Battery and clamp, device and method for measuring breakdown voltage of insulator

Abstract

The invention discloses a battery and a clamp, equipment and a method for measuring the breakdown voltage of an insulator. The jig for measuring a breakdown voltage of an insulator includes: a support portion on which a sample is disposed; a support member on the support portion, the support member connected to the support portion; a first plate connected to the support member, the first plate being movable along the support member; a pressurizing portion connected to a first side of the first plate, the pressurizing portion configured to apply pressure to the sample; and a pressure control portion connected to a second side of the first plate, the pressure control portion configured to adjust a movement distance of the first plate, in which the pressurizing portion includes: a rod configured to pressurize the sample; a chuck to which the rod is detachably connected; and a pressure sensor between the chuck and the pressure control portion, the pressure sensor configured to measure a pressure applied to the sample.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to batteries and fixtures, apparatus, and methods for measuring the breakdown voltage of insulators. Background Technology

[0002] Unlike primary batteries that cannot be recharged, rechargeable batteries can be repeatedly charged and discharged. Low-capacity rechargeable batteries can be used in portable small electronic devices such as smartphones, feature phones, laptops, digital cameras, or camcorders, while high-capacity rechargeable batteries can be used as power sources for drive motors in hybrid or electric vehicles or as batteries for storing electrical energy.

[0003] Rechargeable batteries may include electrode assemblies having a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a separator, a housing containing the electrode assemblies, and electrode terminals connected to the electrode assemblies. Because a short circuit inside a rechargeable battery could pose a fire risk, insulating devices can be provided within the rechargeable battery.

[0004] Insulators can be used as a type of insulating device. Insulators can be coated onto conductive materials to impede the flow of current, but if the pressure or voltage applied to the insulator exceeds a certain level, a portion of the insulator may become conductive. For example, an insulator may suffer insulation breakdown, and the voltage applied at the moment of insulation breakdown is called the breakdown voltage.

[0005] If a voltage is applied to an insulator, electrons can ionize the insulating molecules, and additional electrons generated during the ionization process can ionize another insulating molecule. Insulation breakdown refers to the depletion of the insulating molecules in an insulator, causing the insulator to lose its insulating properties with repeated processes. Summary of the Invention

[0006] A fixture for measuring the breakdown voltage of an insulator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, used to solve this technical problem, includes: a support portion on which a sample is disposed; a plurality of support members disposed on and connected to the support portion; a first plate movably connected to the plurality of support members and capable of being raised or lowered; a pressure application portion connected to one side of the first plate to apply pressure to the sample; and a pressure control portion connected to the other side of the first plate to adjust the raising or lowering distance of the first plate. The pressure application portion includes: a rod for applying pressure to the sample; a chuck to which the rod is detachably connected; and a pressure sensor disposed between the chuck and the pressure control portion to measure the pressure applied to the sample.

[0007] The pressurization section may include a heater that surrounds the rod and controls and measures the temperature of the rod.

[0008] The pressure control section may include: a handle; a second plate on which the handle is disposed and connected to a plurality of support members; a bolt penetrating the second plate and having a fixed connection to one side of the handle; and a fastening member connected to the other side of the bolt, disposed on the other side of the first plate, and raised or lowered together with the bolt.

[0009] The clamp may further include: a third plate disposed between the first plate and the support portion; and an elastic member disposed between the first plate and the third plate, which cushions the force of the first plate pushing against the third plate when the first plate is lowered.

[0010] The fixture may further include a buffer pad disposed between the support portion and the sample, and be deformable in shape.

[0011] The sample may include: a conductive material; and an insulator disposed on the conductive material.

[0012] Insulators may include polyimide or ceramic.

[0013] The thickness of the insulator can range from 1 μm to 8 μm.

[0014] An apparatus for measuring the breakdown voltage of an insulator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a clamp for measuring the breakdown voltage of an insulator, including a pressurizing portion for applying pressure to a sample; and a power supply unit for applying voltage to each of the sample and the pressurizing portion and measuring the applied voltage. The clamp for measuring the breakdown voltage of an insulator further includes: a first plate having one side connected to the pressurizing portion and being raised or lowered; and a pressure control portion connected to the other side of the first plate to adjust the raising or lowering distance of the first plate, and the pressurizing portion includes: a rod for applying pressure to the sample; a chuck to which the rod is detachably connected; and a pressure sensor disposed between the chuck and the pressure control portion, for measuring the pressure applied to the sample by the pressurizing portion.

[0015] A rechargeable battery according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a first electrode lead connected to a first electrode; a second electrode lead connected to a second electrode; a separator between the first electrode and the second electrode; and at least one of a first insulator coated on at least one of the first electrode lead and the second electrode lead, and at least one of a second insulator coated on the separator. The thickness of each of the first insulator and the second insulator is in the range of 1 μm to 8 μm.

[0016] The first insulator may include one of polyimide and ceramic. If the first insulator includes polyimide, the thickness of the first insulator may be 3 μm or more, and if the first insulator includes ceramic, the thickness of the first insulator may be 4 μm or more.

[0017] The second insulator may include ceramic, and the thickness of the second insulator may be 4 μm or more.

