Apparatus for forming electrochemical cells for electrical energy storage

Abstract

The present solution refers to an tray (100) for transporting electrochemical cells (10) configured for the formation of electrochemical cells (10). The tray (100) comprises two operating components (1, 2) and can be housed removably in a seat of a frame or rack of a station for forming electrochemical cells (10). The two operating components (1, 2) comprise: a first operating component (1) comprising, in turn, a support (11) for housing electrochemical cells (10); a second operating component comprising, in turn, a power module (21) which is configured to apply a voltage / current to electrochemical cells (10) in order to implement a formation thereof; contacting members configured to electrically connect the power module (21) with electrochemical cells (10) housed in the support (11).

Description

[0001] “Apparatus for forming electrochemical cells for electrical energy storage”

[0002] DESCRIPTION

[0003] The present disclosure relates to an apparatus for forming electrochemical cells for storing electrical energy, which is also referred to hereinafter as “cells” or “electrochemical cells” or “secondary batteries” or more generally as “batteries” or “products”.

[0004] More specifically, this disclosure concerns a tray for transporting electrochemical cells, a “cell tray” in technical jargon.

[0005] The present invention has a preferred, though not exclusive, application in the field of activation or conditioning of electrochemical cells, as more fully defined below.

[0006] Especially, but not in a limiting manner, the application of the present invention is advantageous in the field of conditioning of electrochemical cells intended for use in the automotive sector, a field to which reference will be made below without loss of generality.

[0007] It is known to the applicant that, following a power supply of a secondary battery, an electrically reactive material contained therein is chemically changed, accumulating -during charging- electrical energy that can be released during discharge with consequent regeneration of the electrically reactive material.

[0008] For example, a secondary battery may consist of plates forming positive and negative electrodes and an electrolyte placed between the plates to generate an electromotive force between them through a reversible electro-chemical reaction.

[0009] Examples of secondary batteries of this type include lead batteries, alkaline batteries and lithium batteries.

[0010] Currently, lithium batteries have the advantage of having high energy density, being lightweight and high voltage, compared to other types of batteries.

[0011] They also have a lower environmental impact, high efficiency, high recharging speed and a long service life.

[0012] Lithium batteries are classified as lithium ion batteries, lithium ion polymer batteries and lithium metal polymer batteries. Structurally, as a general rule, secondary batteries can be classified according to their external shape into cylindrical type, prismatic type or the type identified as “pouch”.

[0013] Regardless of the type of secondary battery, at the end of its manufacturing process, it undergoes an activation process that is also referred to as conditioning, finishing or forming.

[0014] In its entirety, an electrochemical cell production process -in general- comprises an electrode preparation step, a step of preparing the electrolyte and filling the electrolyte into the battery, and the activation step.

[0015] Depending on the type of battery, the production process may vary.

[0016] For example, in the case of prismatic cells, there is a re-filling step, i.e. an electrolyte compensation step to compensate for the loss of electrolyte resulting from its gasification.

[0017] Precisely, the actual formation (i.e. the initial charging and discharging of the electrochemical cell) is only a partial step in the broader conditioning process that is designed to give it the desired charge and discharge performance.

[0018] However, in jargon, the expression “formation” can be used as a synonym for the process including all the conditioning steps, where - in fact - the exact sequence of the conditioning process may vary from manufacturer to manufacturer of electrochemical cells.

[0019] Operatively, during the formation process of a newly constructed battery, due to the administration of modulated voltages or currents, electrochemical phenomena occur within the battery itself whereby the anode is covered by a solid electrolyte interface or “Solid Electrolyte Interphase” (or SEI for short).

[0020] If the formation process of a battery is performed properly, this surface interface layer (SEI) is formed correctly on the anode of the battery, optimising the properties of the battery in terms of charge capacity and uniformity of charge / discharge cycles.

[0021] The formation process is thus a critical aspect in battery production because it has a major influence on the properties of the batteries. The surface electrode layers of the SEI interface must be formed in a controlled manner by administering modulated voltages or currents for a relatively long time using a special apparatus to form rechargeable batteries.

[0022] Each battery can, in principle, react differently to the formation step so that, in mass production, among a plurality of batteries being formed, it cannot be excluded that some of them will not be formed correctly, presenting sub-optimal performance or defects, to the point of being impaired in their functionality.

[0023] Therefore, nowadays, there is a strong need to combine high productivity, in terms of the number of batteries activated or conditioned at the same time, together with a high yield of the formation process of each battery as well as the overall performance of the plant.

[0024] There is also a need to be able to select the batteries resulting from the formation process based on their performance and, therefore, to detect or monitor the performance of each electrochemical cell during or after formation.

