Process arrangement with a battery cell and method for manufacturing such a process arrangement

Abstract

Process arrangement with a battery cell comprising an electrode / separator stack (1) in which anodes (A), separators (S) and cathodes (K) are stacked one above the other, wherein each anode (A) is connected to an anode cell connector (9) via an anode connector (5) and each cathode (K) is connected to a cathode cell connector (11) via a cathode connector (7), wherein the battery cell can be switched into a charge / discharge circuit (13) with its cathode cell connector (11) and with its anode cell connector (9) to carry out a charge / discharge process, and wherein the electrode / separator stack (1) can be subdivided in the stacking direction into stacked electrode pairs (E1 to E5), each of which electrode pairs (E1 to E5) consists of an anode (A), an adjacent cathode (K) and an intermediate Separator (S) exists, wherein the process arrangement has a balancing control loop in which a control unit (25) is integrated,the actual voltage (U1 to U5) of each electrode pair (E1 to E5) during the charging / discharging process is recorded, and wherein the actual voltages (U1 to U5) of the electrode pairs (E1 to E5) can be balanced against each other by means of the control unit (25), wherein each electrode pair (E1 to E5) is assigned an actuator (29) that can be controlled by the control unit (25), and wherein, if the actual voltage (U1 to U5) in at least one of the electrode pairs deviates from a target voltage value, the control unit (25) adjusts the charging / discharging current flow through the electrode pair (U1 to U5) via the actuator (29), i.e., increases or reduces it, in order to regulate the actual voltage (U1 to U5) of the electrode pair to the target voltage value, wherein the cell arrester (9, 11) has a separate connection point for each arrester tab (5, 7), which is functionally and / or spatially independent of other connection points, and wherein in each connection point the drain tail (5,7) is in electrical and mechanically detachable connection with an associated cell arrester contact element (17), and wherein the conductivity between the cell arrester contact element (17) and the arrester tab (5, 7) and thus the current flow through the electrode pair (E1 to E5) can be adjusted by means of the actuator (29), characterized in that the actuator (29) has a spring element (21) which presses the cell arrester contact element (17) against the arrester tab (5, 7) with a spring force (F), and that the spring force (F) of the spring element (21) can be varied by means of the actuator (29) to adjust the conductivity between the cell arrester contact element (17) and the arrester tab (5, 7).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a process arrangement with a battery cell according to claim 1 or 2 and a method for manufacturing a process arrangement according to claim 7.

[0002] A battery cell has an electrode / separator stack in which anodes, separators, and cathodes are stacked on top of each other. Each anode is connected to an anode cell connector via an anode connector, while each cathode is connected to a cathode cell connector via a cathode connector. The battery cell can be connected to a charge / discharge circuit via its cathode cell connector and its anode cell connector to perform a charging / discharging process. The electrode / separator stack can be subdivided into stacked electrode pairs. Each electrode pair consists of an anode, an adjacent cathode, and an intermediate separator.

[0003] In a battery cell, the electrode pairs (anode, cathode, and intermediate separator) are connected in parallel. Due to this parallel connection, the electrode pairs typically exhibit the same voltage during charging and discharging, which ranges between 3 and 5 volts depending on the anode and cathode chemistry and state of charge (SOC). However, it is not guaranteed that all electrode pairs contribute equally to the overall capacity. If one electrode pair discharges more capacity or absorbs more capacity during charging, it will age faster than other electrode pairs in the electrode / separator stack. Currently, there is no way to control this, as balancing does not occur at the electrode level.

[0004] If an electrode pair has a higher discharge or charge capacity, it will also lose or gain voltage more quickly (even if the electrodes are connected in parallel). If the electrode pair loses its voltage below the lower discharge voltage, there is a risk of copper dendrite formation or electrolyte leakage through holes in the copper substrate film. This means that, although the electrode pairs are connected in parallel, there is a high probability that some electrode pairs will have a different voltage than other electrode pairs connected in parallel.

[0005] If one electrode pair receives a higher capacitive charge during charging, there is a risk that this electrode pair will receive a higher voltage than the higher charging voltage (even though all electrodes are connected in parallel). It is possible that the electrode pair with the higher voltage will exceed the maximum permissible voltage. This can lead to cathode rupture, the release of heat and oxygen, and ultimately thermal runaway.

[0006] Cell balancing cannot prevent this problem, as it assumes that all electrode pairs in the electrode / separator stack of the respective battery cell always have the same voltage and contribute equally to the capacity. However, it is possible that electrode pairs within the cell behave differently compared to other electrode pairs. To reduce the aging of the electrode pairs and prevent them from reaching the lowest permissible discharge voltage or the highest permissible charge voltage, balancing at the electrode level is necessary. This is not possible with current battery technology.