[0018] A method for measuring the breakdown voltage of an insulator according to embodiments of the present disclosure includes: a first step of measuring a pressure applied to a sample by movement of a pressurizing portion; and a second step of measuring a voltage applied to the pressurizing portion and the sample. The measurement in the first step is performed at a position relative to the sample along the longitudinal direction of the pressurizing portion.

[0019] The temperature of the pressurization section can be controlled before and after pressurizing the sample.

[0020] If the measured voltage is below 5V, the second step can apply voltage to the pressurized section and the sample at a constant rate, and if the measured voltage exceeds 5V, the application of voltage to the pressurized section and the sample can be stopped.

[0021] According to this disclosure, the pressure applied to the insulator can be controlled more precisely.

[0022] According to this disclosure, the temperature of the portion to which pressure is applied to the insulator can be controlled more precisely.

[0023] According to this disclosure, the above-described precise measurements can be repeated.

[0024] However, the effects that can be obtained through this disclosure are not limited to those described above, and other technical effects not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description of this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0025] Features will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the detailed description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0026] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of an apparatus for measuring the breakdown voltage of an insulator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0027] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A partial front view of a device used to measure the breakdown voltage of an insulator;

[0028] Figure 3 It is shown Figure 2 A view showing the state in which the pressurization section of a device used to measure the breakdown voltage of an insulator applies pressure to the sample;

[0029] Figure 4 This indicates the use when the polyimide thickness is 1 μm. Figure 1 A device used to measure the breakdown voltage of an insulator, which measures the breakdown voltage of polyimide based on the pressure applied to the polyimide;

[0030] Figure 5 This indicates the use when the polyimide thickness is 2 μm. Figure 1 A device used to measure the breakdown voltage of an insulator, which measures the breakdown voltage of polyimide based on the pressure applied to the polyimide;

[0031] Figure 6 This indicates the use when the polyimide thickness is 3 μm. Figure 1 A device used to measure the breakdown voltage of an insulator, which measures the breakdown voltage of polyimide based on the pressure applied to the polyimide;

[0032] Figure 7 It shows the use Figure 1 A graph showing the correlation between the pressure applied to the ceramic, the thickness of the ceramic, and the breakdown voltage of the ceramic, measured by a device used to measure the breakdown voltage of an insulator.

[0033] Figure 8 It is a perspective view of a wound electrode assembly including the insulator; and

[0034] Figure 9 It is a perspective view of a stacked electrode assembly including insulators. Detailed Implementation

[0035] Example embodiments will now be described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings; however, example embodiments may be implemented in different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete and will fully convey exemplary embodiments to those skilled in the art.

[0036] In the accompanying drawings, the dimensions of layers and regions may be exaggerated for clarity. It should also be understood that when a layer or element is referred to as "on" another layer or substrate, it may be directly on that layer or substrate, or there may be intervening layers. Furthermore, it will be understood that when a layer is referred to as "between" two layers, it may be the only layer between those two layers, or there may be one or more intervening layers. The same reference numerals refer to the same elements throughout.

[0037] The terms or words used in this specification and claims should not be construed as limited to their ordinary or dictionary meanings, and should be interpreted as conforming to the technical concept of this disclosure, based on the principle that the inventors can appropriately define the concepts of the terms to best describe the embodiments. Therefore, the embodiments described in this specification and the constructions shown in the drawings are merely examples of this disclosure and do not represent all the technical ideas of this disclosure. Thus, it should be understood that various equivalents and variations may be made to replace these embodiments and constructions at the time of filing this application. When used in this specification, the terms "comprising" or "including" specify the presence of shapes, numbers, steps, operations, components, elements, and / or groups thereof, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other shapes, one or more other numbers, one or more other operations, one or more other components, one or more other elements, and / or groups thereof. Furthermore, when describing embodiments of this disclosure, the use of "may" refers to "one or more embodiments of this disclosure."

[0038] When describing two objects as identical, it means that the objects are "substantially identical." Therefore, substantially identical objects can include those with deviations considered low in the art (e.g., within 5%). Furthermore, when describing certain parameters as consistent within a predetermined region, this can mean that the parameters are consistent in terms of average value.

[0039] Although the terms "first" and "second," etc., are used to describe various components, the components are not limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one component from another, and unless otherwise specified, the first component can be the second component.

[0040] Throughout this instruction manual, unless otherwise stated, each component may be singular or plural.

[0041] Setting any component "above (or below)" another component means not only that the component is positioned in contact with the upper (or lower) surface of the other component, but also that another component may be located between the other component and the component positioned above (or below) the other component.

[0042] Furthermore, when describing a component as "connected," "linked," or "accessed" to another component, these components may be directly connected or accessed to each other, but it should be understood that another component may be "between" these components, or these components may be "connected," "linked," or "accessed" through another component. Additionally, when a part is referred to as being electrically connected or connected to another part, this includes not only the case where the one part is directly connected to the other part, but also the case where the one part is connected to the other part via an intermediary element.

[0043] Throughout this specification, unless otherwise specified, when “A and / or B” is mentioned, it means A, B, or A and B. That is, the term “and / or” includes all or any combination of the listed items. When “C to D” is mentioned, unless otherwise specified, it means that it is greater than or equal to C and less than or equal to D.