[0025] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0026] Traditional conditioning process solutions involve a plurality of cells being contextually housed in a support device, which, in this text, is also referred to as a “tray” or a “cell tray”.

[0027] An example of the traditional steps in a conditioning or forming process includes:

[0028] 1. a “pre-aging” step in which the battery cell is placed in a chamber at room temperature or at an elevated temperature (e.g. around 45°C) for a pre-aging time of up to 24 hours; the pre-aging step has the function of achieving homogeneous distribution of the electrolyte inside the battery. In this step, the cell is not subjected to electrical voltage and is generally carried on a conveyor;

[0029] 2. a formation step (initial charge and discharge) in which the cell is subjected to charge and discharge cycles at room temperature or at a high temperature (around 45°C); in this step the charge and discharge cycles are generally fast and vary according to the manufacturer's choices; this step may last, for example, 10-12 hours;

[0030] 3. a possible step of degassing the cell (typically for prismatic cells and “pouch” cells) during which any gaseous products formed by the electrolyte are expelled from the cell;

[0031] 4. an “aging” step, also known as a maturation step in which the cell is kept at room temperature (low-temperature aging) and at a high temperature (high- temperature aging, which can be around 45°C); this step lasts for more than a week, for example around 12 days; also during this step, no electrical voltage is applied to the cells.

[0032] As mentioned above, from a structural point of view, cells are traditionally placed in trays with appropriate housings.

[0033] It should be noted that, depending on the type of cells to be processed (cylindrical, prismatic or pouch), the trays will be configured in a dedicated manner.

[0034] Thus, for example, a cylindrical cell tray has a plurality of slots or cylindrical niches each capable of accommodating a respective cell. In contrast, a pouch cell tray provides a housing for packing the cells to ensure effective electrical contact between the cell voltage contacts and the cell electrodes.

[0035] A traditional formation station, i.e. one designed to carry out cell charging and discharging cycles, generally comprises a cabinet, better known as a Tack”, with a plurality of housings, each dedicated to receiving a tray loaded with cells to be formed.

[0036] The cabinet or rack comprises a frame supporting at least one power supply unit and a plurality of power modules each connected to a power supply unit to receive electric power.

[0037] The rack comprises a contacting assembly in each housing. Each contacting assembly is configured to be electrically coupled to cells housed in a tray to be inserted into the rack.

[0038] The power modules are fixed to the rack and electrically connected by cables to each contacting assembly.

[0039] In particular, several power modules are electrically connected to a single power unit.

[0040] Several contact assemblies, e.g. 4 different contact assemblies, are electrically connected to a single power module to be supplied according to a common formation logic.

[0041] Operatively, the tray housing the cells to be formed is inserted into a respective housing in the rack.

[0042] Subsequently, the contacting assembly is coupled to the cells to be formed in such a way as to allow the power modules to initiate the formation thereof.

[0043] In the case of lithium-ion batteries, power modules nowadays consist of at least one power supply dedicated to each cell, so that each one is designed to form, in parallel with the others, the cell to which it is dedicated.

[0044] This results in an appreciable complexity of the conventional formation station, especially due to the large number of electrical circuits, particularly power circuits, distributed in the station itself.

[0045] This results in the need for power supply cables connecting each contacting assembly to its respective power module and each power module, in turn, to its respective power supply unit.

[0046] Each of these activation assemblies consists of a product incorporating a plurality of power units, each of which is directly connected to a group of power modules, each of which, in turn, is directly connected to the corresponding contact assemblies.

[0047] Each activation assembly is supported by the rack at its respective housing so that, following the insertion of a tray into its housing, the activation assembly can be coupled to the cells carried by the tray to implement the tray activation process.

[0048] The applicant first noted that traditional formation stations require costly wiring and have little functional flexibility and ease of maintenance, which affect productivity.

[0049] In fact, the applicant noted that the malfunction of one or more power modules requires either the suspension of the operation of the entire formation station or the part of it including the frame or rack involved in the malfunction or an isolation of each malfunctioning power module resulting in a reduction of productivity compared to an optimal degree.

[0050] The applicant therefore perceived that a tray that incorporated the power module and as such could be moved with respect to the frame or rack, and more generally in the conditioning plant, allows much more flexible management of the forming step of electrochemical cells carried by the tray, especially by allowing the replacement of trays that present malfunctions or defects in their own components either in the cells they carry, allowing maintenance to be carried out in masked time with respect to the forming operation that can resume or in the formation station where the malfunction was detected and each tray affected by it replaced.

[0051] Thanks to this insight, the applicant completely overturns the familiar concept whereby power modules are always permanently connected to or supported by the frame or rack with respect to which electrochemical cell carriers to be processed are merely interchanged.

