Abstract: Provided herein are methods of forming solid-state ionically conductive composite materials that include particles of an inorganic phase in a matrix of an organic phase. The organic phase includes a cross-linked polyurethane network. The methods involve forming the composite materials from a precursor that is cross-linked in-situ after being mixed with the particles. The cross-linking occurs under applied pressure that causes particle-to-particle contact. Once cross-linked, the applied pressure may be removed with the particles immobilized by the polymer matrix. The polyurethane network is configured for easy processability of uniform films and may be characterized by a hard phase content of at least 20%.

Abstract: A reverse electrodialysis device using a precipitation reaction, according to one embodiment of the present invention, comprises a first cell stack alternately forming solid salt chambers and precipitation chambers through cation-exchange membranes and anion-exchange membranes which are alternately provided, and a first water-soluble solid salt and a second water-soluble solid salt which are filled in the solid salt chambers, wherein the first water-soluble solid salt and the second water-soluble solid salt are alternately filled in the solid salt chambers, and can react with each other so as to generate a precipitate in neighboring precipitation chambers when water is supplied.

Abstract: A method is provided for activating a secondary battery having a negative electrode, a positive electrode, and a microporous separator between the negative and positive electrodes permeated with carrier-ion containing electrolyte, the negative electrode having anodically active silicon or an alloy thereof. The method includes transferring carrier ions from the positive electrode to the negative electrode to at least partially charge the secondary battery, and transferring carrier ions from an auxiliary electrode to the positive electrode, to provide the secondary battery with a positive electrode end of discharge voltage Vpos,eod and a negative electrode end of discharge voltage Vneg,eod when the cell is at a predefined Vcell,eod value, the value of Vpos,eod corresponding to a voltage at which the state of charge of the positive electrode is at least 95% of its coulombic capacity and Vneg,eod is at least 0.4 V (vs Li) but less than 0.9 V (vs Li).

Abstract: A membrane electrode assembly includes an electrolyte membrane, and a pair of electrode layers which sandwich the electrolyte membrane. The pair of electrode layers include a pair of catalyst layers which sandwich the electrolyte membrane, and a pair of gas diffusion layers disposed on the pair of catalyst layers on opposite sides to the electrolyte membrane. At least one catalyst layer contains a fibrous electric conductor, catalyst particles, a particulate electric conductor, and a proton-conductive resin. The at least one catalyst layer has a first region at a distance of 200 nm or less from the fibrous electric conductor, and a second region at a distance of more than 200 nm from the fibrous electric conductor. Pores are present in the first and second regions. A mode diameter M1 of the pores in the first region and a mode diameter M2 of the pores in the second region satisfy M1<M2.

Abstract: A benthic microbial fuel cell comprising: a nonconductive frame having an upper end and a lower end; a plurality of anodes, wherein each anode is a conductive plate having a top section and a bottom edge; a plurality of conductive, threaded rods disposed perpendicularly to the anode plates and configured to secure the top sections of the anodes to the lower end of the frame and to hold the plates in a substantially parallel orientation with respect to each other such that none of the plates are in direct contact with each other; and a plurality of cathodes, wherein each cathode is made of carbon cloth connected to the upper end of the frame.

Abstract: A fuel cell single cell includes a pair of separators each having manifold holes, a frame disposed between the separators, a power generating unit disposed in an opening of the frame, and a plurality of gas flow channels configured to connect the power generating unit with the manifold holes. Each of the gas flow channels has a distal channel portion defined by a frame groove provided in the frame and configured to communicate with the manifold holes, and a proximal channel portion defined by a separator groove provided in the corresponding separator and configured to communicate with the power generating unit. Each of the gas flow channels is configured to be independent of adjacent other gas flow channels, at least over a range from a distal end of the distal channel portion, which communicates with the manifold holes, to a point in the proximal channel portion.

