Air Recirculation in Electrochemical Batteries for Oxygen Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrochemical batteries face issues with maintaining optimal oxygen concentration, leading to reduced performance and shortened battery life due to either insufficient or excessive oxygen levels, which can cause mechanical damage and increased energy consumption.
Innovation Solution
An electrochemical battery system that recirculates air within the battery module to maintain an optimal oxygen concentration between 30% and 100% using an air supplier, air recirculator, and controller to adjust oxygen levels based on real-time measurements, reducing the need for compressed air supply and minimizing energy consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If compressed air is supplied continuously to maintain oxygen concentration, then oxygen supply is ensured, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent recovers unused oxygen from exhaust air and recirculates it back to the combustion chamber. Instead of discarding the exhaust air completely, the system extracts and reuses the oxygen content, thereby maintaining oxygen concentration reliability while reducing the need for continuous compressed air supply and lowering energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The system maintains continuous oxygen supply to the combustion chamber by recirculating oxygen from exhaust air. This continuous recirculation ensures that oxygen concentration is consistently maintained without interruption, improving reliability while avoiding the energy penalties of intermittent compressed air injection.
2Power
If oxygen concentration is increased to improve battery performance, then power output increases, but mechanical damage risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a feedback control system that monitors oxygen concentration in real-time and adjusts the recirculation rate accordingly. When oxygen concentration reaches optimal levels, the system reduces recirculation to prevent excessive oxygen buildup, thereby maintaining high power output while avoiding mechanical damage from oxygen excess.
3Use of energy by moving object
If air recirculation is implemented to maintain oxygen concentration, then energy consumption is reduced, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The recirculation system serves multiple functions: it recovers oxygen, controls oxygen concentration, and reduces energy consumption. By integrating these functions into a single recirculation loop, the system achieves energy efficiency without proportionally increasing complexity, as one structural element performs multiple beneficial roles.
4Use of energy by moving object
If compressed air supply is reduced to minimize energy consumption, then energy efficiency improves, but oxygen concentration control becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the parameter of oxygen supply from compressed air injection to exhaust air recirculation. This parameter change allows the system to maintain oxygen concentration control while reducing energy consumption, as recirculating exhaust air requires significantly less energy than compressing and injecting external air.
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
The system improves battery performance and extends battery life by maintaining efficient oxygen levels, reducing mechanical stress, and minimizing energy consumption through air recirculation and controlled oxygen concentration adjustment.
Implementation Method 1
an air recirculator configured to recirculate air within the battery module
Implementation Method 2
maintain an optimal oxygen concentration between 30% and 100%
Implementation Method 3
a metal air battery including a plurality of metal air cells, each of the metal air cells including an anode capable of intercalating and deintercalating ions and a cathode using oxygen in air as an active material. A reduction/oxidation reaction of oxygen introduced from the outside occurs at the cathode, and an oxidation/reduction reaction of a metal occurs at the anode.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4
AI summary
An electrochemical battery including: a battery module comprising at least one electrochemical cell; an air supplier configured to supply air to the battery module and constantly maintain an oxygen concentration in the air that is supplied to the battery module; and an air recirculator configured to recirculate air exhausted from the battery module, wherein the battery module comprises an air inlet port though which air is introduced from the air supplier, and an air outlet port through which air remaining after a reaction in the at least one electrochemical cell is exhausted, and wherein the air recirculator is configured to recirculate the air exhausted through the air outlet port of the battery module to the air inlet port of the battery module.