[0044] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of an apparatus (i.e., measuring apparatus 1) for measuring the breakdown voltage of an insulator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; the measuring apparatus 1 may be an apparatus that applies pressure and heat to the sample 3 and applies voltage to measure the breakdown voltage of the insulator.

[0045] See Figure 1 The measuring device 1 may include a clamp 10 for measuring the breakdown voltage of an insulator by applying pressure and heat to the sample 3, and a power supply unit 30 (e.g., a power source) for applying voltage to the clamp 10 and the sample 3 and measuring the applied voltage.

[0046] The clamp 10 may include a support portion 11 (e.g., a support member) on which the sample 3 is disposed, a plurality of support members 13, a first plate 15 disposed on the support portion 11 and connected to the support portion 11 by the plurality of support members 13, a pressurizing portion 17 (e.g., a pressurizer) for applying pressure to the sample 3, and a pressure control portion 19 (e.g., a pressure controller) for controlling the pressure applied to the sample 3 by the pressurizing portion 17.

[0047] Sample 3 may include a conductive material 31 and an insulator 33 disposed on the conductive material 31 (see Figure 2 A detailed description of sample 3 will follow later.

[0048] The support portion 11 may have a cuboid shape, with a flat upper surface for placing the sample 3 on the support portion 11. For example, as Figure 1 As illustrated, the support portion 11 may be plate-shaped. For example, the support portion 11 may be configured to display at least one of the temperature of the pressurizing portion 17 and the pressure applied to the sample 3 through the pressurizing portion 17 on one side.

[0049] Support members 13 may be disposed on support portion 11, and one side of each support member 13 may be connected (e.g., fixedly connected) to support portion 11 and the other side of each support member 13 may be connected to first plate 15, such that first plate 15 is movable (e.g., raised or lowered). In an embodiment, each of the plurality of support members 13 may be configured such that a portion of its configuration penetrates first plate 15, for example, so that first plate 15 is movable up and down along support member 13.

[0050] Each of the plurality of support members 13 may include a bracket 131 and a sliding member 133 surrounding the bracket 131, for example, the sliding member 133 may be movable along the bracket 131. The bracket 131 may have a linear structure extending (e.g., longitudinally and continuously) from the support portion 11 to the first plate 15 and may penetrate the first plate 15.

[0051] The sliding member 133 may have a tubular structure disposed around the outer surface of the support 131 and parallel to the support 131. For example, the sliding member 133 may be between the first plate 15 and the support portion 11 (e.g., the sliding member 133 may be movable between the first plate 15 and the support portion 11). The sliding member 133 may move up and down along the support 131. For example, like the first plate 15, the sliding member 133 may rise or fall (e.g., the first plate 15 may be supported on the sliding member 133 when movable along the support 131). The sliding member 133 may include, for example, a bearing or an elastomer.

[0052] The pressurizing portion 17 can apply pressure to the sample 3 by moving the pressurizing portion 17. The pressurizing portion 17 can be connected to one side (e.g., the first side) of the first plate 15, and can rise or fall in the same direction as the first plate 15 when the first plate 15 rises or falls.

[0053] The pressurization section 17 may include: a rod 171, which, upon descent, is capable of contacting the sample 3 to apply pressure to the sample 3; a chuck 173 to which the rod 171 is detachably connected; and a pressure sensor 175, which may be disposed between the pressure control section 19 and the chuck 173 to measure the pressure applied to the sample 3 by the rod 171. See, for example... Figure 1 The chuck 173 can be positioned between the lever 171 and the pressure sensor 175.

[0054] For example, rod 171 can be columnar with any suitable cross-sectional shape. The dimensions of rod 171 can vary. Chuck 173 can detachably secure rod 171 of various shapes and sizes. Accordingly, the user can make various changes to the shape and size of the surface of rod 171 in contact with sample 3 by using various types of rod 171, so that the area of ​​the surface on which pressure is applied to sample 3 can be adjusted in various ways.

[0055] The power supply unit 30 can be connected to the rod 171 and the sample 3. The (+) terminal (or positive terminal) of the power supply unit 30 can be connected to the rod 171, and the (-) terminal (or negative terminal) of the power supply unit 30 can be connected to the sample 3. The power supply unit 30 can apply voltage to the sample 3 and the pressurization section 17 (e.g., the rod 171 of the pressurization section 17), and can measure the applied voltage.

[0056] If the measured voltage is less than or equal to 5V, the power supply unit 30 can boost the voltage applied to the rod 171 and the sample 3, and if the measured voltage is greater than 5V, the application of voltage to the rod 171 and the sample 3 can be stopped.

[0057] The power supply unit 30 can maintain a constant rate of voltage increase. In this embodiment, the power supply unit 30 can boost the voltage at a rate of 10V / s and can measure the voltage at intervals of 0.01s.

[0058] Because the breakdown mode of an insulator varies depending on the rate of voltage increase, increasing the voltage at a constant rate can improve the accuracy of breakdown voltage measurement.