[0052] The applicant also realised that the provision of a tray according to this solution allows the entire tray to be treated as a unitary product that can be easily handled in the conditioning system.

[0053] However, an apparatus to perform a conditioning operation other than forming can easily be added to the tray, or this apparatus may replace the operating component comprising the power module or integrated with this operating component of the tray.

[0054] In a first aspect thereof, the present solution therefore concerns a tray for transporting electrochemical cells.

[0055] The transport tray can comprise two operating components and can be housed removably in a seat of a frame or rack of an electrochemical cell formation station.

[0056] The two operating components may comprise:

[0057] - a first operating component which, in turn, may comprise a support to house electrochemical cells;

[0058] - a second operating component which may comprise a power module which is configured to apply a voltage / current to electrochemical cells for implementing the formation thereof.

[0059] The two operating components can also comprise contacting members configured to electrically connect the power module with electrochemical cells that are housed in the support.

[0060] The power module can be configured to apply a voltage / current to implement a formation on electrochemical cells housed in the support.

[0061] Thanks to these features, the tray according to the present solution allows a process and / or electrochemical cell conditioning plant to be simplified and / or made more flexible.

[0062] In addition, it allows the footprint and / or structural complexity of frames or racks of electrochemical cell formation stations to be significantly reduced, compared to conventional solutions.

[0063] A tray with the features according to this solution also makes the maintenance of an electrochemical cell formation station considerably simpler.

[0064] The use of trays with the features according to the present solution in electrochemical cell conditioning processes and / or plants allows the productivity of these processes and / or plants to be optimised.

[0065] A “support” is defined as any body with structural and mechanical characteristics suitable for stably supporting, without noticeable deformation, electrochemical cells at specific positions with respect to a spatial reference of the body itself.

[0066] A “power module” is understood to be an apparatus, e.g. electronic, adapted to be connected to a source of electrical energy, especially to an electrical distribution network, and to contacting devices in order to apply a voltage / current to electrochemical cells via the latter.

[0067] “Operating configuration” is understood to be any mutual position of the operating components in which electrochemical cells, carried by the support, can undergo a formation operation via the tray. The operating components are in an “operating configuration” when they are mutually positioned in such a way that electrochemical cells supported by the first operating component are electrically connected, via the contacting members, to the power module, in such a way as to allow the latter the implement a formation operation of these electrochemical cells.

[0068] The term “independently manageable” refers to the behaviour of the unitary article such that an action on at least one of its component units, e.g. on one of the operating components, causes a reaction of all the component units integral to the unit subjected to the action, without the need for interaction with units external to the tray such as, by way of non-limiting example, without the need for interaction with a frame or rack to which, or in which, the tray can be coupled.

[0069] “Structural interconnection” refers to an interconnection between operating components that relates only to the material structure of the component(s), while “functional interconnection” refers to an interconnection between operating components that is involved in the implementation of an operation that is part of the conditioning of electrochemical cells housed in the tray. The transport tray may preferably be an electrochemical cell formation tray configured for transporting electrochemical cells, especially for handling them within an electrochemical cell conditioning plant.

[0070] The support can be a parallelepiped body made of metal or plastic material.

[0071] In an advantageous embodiment thereof, for example, the support can be formed as a single body.

[0072] In a different embodiment thereof, advantageous for example to facilitate maintenance of the support, it can consist of a plurality of mutually assembled components.

[0073] The geometry of the support can be chosen depending on the contingent application of the tray according to the present solution, especially but not limited to the type of electrochemical cells it is adapted to house and / or their number and / or their distance from each other and / or a distribution pattern of electrochemical cells housed in the support.

[0074] The power module can be configured to modulate the voltage / current applied to the electrochemical cells, preferably according to a predefined logic or recipe.

[0075] The power module may comprise at least one power supply for each electrochemical cell to which it is intended to be connected to supply power and, in particular, may comprise -for each electrochemical cell it is intended to supply- a group of power supplies that may be connected to that electrochemical cell to supply it with power.

[0076] According to an aspect of the present solution, the operating components can be mutually coupled to form, together, a unitary product that can be independently managed with respect to a frame or rack of an electrochemical cell formation station.

[0077] Operating components are understood to form a “unitary product” when they are mutually positioned to perform the above function. Operating components form a unitary product when they are mutually coupled in an operating configuration. When operating components are positioned to form a unitary product, they can be coupled or mutually attached so that they cannot be moved independently of each other.

[0078] According to an aspect of the present solution, the tray may comprise a third operating component placed between the first operating component and the second operating component and configured to allow the electrical connection between the power module and electrochemical cells housed in the support.

[0079] The third operating component can, therefore, be shaped to have holes or passages through which the power module can be connected directly, i.e. without any additional intermediary elements to the contacting members, to electrochemical cells housed in the support.

