Abstract: An atmospheric CO2 capture system includes a compartment housing a solid CO2 sorbent, an exchange fluid including a chemical component with selectivity towards CO2, and an electrochemical cell in fluid communication with the compartment, the system having a cycle including a first state of sorbing CO2 from incoming air onto the solid CO2 sorbent until a saturation point is reached; a second state of regenerating the sorbent by flooding the compartment with the exchange fluid to detach CO2 from the saturated sorbent and bind the detached CO2 to the chemical component; and a third state of regenerating the chemical component by detaching CO2 from the chemical component in the electrochemical cell and releasing the CO2 from the system.

Abstract: An electrode configuration for a battery cell includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a separator interposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode. The separator includes an electrically conductive protrusion inhibiting layer and a first insulating layer interposed between and electrically insulating the protrusion inhibiting layer from one of the positive and negative electrode.

Abstract: A proton exchange membrane fuel cell includes an anode catalyst layer, a cathode catalyst layer, a proton exchange membrane separating the anode catalyst layer from the cathode catalyst layer, an oxygen inlet configured to supply oxygen to the cathode catalyst layer, and a hydrogen inlet separate from the oxygen inlet and configured to supply hydrogen to the anode catalyst layer. The fuel cell is operable to convert the hydrogen from the hydrogen inlet to hydrogen ions at the anode catalyst layer and to produce an H2O byproduct at the cathode catalyst layer where the oxygen reacts with the hydrogen ions. The fuel cell includes a water outlet for the H2O byproduct that is separate from the oxygen inlet.

Abstract: Described herein is a polymer-electrolyte-membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) that incorporates a shunt into the membrane separator that becomes electronically conductive around a well-defined anodic onset potential, thereby preventing excessive anodic potentials at the positive electrode that would otherwise drive deleterious parasitic reactions such as catalyst dissolution or catalyst and carbon oxidation.

Abstract: Battery management systems and methods for use with lithium-ion batteries that employ silicon-based negative electrodes. The battery management systems and methods consider the lithiation/delithiation properties of silicon-based anode materials by considering voltage relaxation behavior. The battery management systems and methods may also be applied to other materials that similarly display an apparent hysteresis in the lithiation/delithiation processes and/or form multiple phases with different electrochemical properties.

Abstract: A battery includes an electrode that exhibits a crystal structure change when lithiated beyond a threshold potential and a battery management system. The battery management system includes a controller configured to, while the battery is online, determine the threshold potential, determine battery operating parameters based on the determined threshold potential, and operate the battery based on the determined battery operating parameters.

Abstract: Described herein is a polymer-electrolyte-membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) that incorporates a shunt into the membrane separator that becomes electronically conductive around a well-defined anodic onset potential, thereby preventing excessive anodic potentials at the positive electrode that would otherwise drive deleterious parasitic reactions such as catalyst dissolution or catalyst and carbon oxidation.

Abstract: A method for generating battery characteristics for a battery having a target composition includes identifying open-circuit potential (OCP) characteristics for two similar battery compositions having different proportions of elements. The OCP characteristics are converted to dQ/dV characteristics and linearly combined to derived a target dQ/dV characteristic. The target dQ/dV characteristic is integrated to derived a target OCP characteristic. A battery constructed of the target composition is operated according to the target OCP characteristic.

Abstract: A fuel cell first and second electrode catalyst layers and a polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) situated therebetween. A graphene-based material coated onto a first and/or second surface of the first and/or second electrode catalyst layers. The graphene-based material has a number of defects including a number of quad-vacancy (QV) defects formed by a vacancy of four adjacent carbon atoms in the graphene-based material. The number of QV defects are configured to mitigate dissolution of the first and/or second catalyst materials through the first and/or second surface of the first and/or second electrode catalyst layers.

Abstract: A proton exchange membrane fuel cell includes an anode catalyst layer, a cathode catalyst layer, a proton exchange membrane separating the anode catalyst layer from the cathode catalyst layer, an oxygen inlet configured to supply oxygen to the cathode catalyst layer, and a hydrogen inlet separate from the oxygen inlet and configured to supply hydrogen to the anode catalyst layer. The fuel cell is operable to convert the hydrogen from the hydrogen inlet to hydrogen ions at the anode catalyst layer and to produce an H2O byproduct at the cathode catalyst layer where the oxygen reacts with the hydrogen ions. The fuel cell includes a water outlet for the H2O byproduct that is separate from the oxygen inlet.

Abstract: An electrode configuration for a battery cell includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a separator interposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode. The separator includes an electrically conductive protrusion inhibiting layer and a first insulating layer interposed between and electrically insulating the protrusion inhibiting layer from one of the positive and negative electrode.

Abstract: Battery management systems and methods for use with lithium-ion batteries that employ silicon-based negative electrodes. The battery management systems and methods consider the lithiation/delithiation properties of silicon-based anode materials by considering voltage relaxation behavior. The battery management systems and methods may also be applied to other materials that similarly display an apparent hysteresis in the lithiation/delithiation processes and/or form multiple phases with different electrochemical properties.

Abstract: A method for generating battery characteristics for a battery having a target composition includes identifying open-circuit potential (OCP) characteristics for two similar battery compositions having different proportions of elements. The OCP characteristics are converted to dQ/dV characteristics and linearly combined to derived a target dQ/dV characteristic. The target dQ/dV characteristic is integrated to derived a target OCP characteristic. A battery constructed of the target composition is operated according to the target OCP characteristic.

Abstract: A fuel cell first and second electrode catalyst layers and a polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) situated therebetween. A graphene-based material coated onto a first and/or second surface of the first and/or second electrode catalyst layers. The graphene-based material has a number of defects including a number of quad-vacancy (QV) defects formed by a vacancy of four adjacent carbon atoms in the graphene-based material. The number of QV defects are configured to mitigate dissolution of the first and/or second catalyst materials through the first and/or second surface of the first and/or second electrode catalyst layers.

Abstract: A battery system in one embodiment includes a cell with an anode including graphite and a minor active material that displays an apparent thermodynamic hysteresis. A controller is operably connected to a memory which is configured to execute program instructions in the memory to perform a charge of the cell to a first potential, and a discharge of the cell from the first potential to generate a first discharge versus capacity curve. After a second charge of the cell to a second potential and a second discharge of the cell from the second potential to generate a second discharge versus capacity curve, the controller identifies a shift between the first discharge versus capacity curve and the second discharge versus capacity curve and updates a model of the cell based upon the identified shift. The controller then modifies at least one operating parameter of the cell based upon the updated model.

Abstract: A battery system in one embodiment includes a cell with an anode including graphite and a minor active material that displays an apparent thermodynamic hysteresis. A controller is operably connected to a memory which is configured to execute program instructions in the memory to perform a charge of the cell to a first potential, and a discharge of the cell from the first potential to generate a first discharge versus capacity curve. After a second charge of the cell to a second potential and a second discharge of the cell from the second potential to generate a second discharge versus capacity curve, the controller identifies a shift between the first discharge versus capacity curve and the second discharge versus capacity curve and updates a model of the cell based upon the identified shift. The controller then modifies at least one operating parameter of the cell based upon the updated model.

Abstract: A battery includes an electrode that exhibits a crystal structure change when lithiated beyond a threshold potential and a battery management system. The battery management system includes a controller configured to, while the battery is online, determine the threshold potential, determine battery operating parameters based on the determined threshold potential, and operate the battery based on the determined battery operating parameters.