[0059] Pressure sensor 175 can be a device for measuring the pressure applied to sample 3 by rod 171. Pressure sensor 175 can be connected to chuck 173 to measure the pressure applied to sample 3 by rod 171 while it is compressed by a repulsive force. For example, pressure sensor 175 can be positioned facing sample 3 based on the longitudinal direction of rod 171 (e.g., along the length of rod 171 extending from support portion 11 toward first plate 15) to measure pressure. In this embodiment, pressure sensor 175 can be a load cell.

[0060] Because the pressure applied to the sample 3 by the pressurizing part 17 has a wide range, for example, from 500 Pa to 2 MPa, and the thickness of the sample 3 (i.e., the measurement target of the fixture 10) is in μm, it is necessary to measure the pressure more finely (e.g., with higher precision) to accurately measure the breakdown voltage.

[0061] Pressure sensor 175 can be connected to chuck 173 to measure the pressure at the position of the pressurizing portion 17 facing the sample 3 in the longitudinal direction. For example, pressure sensor 175 can therefore measure only the pressure at the portion of the sample 3 facing and in contact with the end of rod 171. Accordingly, because pressure sensor 175 only needs to calculate the pressure applied to the sample 3 by rod 171 when measuring pressure, the measured value can have improved accuracy. In other words, since pressure sensor 175 is connected to chuck 173, a smaller amount of error can occur during pressure measurement compared to pressure sensors connected to the surface supporting the sample 3 (e.g., support portion 11). For example, if pressure sensor 175 were directly connected to the support portion 11 supporting the sample 3, pressure sensor 175 might calculate the pressure applied to the upper surface of support portion 11 (instead of only the pressure at the surface where rod 171 contacts the sample 3), thus introducing error in the measured value.

[0062] The pressurization section 17 may further include a heater 177 connected to the rod 171 to control the temperature of the rod 171. See, for example, [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 1 The heater 177 may have the shape of a heating coil wound around the outer surface of the rod 171. The heater 177 may include the functionality of a temperature sensor capable of measuring temperature.

[0063] In another example, heater 177 may have the shape of a heater sheath with cotton wrapped around the outer surface of rod 171. For example, heater 177 may have a structure in which heating coils are housed inside a cover comprising an inner diaphragm or inner skin and an outer diaphragm or outer skin, with the inner shell or inner cover wrapped around the outer surface of rod 171.

[0064] The heater 177 can be connected to the rod 171 that applies pressure to the sample 3 to precisely control the temperature of the pressure-applied area of ​​the sample 3 before and after the sample 3 is pressurized. Therefore, the clamp 10 according to the embodiments of the present disclosure can more accurately and consistently measure the breakdown voltage of the insulator by controlling the pressure and temperature applied to the sample 3 by the pressurizing portion 17 that applies pressure to the sample 3.

[0065] The pressure control section 19 can be configured to control the pressure applied to the sample 3 by the pressurization section 17, can be connected to the other side (e.g., the second side) of the first plate 15, and can control (e.g., adjust) the movement distance of the first plate 15 (e.g., raise or lower the distance). See, for example, Figure 1 The pressure control section 19 and the pressurization section 17 may be on the opposite side (e.g., surface) of the first plate 15.

[0066] The pressure control section 19 may include: a handle 191 that determines whether pressure is applied and the degree of pressure applied; a second plate 193 on which the handle 191 is disposed; and a bolt 195 having one side connected to the handle 191 and penetrating the second plate 193. See, for example, [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 1 The second plate 193 can be parallel to the first plate 15, and the handle 191 and the bolt 195 can be on the surface of the second plate 193 opposite to the first plate 15.

[0067] If the handle 191 is rotated in the first direction, the first plate 15 and the pressure portion 17 can be lowered toward the sample 3 (e.g., relative to the support portion 11), and the rod 171 can contact the sample 3 to apply pressure to the sample 3. If the handle 191 is rotated in the second direction (opposite to the first direction), the first plate 15 and the pressure portion 17 can be raised in a direction away from the orientation of the sample 3 (e.g., relative to the support portion 11).

[0068] The handle 191 may be located at the center of the upper surface of the second plate 193 (e.g., the surface of the second plate 193 facing away from the first plate 15). If the handle 191 is located on one side of the upper surface of the second plate 193, the handle 191 and the point symmetrical to the handle 191 may be connected by a conveyor belt, so that the surface of the first plate 15 may be raised or lowered uniformly according to the rotation of the handle 191.

[0069] The second plate 193 can be connected and secured to the other side of each of the plurality of support members 13. For example, the second plate 193 may not be raised or lowered (e.g., the second plate 193 may be stationary). A bolt 195 passing through the second plate 193 may have a first end fixedly connected to a shank 191 and a second end connected to a fastening member 197 (e.g., the bolt 195 may be connected to the fastening member 197 at the surface of the second plate 193 facing the first plate 15). The bolt 195 and the second plate 193 may be threaded together.

[0070] The fastening member 197 may be located on the second side of the first plate 15. For example, see... Figure 1 The first surface of the fastening member 197 may be flat and in contact with the first plate 15, and the second surface of the fastening member 197 may be in contact with the bolt 195. The fastening member 197 may be movable together with the bolt 195. The bolt 195 may be movable through the second plate 193 to move the first plate 15 via the fastening member 197.