[0007] The current contribution of each electrode pair in the electrode / separator stack of the battery cell is not equal. This means that some electrode pairs in a given battery cell contribute a higher current, while other electrode pairs contribute a lower current to the current output (capacity) or current absorption (capacity). During discharge, electrons (i.e., the electric current) move to the respective cathode and are absorbed by lithium ions that arrive from the anode via ion transfer through the separator. It cannot be guaranteed that the current flow at each cathode is the same. During discharge, electrons (current) move from the anodes to the cathodes, creating a current through the electrical load in the discharge circuit. There is no way to guarantee that the current from each anode is the same.

[0008] In state-of-the-art technology, the electrode terminals are welded together using laser or ultrasonic welding. Thermal welding processes, such as laser welding, create a heat-affected zone that can impair the active material near the weld seam. Thermal welding also produces oxides that are less conductive than the base material, such as copper for the anode and aluminum for the cathode. Furthermore, laser welding of copper requires a high power output of more than 6 MW. This necessitates significant energy for the production of electrodes and cells. Solid-state welding, like ultrasonic welding, has the disadvantage of causing microcracks in thin films. Therefore, avoiding this type of electrode welding improves the quality of the connection between the cell terminal and the electrode.

[0009] If the cell is to be subjected to a test procedure, it is tested together with all electrodes according to the prior art. Therefore, defects in a single electrode within the electrode / separator stack of the battery cell are not detected. Sometimes a small defect in an electrode can lead to a problem in the cell or module. This cannot be detected according to the prior art because no balancing of individual electrode pairs takes place within the electrode / separator stack of the battery cell.

[0010] The disadvantages of conventional cell balancing and welding the electrode / separator stack's terminals to the cell terminals are outlined below: When one electrode pair (anode and cathode, plus the intermediate separator) loses voltage due to aging, the overall voltage decreases. This means the entire cell voltage is lower. Consequently, other electrode pairs draw current to the lower-voltage pair. In other words, current flows from one electrode pair to another to balance the voltage. If the lower-voltage electrode pair reaches a faster bottom discharge, there is a risk of copper dendrite formation and pitting in the copper substrate, eventually leading to electrolyte leakage. Sometimes, one electrode pair may have a higher capacity due to faster lithium ion incorporation.This electrode pair has a higher voltage than other electrode pairs. This electrode pair conducts current not only to the load but also to the other electrode pair with the lower voltage. This means that there is always a self-discharge from the electrode pair with the higher voltage to the electrode pair with the lower voltage. If an electrode pair reaches a voltage during charging that exceeds the permissible higher voltage, because it can increase the capacitance more quickly, the problem arises that the cathode structure collapses and subsequently releases oxygen through an exothermic reaction. This increases the risk of thermal runaway for that particular electrode pair. Thermal welding (laser welding) of current collector tabs leads to oxide formation with reduced conductivity and heat-affected zone.Solid-state welding, such as ultrasonic welding, causes microcracks and also poorer welding properties if there is a layer of grease or oxide on the surface of the drain fin.

[0011] A generic battery cell is known from CN 1 10 957 539 B or from US 2008 / 0 179 082 A1. Further battery cells are known from US 2022 / 0 130 630 A1, DE 10 2014 222 760 A1 and DE 10 2013 017 381 A1. A lithium-ion battery with a plurality of parallel lithium-ion cells is known from US 2015 0145 482 A1.

[0012] The object of the invention is to provide a process arrangement or a battery cell in which the current flows through the electrode pairs within the battery cell can be balanced against each other during the charging / discharging process.

[0013] The problem is solved by the features of claim 1, 2, or 7. Preferred embodiments of the invention are disclosed in the dependent claims.

[0014] The invention relates to a process arrangement or a battery cell, in particular a lithium-ion battery cell, with an electrode / separator stack. In the electrode / separator stack, anodes, separators, and cathodes are stacked one above the other. Each anode is connected to an anode cell arrester via an anode leakage tab, while each cathode is connected to a cathode cell arrester via a cathode leakage tab. The battery cell can be switched to a charging / discharging circuit with its cathode cell arrester and its anode cell arrester to perform a charging / discharging process. The electrode / separator stack can be divided into stacked electrode pairs in the stacking direction. Each electrode pair consists of an anode, an adjacent cathode, and an intermediate separator. According to the invention, the process arrangement or the battery cell has a balancing control loop.The balancing control loop incorporates a control unit that monitors the actual voltage of each electrode pair during the charging / discharging process. This control unit balances the actual voltages of the electrode pairs. Each electrode pair can be assigned an actuator that can be controlled by the control unit. If the actual voltage in at least one electrode pair deviates from a target voltage value, the control unit can adjust the charging / discharging current flow through that electrode pair via the actuator, i.e., increase or decrease it. In this way, the actual voltage of the affected electrode pair can be regulated to the target voltage value.

