The present invention provides a fiber-reinforced aerogel material which can be used as insulation. The fiber-reinforced aerogel material is highly durable, flexible, and has a thermal performance that exceeds the insulation materials currently used. The fiber-reinforced aerogel insulation material can be as thin as 1 mm or less, and can have a thickness variation as low as 2% or less. Also provided is a method for improving the performance of a battery by incorporating a reinforced aerogel material into the battery. Further provided is a casting method for producing thin fiber-reinforced aerogel materials.

The disclosure concerns an electrochemical cell including a cathode, an electrolyte, and an anode including an elemental metal or metal alloy. The electrolyte includes an electrolyte salt, an ionic liquid, and an optional first polymer binder. The electrolyte and/or the anode further includes a protective metal salt in an amount sufficient to (i) reduce or eliminate hydrogen evolution or open circuit side reactions in the electrochemical cell, or (ii) plate out onto or alloy with the anode metal or conductive additives in the anode. The electrochemical cell may further include a first current collector in contact with the cathode, and a second current collector in contact with the anode. The second current collector may include a metal or metal alloy. In such cells, the second current collector may further include the protective metal salt, and the protective metal salt may plate out onto or alloy with the metal or metal alloy of the second current collector.

The present invention provides a fiber-reinforced aerogel material which can be used as insulation. The fiber-reinforced aerogel material is highly durable, flexible, and has a thermal performance that exceeds the insulation materials currently used. The fiber-reinforced aerogel insulation material can be as thin as 1 mm or less, and can have a thickness variation as low as 2% or less. Also provided is a method for improving the performance of a battery by incorporating a reinforced aerogel material into the battery. Further provided is a casting method for producing thin fiber-reinforced aerogel materials.

This invention provides a shutdown system and methods for battery shutdown followed by a standby mode using a washing solution controlled by pH such that the electrode remains stable.

Described herein are energy storage systems comprising battery units and low-oxygen enclosure units that form enclosed environments around the battery units. Also described are methods of operating such energy storage systems such as achieving and maintaining low oxygen concentrations in the enclosure units (e.g., less than 100 ppm) and other conditions (e.g., moisture, temperatures) while supporting battery unit operations (e.g., heat dissipation, degassing). An enclosed environment may have a volume of at least 50 m.sup.3, sufficient for a battery unit with a capacity of at least 1 MWh. In addition to environment purging capabilities, the enclosure unit comprises an oxygen-getter unit (e.g., molten media) which allows to reduce the number of purging cycles and addresses possible oxygen ingress (e.g., through the enclosure walls and/or outgassing). In some examples, the enclosure unit provides efficient heat dissipation to the external environment by reducing insulation/enhancing heat transfer through the enclosure walls.