[0071] If the handle 191 is rotated in the first direction (e.g., to lower the first plate 15), the bolt 195 can be lowered by rotation while the second plate 193 remains fixed, causing the fastening member 197 connected to the bolt 195 to also lower and push the first plate 15. Accordingly, the first plate 15 can be lowered.

[0072] In another example, the other side (e.g., the second end) of the bolt 195 may not be connected to the fastening member 197, and the bolt 195 may penetrate the first plate 15. In this case, the bolt 195 may not be threaded to the second plate 193, the bolt 195 may be threaded to the first plate 15, and the first plate 15 may rise or fall when the bolt 195 is rotated.

[0073] The pressure control section 19 may further include an elastic member 198 disposed between the first plate 15 and the pressurizing section 17. When the first plate 15 descends, the elastic member 198 can cushion the force of the first plate 15 pushing against the pressurizing section 17. Therefore, when the pressurizing section 17 is lowered by the pressure control section 19, it can prevent the pressurizing section 17 from descending too quickly.

[0074] The elastic member 198 can be compressed as the first plate 15 is lowered. The compressed elastic member 198 can raise the first plate 15 while expanding due to elastic force.

[0075] The pressure control section 19 may further include a locking lever 199. The pressure control section 19 may use the locking lever 199 to maintain pressure when the pressure application section 17 applies pressure to the sample 3. The locking lever 199 may be connected to the handle 191 and may prevent the handle 191 from being released due to repulsive forces against the pressure applied to the sample 3 and the elastic force of the elastic member 198, thereby maintaining the pressure applied to the sample 3 by the pressure application section 17.

[0076] The clamp 10 may include a third plate 16 disposed between the first plate 15 and the support portion 11. In this case, an elastic member 198 may be disposed between the first plate 15 and the third plate 16. The elastic member 198 may cushion the force of the first plate 15 pushing against the third plate 16 to more finely adjust the rising or falling distance of the third plate 16.

[0077] The elastic member 198 can rotate the handle 191 in a first direction, such that when the pressurizing portion 17 is lowered to contact the sample 3 so that pressure is applied to the sample 3, the elastic member can act as a buffer. Therefore, the elastic member 198 can partially reduce the pressure applied to the sample 3. Thus, the pressure control portion 19 can allow the pressurizing portion 17 to apply pressure to the sample 3 more precisely via the elastic member 198.

[0078] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A partial front view of a device used to measure the breakdown voltage of an insulator. Figure 3 It is shown Figure 2 A view showing the state in which the pressure section of a device used to measure the breakdown voltage of an insulator applies pressure to the sample. Figure 2 and Figure 3 The operation process of fixture 10 is described. Figure 2 It shows Figure 1 A partially enlarged front view of the clamp 10 (before descent), and Figure 3 It shows Figure 2 The pressurizing portion 17 is lowered to a state where pressure is applied to sample 3 (e.g., sample 3 is squeezed). For convenience, in Figure 2 and Figure 3 The power supply unit, handle, locking lever, and second plate are omitted.

[0079] See Figure 2 and Figure 3The sample 3 may include a conductive material 31 and an insulator 33 disposed on the conductive material 31. The conductive material 31 may refer to a material capable of conducting electricity, and the insulator 33 may refer to a material that blocks the flow of current. The clamp 10 may include a buffer pad 5 between the support portion 11 and the sample 3. The sample 3 may be located on the buffer pad 5 on the support portion 11.

[0080] The conductive material 31 of the sample may face the buffer pad 5, and an insulator 33 may be coated on the conductive material 31 to face the pressurized portion 17 and block the flow of current between the rod 171 and the conductive material 31. The insulator 33 may include, for example, one of polyimide and ceramic. The ceramic may be, for example, boehmite.

[0081] The power supply unit 30 can connect the (+) terminal (or positive terminal) to the rod 171 and the (-) terminal (or negative terminal) to the conductive material 31, and can apply electricity. The insulator 33 can block the flow of current between the rod 171 and the conductive material 31.

[0082] Insulator 33 may suffer insulation breakdown due to voltage rise in the power supply unit, and the voltage at the moment when current is still flowing between insulator 33 and rod 171 despite the presence of insulator 33 can be referred to as the breakdown voltage of insulator 33.

[0083] Polyimide can be coated on the electrode leads, and ceramic can be coated on one of the electrode lead mixture, the separator, and the mixture of negative electrodes. When the same voltage is applied to the polyimide insulator 33, the thickness having the same breakdown voltage can be thinner than the thickness of the ceramic insulator 33.

[0084] The particle distribution of polyimide can be denser than that of ceramics, resulting in fewer gas molecules being ionized when a voltage is applied to polyimide. However, easily ionized gas molecules can exist in the voids between ceramic powder particles. Therefore, the probability of dielectric breakdown in ceramics can be higher than that in polyimide, resulting in a lower breakdown voltage for polyimide compared to ceramics of the same thickness. Data verifying this can be found in […]. Figures 4 to 7 To confirm.

[0085] Sample 3 can be placed on buffer pad 5. Buffer pad 5 can be deformable, for example, it can be made of a material that is easily deformable if an external force is applied to buffer pad 5, so that when sample 3 is pressured by the pressure part 17, buffer pad 5 uniformly adjusts the pressure area.