[0015] In the present concept, the electrode tabs are connected differently compared to the prior art. This makes it possible to measure the voltage in each electrode pair and to individually control the current flow (and indirectly the generated voltage) in each electrode pair. The individual electrode tabs are not welded together. Instead, they are guided in receiving grooves and clamped with cell terminal contact elements. This means that each individual electrode tab is independent of the others. The voltage is measured in each electrode pair. For this purpose, two voltage measuring contacts are electrically connected to each electrode. One voltage measuring contact is located above and the other voltage measuring contact is located below the electrode tab. The voltage measuring contacts can be located on either the cathode or the anode side.The voltage measuring contacts are connected to a voltmeter to detect the actual voltage in each electrode pair.

[0016] Through various mechanisms, which will be explained later, the contact between the cell terminal and the respective terminal can be interrupted. This at least partially decouples the assigned electrode pair from the charge / discharge circuit. The control unit compares the measured actual voltages of the electrode pairs. Based on this comparison, the control unit performs a balancing operation to achieve the same voltage for all electrode pairs in the battery cell by selectively reducing or increasing the current through the electrode pairs. For example, the current through the electrode pairs can be adjusted using a mechanical spring. Alternatively, the current through the electrode pairs can be changed in any other way. For instance, a battery management system (BMS) can control the current flow to each electrode pair based on voltage input data.There are many different ways to change the current flow between the cell current collector contact element and the current collector tab of the respective electrode.

[0017] According to the invention, there is no need to weld the electrode tabs, as is the case in the prior art. Instead, according to the invention, the electrode electrode tabs are connected to the associated cell terminal contact element by mechanical force and held in place by mechanical springs. By controlling the contact between the cell terminal contact element and the electrode electrode tab, the current flow to this specific electrode pair can be controlled.

[0018] The two cell arresters of the battery cell heat up during rapid charging and discharging. Therefore, the cell arresters can be cooled by a water jacket or by air cooling.

[0019] According to the invention, each current collector tab can be inserted into the receiving grooves or slots in the cell collector. The cell collector can also contain voltage measuring contacts (top and bottom) for measuring the voltage and a cell collector contact element. The cell collector contact element is pressed down onto the current collector tab by a spring, which in turn rests on a counter-support plate. The spring can be controlled by an actuator of the control unit. As soon as the voltage in the electrode pair is higher than that of the other electrode pairs, the spring force exerted by the spring is reduced by the actuator. In this way, one contact of the cell collector contact element is released from the current collector tab, and the current flow through this electrode pair is interrupted. The purpose of the voltage measuring contacts is to make contact with the current collector tab from both above and below.This means that the voltage-sensing contact at the top outputs a negative voltage, and the voltage-sensing contact at the bottom outputs a positive voltage. The difference between these two voltages is the voltage between the anode on the top and the cathode on the bottom. The same applies to the voltage between the anode at the bottom and the cathode at the top. Once the voltage difference between the top of the anode surface and the bottom of the corresponding cathode is calculated, the control unit compares the voltage result to the average voltage of each electrode pair. If the voltage is higher than the average voltage, the control unit sends a signal to the actuator, which pushes or releases the springs. This pushes or releases the conductive plate toward the current collector. This decreases or increases the current flowing from the cell collector contact element to the current collector.In this way, all electrode pairs are brought to the same voltage.

[0020] There are various mechanisms for controlling the current flow between the cell arrester contact element and the arrester tab. Control can be achieved mechanically, for example, with a spring or a sliding actuator. Alternatively, an electrical method of voltage equalization can be used. This is done, for example, by activating switches that divert the current to parallel resistors. It is also possible to increase or decrease the resistance of the circuit board by heating the cell arrester contact element or increasing its length. This also decreases or increases the current between the current-carrying cell arrester contact element and the arrester tab. The cell arrester is water- or air-cooled to maintain a constant temperature. In this way, each cell arrester contact element has the same resistance.

[0021] In one option, the current flow between the cell arrester contact element and the arrester tab can be controlled by an actuator that interacts with the aforementioned spring. Each arrester tab of the electrode / separator stack is connected to a cell arrester contact element. Each cell arrester contact element operates independently of the others. The cell arrester contact element is actuated by the spring, which is released or compressed by a mechanical force. This force is activated by the actuator, which in turn is controlled by the control unit. The control unit responds to a voltage difference measured by the voltmeter. The actuator can be located outside the cell arrester.

[0022] In a second option, an actuator can be used to move a positioning element. In this case, no spring is required to press or release the contact. Here, the positioning element is moved between an electrically conductive position and an electrically non-conductive position by the actuator's action. In the electrically conductive position, the cell arrester contact element is connected to the arrester tab via the actuator. In the electrically non-conductive position, the cell arrester contact element is out of contact with the arrester tab.

[0023] A third option involves using a rotating actuator. This actuator has a semi-conductive and a semi-insulating surface. The actuator rotates the actuator. Current is transferred as soon as the conductive surface of the actuator and the cell terminal contact element are in contact. No current is transferred when the insulating surface of the actuator is in contact with the cell terminal contact element. In this way, an equilibrium is established. The rotating actuator is more compact and requires less space than the sliding actuator compared to the other options.

