Energy storing electrical device and a method of constructing an electrical device
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for high-performance, flexible, and cost-effective energy storage devices suitable for wearable electronic devices, as existing materials like stainless steel mesh and carbon nanotubes are expensive and difficult to integrate into garments.
Innovation Solution
The development of an energy storage electrical device with electrodes comprising a substrate coated with a thin layer of gold using a gilding process, combined with a layer of polypyrrole nanorods, which are electrochemically stable and flexible, allowing for efficient ion transportation and electrochemical reactions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional materials like stainless steel mesh and carbon nanotubes are used for electrodes, then electrical conductivity and structural strength are improved, but manufacturing cost increases and ease of manufacture decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameters by replacing expensive traditional electrode materials with a cost-effective alternative consisting of a conductive polymer coating on a flexible substrate. This maintains adequate electrical conductivity while dramatically reducing material cost and simplifying the manufacturing process, directly resolving the contradiction between reliability and ease of manufacture.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs inexpensive materials such as conductive polymers and flexible substrates that can be easily manufactured and potentially replaced. This approach prioritizes cost-effectiveness and ease of manufacture over using expensive, durable materials like stainless steel mesh, thereby resolving the contradiction between reliability and ease of manufacture.
2Strength
If rigid electrode structures are used, then structural strength is improved, but flexibility and adaptability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a flexible substrate as the electrode base structure, replacing rigid materials with flexible thin films. This allows the electrode to bend and conform to different shapes while maintaining structural integrity, directly resolving the contradiction between structural strength and flexibility by using materials that inherently possess both properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite electrode structure combining a flexible substrate with a conductive polymer coating. This composite material integrates the mechanical flexibility of the substrate with the electrical conductivity and structural reinforcement of the polymer layer, simultaneously achieving both structural strength and flexibility to resolve the contradiction.
3Reliability
If complex electrode structures are used, then energy storage performance is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the functions of the substrate and conductive coating into an integrated electrode structure. By combining the mechanical support function of the substrate with the energy storage function of the conductive polymer in a single integrated component, the device complexity is reduced while maintaining energy storage performance, directly resolving the contradiction.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible electrode structure serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides mechanical support, enables flexibility for wearable applications, and delivers energy storage capability through the conductive polymer. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining performance.
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 solution provides a flexible, durable, and cost-effective energy storage device with high capacitance retention over multiple cycles and deformations, suitable for integration into wearable electronics without significant performance degradation.
Implementation Method 1
the substrate the textile portion or the polymer portion is negatively charged, the noble metal being positively charged and the noble metal being retained on the substrate by electrostatic interaction
Implementation Method 2
the layer of polypyrrole comprises polypyrrole nanorods or nanowires that are electrodeposited onto the second layer to define the first layer
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for an energy storing electrical device includes a first conductive electrode, a second conductive electrode, an electrolyte disposed between the first conductive electrode and a second conductive electrode, each electrode further comprising an integrated first layer and a second layer, and; wherein the second layer comprises a substrate, the substrate comprising a textile portion or a polymer portion and a conductive layer formed by a noble metal disposed on and attached to the substrate.