Phase-Transition Battery Using a Two-Phase Working Material
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing energy storage technologies, such as chemical batteries and capacitors, are limited by energy density and power density, with chemical batteries relying on slow ionic transport leading to degradation and capacitors having small energy densities due to rapid electronic transport, while phase batteries described in the prior art do not effectively utilize phase transitions for energy storage.
Innovation Solution
An energy storage material with two phases separated by a phase wall, where a first order phase transition displaces the phase wall, causing electronic transport and generating an electromotive force (EMF) across the phase domain wall, allowing for efficient charge and discharge cycles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If chemical batteries use ionic transport for energy storage, then energy density can be achieved, but power density is limited and degradation rates increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes first order phase transitions in a solid material, where a phase wall separates two phases (A and B) with different electrical characters. The phase transition enables rapid electronic transport while maintaining high energy density, resolving the contradiction between energy density and power density that plagues ionic transport systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the chemical/ionic transport mechanism with a physical phase transition mechanism. Instead of relying on slow ionic diffusion through electrolytes, the system uses a mobile phase domain wall that enables rapid electronic transport, substituting a mechanical phase boundary motion for chemical reactions.
2Power
If capacitors use rapid electronic transport for energy storage, then power density is high, but energy density remains very small
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs first order phase transitions to achieve both rapid electronic transport (high power density) and high energy density. The phase wall separates regions with different electronic structures, enabling capacitive-like rapid response while storing energy through the phase transition itself, unlike conventional capacitors that rely only on electric field storage in dielectric materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The system effectively creates a composite structure at the phase boundary, where the phase wall region combines properties of both phases to enable simultaneous high power and high energy density. The mobile phase domain wall acts as an interface that facilitates rapid electron transport while the bulk material provides energy storage capacity.
3Use of energy by moving object
If chemical batteries rely on ionic transport, then energy storage is achieved, but charge and discharge performance is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes ionic transport with electronic transport mediated by phase transitions. Electrons can move rapidly across the phase wall during charge and discharge, eliminating the slow ionic diffusion that limits chemical battery performance. The mobile phase domain wall provides a pathway for fast electronic charge transfer.
Solution Approach 2:
The first order phase transition provides a mechanism for rapid charge and discharge by enabling swift reconfiguration of electronic structure. When the phase wall moves, it carries with it a change in electronic properties that allows fast electron injection and extraction, dramatically improving charge-discharge rates compared to chemical reactions.
4Use of energy by moving object
If chemical batteries use redox couples for voltage generation, then energy storage is achieved, but voltage is limited to about 13.6V maximum
Solution Approach 1:
The patent generates voltage through phase transitions that can achieve energy differences of approximately 10 eV per atom, corresponding to voltages that can exceed the 13.6V limit of conventional redox couples. The phase wall creates an electromotive force based on the energy difference between phases, which can be tuned by material selection to achieve higher voltages.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the fundamental parameter for voltage generation from chemical redox potentials to phase transition energy differences. By selecting materials with appropriate phase energy differences (μA - μB), the voltage can be optimized to exceed conventional limits while maintaining high energy density through the phase transition mechanism.
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 phase battery achieves high energy density and power density by utilizing electronic transport and phase transitions, overcoming the limitations of existing technologies and enabling efficient energy storage and retrieval.
Implementation Method 1
As the first order phase transition proceeds, the wall is displaced causing the volume of the first portion to increase at the expense of the volume of the second portion
Implementation Method 2
This spontaneous phase wall motion, corresponding to discharge, causes a current to flow in the external circuit
Implementation Method 3
The EMF seated in the phase wall is equal to the equilibrium voltage V = (μ A -μ B )/e where, e.g., μ A /e is the chemical potential of phase A measured in electron volts
Data Source
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AI summary
Much improved energy storage is provided by exploiting the phase transition between different states or phases of a condensed matter "working material." Such phases constitute the high energy "charged" and low energy "discharged" state of the battery. The two phases conduct electricity in a different manner. This is reflected by different chemical potentials that determine the open circuit voltage of the battery. Such a battery can have an energy density that easily exceeds that of current chemical batteries and super capacitors.