[0024] Furthermore, one aspect of the invention lies in how the surge arrester tabs can be connected to the cell arrester. This can be done in two processes. In the first process, each surge arrester tab can be inserted into the cell arrester. However, this is difficult because the surge arrester tab can bend when inserted into the cell arrester. In the second process, the contact parts of the cell arrester can be placed in the base area. Once the stacking is complete, all contact areas are screwed together. In this case, the contact parts of the cell arrester are placed onto the respective surge arrester tab during the stacking process.

[0025] Normally, the electrode termination tabs (in the current state of the art) are connected to a metal tab by laser or ultrasonic welding. A nickel-copper alloy tab is used on the anode side, and an aluminum tab on the cathode side. However, according to the invention, there is no need for such tabs, as the electrode termination tabs can be directly connected to the cell termination contact element, the voltage measuring contacts, and other parts of the cell termination.

[0026] The essential differences of the invention compared to the prior art are outlined below: The electrode tabs are not welded, as is the case in the prior art. Each electrode is inserted into a separate slot or receiving groove of the cell arrester. The voltage of each electrode pair is measured. This voltage is measured with a voltmeter, and corresponding voltage signals are then fed to the control unit. The control unit activates the actuators, which adjust the contact between the cell arrester contact element and the electrode tab. In this way, the current is adjusted, and thus the voltage and capacitance are controlled.

[0027] The cell current collector is located on both the cathode and anode sides. Voltage signals from each electrode pair are transmitted to the voltmeter via signal lines. The actuators, which can be controlled by the control unit, are preferably located outside the cell current collectors. In this way, the actuators operate independently of the cell current collectors. The cell current collectors are preferably water- or air-cooled to maintain a constant resistance during cell operation. According to the invention, each electrode pair is balanced. This means that each electrode pair has the same voltage, resulting in a more constant cell voltage over time. No current flows from the electrode pair with the higher voltage to the electrode pair with the lower voltage. Each cell is divided into several electrode pairs, each forming sub-cells.

[0028] The process arrangement according to the invention is particularly suitable for cell or module tests where a voltage drop at each electrode pair can be compensated for. In actual battery operation, however, this is difficult because the BMS has to handle a large amount of voltage data (two voltage readings per electrode) that must be analyzed and processed quickly. Once the cell has been tested with the process arrangement according to the invention, the actuators can advantageously be removed from the battery cell. In this way, the voltage of the electrode pairs can still be measured during subsequent cell operation, but electrode compensation can no longer be performed due to the absence of the actuators. If an electrode pair behaves irregularly, the BMS can take measures to discard the cell in question. This means that the individual voltage of each electrode pair is always useful for safety and service life.

[0029] The advantages of the invention are summarized below. The battery cell is balanced at the electrode level. This means that all electrodes in the battery cell contribute equally to the state of charge (SOC) and capacity. Electrode balancing can be achieved without external resistors and capacitors. No energy is wasted as with passive balancing using resistors. Not only the cell, but also all electrodes, are automatically monitored and controlled with respect to their SOC and charge / discharge capacity. This results in reduced cell aging and thus a longer cell lifespan. During cell and module testing, the behavior of the cell and module is tested in relation to the behavior of each individual electrode. Any electrode failure is taken into account during this test. According to the invention, the cell terminals are not welded to the terminal tabs, but rather mechanically joined.This prevents welding defects caused by heat-affected zones and metal oxide formation. The voltage of each individual electrode pair can be monitored and controlled at all times. This helps the BMS to eliminate cells if an electrode in a cell exhibits irregular performance. There is no problem with some electrodes reaching the lowest voltage, nor is there a problem with some electrodes reaching a higher voltage limit. This reduces the safety concerns associated with higher voltages. Defects in the coating, trimming, and stacking of the electrodes can be easily identified. This allows for improvements to the electrode and cell manufacturing process. Balancing is achieved by interrupting / reducing the current or increasing the current supply.The current is not lost as heat through the bypass resistor. This increases balancing efficiency and facilitates faster charging. Cell-level balancing is unnecessary because each electrode is balanced. Since the cell connectors are water- or air-cooled, the heat generated at the connector tab can be dissipated more quickly. The process of joining the cell connector and connector tab is faster than ultrasonic or laser welding of the electrode. This results in faster cell production.

[0030] Relevant aspects of the invention are highlighted in detail below. The anode cell arrester and / or the cathode cell arrester can have a separate connection point for each arrester tab, which is functionally and spatially independent of the other arrester tab connection points. At each connection point, the arrester tab can be electrically connected, and in particular mechanically detachable, to an associated cell arrester contact element. The electrical contact between the arrester tab and the cell arrester contact element, or the conductivity and thus the current flow through the electrode pair, can be adjusted using the adjusting unit.