[0086] In this embodiment, the buffer pad 5 may be a silicon pad. The buffer pad 5 can help the clamp 10 to measure the breakdown voltage of the insulator 33 more accurately by uniformly adjusting the pressure area of ​​the insulator 33.

[0087] After sample 3 is positioned above support portion 11, pressure control portion 19 can push first plate 15 to lower first plate 15 and pressure portion 17. If Figure 1 If the handle 191 is rotated in a first direction (e.g., clockwise), then the bolt 195, which is fixedly connected to the first end of the handle 191, can rotate in the same direction.

[0088] Bolt 195 can be lowered along a helical path during rotation. As bolt 195 is lowered, fastening member 197, which is connected to the other side of the second plate 193, can be lowered together. Fastening member 197 can push the first plate 15, which is in contact with one surface of fastening member 197, causing the first plate 15 to be lowered.

[0089] If bolt 195 passes through first plate 15, bolt 195 can be threaded onto first plate 15. If bolt 195 rotates in the first direction, first plate 15 can be lowered along the helix of bolt 195.

[0090] If the first plate 15 is lowered, the sliding member 133 of the supporting member 13 will also be lowered. The sliding member 133 can prevent the first plate 15 from being lowered excessively by including an elastic body or the like.

[0091] The elastic member 198 disposed between the first plate 15 and the pressure portion 17 can be compressed by the force of the first plate 15 pushing on the pressure portion 17, and can push the first plate 15 with a repulsive force to partially offset the force of the first plate 15 pushing on the pressure portion 17. Accordingly, the pressure portion 17 can be prevented from being excessively lowered.

[0092] if Figure 1 If the handle 191 rotates in a second direction (e.g., counterclockwise) to reduce pressure, the bolt 195 and the fastening member 197 can be raised to not contact the first plate 15, and the elastic member 198 can expand due to elasticity to raise the first plate 15 to the separation distance between the fastening member 197 and the first plate 15.

[0093] With the rod 171 in contact with the insulator 33, the power supply unit 30 can apply voltage to the rod 171 and the conductive material 31 as the pressurization section 17 decreases. The pressurization section 17 can apply heat to the rod 171 via the heater 177 before and after pressurizing the rod 171 against the insulator. The heater 177 can directly measure the temperature of the rod 171 by including a temperature sensor, allowing the heater 177 to more accurately control the temperature of the rod 171.

[0094] Figures 4 to 6Each of these is a graph of the breakdown voltage of the polyimide measured using the measuring device 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, based on the pressure applied to the polyimide of each thickness (e.g., at a temperature T of 25°C).

[0095] In a graph, if the breakdown voltage of an insulator is between 0.1V and 5V, the insulator can be considered to have broken down. For example, an insulator can be one that can stably provide insulation only when the breakdown voltage is at least 5V under a specific pressure.

[0096] The breakdown voltage of an insulator can be proportional to its thickness, which means that the insulator needs to be thicker in order to withstand high pressure and be stably insulated.

[0097] Figure 4 This is a graph showing the breakdown voltage measured while various pressures are applied to a 1 μm thick polyimide layer. See also... Figure 4 It can be confirmed that if the pressure applied to polyimide is above 80 kPa, the breakdown voltage is in the range of 0.1 V to 5 V. Therefore, it can be seen that 1 μm polyimide is only stably insulating in environments where pressures below 80 kPa are applied.

[0098] Figure 5 The measurement data is shown when the polyimide thickness is 2 μm. See also... Figure 5 Unlike the case where the polyimide thickness is 1 μm, it can be confirmed that when the pressure applied to the polyimide is 80 kPa, its breakdown voltage exceeds 5 V. However, it can be confirmed that at pressures above 160 kPa, the breakdown voltage is within the range of 0.1 V to 5 V. Therefore, it can be seen that in order to withstand pressures above 160 kPa, the polyimide thickness should exceed 2 μm.

[0099] Figure 6 The measurement data is shown when the polyimide thickness is 3 μm. See also... Figure 6 It can be confirmed that when the pressure applied to the polyimide is less than 500 kPa, its breakdown voltage exceeds 5V. Therefore, if 3 μm polyimide is used, it can be confirmed that the polyimide can withstand pressures less than 500 kPa.

[0100] As can be seen, in terms of stability, since the pressure applied to a rechargeable battery under certain conditions (e.g., thermal runaway) is approximately 500 kPa and the insulator is for safety purposes, the thickness of the polyimide should be at least 3 μm.

[0101] Figure 7It is a graph showing the correlation between the pressure applied to the ceramic (e.g., 5.5 kPa, 11 kPa, 40 kPa, and 500 kPa), the thickness of the ceramic, and the breakdown voltage of the ceramic, measured using the measuring device 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0102] See Figure 7 If the pressure applied to the ceramic is 500 kPa and the ceramic thickness is less than 3 μm, the breakdown voltage can be between 0.1 V and 5 V. Therefore, it can be seen that the ceramic thickness should be at least 4 μm. The ceramic can be boehmite.

[0103] If summarizing Figures 4 to 7 Based on the results, when the pressure applied to the insulator is at least 500 kPa, it can be seen that the thickness of the polyimide as the insulator should exceed 3 μm so that its breakdown voltage is above 5 V, and the thickness of the ceramic as the insulator should be above 4 μm so that its breakdown voltage is above 5 V.

