Silicate Binder Battery Components for Energy Density
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current thermal battery designs suffer from low energy density, high cost, and inefficiencies due to excess active materials, which result in low Coulombic efficiency and power output, largely due to the use of outdated pellet processing technologies.
Innovation Solution
The use of glassy silicate binders enables the fabrication of thinner, conformally bonded electrode and separator components through coating, casting, or printing technologies, eliminating excess active materials and improving component integrity and performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional pellet processing technology is used to fabricate battery components, then mechanical integrity of pellets is achieved, but excessive thickness and excess active materials result, leading to low energy density and low Coulombic efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fabrication method from conventional pellet pressing to a new process that creates thin, mechanically intact components. This parameter change in manufacturing technique allows achieving mechanical integrity without the excessive thickness and material quantity that characterized traditional pellet-based components, directly resolving the contradiction between strength and quantity of substance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical pellet pressing system with an alternative fabrication approach that does not rely on high-pressure compression. This substitution enables the creation of thin components with sufficient mechanical integrity through different physical or chemical mechanisms, eliminating the need for excessive material thickness required by conventional mechanical pressing methods.
2Strength
If pellet geometry with minimum thickness is used to achieve mechanical integrity, then component strength is maintained, but pellet resistance increases and power output decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes the conventional mechanical pellet pressing system with a new fabrication method that produces components with different structural characteristics. This replacement eliminates the high pellet resistance inherent in pressed pellets while maintaining necessary mechanical strength, thereby improving power output without sacrificing component integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements parameter changes in the fabrication process that fundamentally alter the internal structure and resistance characteristics of the components. These parameter changes enable achieving the required mechanical strength with significantly reduced electrical resistance compared to conventional pellets, directly resolving the contradiction between strength and power output.
3Stability of the object's composition
If excess active materials are included in pellet components to facilitate mechanical integrity, then structural stability is improved, but weight and volume penalties increase due to excess heat powder and insulation requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes in the fabrication process that enable structural stability with minimal material quantity. The new method creates thin components that achieve necessary mechanical and thermal stability without the excessive material content of traditional pellets, thereby eliminating the weight and volume penalties associated with overbuilt battery components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and eliminates the excess active materials from the component structure while retaining only the minimum necessary for structural stability and function. This extraction process removes the unnecessary weight and volume associated with excess heat powder and insulation requirements, directly resolving the contradiction between structural stability and weight.
4Ease of manufacture
If conventional fabrication processes are used, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but batteries are drastically overbuilt with 5-fold to 40-fold excess of active ingredients, resulting in low Coulombic efficiency of 2.5 to 20%
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements parameter changes in the fabrication process that transform it from a simple but inefficient conventional method to a more sophisticated process that achieves high Coulombic efficiency. The new parameters enable precise control over material distribution and component thickness, eliminating the 5-fold to 40-fold excess of active ingredients while maintaining manufacturing feasibility, thereby resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture and productivity.
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
This approach significantly enhances energy and power density by reducing excess material, leading to improved Coulombic efficiency and power output while minimizing weight and volume penalties.
Implementation Method 1
glassy silicate binders enables the fabrication of thinner, conformally bonded electrode and separator components
Implementation Method 2
fabrication of thinner, conformally bonded electrode and separator components through coating, casting, or printing technologies
Data Source
AI summary
A battery component structure employing inorganic-silicate binders. In some embodiments, casting or coating of components may be performed using aqueous slurries of silicates and electrode materials or separator materials.