[0031] In one embodiment, the actuator can include a spring element that presses the cell drain contact element against the drain tab with a spring force. The spring force of the spring element can be varied using the actuator to adjust the contact or conductivity between the cell drain contact element and the drain tab.

[0032] In an alternative embodiment, the actuator can have an adjusting element that is arranged in a contact plane between the cell arrester contact element and the arrester tab. By adjusting the adjusting element within the contact plane, the size of the current-carrying cross-section between the cell arrester contact element and the arrester tab, and thus the current flow through the electrode pair, can be adjusted.

[0033] The actual voltages of the electrode pairs within the electrode / separator stack can be easily measured using the following process engineering approach: Each electrode pair, along with the control unit, can be integrated into a voltage measurement circuit. Within this circuit, the voltage between the cathode and anode of each electrode pair can be measured using measuring contacts.

[0034] The control unit can calculate an average value from all recorded actual voltages of the electrode pairs. This average value forms the target voltage value, which the control unit uses to regulate the actual voltages.

[0035] The balancing control loop described above provides an active balancing system within a battery cell.

[0036] Exemplary embodiments of the invention are described below with reference to the accompanying figures.

[0037] They show: Fig. 1 to 13 a process arrangement according to different embodiments of the invention.

[0038] In the Fig. 1 and Fig. Figure 2 shows a process setup with a battery cell and omitted cell casing. The battery cell has a [missing information - likely a specific feature or characteristic] in the Fig. Figure 2 shows two electrode / separator stacks 1, each stacked on its own, in which anodes A, separators S, and cathodes K are stacked one above the other. Each electrode A, K is formed from a current collector foil 3 with electrode coating 5 on both sides. In addition, each current collector foil 3 is extended laterally outwards with an anode current collector tab 5 and a cathode current collector tab 7, respectively. In the Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. All anode discharge tabs 5 protrude outwards from the right side of the stack, while all cathode discharge tabs 7 protrude outwards from the left side of the stack. The anode discharge tabs 5 are connected to an anode cell discharger 9, while the cathode discharge tabs 7 are connected to a cathode cell discharger 11. In the Fig. 1 the battery cell with its two cell conductors 9, 11 and with a charger / consumer 15 is connected in a charging / discharging circuit 13.

[0039] As from the Fig. 1 and Fig. As further shown in Figure 3, each of the cell arresters 9, 11 consists of a number of cell arrester contact elements 17 integrated into a (dashed-bordered) plastic base body 19. Each cell arrester contact element 17 is electrically and mechanically detachably connected to exactly one arrester tab 5, 7. Fig. 3 The mechanically detachable connection is realized by a spring element 21, which presses the cell arrester contact element 17 against a arrester lug 5 with a spring force F. The arrester lug 5 rests with its side opposite the cell arrester contact element 17 on a counter-support plate 23 of the cell arrester 9, 11.

[0040] As from the Fig. As can be seen from Figure 2, the electrode / separator stack 1 is divided into stacked electrode pairs E1 to E5. Each electrode pair E1 to E5 consists of an anode A, a cathode K, and an intermediate separator S. A key aspect of the invention is that each electrode pair E1 to E5 is connected to a voltage measuring device 24 ( Fig. 1) is integrated into a voltage measurement circuit 26. This allows the actual voltage U1 to U5 in each of the electrode pairs E1 to E5 to be recorded during the charging / discharging process.

[0041] The voltage measuring device 24 forwards the measured actual voltages U1 to U5 to a control unit 25, which according to the Fig. One component of an active balancing control loop is the control unit 25, in which it balances the actual voltages of electrode pairs E1 to E5 against each other based on the measured actual voltages U1 to U5 of the electrode pairs E1 to E5. The control objective of the balancing control loop is thus to balance the actual voltages of electrode pairs E1 to E5 to a target voltage value. This target value is determined by the control unit 25 as the average of all measured actual voltages U1 to U5.

[0042] In each of the voltage measurement circuits 26, the actual voltage U1 to U5 between the cathode K and the anode A of the respective electrode pair E1 to E5 is tapped off using measuring contacts 27.

[0043] The control unit 25 can control actuators 29, which are located in the Fig. 1 are indicated by arrows. In the present case, each of the actors 29 ( Fig. 3 or Fig. 4) Adjust the upper spring base of the spring element 21, thereby varying the spring force F acting on the cell arrester contact element 17. In this way, the electrical conductivity between the cell arrester contact element 17 and the arrester tab 5, and thus the current flow through the respective electrode pair, can be adjusted to regulate its actual voltage to the target voltage value. In the Fig. 3 the two measuring contacts 27 of the voltage circuit 26 are brought into pressure system with both sides of the anode drain tab 5 of an anode A via a clamping unit 31 with clamping springs 33.