[0104] For example, the fixture 10 according to embodiments of this disclosure can repeatedly measure the breakdown voltage of the insulator under the same conditions, and the temperature and pressure applied to the insulator can be adjusted more finely (e.g., with higher precision). Therefore, even if the insulator is thin, the above-mentioned accurate results can be obtained.

[0105] Figure 8 It is a perspective view of the wound electrode assembly 7 including the insulator 33, and Figure 9 This is a perspective view of the stacked electrode assembly 9 including the insulator 33.

[0106] See Figure 8 The wound electrode assembly 7 may include a first electrode 71, a second electrode 73 and a diaphragm 75 between the first electrode 71 and the second electrode 73, and may have a structure in which the first electrode 71, the second electrode 73 and the diaphragm 75 are wound together when the first electrode 71 and the second electrode 73 are stacked with the diaphragm 75 between the first electrode 71 and the second electrode 73.

[0107] The first electrode 71 and the second electrode 73 can be respectively connected to the first electrode lead 711 and the second electrode lead 731. A first insulator 331 can be coated on one of the first electrode lead 711 and the second electrode lead 731. A second insulator 333 can be coated on the diaphragm 75. The thicknesses of the first insulator 331 and the second insulator 333 (i.e., the insulators in sample 3 of the fixture 10 of this disclosure) can be in the range of 1 μm to 8 μm.

[0108] The first insulator 331 may include one of polyimide and ceramic. If the first insulator 331 includes polyimide, its thickness may be 3 μm or more; and if the first insulator 331 includes ceramic, its thickness may be 4 μm or more. The second insulator 333 may include ceramic. The thickness of the second insulator 333 may be 4 μm or more.

[0109] See Figure 9 Except for the shape in which the first electrode 91, the second electrode 93, and the diaphragm 95 between the first electrode 91 and the second electrode 93 are stacked, the stacked electrode assembly 9 can have the same structure and construction as the wound electrode assembly 7. Therefore, the description of the stacked electrode assembly 9 that is repeated with the wound electrode assembly 7 will be omitted, and the differences between the stacked electrode assembly 9 and the wound electrode assembly 7 will be mainly described.

[0110] In the stacked electrode assembly 9, the first electrode lead 911 connected to the first electrode 91 can be in the length direction of the first electrode 91 (e.g., based on...). Figure 9 The second electrode lead 931, which protrudes along the X-axis direction and is connected to the second electrode 93, can be located along the length of the second electrode 93 (e.g., based on the X-axis direction). Figure 9 The first insulator 331 protrudes in the X-axis direction and may protrude in the opposite direction to the protrusion direction of the first electrode lead 911. The first insulator 331 may be coated on each of the first electrode lead 911 and the second electrode lead 931.

[0111] The first insulator 331 may comprise one of polyimide and ceramic, and if the first insulator 331 comprises polyimide, its thickness may be 3 μm or more, and if the first insulator 331 comprises ceramic, its thickness may be 4 μm or more. However, the first insulator 331 may be less than or equal to 8 μm. The ceramic may be boehmite.

[0112] The diaphragm 95 of the stacked electrode assembly 9 may be coated with a second insulator 333. For example, the second insulator 333 may be completely coated on one surface of the diaphragm 95. Figure 9 In the diagram, for convenience, the second insulator 333 is shown as being coated on one surface of the diaphragm 95, but the second insulator 333 may be coated on both surfaces of the diaphragm 95. The second insulator 333 may comprise ceramic, and the thickness of the second insulator 333 may be less than 8 μm and more than 4 μm.

[0113] Each of the electrode assemblies 7 and 9 can have improved stability and high energy density by including an insulator 33 with a thickness optimized for the operating environment of each of the electrode assemblies 7 and 9.

[0114] A method for measuring the breakdown voltage of an insulator according to the present disclosure may include: measuring the pressure applied to a sample by movement of a pressurizing portion, performing the pressure measurement at a position relative to the sample in the longitudinal direction based on the pressurizing portion; and measuring the voltage applied to the pressurizing portion and the sample.

[0115] The method may further include controlling the temperature of the pressurization section before and after the sample is pressurized.

[0116] The voltage measurement can include: if the measured voltage is below 5V, applying the voltage to the pressurized section and the sample at a constant rate; and if the measured voltage exceeds 5V, stopping the application of voltage to the pressurized section and the sample.

[0117] By summarizing and reviewing, it can be concluded that the breakdown voltage of an insulator can be proportional to its thickness. For example, because a thicker insulator can contain more insulating molecules, the breakdown voltage can increase as the insulator becomes thicker.

[0118] However, because the available space inside a rechargeable battery is limited and the insulator is not a material directly related to energy capacity, setting the insulator thickness too thick may be detrimental to energy capacity. With this in mind, selecting an appropriate insulator thickness based on energy density is preferable.

[0119] To select the appropriate thickness for the insulator, the equipment used to measure the breakdown voltage of the insulator needs to be precise. The insulation resistance of the insulator can vary depending on the pressure and voltage applied to it. Therefore, if the pressure and voltage are not precisely controlled when measuring the breakdown voltage, the measured value may differ.

