Low-Voltage Battery Cell with Stable Output for Wearable Sensors
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current battery systems are unable to provide a long-lasting, low-voltage power source between 0.3 and 0.8 volts without using a voltage reducer, which is essential for wireless, wearable, or implanted devices, and they have poor energy density, making them unsuitable for ultra-low power monitoring sensors and next-generation sensor technologies.
Innovation Solution
An electrochemical battery cell with an anode and cathode made from specific active materials such as lithium, sodium, or their alloys, coupled with an ion-conducting electrolyte, which maintains an output voltage between 0.3 and 0.8 volts with minimal voltage variation and high specific capacity, eliminating the need for a voltage reducer and enhancing energy density by using graphene as a protective and electrochemical property modifier.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If commercially available battery systems (lithium-ion, lead acid, zinc-carbon/alkaline, zinc-air, nickel-metal) are used, then they can provide power, but they require voltage reduction circuits and have poor energy density
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fundamental voltage parameter of the battery system by selecting specific anode-cathode material combinations (e.g., lithium with phosphorus, aluminum with sulfur) that naturally produce low voltages between 0.3-0.8V, eliminating the need for voltage reduction circuits and their associated complexity and energy losses
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using conventional high-voltage battery materials and adding voltage reduction circuits to achieve low voltage, the patent inverts the approach by directly selecting materials that produce the desired low voltage output, turning the voltage reduction problem into a material selection solution
2Power
If voltage reduction circuits are used to achieve low operating voltage, then the operating voltage can be reduced, but additional power loss occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the voltage reduction circuit from the system entirely by designing a battery with intrinsic low-voltage materials, thereby removing the source of energy loss associated with voltage conversion and achieving both low operating voltage and high energy efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The battery materials themselves provide the voltage regulation function through their inherent electrochemical properties, with the anode-cathode combination naturally producing the desired 0.3-0.8V output without requiring external voltage reduction components that would consume additional energy
3Power
If conventional battery systems are used, then they can provide power, but they have poor energy density for lifelong functioning
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs composite material strategies by combining specific anode materials (lithium, aluminum, magnesium) with specific cathode materials (phosphorus, sulfur, metal oxides) to create battery systems with optimized energy density that enables lifelong functioning while maintaining low voltage output
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material composition parameters of the battery electrodes, selecting high-capacity materials such as lithium with phosphorus or aluminum with sulfur that provide superior energy density compared to conventional battery systems, enabling long-lasting power supply without voltage reduction requirements
4Volume of moving object
If the size of remote wireless sensors is tiny, then they are compact, but the volumetric energy density of the battery becomes especially important
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the volumetric energy density parameter by selecting battery materials with high capacity per unit volume, such as lithium-phosphorus or aluminum-sulfur combinations, enabling tiny wireless sensors to achieve long lifespan without compromising on size
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the battery design into optimized electrode materials and structures that maximize energy density at miniaturized scales, allowing the battery to fit within tiny sensor form factors while providing sufficient energy for lifelong operation
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 battery cell provides a stable, long-lasting power source with high energy density, suitable for wireless, wearable, or implanted devices, without the need for voltage reduction, addressing the limitations of existing battery systems.
Implementation Method 1
an ion-conducting electrolyte in ionic contact with the anode and the cathode
Implementation Method 2
an electrochemical battery cell that meets the aforementioned requirements. The battery cell comprises: (A) an anode having a primary anode active material, (B) a cathode having a primary cathode active material
Data Source
AI summary
An electrochemical battery cell comprising an anode having a primary anode active material, a cathode, and an ion-conducting electrolyte, wherein the cell has an initial output voltage, Vi, measured at 10% depth of discharge (DoD), selected from a range from 0.3 volts to 0.8 volts, and a final output voltage Vf measured at a DoD no greater than 90%, wherein a voltage variation, (Vi−Vf)/Vi, is no greater than ±10% and the specific capacity between Vi and Vf is no less than 100 mAh/g or 200 mAh/cm3 based on the cathode active material weight or volume, and wherein the primary anode active material is selected from lithium (Li), sodium (Na), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), aluminum (Al), zinc (Zn), titanium (Ti), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), vanadium (V), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), a mixture thereof, an alloy thereof, or a combination thereof.