Patent ID: 7592094

Claim:
A method for improving energy performance and substantially preventing degradation of a chemical-to-electrical energy conversion process of an energy storage device ( 10 ), comprising the steps of: mechanically exciting chemical reaction products within the energy storage device ( 10 ) at energy levels proximate which chemical covalent bonds with a matrix ( 51 ), i.e., electrode material of the energy storage device ( 10 ) would form absent excitation, thereby substantially maintaining ionic bonding between the chemical reaction products and the matrix ( 51 ) and substantially preventing the chemical reaction products from covalently bonding with the matrix ( 51 ); and introducing the mechanical excitations into the energy storage device ( 10 ) via an active material ( 31 ) mechanically-responsive to electromagnetic signals, in response to an electromagnetic signal; whereby: degradation is substantially prevented by substantially preventing the covalent bonds from forming and by exciting the energy storage device ( 10 ) mechanically rather than via degrading electrical excitation; and energy performance is improved by requiring lower amounts of energy for exciting the chemical reaction products via said active material ( 31 ) than would be required to similarly excite the chemical reaction products without said active material ( 31 ), and by substantially preventing the covalent bonds from forming and causing degradation.