[0044] In the Fig. Figure 4a illustrates the assembly process of the battery cell. First, a first separator S is placed on a shelf. Additionally, a voltage measuring contact 27 and an insulating counter-holding plate 23 (together as an assembly) are placed on the base. Then, the first process step takes place in which the anode A is stacked on the first separator S, and the components of the cell arrester 9 are placed underneath.

[0045] After anode A has been positioned, another separator S is stacked on top of anode A. A second process step then begins, in which a voltage measuring contact 27, a cell arrester contact element 17, and the spring 21 (together as an assembly) are attached to the top of anode A. The first and second process steps are repeated each time another anode A is stacked on a separator S. Once the electrode / separator stack 1 is complete, all subassemblies of the cell arrester 9 (above and below each anode A) are connected with a common plastic body 38 and then screwed together using at least one screw 40. The screw 40 is inserted into the plastic body 38, which holds the subcomponents together. In this way, the subcomponents are placed onto the arrester tabs 5 during the stacking process.Once the electrode / separator stack 1 is complete, the cell arrester 9 is permanently screwed into place. This positions the arrester tabs 5 in the cell arrester 9. The above process sequence is described only for the anode side. The process sequence can be carried out in the same way on the cathode side.

[0046] In the Fig. Figures 5 to 7 show an alternative embodiment of the actuator 29. Accordingly, the actuator 29 has a laterally displaceable adjusting element 35, which is arranged in a horizontal contact plane between the cell arrester contact element 17 and the arrester tab 5, 7. By adjusting the adjusting element 35 within the contact plane K, the size of a current-carrying cross-section between the cell arrester contact element 17 and the arrester tab 5, and thus the current flow through the respective electrode pair, can be adjusted. As can be seen from the Fig. 6 and Fig. As can be seen from Figure 7, the actuating element 35 is located between an electrically conductive position ( Fig. 6) and an electrically non-conductive position ( Fig. 7) Displaceable. The actuating element 35 and the cell terminal contact element 17 each have conductive areas 37 and non-conductive areas 39 on their facing sides. In the Fig. 6 (electrically conductive position) the actuating element 35 and the cell terminal contact element 17 with their conductive areas 37 are in electrical contact with each other. In the Fig. In contrast, in position 7 (electrically non-conductive), the conductive area 37 of the actuating element 35 is in contact with the non-conductive area 39 of the cell arrester contact element 17, so that no current flows through the electrode pair in question.

[0047] In the Fig. Figures 8 to 13 show another alternative embodiment of the actuator 29. According to this embodiment, the actuator 29 does not have a laterally displaceable actuating element 35, but rather a rotatably mounted actuating element 35. By rotating the actuating element 35, the size of the current-carrying cross-section between the cell arrester contact element 17 and the arrester tab 5, and thus the current flow through the respective electrode pair, can be adjusted. As can be seen from the Fig. As can be seen from 8 to 13, the actuating element 35 is located between an electrically conductive position ( Fig. 8 to 10) and an electrically non-conductive position ( Fig. 11 to 13) rotatable. The actuating element 35 has conductive areas 37 and a non-conductive area 39. In the Fig. From position 8 to 10 (electrically conductive position), the actuating element 35 with its conductive areas 37 is in electrical contact with the cell arrester contact element 17 and with the arrester tab 5, so that a current flow I, as shown by the arrows, is established. In the Fig. In contrast, 11 to 13 (electrically non-conductive position) is the non-conductive area 37 of the actuating element 35 in contact with the cell arrester contact element 17, so that no current flows through the electrode pair in question.

[0048] The main difference in this variant is that no spring is required for pressing or triggering. Here, the actuator 29 rotates the pin-shaped actuating element 35 between the electrically conductive position and the electrically non-conductive position. The actuating element 35 has the aforementioned electrically conductive areas 37 as well as the electrically non-conductive area 39. One half of the actuating element's circumference is adjusted according to the Fig. 9 or Fig. 12 of the electrically conductive area 37 is occupied, while the other half of the actuator's circumference is occupied by the electrically non-conductive area 39. The surge arrester 5 is in both the electrically conductive position ( Fig. 8 to 10) as well as in the electrically non-conductive position ( Fig. 11 to 13) in electrical contact with one of the two electrically conductive areas 37 of the actuating element 35.

[0049] Provided that the electrically conductive areas 37 of the actuating element 35 are in contact with both the arrester 5 and the cell arrester contact element 17 ( Fig. 8, Fig. 9 or Fig. 10), the current I flows from the cell arrester contact element 17 to the arrester tab 5. Provided that the actuating element 35 is in its non-conductive position ( Fig. When the actuator is rotated from 11 to 13, it is no longer the electrically conductive area 37, but the electrically non-conductive area 39 of the actuating element 35 that is in contact with the cell arrester contact element 17, so that no current flows from the cell arrester contact element 17 to the arrester tab 5.