[0080] For example, in such a case the third operating component may be electrically or electronically inactive, i.e. such that it does not interact electrically or electronically with the first operating component and / or the second operating component.

[0081] The third operating component can also perform a mutual interconnection function of the first operating component with the second operating component.

[0082] In addition, the third operating component may comprise at least one of the following:

[0083] - thermal detection members, configured to be in contact with electrochemical cells housed in the support to detect the temperature of the electrochemical cells themselves;

[0084] - at least a first voltmeter contact and at least a second voltmeter contact.

[0085] The first voltmeter contact and the second voltmeter contact can be configured and positioned to extend from the third operating component towards the first operating component in order to make contact with each electrochemical cell housed in the support.

[0086] The first voltmeter contact and the second voltmeter contact can be positioned and configured to allow a voltage measurement, e.g. an open-circuit voltage measurement during the aging step, i.e. an OCV test, on each electrochemical cell housed in the support.

[0087] In particular, the first voltmeter contact and the second voltmeter contact can be positioned and configured to allow such a measurement to be made on one or each cell independently of the other electrochemical cells housed in the support.

[0088] The tray configured in this way can thus be moved in a conditioning plant between a formation station and an aging station without changing the configuration thereof, i.e. without removing one of the three operating components, to the benefit of the logistical simplicity of managing the plant and the operations to be carried out on the tray itself for subjecting the electrochemical cells in the support to different steps of the conditioning process.

[0089] The tray according to this aspect can also be easily reconfigured, either by adding or removing the third operating component or by substituting it for the second operating component, especially to prepare the tray for the implementation, on the electrochemical cells it houses, of an aging operation or step.

[0090] Thus, the tray according to this solution can be configured to selectively perform either a formation or an ageing step or operation.

[0091] In addition, the tray according to the present solution can be configured to perform not only a formation operation or step, but also -or alternatively- an aging operation or step. The at least one first voltmeter contact and the at least one second voltmeter contact may be configured and / or positioned so as to extend from the third operating component also towards the second operating component in order to be connect electrically to respective connectors of the power module or of a control module which is connected to the power module in order to operate it.

[0092] This makes it possible to have the third operating component which can perform an electrical and / or electronic interconnection function between the first operating component and the second operating component, especially by connecting cells housed by the support with the power module, via the contacting members which, in turn, may comprise the at least one first voltmeter contact and / or the at least one second voltmeter contact.

[0093] The contacting members may comprise at least one anode connector and at least one cathode connector, which extend from the second operating component to make electrical contact, through the third operating component, with the cathode and anode of electrochemical cells housed in the support, respectively.

[0094] If necessary, the third operating component has openings positioned and configured in such a way that, following a coupling of the first operating component with the second operating component between which the third operating component is placed, each anode connector and each cathode connector passes through one of said openings. In this way, the third operating component can have a structural and functional interconnection function or only a structural and not also functional interconnection between the first operating component and the second operating component.

[0095] The support can be configured to accommodate a plurality of electrochemical cells provided with an operating face that has a first, anode, contact portion, and a second, cathode, contact portion, surrounding the first contact portion.

[0096] In such a case, the first operating component can be configured to expose the operating face of electrochemical cells to the third operating component when they are properly housed in the support.

[0097] The second operating component may have, for each anode connector, at least one cathode connector.

[0098] Each anode connector can be positioned to make electrical contact with the first contact portion of electrochemical cells housed in the support and each cathode connector can be positioned to make electrical contact with the second contact portion of electrochemical cells housed in the support.

[0099] The openings of the third operating component may comprise first openings positioned and configured to be crossed by the anode contact elements and second openings, flanked by the first openings, and positioned and configured to be crossed by the cathode connectors so as to allow direct electrical contact between the anode contact elements and the cathode connectors with the first, anode, contact portion and the second, cathode, contact portion, respectively.

[0100] Thus, the tray with the above-mentioned characteristics has a compact structure that allows both a forming operation and, subsequently, an aging operation to be performed on batteries carried in the tray without necessarily requiring a separation of the tray's operating components to the benefit of the productivity of the process and / or the electrochemical cell conditioning plant in which the tray according to the present solution is used.

[0101] In fact, the third operating component may either implement a structural interconnection between the first operating component or allow a functional interconnection between them, either directly or mediated by the third operating component, and may -contextually- comprise or carry members adapted to implement an aging operation on batteries carried by the first operating component, such as thermal detection members functional to detect the temperature of each battery carried by the first component, and -possibly- also such as first voltmeter contacts and second voltmeter contacts functional to measuring the voltage at the ends of the anode and cathode contacts.

