Aqueous EDLC with Rigid Frame Gas Evacuation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electric double-layer capacitors (EDLCs) face issues with parasitic effects at high operating temperatures and voltages, leading to excessive pressures and potential swelling or bursting due to discharged gases, which are not effectively managed by existing designs.
Innovation Solution
The EDLC design incorporates a rigid dielectric frame with an evacuation mechanism, including capillaries and a unidirectional valve, to remove superfluous fluid and gases, preventing pressure buildup and ensuring safe operation, while a polymeric sealant and fastening mechanisms secure the capacitor stack.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If EDLC operates at high temperatures and voltages, then power density and energy storage are improved, but parasitic effects cause excessive pressure and potential swelling or bursting
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful discharged gases produced during high-temperature and high-voltage operation into a beneficial feature by providing an evacuation mechanism. The frame includes evacuation openings that allow gases to escape, and hydrophobic materials are used to facilitate gas removal while preventing electrolyte loss. This transforms the harmful pressure buildup into a controlled gas evacuation process, enabling safe operation at high power densities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces hydrophobic materials as intermediaries between the electrolyte and the evacuation openings. These materials selectively allow gas molecules to pass through while blocking liquid electrolyte, acting as a mediator that enables gas evacuation without compromising the electrolyte reservoir. This intermediary layer resolves the contradiction by permitting harmful gas removal while preventing harmful electrolyte loss.
2Use of energy by moving object
If EDLC operates at high temperatures and voltages, then energy density is improved, but parasitic effects lead to discharged gases causing swelling or bursting
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful discharged gases that threaten structural integrity into a manageable byproduct by providing dedicated evacuation pathways. The frame incorporates evacuation openings and channels that guide gases away from the electrode assembly, preventing swelling and bursting. This allows the EDLC to operate at high energy densities without compromising reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the frame structure into functional zones: electrodes, separator, and evacuation pathways. The frame is divided into regions that handle different functions - the electrode assembly for energy storage and the evacuation channels for gas management. This segmentation allows high energy density operation in the electrode region while maintaining structural integrity through the separate evacuation system.
3Reliability
If evacuation mechanism is added to remove gases, then operational safety is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the frame structure multi-functional by combining structural support, gas evacuation, and electrolyte containment functions into a single component. The frame serves as both the mechanical skeleton and the gas evacuation system, eliminating the need for separate evacuation chambers or complex valve mechanisms. This universal design improves operational safety while minimizing added complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the evacuation mechanism with the frame structure itself rather than adding it as a separate subsystem. The evacuation openings and channels are integrated directly into the frame, combining the structural support function with the gas removal function. This merging approach improves operational safety by ensuring reliable gas evacuation while avoiding the complexity of separate evacuation systems.
4Productivity
If hydrophobic materials are used for gas evacuation, then gas removal efficiency is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs porous hydrophobic materials that inherently provide gas evacuation pathways through their pore structure. The porous nature of these materials allows gas molecules to pass through via capillary action and surface tension effects, eliminating the need for precisely engineered channels or openings. This approach improves gas removal efficiency while reducing manufacturing precision requirements, as the porous structure provides self-organizing evacuation pathways.
Solution Approach 2:
The hydrophobic porous materials provide self-service gas evacuation through their inherent surface properties. The materials automatically repel liquid electrolyte while allowing gas passage based on their hydrophobicity and pore structure, without requiring external control mechanisms or precise positioning. This self-service capability improves gas removal efficiency while minimizing manufacturing complexity and precision requirements.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design enhances the operational safety and longevity of EDLCs by preventing swelling and bursting, allowing for stable operation at high temperatures and voltages, and maintaining electrical conductivity and energy density.
Implementation Method 1
The capillary is composed of a porous hydrophobic material and is operative to evacuate discharged gases from the electrodes out of the EDLC
Implementation Method 2
The mechanism may be a unidirectional valve disposed in the channel, the valve operative to enable the discharged gases to exit the EDLC while preventing gas entry into the EDLC
Implementation Method 3
The mechanism may include a tube having a length and thickness that limits the passage of oxygen into the EDLC
Implementation Method 4
The separator prevents electrical contact between the conductive electrodes but allows the exchange of ions
Implementation Method 5
an electric double layer is formed at each electrode/electrolyte interface by the accumulated ionic charges
Implementation Method 6
The extremely high surface area of the activated carbon electrodes, combined with a separation distance between electric double layers on the order of nanometers, enables the absorption of a large number of ions per unit mass
Data Source
AI summary
An electric double-layer capacitor (EDLC) and method for manufacturing thereof. The ELDC includes at least one capacitor cell with two parallel current collectors, two opposite polarity electrodes, a separator, a rigid dielectric frame, and at least one evacuation mechanism. Each electrode is disposed on a respective current collector, and impregnated with aqueous electrolyte. The frame is disposed along the perimeter on the surface of a current collector and enclosing the electrodes. The evacuation mechanism removes superfluous fluid material from the capacitor cell interior. The evacuation mechanism may be a compartment in the frame, operative to collect residual electrolyte that seeps out from the electrodes, or a capillary formed within the frame and extending into a portion of the electrode, the capillary composed of a porous hydrophobic material and operative to evacuate discharged gases from the electrodes out of the EDLC.