[0120] For example, as the pressure or temperature applied to an insulator increases, the insulation resistance may decrease, and therefore the breakdown voltage may be measured as low. In some prior art, if the actual pressure or temperature applied to the insulator differs from the input value, the measured values ​​may not be consistent, even if the measurement is performed under the same conditions.

[0121] If the thickness of the insulator being measured is as thin as a micrometer, the breakdown voltage may be more sensitive to the applied pressure or temperature. Therefore, when measuring the breakdown voltage, it may be desirable to precisely control the pressure or temperature applied to the insulator.

[0122] Therefore, this disclosure provides a fixture for measuring the breakdown voltage of an insulator that is capable of measuring the breakdown voltage of an insulator more accurately.

[0123] Thus far, exemplary embodiments have been disclosed. Although specific terminology has been used, it is used in a general and descriptive sense only, and is not intended to be limiting. In some cases, as would be apparent to those skilled in the art at the time of filing this application, unless specifically stated otherwise, features, characteristics, and / or elements described in connection with particular embodiments may be used alone or in combination with features, characteristics, and / or elements described in connection with other embodiments. Therefore, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes in form and detail may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A clamp for measuring the breakdown voltage of an insulator, the clamp comprising: The sample is placed on the support portion; A support member, which is connected to the support portion; A first plate is connected to the support member, and the first plate is movable along the support member; A pressurizing section is connected to a first side of the first plate, and the pressurizing section is configured to apply pressure to the sample; as well as A pressure control section, connected to the second side of the first plate, is configured to adjust the movement distance of the first plate. The pressurization section includes: A rod is configured to apply pressure to the sample; A chuck, the lever being detachably connected to the chuck; and A pressure sensor is located between the chuck and the pressure control section, and the pressure sensor is configured to measure the pressure applied to the sample.

2. The clamp according to claim 1, wherein, The pressurization section further includes a heater surrounding the rod, the heater being configured to control and measure the temperature of the rod.

3. The clamp according to claim 1, wherein, The pressure control section includes: handle; A second plate is connected to the support member, and the handle is on the second plate; A bolt, penetrating the second plate, the bolt having a fixed connection to a first end of the shank; and A fastening member is attached to the second end of the bolt, the fastening member is located on the second side of the first plate, and the fastening member is movable together with the bolt.

4. The clamp according to claim 1, further comprising: The third plate is located between the first plate and the supporting portion; as well as An elastic member is located between the first plate and the third plate, and the elastic member is configured to cushion the force exerted by the first plate on the third plate when the first plate is lowered.

5. The clamp according to claim 1, further comprising: A cushioning pad is provided between the support portion and the sample; the cushioning pad is deformable.

6. The clamp according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, The sample includes: Conductive materials; and An insulator on the conductive material.

7. The clamp according to claim 6, wherein, The insulator includes polyimide or ceramic.

8. The clamp according to claim 7, wherein, The thickness of the insulator is in the range of 1 μm to 8 μm.

9. An apparatus for measuring the breakdown voltage of an insulator, the apparatus comprising: A clamp for measuring the breakdown voltage of the insulator, the clamp comprising: A pressurizing section, configured to apply pressure to a sample, includes: A rod is configured to apply pressure to the sample; A chuck, the lever being detachably connected to the chuck; and A pressure sensor, located on the chuck, is configured to measure the pressure applied to the sample by the pressurizing portion. A first plate, having a first side connected to the pressurized portion, the first plate being movable; and A pressure control section, connected to a second side of the first plate, is configured to adjust the travel distance of the first plate, and a pressure sensor is located between the chuck and the pressure control section; and A power supply unit is configured to apply voltage to each of the sample and the pressurization section, and the power supply unit is configured to measure the applied voltage.

10. A rechargeable battery, comprising: The first electrode lead is connected to the first electrode; The second electrode lead is connected to the second electrode; A diaphragm is located between the first electrode and the second electrode; as well as An insulator is coated on at least one of the first electrode lead, the second electrode lead, and the diaphragm, the thickness of the insulator being in the range of 1 μm to 8 μm.

11. The rechargeable battery according to claim 10, wherein: The insulator includes a first insulator coated on at least one of the first electrode lead and the second electrode lead. The first insulator comprises polyimide or ceramic, and If the first insulator comprises polyimide, the thickness of the first insulator is 3 μm or more, and if the first insulator comprises ceramic, the thickness of the first insulator is 4 μm or more.

12. The rechargeable battery according to claim 10, wherein: The insulator includes a second insulator coated on the diaphragm. The second insulator comprises ceramic, and The thickness of the second insulator is 4 μm or more.

13. A method for measuring the breakdown voltage of an insulator, the method comprising: The pressure applied to the sample by the movement of the pressurizing section is measured at a position relative to the sample in the longitudinal direction of the pressurizing section. as well as Measure the voltage applied to the pressurized portion and the sample.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising: The temperature of the pressurization section is controlled before and after the sample is pressurized.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein, Measuring the voltage includes: If the measured voltage is below 5V, the voltage is applied to the pressurized portion and the sample at a constant rate of voltage increase; and If the measured voltage exceeds 5V, stop applying the voltage to the pressurized section and the sample.

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