[0102] In particular, for each anode connector, the second operating component may have a plurality of cathode connectors, preferably four, which may be arranged around the anode connector, preferably in equidistant positions from the anode connector.

[0103] The tray can then be configured to have, for each battery it can accommodate, one anode connector surrounded by a plurality of cathode connectors (preferably four).

[0104] In this way, for example in the case of batteries with the second, cathode, contact portion surrounding the first, anode, contact portion, a central anode connector, surrounded by cathode connectors arranged circumferentially around it, can be provided.

[0105] The anode connector may be passed through an opening of the third operating component, e.g. circular and possibly coaxial, and positioned to contact the first anode contact portion at the same time as it is contacted by the plurality of cathode connectors, which may be passed through holes that are placed around said opening.

[0106] The contacting members may comprise or incorporate the anode connector so that the latter can perform the dual function of allowing a passage of electric current of a suitable magnitude adapted to implement a formation of an electrochemical cell and allow a voltage measurement to be carried out.

[0107] The third operating component can be configured to detect a temperature and a voltage of each electrochemical cell housed in the support and to be connected to a control module adapted to process said temperature and voltage in order to perform or monitor an aging operation of the electrochemical cells housed in the support.

[0108] In particular, in accordance with this aspect, the third operating component may comprise not only, for each battery that the tray may house, said at least one anode connector and at least one cathode connector, but also temperature sensors, at least one per electrochemical cell to be monitored, which, for example, may project from the third operating component so as to come into physical contact with an electrochemical cell housed in the first component when the third operating component is coupled to the latter.

[0109] The control module can be integrated into the third operating component and, in any case, can be connected to said at least one anode and at least one cathode connector and also to said temperature sensors, and can be configured to process the data received from them to detect effective electrolytic cell behaviour during an ageing operation and compare this effective behaviour with a reference behaviour in order to identify cells with performance that does not correspond to expectations or that may exhibit critical conditions that could lead to their degeneration and - in the worst case scenario - to their damage.

[0110] In an embodiment of the present solution, the first operating component, the second operating component and the third operating component can be configured with respect to each other in such a way that:

[0111] - the second operating component can be coupled, in a decouplable or reversible manner, to the first operating component to form a first, modular assembly, which is adapted to implement a formation operation of electrochemical cells housed in the support;

[0112] - the third operating component can be coupled, in a decouplable or reversible manner, to the first operating component to form a second, modular assembly, which is adapted to implement an aging operation of electrochemical cells housed in the support;

[0113] - the second operating component can be coupled, in a decouplable or reversible manner, to the third operating component, which can - in turn - be coupled, in a decouplable manner, to the first operating component to form a third modular assembly which is adapted to perform a formation operation or an aging operation of electrochemical cells housed in the support.

[0114] In this way, the tray can form a unitary product that can be moved independently, or coupled to a drawer that can carry a plurality of said trays, between forming and aging stations of a conditioning system.

[0115] In fact, in the first case, following the performance of a formation operation on electrochemical cells supported by the tray, the first modular assembly may have the second operating component removed and replaced with the third operating component in order to allocate the tray to a station where an aging operation is carried out.

[0116] Unlike traditional solutions, the third operating component can comprise monitoring devices to monitor the temperature of the cells undergoing the aging operation, as well as allowing the voltage at the cell connectors to be measured without moving the tray from the aging station, which benefits productivity and tray handling logistics in the plant.

[0117] In the third case, where the tray is formed according to a third modular assembly comprising both the second operating component and the third operating component, it can be directly transferred from a formation station to an ageing station without requiring any further operations (of replacing the second operating component with the third operating component), further increasing the productivity of the plant.

[0118] In an embodiment of the tray according to the present solution, the first operating component may comprise a first number of electrochemical cell seats and the power module may comprise a second number of power supplies.

[0119] The first number can be equal to the second number or a fraction of the second number, and the power supplies can be connected to the contacting members in such a way that, in the operating configuration, each electrochemical cell housed in a support seat is connected to at least one power supply.

[0120] In other words, in such a case, each electrochemical cell can be supplied by a plurality of bidirectional power supplies where the latter can be selectively controlled to supply different cells so as to adapt the power supply of each electrochemical cell to its particular needs.

[0121] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0122] Figure 1 shows a schematic perspective view of a tray according to the present solution.

[0123] Figure 2 shows a schematic perspective view of a frame or rack and a plurality of trays, according to the present solution, housed therein.

[0124] Figure 3 shows a schematic view of a section of a tray according to the present solution. Figure 4 shows a schematic, partially exploded view of the section in Figure 2 of the tray according to the present solution.

[0125] Figure 5 shows a sectional view of a detail of a tray according to the present solution.

