Movable Separator Supercapacitor for Charge Preservation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current supercapacitor manufacturing techniques face challenges such as contamination from micromachining processes, inconvenient sealing methods, and difficulties in handling electrolytes with low boiling points, leading to suboptimal energy storage and discharge characteristics.
Innovation Solution
A supercapacitor design featuring a movable separator with perforated membranes that can be electrically controlled to enable or disable current flow, integrated within a semiconductor substrate, allowing for precise control of equivalent series resistance and discharge currents, and a manufacturing process that uses vacuum pressure and sealant materials with low melting points to seal the electrolyte chamber.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If the separator thickness is reduced to lower equivalent series resistance, then power supply capability is improved, but manufacturing precision becomes more difficult to achieve
Solution Approach 1:
The separator is divided into two separate membranes instead of using a single thick separator. This segmentation allows each membrane to be manufactured with precise, thin dimensions while collectively achieving the desired low equivalent series resistance. The two membranes can be independently fabricated and then assembled, bypassing the manufacturing precision limits of single-step thin separator production.
Solution Approach 2:
One membrane is positioned within the chamber and the other membrane is placed over it, creating a nested structure. This nesting arrangement allows both thin membranes to work together to achieve the required electrical performance while maintaining manufacturability, as each membrane can be produced separately with standard precision techniques.
2Ease of manufacture
If through holes are opened for electrolyte filling, then ease of manufacture is improved, but contamination from micromachining processes occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The separator membranes are attached to the chamber walls before the electrolyte filling process. This preliminary action creates a barrier that prevents micromachining particles from entering the chamber during subsequent through-hole opening and electrolyte filling operations, thereby maintaining chamber cleanliness while still allowing easy electrolyte introduction.
Solution Approach 2:
The separator membranes act as an intermediary barrier between the micromachining process and the electrolyte chamber. By being in place before through-hole creation and electrolyte filling, they mediate to prevent contamination while still allowing the necessary manufacturing steps to proceed.
3Reliability
If high temperature moulding is used to close access holes, then sealing effectiveness is improved, but electrolyte boiling occurs due to low boiling point
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing process parameters are changed from high temperature moulding to low-temperature epoxy resin application. This parameter change allows effective sealing of the access holes without reaching temperatures that would cause electrolyte boiling, thus maintaining both sealing reliability and electrolyte stability.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using thermal processes that cause phase transitions in the electrolyte (boiling), the invention uses a chemical curing process of epoxy resin at low temperatures. This alternative phase transition mechanism achieves sealing without harmful temperature effects on the electrolyte.
4Duration of action of moving object
If periodic recharging is performed to compensate for discharge currents, then energy storage is maintained, but loss of time occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The ion migration pathway through the separator is effectively removed or blocked by positioning the second membrane to contact and couple with the first membrane, creating an impermeable barrier. This extraction of the ion conduction path eliminates the discharge current mechanism, allowing charge to be preserved indefinitely without periodic recharging, thus eliminating time loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The separator configuration maintains continuous charge preservation without interruption. By preventing ion migration that causes self-discharge, the useful action of energy storage continues indefinitely without the need for periodic recharging interruptions, achieving continuous energy availability.
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 enables longer charge preservation, reduced discharge currents, and improved safety by controlling current flow and preventing overheating, while also allowing for precise manufacturing of supercapacitors with low equivalent series resistance and enhanced reliability.
Implementation Method 1
the porous separator enables a process of reverse migration of the ions that tends to cause the voltage across the electrodes to vanish
Implementation Method 2
sealant materials with low melting points to seal the electrolyte chamber
Implementation Method 3
a manufacturing process that uses vacuum pressure
Data Source
AI summary
A supercapacitor including: a shell; a chamber in the shell; a first electrode and a second electrode on respective walls of the chamber; and a separator arranged between the first electrode and the second electrode through the chamber. The separator includes a first perforated membrane and a second perforated membrane, which is movable with respect to the first membrane between a first position, in which the first membrane and the second membrane are separate and a second position, in which the first membrane and the second membrane are in contact and coupled for rendering the separator impermeable.