Electrochemical systems configured to harvest heat energy

摘要

Electrochemical systems for harvesting heat energy, and associated electrochemical cells and methods, are generally described. The electrochemical cells can be configured, in certain cases, such that at least a portion of the regeneration of the first electrochemically active material is driven by a change in temperature of the electrochemical cell. The electrochemical cells can be configured to include a first electrochemically active material and a second electrochemically active material, and, in some cases, the absolute value of the difference between the first thermogalvanic coefficient of the first electrochemically active material and the second thermogalvanic coefficient of the second electrochemically active material is at least about 0.5 millivolts/Kelvin.

主权项

1. An electrochemical cell, comprising:
a first electrode comprising a first electrochemically active material having a first thermogalvanic coefficient and a second electrode comprising a second electrochemically active material having a second thermogalvanic coefficient, wherein: the electrochemical cell is configured to be discharged at a discharge voltage and at a discharge temperature at or below about 200° C. such that the first electrochemically active material is at least partially electrochemically consumed; the electrochemical cell is configured to regenerate first electrochemically active material from a product of at least a portion of the first electrochemically active material consumed during discharge at a regeneration voltage that is at least about 5 mV lower than the discharge voltage and a regeneration temperature that is different than the discharge temperature and at or below about 200° C. such that at least a portion of the regeneration of the first electrochemically active material is driven by a change in temperature of the electrochemical cell, wherein the regeneration of the first electrochemically active material occurs via a process in which reverse reactions of electrochemical reactions that occur during discharge proceed; and at least one of the first electrochemically active material and the second electrochemically active material is in a solid phase in both a reduced state and an oxidized state, wherein the absolute value of the difference between the first thermogalvanic coefficient of the first electrochemically active material and the second thermogalvanic coefficient of the second electrochemically active material is at least about 0.5 millivolts/Kelvin.