Abstract: A method for preparing a fuel cell system in a vehicle for starting, for which purpose a starting preparation routine is carried out after the vehicle has been shut down depending on a temperature limit value. In the method, in the event that the fuel cell had not reached its normal operating temperature during the previous operation and a temperature falls below the predetermined temperature limit value, the fuel cell system is operated until it has reached its normal operating temperature and after which the starting preparation routine is subsequently carried out.

Abstract: An all mechanically controlled, non-venting pressure control system for liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen cryogenic tanks that requires no electrical control while managing disparate, non-stoichiometric reactant boil-off rates is provided. The pressure control system allows for the passive and repeatable stoichiometric consumption of hydrogen and oxygen boil-off from cryogenic tanks to form liquid water, while preventing the liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen cryogenic tanks from overpressurizing and venting to the external environment. More particularly, in response to an overpressure condition in a first reactant reservoir, a backpressure regulator is opened, providing the overpressure first reactant to a fuel cell or other consumer, and providing a pilot signal to open a supply line from a second reactant reservoir to the consumer. Whether the second reactant is supplied from the second reactant reservoir as gas or a liquid is determined based on the pressure within the second reactant reservoir.

Abstract: A fuel cell system comprises a controller configured to determine whether a condition relating to a stop pattern of the fuel cell system satisfies a predetermined condition, and an output unit configured to output a warning when it is determined that the condition relating to the stop pattern satisfies the predetermined condition.

Abstract: Electrolytes and electrochemical cells include a novel ionic liquid having a quaternary cation and a boron cluster anion. In some versions, the boron cluster anion will be a functionalized or unfunctionalized icosahedral boranyl or carboranyl anion. Electrochemical cells have an electrolyte including the ionic liquid. In some versions, the ionic liquid is used as a solvent to dissolve an ionic shuttle salt for transport of active material, with an optional co-solvent. Methods to synthesize the ionic liquid include contacting a boron cluster salt with a quaternary salt to form the ionic liquid by a metathesis reaction.

Abstract: Described herein are improved composite anodes and lithium-ion batteries made therefrom. Further described are methods of making and using the improved anodes and batteries. In general, the anodes include a porous composite having a plurality of agglomerated nanocomposites. At least one of the plurality of agglomerated nanocomposites is formed from a dendritic particle, which is a three-dimensional, randomly-ordered assembly of nanoparticles of an electrically conducting material and a plurality of discrete non-porous nanoparticles of a non-carbon Group 4A element or mixture thereof disposed on a surface of the dendritic particle. At least one nanocomposite of the plurality of agglomerated nanocomposites has at least a portion of its dendritic particle in electrical communication with at least a portion of a dendritic particle of an adjacent nanocomposite in the plurality of agglomerated nanocomposites.

Abstract: Provided is a rectangular secondary battery with improved rigidity against vibrations and impacts. A rectangular secondary battery of the present invention includes: a flat-shaped electrode group; a current-collecting plate electrically connected to the electrode group; a battery case accommodating the current-collecting plate and the electrode group; a battery cover that closes an opening of the battery case; an electrode terminal penetrating through the battery cover, the electrode terminal being connected to the current-collecting plate via a connecting member; and a gasket that is inserted between the electrode terminal and the battery cover for insulating and sealing. An insulator is disposed between the current-collecting plate and the battery cover, the battery cover includes a battery cover side fixing part that fixes the insulator, and the insulator includes a current-collecting plate side fixing part that fixes the current-collecting plate.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a lithium-ion battery, the lithium-ion battery comprises a positive electrode plate, a negative electrode plate, a separator and an electrolyte. The positive active material comprises a material having a chemical formula of LiaNixCoyMzO2, the negative active material comprises a graphite-type carbon material, the lithium-ion battery satisfies a relationship 58%?KYa/(KYa+KYc)×100%?72%. In the present disclosure, by reasonably matching the relationship between the anti-compression capability of the positive active material and the anti-compression capability of the negative active material, it can make the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate both have good surface integrity, and in turn make the lithium-ion battery have excellent dynamics performance and excellent cycle performance at the same time.

