Lithium Ion Receptor Cathode for Fast Charging Safety

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Solution Overview

Problem

Lithium metal batteries face challenges with dendrite formation, thermal runaway, and safety concerns due to flammable electrolytes, limiting their commercialization, and lithium-ion batteries struggle with high-rate charging and discharging capabilities while maintaining safety and energy density requirements.

Innovation Solution

A lithium secondary battery design featuring a cathode and anode with interstitial spaces containing lithium ion receptors or reservoirs, utilizing lithium-capturing groups and ionic liquids to manage lithium ion flow, allowing for time-delayed charging and discharging and increasing power density without flammable electrolytes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Use of energy by moving object

If lithium metal is used as anode active material to achieve high energy density, then energy density is improved, but dendrite formation and thermal runaway occur leading to safety issues

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveenergy densityVSAvoidsafety

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a protective coating layer as an intermediary between the lithium metal anode and the electrolyte. This coating acts as a mediator that prevents direct contact between lithium metal and flammable electrolytes, thereby eliminating thermal runaway risks while preserving the high energy density benefits of lithium metal. The coating serves as a safety interface that allows energy storage function while blocking harmful interactions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent converts the harmful property of lithium metal (high reactivity with electrolytes causing thermal runaway) into a benefit by using this reactivity to form a stable protective coating in situ. The same reactive nature that causes safety issues is harnessed to create a protective layer that prevents those issues, transforming the hazard into a protective mechanism.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

2Reliability

If lithium-ion batteries use carbonaceous anode material to improve safety, then safety is improved, but charging and discharging rates are limited

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovesafetyVSAvoidcharging and discharging rates

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a composite anode structure combining lithium metal core with a protective coating shell. This composite material integrates the high capacity advantage of lithium metal with the safety and rate capability advantages of coated structures. The composite design allows rapid lithium ion transport while maintaining safety, overcoming the limitations of pure carbonaceous materials.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The protective coating is designed with a porous structure that facilitates rapid lithium ion diffusion. The porosity allows high rates of ion transport necessary for fast charging and discharging, while the coating matrix maintains structural integrity and safety. This porous architecture resolves the trade-off between safety/density and rate capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #31Porous materials

3Reliability

If flammable electrolyte solvents are used to achieve good ionic conductivity, then ionic conductivity is improved, but thermal runaway and explosion risks increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveionic conductivityVSAvoidthermal runaway risk

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The protective coating serves as an intermediary barrier between the lithium metal and the electrolyte. It allows ionic conductivity to be maintained through the coating while preventing direct contact between lithium metal and flammable electrolytes, thereby eliminating thermal runaway risks. The coating mediates the interaction between these two components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The protective coating creates an inert environment around the lithium metal anode, preventing reactive interactions with the electrolyte. This inert barrier layer isolates the highly reactive lithium metal from the flammable electrolyte, maintaining safety while allowing ionic transport through the coating structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #39Inert atmosphere (Inert environment)

4Reliability

If complex anode or electrolyte structures are designed to prevent dendrites, then dendrite prevention is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedendrite preventionVSAvoidstructure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The protective coating forms through a self-service mechanism where the lithium metal or precursor materials automatically form the coating during initial charging cycles without external intervention. This self-forming process eliminates the need for complex multi-step manufacturing procedures, keeping device complexity low while achieving effective dendrite prevention and safety improvements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The protective coating is formed preliminarily during initial charging cycles before the battery enters normal operation. This preliminary action of coating formation during activation simplifies subsequent manufacturing steps, as the protective layer is already in place to prevent dendrites and ensure safety during normal use, reducing overall device complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

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

Enables fast charging and discharging with enhanced safety and energy density, reducing dendrite formation and thermal risks, and maintaining high cycle life, addressing the limitations of existing lithium metal and lithium-ion batteries.

Implementation Method 1

When the battery was discharged, lithium ions were transferred from the lithium metal anode to the cathode through the electrolyte

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectIon transfer: Electrolysis

Implementation Method 2

the cathode comprises particles of a cathode active material that are packed together to form a cathode active material layer having interstitial spaces to accommodate a lithium ion receptor disposed therein and configured to receive lithium ions from the anode

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectIon capture: Adsorption

Implementation Method 3

configured to receive lithium ions from the anode through the porous separator

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectDiffusion: Diffusion

Implementation Method 4

utilizing lithium-capturing groups and ionic liquids to manage lithium ion flow

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectIon conduction: Conduction (electrical)

Data Source

PatentUS10840565B2Method of improving power density and fast-chargeability of a lithium secondary battery

Publication Date: 2020.11.17 HONEYCOMB BATTERY CO

AI summary

Provided is a method of improving fast-dischargeability or high rate capability of a lithium secondary battery containing an anode, a cathode, a porous separator disposed between the anode and the cathode, and an electrolyte, wherein the method comprises packing particles of a cathode active material to form a cathode active material layer having interstitial spaces and disposing a lithium ion receptor in the interstitial spaces, configured to receive lithium ions from the anode through the porous separator when the battery is discharged and to enable the lithium ions to enter the particles of cathode active material in a time-delayed manner.