plateseb

Plateseb is a term used in speculative energy storage discussions to describe a plate-separated energy storage battery architecture. The concept envisions a stack of parallel, ultrathin plates that carry active material, with electrolyte-filled gaps or microchannels between adjacent plates, separated by ion-selective barriers. The arrangement aims to maximize surface area while enabling modular sizing and improved thermal management.

In typical plateseb designs, each plate acts as a current collector and active surface, while the intervening separators prevent direct electronic contact and control ion transport. The stack may be housed in a compact module with integrated cooling; manufacturing would involve precise plate fabrication, gasketting, and membrane alignment.

Operation involves charging by driving ions into the plates; discharging by extracting ions, with redox reactions occurring at plate surfaces. The architecture is claimed to reduce dendrite formation, enable fast ion transport due to short diffusion paths, and improve safety by physical separation.

Variants include solid-state plateseb, which uses solid electrolytes, and hybrid plateseb, combining liquid and solid phases. Potential applications include electric vehicles, grid storage, and portable electronics, particularly where high power density and scalable packing are valued.

History: The concept emerged in speculative texts and theoretical studies in the 2010s and 2020s, with limited experimental demonstrations. Critics point to manufacturing complexity, seal integrity, uneven aging across plates, and higher cost than conventional chemistries. As of now, plateseb remains largely at the research or conceptual stage.

Related concepts include planar batteries, flow batteries, and layered solid-state technologies.