[0126] Figure 6 shows an enlargement of detail VI of the tray in Figure 5.

[0127] DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0128] With reference to the above-mentioned figures, a tray for transporting electrochemical cells 10 is referred to overall as 100.

[0129] The transport tray 100 can be housed removably in a frame or rack of a station for forming electrochemical cells 10.

[0130] The transport tray 100 may comprise two operating components 1 , 2. The two operating components 1 , 2 may comprise:

[0131] - a first operating component 1 which, in turn, may comprise a support 11 to house electrochemical cells 10;

[0132] - a second operating component that may comprise a power module 21 which is configured to apply a voltage / current to electrochemical cells 10 for implementing the formation thereof.

[0133] The two operating components 1 , 2 may also comprise contacting members configured to electrically connect the power module 21 with electrochemical cells 10 that are housed in the support 11 .

[0134] In general, according to the present solution, the operating components 1 and 2 are mutually coupled to form, together, a unitary product that can be independently managed with respect to a frame for forming electrochemical cells 10. In the embodiments of the present solution depicted in the accompanying figures by way of example only, the support 11 may be a parallelepiped body made of metal or plastic material.

[0135] In an advantageous embodiment, for example, for constructive simplicity, the support 11 can be formed as a single body. However, in different embodiments - albeit within the scope of the present solution - support 11 may consist of a plurality of mutually assembled components, e.g. to facilitate maintenance of the support 11 .

[0136] In particular, the specific geometry and size of the support 11 will be implemented according to the contingent application of the tray 100 according to the present solution.

[0137] In particular, it will be configured according to the type of electrochemical cells 10 that it is adapted to house and / or their number and / or their distance from each other and / or their distribution pattern.

[0138] For the sake of illustration, an implementation of the present solution is shown in the accompanying figures for use in a plant and process for forming cylindrical electrochemical cells, typically lithium-ion.

[0139] However, the following description, especially but not only in relation to the embodiments of contacting members will, mutatis mutandis, be correspondingly valid for known batteries of a different structure such as pouch cells or prismatic cells.

[0140] In particular, the contacting members -while remaining within the scope of the present solution- will be suitably configured to electrically contact the electrochemical cells 10 which, in use, are carried by, i.e. housed in, the support 11 of the first operating component 1 with the power module 21 of the second operating component 2, when the tray 100 according to the present solution, is used in a conditioning plant of these electrochemical cells 10.

[0141] In particular, the support 11 and the contacting members, especially, will be configured according to the type of electrochemical cells 10 to be subjected to a formation and / or aging operation, as better described below.

[0142] For example, the contacting members may comprise first contacts positioned in or on the support 11 in such a way that, when the batteries 10 are housed in seats dedicated to them, they contact the anode and -separately- the cathode of each battery.

[0143] In accordance with this example, which is not illustrated in the accompanying figures, the contacting members may also comprise conductive tracks which electrically connect said first contacts with second contacts, which are present on the support 11 or, more generally, on the first operating component 1 , and which are positioned and configured to be electrically coupled with third contacts carried by the second operating component 2 and electrically connected with the power module 21 when the first operating component 1 and the second operating component 2 are correctly coupled in an operating configuration.

[0144] Clearly, without departing from the scope of the solution presented herein, the electrical contact between the first contacts and the second contacts may be indirect, i.e. mediated by intermediate conductors which may be integrated or supported by a body which may be placed between the first operating component 1 and the second operating component 2.

[0145] Figures 3 and 4 schematically illustrate a tray 100, according to the present solution, in an exemplary embodiment particularly adapted for the treatment of cylindrical electrochemical cells 10, as mentioned above.

[0146] In accordance with this embodiment, the support 11 has a plurality of cylindrical seats 12 conformed to accommodate batteries 10 so as to hold them in specific positions of the tray 100 in order to properly contact the contacting members for the purpose of undergoing a forming and / or aging operation.

[0147] This embodiment thus exemplifies a support 11 configured to house a plurality of electrochemical cells 10. In general, therefore, the support 11 may comprise a plurality of seats 12 each configured to house at least one electrochemical cell of the plurality of electrochemical cells 10. The electrochemical cells 10 may be provided with an operating face F such that, once an electrochemical cell 10 is housed in a seat 12 of the support 11 , it has the operating face F facing outwards from the support 11 and, in particular, facing the second operating component 2 when it is coupled to the first operating component 1 in the operating configuration.

[0148] In this embodiment, the support 11 is configured in such a way that, when batteries 10 are housed in its seats 12, they have their respective operating faces F uniformly oriented in an operating direction A along which the first operating component 1 and the second operating component 2 can be coupled. As described in more detail below, in this embodiment, the contacting members are configured to electrically connect the power module 21 with the battery 10 when the operating components 1 and 2 are mutually coupled in the operating configuration.

