front panel, rear panel, and reaction chamber are all made of plexiglass, resulting in poor overall battery strength and poor resistance to acid and alkali corrosion.

[0080] The design is quite complex and can be applied to laboratory research, but not to industrial scale-up.

[0081] The airflow channels on the rear panel are small, which cannot properly allow air to enter and exit, thus affecting the overall performance of the battery.

[0082] The sealing method used is a common silicone gasket, which is prone to creep deformation;

[0083] The catalyst is applied by brushing, which can easily cause catalyst to fall off, resulting in reduced battery activity.

[0084] The zinc-air battery cell prepared in the embodiments of the present invention has a simple composition and a high degree of integration, which is conducive to large-area scale-up preparation. It is also designed with a large-area air inlet to facilitate the entry of air and allow oxygen in the air to participate in the reaction of the whole battery. At the same time, the cell structure can be easily connected in series to form a stack, thereby effectively improving the power.

[0085] The various embodiments of the present invention have been described above. These descriptions are exemplary and not exhaustive, nor are they limited to the disclosed embodiments. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments.

[0086] The endpoints and any values ​​of the ranges disclosed herein are not limited to the precise ranges or values, and these ranges or values ​​should be understood to include values ​​close to these ranges or values. For numerical ranges, the endpoint values ​​of the various ranges, the endpoint values ​​of the various ranges and individual point values, and individual point values ​​can be combined with each other to obtain one or more new numerical ranges, which should be considered as specifically disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A zinc-air battery cell, characterized by, The battery cell includes a front panel, a reaction chamber, and a rear panel; A zinc electrode is disposed between the front panel and the reaction chamber; An air electrode is provided between the rear panel and the reaction chamber; A large air intake is provided on the rear panel, and the large air intake forms an air grille structure. The reaction chamber is provided with a liquid injection port on its side, which is used to inject electrolyte into the reaction chamber and is sealed after the electrolyte injection is completed.

2. The battery cell according to claim 1, characterized in that, The air electrode is a composite structure formed by hot pressing a catalyst layer, a gas diffusion layer, and a current collection layer.

3. The battery cell according to claim 2, characterized in that, The catalyst layer was prepared using an ultrasonic spraying method.

4. The battery cell according to claim 3, characterized in that, The catalyst layer is formed by ultrasonically spraying a catalyst slurry onto a carbon substrate.

5. The battery cell according to claim 1, characterized in that, A first sealing ring is provided between the front panel and the reaction chamber; A second sealing ring is provided between the reaction chamber and the rear panel; The zinc electrode is located between the front panel and the first sealing ring; The air electrode is located between the rear panel and the second sealing ring; The distance between the zinc electrode and the air electrode is the thickness of the reaction chamber in which the battery cell performs the battery reaction; Both the first and second sealing rings are rubber sealing rings.

6. The battery cell according to claim 5, characterized in that, The battery cell adopts a sandwich laminate structure; The sandwich laminate structure comprises, in sequence: a front panel, a zinc electrode, a first sealing ring, a reaction chamber, a second sealing ring, an air electrode, and a rear panel.

7. The battery cell according to claim 1, characterized in that, The front panel, reaction chamber, and rear panel are evenly distributed around their perimeters with multiple fastening screw holes. Multiple fastening bolts are passed through the fastening screw holes to fasten the front panel, reaction chamber, and rear panel. The number of the plurality of fastening screw holes is not less than 16; Each fastening bolt passes through a fastening screw hole.

8. The battery cell according to claim 1, characterized in that, The front panel, reaction chamber, and rear panel are all fabricated using polyetheretherketone (PEEK) material via 3D printing. The electrolyte is a mixture of a strong alkaline solution and a zinc precursor solution. The concentration of the strong alkali solution is 5-7 mol / L; The concentration of the zinc precursor solution is 0.1-0.3 mol / L.

9. A method for preparing a battery cell according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, include: The front panel, zinc electrode, reaction chamber, air electrode and rear panel are stacked and fastened in sequence to form a battery cell. Electrolyte is injected into the reaction chamber through the injection port, and the injection port is sealed after the electrolyte injection is completed.

10. The preparation method according to claim 9, characterized in that, Also includes: A sealing ring is added between the front panel and the reaction chamber, and between the reaction chamber and the rear panel for sealing.

Images