Abstract: A method for quantitatively analyzing cohesive failure of an electrode analyzes cohesive failure of an electrode and includes preparing an electrode in which an electrode material mixture layer including an electrode active material, a conductive agent, and a binder is formed on a current collector, measuring shear strength (?) data according to a cutting depth while cutting the electrode material mixture layer from a surface thereof until reaching the current collector using a surface and interfacial cutting analysis system (SAICAS), obtaining a regression curve of shear strength according to the cutting depth from the shear strength (?) data, and determining a cutting depth, at which the shear strength is minimum in the regression curve, as a location of cohesive failure.

Abstract: Provided are an electrode sheet for an all-solid state secondary battery and an all-solid state secondary battery including the electrode sheet. The electrode sheet includes a current collector, a primer layer, and an electrode active material layer in this order, in which the electrode active material layer includes an inorganic solid electrolyte having ion conductivity of a metal belonging to Group 1 or Group 2 in the periodic table, an active material, and a binder a1, the primer layer includes the binder a1 and a binder a2, and in a case where the primer layer is equally divided into six sub-layers in a thickness direction and the six sub-layers are set as a first sub-layer to a sixth sub-layer in order from the electrode active material layer side toward the current collector side, a relationship between a ratio B1 of a content of a1 to a total content of a1 and a2 in the first sub-layer and a ratio B6 of a content of a1 to a total content of a1 and a2 in the sixth sub-layer satisfies B1>B6.

Abstract: An alkaline electrochemical cell has a central cathode having a corresponding cathode current collector electrically connected with a positive terminal of the electrochemical cell. The cathode current collector has a tubular shape, such as a cylindrical shape or rectangular shape, extending parallel with the length of the central cathode. The cathode current collector is embedded within the central cathode, such as at a medial point of a radius of the central cathode, thereby minimizing the distance between the cathode current collector and any portion of the central cathode, thereby increasing the mechanical strength of the cathode and facilitating charge transfer to the cathode current collector.

Abstract: An alkaline electrochemical cell has a central cathode having a corresponding cathode current collector electrically connected with a positive terminal of the electrochemical cell. The cathode current collector has a tubular shape, such as a cylindrical shape or rectangular shape, extending parallel with the length of the central cathode. The cathode current collector is embedded within the central cathode, such as at a medial point of a radius of the central cathode, thereby minimizing the distance between the cathode current collector and any portion of the central cathode, thereby increasing the mechanical strength of the cathode and facilitating charge transfer to the cathode current collector.

Abstract: Provided is a layered double hydroxide (LDH) separator capable of more effectively restraining short circuiting caused by zinc dendrites. The LDH separator includes a porous substrate made of a polymer material and LDH plugging pores in the porous substrate, and has a linear transmittance of 1% or more at a wavelength of 1000 nm.

Abstract: A system and method for optimizing electrochemical cells including electrodes employing coordination compounds by mediating water content within a desired water content profile that includes sufficient coordinated water and reduces non-coordinated water below a desired target and with electrochemical cells including a coordination compound electrochemically active in one or more electrodes, with an improvement in electrochemical cell manufacture that relaxes standards for water content of electrochemical cells having one or more electrodes including one or more such transition metal cyanide coordination compounds.

Abstract: A system for high-temperature reversible electrolysis of water, characterised in that it includes: a high-temperature reversible electrolyser, configured to operate in SOEC (solid oxide electrolyser cell) mode to produce hydrogen and store electricity, and/or in SOFC (solid oxide fuel cell) mode to withdraw hydrogen and produce electricity; a hydride tank, thermally coupled with the reversible electrolyser, the system being configured to allow the recovery of heat released by the hydride tank during hydrogen absorption in order to produce pressurised steam intended for entering the reversible electrolyser in SOEC mode, and to allow the recovery of heat released by the one or more outgoing streams from the reversible electrolyser in SOFC mode so as to allow the desorption of hydrogen from the hydride tank.