[0149] The contacting members may include a plurality of connector assemblies 23.

[0150] The operating face F has a first, anode, contact portion 10a and a second, cathode, contact portion 10b surrounding the first contact portion 10a.

[0151] The power module 21 may comprise at least one power supply for each electrochemical cell 10 to which it is intended to be connected to supply power, and, in particular, may comprise -for each electrochemical cell 10 it is intended to supply- a group of power supplies that may be connected to that electrochemical cell to supply it with power. The at least one power supply can be a bidirectional power supply.

[0152] In the example shown in Figures 3-6, the second operating component 2 comprises a plurality of power supplies 22 which are connected to connector assemblies 23.

[0153] The power supplies 22 are connected to or part of the power module 21 and are configured to supply, via connector assemblies 23, batteries 10 housed in the tray 100 when the operating components 1 , 2 are in the operating configuration. In other words, in the operating configuration of the operating components 1 , 2, the power supplies 22 are electrically connected to the connector assemblies 23 in order to transmit a voltage / current from the power module 21 to the cells 10 in order to implement a formation thereof.

[0154] Preferably, the first operating component 1 comprises a first number of seats 12 for electrochemical cells 10 and the power module 21 comprises a second number of power supplies 22.

[0155] The first number can be equal to the second number or a fraction of the second number.

[0156] The power supplies 22 may be connected to the contacting members in such a way that, in operation, i.e. in the operating configuration, each electrochemical cell housed in a seat 12 of the support 11 is connected to at least one power supply 22.

[0157] In the example in the accompanying figures, two power supplies 22 are provided to power each battery 10.

[0158] In a preferred form of the present solution, a single power supply 22 will be provided for each electrolytic cell 10.

[0159] The power module 21 can be equipped with a controller 24 to which the power supplies 22 are connected to be supplied with power.

[0160] Figures 4-6 show the operating components 1 and 2 in a possible operating configuration in which the connector assemblies 23 are in electrical contact with the batteries 10 and, in detail, with the, anode, contact portion 10a, and - separately- with the second, cathode, contact portion 10b.

[0161] In this example, the connector assemblies 23 comprise an anode connector 231 and cathode connectors 232 which are positioned around the anode connector 231.

[0162] The anode connector 231 and the cathode connectors 232 are positioned and configured such that, when the operating components 1 and 2 are in an operating configuration, the anode connector 231 makes electrical contact with the first contact portion 10a of a battery 10 housed in the tray 100, and the cathode connectors 232 make electrical contact with the second contact portion 10b. In an embodiment not illustrated in the appended Figures, the anode connector 231 and the cathode connectors 232 are positioned and configured such that, when the operating components 1 and 2 are in an operating configuration the anode connector 231 abuts with the first contact portion 10a of a battery 10 housed in the tray 100, and the cathode connectors 232 abut with the second contact portion 10b.

[0163] The expression “abut” means that two parts come into physical contact by leaning on each other so that they can implement a mutual electrical contact.

[0164] The anode connector 231 and the cathode connectors 232 may project from the second operating component 2 in such a manner that they make electrical contact with the first contact portion 10a and the second contact portion 10b, respectively, as a result of the coupling of the operating components 1 and 2 along an operating direction A.

[0165] An operating direction A is defined as a direction along which the first operating component 1 and the second operating component 2 are brought into the operating configuration.

[0166] With particular reference to Figures 5 and 6, the anode connector 231 and the cathode connectors 232 make electrical contact respectively with the first contact portion 10a and second contact portion 10b via a third operating component 3, described below.

[0167] According to an aspect of the present solution, the tray 100 may comprise a third operating component 3 placed between the first operating component 1 and the second operating component 2 and configured to allow the electrical connection between the power module 21 and electrochemical cells 10 housed in the support 11.

[0168] In general, the third operating component 3 can be shaped so as to have holes or passages or openings 31 through which the power module 21 can be connected directly, i.e. without any additional intermediary elements to the contacting members, to electrochemical cells 10 housed in the support 11 .

[0169] In the example of Figures 3-6, the third operating component 3 performs a function of mutual interconnection of the first operating component 1 with the second operating component 2 and comprises openings 31 through which the power module 21 , by means of connector assemblies 23, makes electrical contact with batteries 10 carried by the first operating component 1 when it is coupled to the second operating component 2 in an operating configuration.

[0170] In the embodiment shown in Figures 5 and 6 by way of non-limiting example, the third operating component 3 is configured to allow a direct electrical connection between the anode connectors 231 and the first, anode, contact portions 10a, of batteries 10 and a mediated or indirect electrical contact between the anode connectors 231 and the second, cathode, contact portions 10b.

