A self-charging power pack (300) includes a cathode (312) and an anode (310) that is spaced apart from the cathode (312). An electrolyte (318) is disposed between the anode (310) and the cathode (312). A piezoelectric ion transport layer (322) is disposed between the anode (310) and the cathode (312). The piezoelectric ion transport layer (322) has a piezoelectric property that generates a piezoelectric field when a mechanical force is applied thereto. The piezoelectric field causes transportation of ions in the electrolyte (318) through the piezoelectric ion transport layer (322) towards the anode (310).

Thermally regenerative ammonia-based battery systems and methods of their use to produce electricity are provided according to aspects described herein in which ammonia is added into an anolyte to charge the battery, producing potential between the electrodes. At the anode, metal corrosion occurs in the ammonia solution to form an ammine complex of the corresponding metal, while reduction of the same metal occurs at the cathode. After the discharge of electrical power produced, ammonia is separated from the anolyte which changes the former anolyte to catholyte, and previous anode to cathode by deposition of the metal. When ammonia is added to the former catholyte to make it as anolyte, the previous cathode becomes the anode. This alternating corrosion/deposition cycle allows the metal of the electrodes to be maintained in closed-loop cycles, and waste heat energy is converted to electricity by regeneration of ammonia, such as by distillation.

Thermally regenerative ammonia-based battery systems and methods of their use to produce electricity are provided according to aspects described herein in which ammonia is added into an anolyte to charge the battery, producing potential between the electrodes. At the anode, metal corrosion occurs in the ammonia solution to form an ammine complex of the corresponding metal, while reduction of the same metal occurs at the cathode. After the discharge of electrical power produced, ammonia is separated from the anolyte which changes the former anolyte to catholyte, and previous anode to cathode by deposition of the metal. When ammonia is added to the former catholyte to make it as anolyte, the previous cathode becomes the anode. This alternating corrosion/deposition cycle allows the metal of the electrodes to be maintained in closed-loop cycles, and waste heat energy is converted to electricity by regeneration of ammonia, such as by distillation.

Provided is a secondary battery adopting an all-solid-state secondary cell structure with a storage layer sandwiched between a positive electrode layer and a negative electrode layer and which is superior to a conventional secondary battery with respect to at least one of volume, manufacturing, and positioning. The present invention provides a secondary battery including a single-layer secondary cell having a folded structure that a sheet-shaped single-layer secondary cell with a storage layer sandwiched between a positive electrode layer and a negative electrode layer is folded in two or four. Here, it is preferable that a plurality of the single-layer secondary cells each having the folded structure are arranged in parallel and adjacent single-layer secondary cells each having the folded structure are electrically connected directly or via a positive electrode terminal member or a negative electrode terminal member, so that at least one of current capacity increasing and terminal voltage heightening is achieved.

Gravoltaic cell devices and methods are disclosed for producing robust electrochemical gravoltaic cells that convert a gravitational force into electrical energy. The cells includes a reaction vessel and a first stationary homogeneous volume of dissociated aqueous cations and a second stationary homogeneous aqueous volume of dissociated aqueous reactant cations, both volumes being disposed within the reaction vessel, and providing bulk solvent and anions a stationary bulk volume of a homogeneous mixture of solvent and dissociated anions collectively disposed homogeneously throughout the two layers of dissociated aqueous cations. The cell also includes an anode junction providing electrochemically active dissimilar anode/cation chemical species junction. The cell also includes a cathode junction providing a gravity-sustained electrochemically passive similar cathode/cation chemical species junction. One of the several purposes of the present invention is to further study and define said properties and to develop longer lasting interfaces.

Gravoltaic cell devices and methods are disclosed for producing robust electrochemical gravoltaic cells that convert a gravitational force into electrical energy. The cells includes a reaction vessel and a first stationary homogeneous volume of dissociated aqueous cations and a second stationary homogeneous aqueous volume of dissociated aqueous reactant cations, both volumes being disposed within the reaction vessel, and providing bulk solvent and anions a stationary bulk volume of a homogeneous mixture of solvent and dissociated anions collectively disposed homogeneously throughout the two layers of dissociated aqueous cations. The cell also includes an anode junction providing electrochemically active dissimilar anode/cation chemical species junction. The cell also includes a cathode junction providing a gravity-sustained electrochemically passive similar cathode/cation chemical species junction. One of the several purposes of the present invention is to further study and define said properties and to develop longer lasting interfaces.

An electrochemical direct heat to electricity converter includes a primary thermal energy source; a working fluid; an electrochemical cell comprising at least one membrane electrode assembly including a first porous electrode, a second porous electrode and at least one membrane, wherein the at least one membrane is sandwiched between the first and second porous electrodes and is a conductor of ions of the working fluid; an energy storage reservoir; and an external load. The electrochemical cell operates on heat to produce electricity. When thermal energy available from the primary thermal energy source is greater than necessary to meet demands of the external load, excess energy is stored in the energy storage reservoir, and when the thermal energy available from the primary thermal energy source is insufficient to meet the demands of the external load, at least a portion of the excess energy stored in the energy storage reservoir is used to supply power to the external load.

A thermo-electro-chemical converter direct heat to electricity engine has a monolithic co-sintered ceramic structure or a monolithic fused polymer structure that contains a working fluid within a continuous closed flow loop. The co-sintered ceramic or fused polymer structure includes a conduit system containing a heat exchanger, a first high density electrochemical cell stack, and a second high density electrochemical cell stack.

A thermo-electro-chemical converter direct heat to electricity engine has a monolithic co-sintered ceramic structure or a monolithic fused polymer structure that contains a working fluid within a continuous closed flow loop. The co-sintered ceramic or fused polymer structure includes a conduit system containing a heat exchanger, a first high density electrochemical cell stack, and a second high density electrochemical cell stack.

An energy storage system includes, in an exemplary embodiment, a first current collector having a first surface and a second surface, a first electrode including a plurality of carbon nanotubes on the second surface of the first current collector. The plurality of carbon nanotubes include a polydisulfide applied onto a surface of the plurality of nanotubes. The energy storage system also includes an ionically conductive separator having a first surface and a second surface, with first surface of the ionically conductive separator positioned on the first electrode, a second current collector having a first surface and a second surface, and a second electrode including a plurality of carbon nanotubes positioned between the first surface of the second current collector and the second surface of the ionically conductive separator.