An aluminum-based cathode (positive electrode) for storage cells formed by deposition of a layer of aluminum metal on a porous conductive substrate. Storage cells and batteries having the cathode. The porous conducting substrate can be metal, conductive carbon or a refractory material, such as a metal boride or metal carbide. The aluminum-deposited porous substrate is in electrical contact with a cathode current collector and a suitable liquid catholyte. The cathode is, for example, combined with a molten alkali metal anode to form a storage cell. The alkali metal and the catholyte are molten or liquid at operating temperatures of the cell. Methods of storing energy and generating energy using cell having the aluminum-based cathode are provided.

An electrochemical storage device including a state detector, has an electrochemical storage device, which has a wall that surrounds an electrochemical storage material. The state detector has at least one ultrasonic transmitter and at least one ultrasonic receiver, which are attached to the side of the wall facing away from the electrochemical storage material. The electrochemical storage material is subject to a volume change during operation of the storage device, and the electrochemical storage material is liquid during operation of the storage device and is in direct contact with the wall and the ultrasonic transmitter and the ultrasonic receiver are attached to the wall in such a way that the ultrasonic transmitter and the ultrasonic receiver are acoustically coupled to the wall.

An electrochemical cell includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode, an electrolyte disposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode, and an ion-conducting composite membrane disposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode. The composite membrane includes a porous substrate having pores and a porosity from about 5 vol % to about 80 vol %, and a selective ion-conductive filler disposed at least partially within the pores. The filler includes an intercalation material. Methods of making the ion-conducting composite membrane and using an electrochemical cell having the ion-conducting composite membrane are also provided.

A battery includes an anode chamber configured to contain an anolyte and including an anode, a cathode chamber configured to contain a catholyte including a cathode, and a separator between the anode chamber and the cathode chamber. The anode includes sodium, and the cathode includes aluminum. The battery is configured to be operated above a melting point of the anolyte and the catholyte, such that the anolyte is a molten anolyte and the catholyte is a molten catholyte.

An energy storage device configured to exchange energy with an external device includes a container having walls, a lid covering the container and having a safety pressure valve, a negative electrode disposed away from the walls of the container, a positive electrode in contact with at least a portion of the walls of the container, and an electrolyte contacting the negative electrode and the positive electrode at respective electrode/electrolyte interfaces. The negative electrode, the positive electrode and the electrolyte include separate liquid materials within the container at an operating temperature of the battery.

An electrochemical cell includes a negative electrode comprising a first active metal, a positive electrode comprising a second active metal, and an electrolyte comprising salts of the two active metals, a salt of the cathodic metal and a salt of the anodic metal. In operation, the electrolyte composition varies such that in a charging mode the salt of the anodic salt decreases, while the salt of the cathodic salt increases, and in a discharging mode the salt of the anodic salt increases, while the salt of the cathodic salt decreases. The cell is operational for both storing electrical energy and as a source of electrical energy as part of an uninterruptible power system. The cell is particularly suited to store electrical energy produced by an intermittent renewable energy source.

An electrochemical storage device is provided including an anode chamber filled with anode material, and a cathode chamber filled with cathode material. The anode chamber is separated from the cathode chamber by ion-conducting solid body electrolyte, and is limited on one side at least partially by the solid body electrolyte, and to the other side at least partially by a wall surrounding at least partially the solid body electrolytes. The electrochemical storage device has a head part where electric energy is guided to and/or taken away from, a base part arranged opposite the head part, and at least one lateral part including at least one wall arranged between the head and base part. At least one first area and second area are formed between the wall and the solid body electrolyte, both areas being different with respect to the respective distance between the wall and solid body electrolyte.

The present invention provides a molten sodium secondary cell. In some cases, the secondary cell includes a sodium metal negative electrode, a positive electrode compartment that includes a positive electrode disposed in a molten positive electrolyte comprising NaFSA (sodium-bis(fluorosulonyl)amide), and a sodium ion conductive electrolyte membrane that separates the negative electrode from the positive electrolyte. One disclosed example of electrolyte membrane material includes, without limitation, a NaSICON-type membrane. The positive electrode includes a sodium intercalation electrode. Non-limiting examples of the sodium intercalation electrode include Na.sub.xMnO.sub.2, Na.sub.xCrO.sub.2, Na.sub.xNiO, and Na.sub.xFe.sub.y(PO.sub.4).sub.z. The cell is functional at an operating temperature between about 100 C. and about 150 C., and preferably between about 110 C. and about 130 C.

A molten salt battery includes an electrode group which includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and a separator electrically insulating the first electrode and the second electrode; a molten salt electrolyte; a bottomed case which houses the electrode group and the molten salt electrolyte, the bottomed case having an opening; a cover plate which seals the opening of the case; a first external terminal of the first electrode and a second external terminal of the second electrode which are provided on the cover plate; a bus bar component fixed to the first external terminal; a first insulating part which is interposed between the first external terminal and the bus bar component so as to electrically insulate the bus bar component and the first external terminal; a thermal fuse component which is electrically connected to the bus bar component and the first external terminal and provides electrical continuity between the bus bar component and the first external terminal when the ambient temperature is lower than a reference temperature T1; and a fixing member which fixes the thermal fuse component to the cover plate in such a state that the thermal fuse component is in contact with or in close vicinity to the surface of the cover plate. The molten salt battery is configured such that a charge current is input from the bus bar component to the first external terminal through the thermal fuse component.

Variations of the invention provide an improved aluminum battery consisting of an aluminum anode, a non-aqueous electrolyte, and a cathode comprising a metal oxide, a metal fluoride, a metal sulfide, or sulfur. The cathode can be fully reduced upon battery discharge via a multiple-electron reduction reaction. In some embodiments, the cathode materials are contained within the pore volume of a porous conductive carbon scaffold. Batteries provided by the invention have high active material specific energy densities and good cycling stabilities at a variety of operating temperatures.