[0050] The base material of the actuating element 35 is metallic and therefore conductive. Current transmission can only be blocked by the insulating coating (i.e., the electrically non-conductive area 39) on one half of the surface. The advantage of the Fig. The variant shown in figures 8 to 13 differs in that the conductor tabs 5 can be the same size for each electrode. The conductor tabs 5 are also not shifted. The other components and parts shown in the variant of Fig. The numbers 8 to 13 used can be identical to those in the previous embodiment. Reference symbol list 1 electrode / separator stack 3 Conductor foil 4 Electrode coating 5 anode drain tabs 7 cathode drain tabs 9 anode cell dischargers 11 Cathode cell drains 13 Charging / discharging circuit 15 charger / consumer 17 Cell drain contact element 19 plastic base bodies 21 Spring element 23 Counter-holding plate 24 Voltage measuring device 25 Control unit 27 measuring contacts 29 Actuator 31 clamping unit 33 tension springs 35 Actuator 37 conductive area 38 plastic bodies 39 non-conductive area 40 screws E1 to E5 electrode pairs U1 to U5 Actual voltages F Spring force I Current flow

Claims

[1] Process arrangement with a battery cell comprising an electrode / separator stack (1) in which anodes (A), separators (S) and cathodes (K) are stacked one above the other, wherein each anode (A) is connected to an anode cell connector (9) via an anode connector (5) and each cathode (K) is connected to a cathode cell connector (11) via a cathode connector (7), wherein the battery cell can be switched into a charge / discharge circuit (13) with its cathode cell connector (11) and with its anode cell connector (9) for carrying out a charge / discharge process, and wherein the electrode / separator stack (1) can be subdivided in the stacking direction into stacked electrode pairs (E1 to E5), each electrode pair (E1 to E5) of which consists of an anode (A), an adjacent cathode (K) and a an intermediate separator (S) exists, wherein the process arrangement has a balancing control loop in which a control unit (25) is integrated,the actual voltage (U1 to U5) of each electrode pair (E1 to E5) during the charging / discharging process is recorded, and wherein the actual voltages (U1 to U5) of the electrode pairs (E1 to E5) can be balanced against each other by means of the control unit (25), wherein each electrode pair (E1 to E5) is assigned an actuator (29) that can be controlled by the control unit (25), and wherein, if the actual voltage (U1 to U5) in at least one of the electrode pairs deviates from a target voltage value, the control unit (25) adjusts the charging / discharging current flow through the electrode pair (U1 to U5) via the actuator (29), i.e., increases or reduces it, in order to regulate the actual voltage (U1 to U5) of the electrode pair to the target voltage value, wherein the cell arrester (9, 11) has a separate connection point for each arrester tab (5, 7), which is functionally and / or spatially independent of other connection points, and wherein the drain fin (5,7) is in electrical and mechanically detachable connection with an associated cell arrester contact element (17), and wherein the conductivity between the cell arrester contact element (17) and the arrester tab (5, 7) and thus the current flow through the electrode pair (E1 to E5) can be adjusted by means of the actuator (29), , characterized by , that the actuator (29) has a spring element (21) which presses the cell drain contact element (17) against the drain flag (5, 7) with a spring force (F), and that the spring force (F) of the spring element (21) can be varied by means of the actuator (29) to adjust the conductivity between cell drain contact element (17) and drain flag (5, 7). [2] Process arrangement with a battery cell having an electrode / separator stack (1) in which anodes (A), separators (S) and cathodes (K) are stacked one above the other, wherein each anode (A) is connected to an anode cell connector (9) via an anode connector (5) and each cathode (K) is connected to a cathode cell connector (11) via a cathode connector (7), wherein the battery cell can be switched into a charge / discharge circuit (13) with its cathode cell connector (11) and with its anode cell connector (9) for carrying out a charge / discharge process, and wherein the electrode / separator stack (1) can be subdivided in the stacking direction into stacked electrode pairs (E1 to E5), each electrode pair (E1 to E5) of which consists of an anode (A), an adjacent cathode (K) and a an intermediate separator (S) exists, wherein the process arrangement has a balancing control loop in which a control unit (25) is integrated,the actual voltage (U1 to U5) of each electrode pair (E1 to E5) during the charging / discharging process is recorded, and wherein the actual voltages (U1 to U5) of the electrode pairs (E1 to E5) can be balanced against each other by means of the control unit (25), wherein each electrode pair (E1 to E5) is assigned an actuator (29) that can be controlled by the control unit (25), and wherein, if the actual voltage (U1 to U5) in at least one of the electrode pairs deviates from a target voltage value, the control unit (25) adjusts the charging / discharging current flow through the electrode pair (U1 to U5) via the actuator (29), i.e., increases or reduces it, in order to regulate the actual voltage (U1 to U5) of the electrode pair to the target voltage value, wherein the cell arrester (9, 11) has a separate connection point for each arrester tab (5, 7), which is functionally and / or spatially independent of other connection points, and wherein the drain fin (5,7) is electrically connected and mechanically detachable with an associated cell arrester contact element (17), and wherein the conductivity between the cell arrester contact element (17) and the arrester tab (5, 7) and thus the current flow through the electrode pair (E1 to E5) can be adjusted by means of the actuator (29), wherein the actuator (29) has an adjusting element (35) which is arranged in a contact plane between the cell arrester contact element (17) and the arrester tab (5, 7), wherein by adjusting the adjusting element (35) in the contact plane the size of a current-carrying cross-section between the cell arrester contact element (17) and the arrester tab (5, 7) and thus the current flow through the electrode pair (E1 to E5) can be adjusted, and wherein the adjusting element (35) is adjustable between an electrically conductive position and an electrically non-conductive position. [3] Process arrangement according to claim 2, characterized by, that the actuating element (35) and the cell arrester contact element (17) each have at least one conductive area (37) and at least one non-conductive area (39), and that in the electrically conductive position the actuating element (35) and the cell arrester contact element (17) are in electrical contact with each other with their conductive areas (37), and / or that in the electrically non-conductive position the conductive area (37) of the actuating element (35) is in contact with the non-conductive area (39) of the cell arrester contact element (17), so that no current flows through the electrode pair in question. [4] Process arrangement according to claim 2 or 3, characterized by, that the actuating element (35) is designed as a flat profile or plate-shaped, and that the actuating element (35) is arranged to be laterally displaceable by means of linear movement within the contact plane between cell arrester contact element (17) and the arrester flag (5, 7), and that by adjusting the actuating element (35) in the contact plane the size of a current-carrying cross-section between cell arrester contact element (17) and arrester flag (5, 7) and thus the current flow through the electrode pair (E1 to E5) can be adjusted. [5] Process arrangement according to claim 2 or 3, characterized by, that the actuating element (35) is a rotatably mounted actuating element (35), and that by rotating the actuating element (35) the size of a current-carrying cross-section between cell arrester contact element (17) and arrester tab (5, 7) and thus the current flow through the relevant electrode pair is adjustable, and that the actuating element (35) is rotatable between an electrically conductive position and an electrically non-conductive position, and / or that the rotatable actuating element (35) has at least one conductive area (37) and one non-conductive area (39), wherein in the electrically conductive position the rotatable actuating element (35) is in electrical contact with the cell arrester contact element (17) and with the arrester tab (5, 7) so that a current flow (I) is established,or that in the electrically non-conductive position the non-conductive area (39) of the rotatable actuating element (35) is in contact with the cell arrester contact element (17), so that no current flows through the electrode pair in question. [6] Process arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that each of the electrode pairs (E1 to E5) is integrated together with the control unit (25) in a voltage measurement circuit (26) in which the actual voltage (U1 to U5) between the cathode (K) and the anode (A) of the electrode pair (E1 to E5) is tapped by means of measuring contacts (27), and / or that the control unit (25) calculates an average value from all actual voltages (U1 to U5) of the electrode pairs (E1 to E5) which forms the target voltage value. [7] Method for manufacturing a process arrangement according to the preceding claims 1 to 6, comprising a battery cell with an electrode / separator stack (1) in which anodes (A), separators (S), and cathodes (K) are stacked one above the other, wherein each anode (A) is connected to an anode cell arrester (9) via an anode drain tab (5), and each cathode (K) is connected to a cathode cell arrester (11) via a cathode drain tab (7), wherein the battery cell can be switched into a charging / discharging circuit (13) with its cathode cell arrester (11) and with its anode cell arrester (9) for carrying out a charging / discharging process, and wherein the electrode / separator stack (1) can be subdivided in the stacking direction into stacked electrode pairs (E1 to E5), each of which consists of an anode (A), a neighboring cathode (K) and an intermediate separator (S), wherein the process arrangement has a balancing control loop,in which a control unit (25) is integrated which detects an actual voltage (U1 to U5) of each electrode pair (E1 to E5) during the charging / discharging process, and wherein the actual voltages (U1 to U5) of the electrode pairs (E1 to E5) can be balanced against each other by means of the control unit (25), characterized by , that in the process a first separator (S) is first placed on a storage surface, and in addition a voltage measuring contact (27) and an insulating counter-holding plate (23) are placed together as an assembly on the storage surface, with a first process step in which the anode (A) is stacked on the first separator (S) and below it the components of the cell drain (9), wherein after the placement of the anode (A) another separator (S) is stacked on the anode (A), and a second process step in which a voltage measuring contact (27), the cell arrester contact element (17) and the spring element (21) are together as an assembly on top of the anode (A), and wherein the first and second process steps are repeated each time another anode (A) is stacked on a separator (S), and wherein, as soon as the electrode / separator stack (1) is completed, all subassemblies of the cell arrester (9) above and below each anode (A) are connected with a common plastic body (38) and then screwed together by means of at least one screw (40), and that the above process sequence can be carried out not only on the anode side, but also on the cathode side.

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