[0171] In accordance with this example, the third operating component 3 has openings 31 at the anode connectors 231 so that when the third operating component 3 is interposed between the first operating group 1 and the second operating group 2 in an operating configuration, the anode connectors 231 protrude through the openings 31 to abut against the first contact portions 10a of batteries 10 carried by the tray 100.

[0172] In contrast, in this example, there is no hole or opening for the cathode connectors 232 to pass through the third operating component 3, but first conduction tracks 32 electrically connected to contact elements 33 configured and arranged in such a way that when the third operating component 3 is interposed between the first operating assembly 1 and the second operating assembly 2 in an operating configuration, the cathode connectors 232 protrude towards the third operating component 3 by abutting against pads of the first conduction tracks 32 and, at the same time, the contact elements 33 protrude from the third operating component 3 to abut against the second contact portions 10b of batteries 10 carried by the tray 100 and thereby bring them into electrical contact with the power module 21 .

[0173] Clearly, in further embodiments, all of which fall within the scope of the present solution, the third operating component 3 may be configured to implement a mediated or indirect contact between the anode connectors 231 and first contact portions 10a and / or to implement a direct contact between the cathode connectors 232 and the second contact portions 10b.

[0174] Furthermore, in the example in Figures 5 and 6, the third operating component 3 comprises, at each connector assembly 23:

[0175] - thermal detection devices, such as a temperature probe 34, configured to be in contact with electrochemical cells 10 housed in the support 11 to detect their temperature;

[0176] - a first voltmeter contact 35 which is intended to abut against the first contact portion 10a, of a battery 10, and a second voltmeter contact which, in the example of Figures 5 and 6 is constituted by a contact element 33 but which, in various embodiments however falling within the scope of the present solution, could be constituted by an autonomous element intended to abut against the second contact portion 10b. In general, therefore, the first voltmeter contact 35 and the second voltmeter contact are configured and positioned to extend from the third operating component 3 towards the first operating component 1 to make contact with each electrochemical cell that is housed in the support 11 when the first operating component 1 and the second operating component 2 are in an operating configuration.

[0177] The first voltmeter contact 35 in Figures 5 and 6 has a hole into which the first contact portion 10a can be inserted to make electrical contact with it.

[0178] In the example of Figures 5 and 6, the first voltmeter contact 35 is of the annular type for electrically coupling with the first contact portion 10a by insertion of the latter into the hole, however, it is clear that the first voltmeter contact 35 may have any suitable shape and position for making an electrical contact with the first contact portion 10a just as the second voltmeter contact may have any suitable shape and position for making an electrical contact with the second contact portion 10b.

[0179] Furthermore, the tray 100 of the example illustrated in the accompanying figures comprises a control module 36 connected, for example in 37 and 38, respectively, with the first voltmeter contact 35 and the second voltmeter contact to implement a voltage measurement on each electrochemical cell 10 housed in the support 11.

[0180] In particular, the first voltmeter contact 35 and the second voltmeter contact can be positioned and configured to allow such a measurement to be made on one or each cell independently of the other electrochemical cells 10 housed in the support 11 itself.

[0181] The tray 100 configured in this way can thus be moved in a conditioning plant between a formation station and an aging station without changing the configuration thereof, i.e. without removing one of the three operating components 1 , 2 and 3 to the benefit of the logistical simplicity of managing the plant and the operations to be carried out on the tray 100 itself, for subjecting the electrochemical cells 10 to different steps of the conditioning process.

[0182] The tray 100 according to this aspect can also be easily reconfigured, either by adding or removing the third operating component 3 or by substituting it for the second operating component 2, especially to prepare the tray 100 for the implementation, on the electrochemical cells 10 that it houses, of an aging operation or step.

[0183] Thus, it is understood that the tray 100 with the aforementioned characteristics appears to have a compact structure that allows for the implementation of both a forming operation and, subsequently, an aging operation, on batteries carried in the tray 100 without necessarily requiring a separation of operating components 1 , 2 of the tray 100 to the benefit of the productivity of the process and / or the conditioning plant of electrochemical cells 10 in which the tray 100 is used.

[0184] In fact, the third operating component 3 can both implement a structural interconnection between the first operating component 1 and the second operating component 2, and allow a functional interconnection between them and can -contextually- comprise or carry members adapted to implement an aging operation on batteries 10 carried by the first operating component 1 , by means of the thermal detection members and the first and second voltmeter contacts functional to measuring the voltage for example to perform an OCV test.

[0185] In a possible embodiment of the present solution, for each anode connector 231 , the second operating component 2 may have a plurality of cathode connectors 232, preferably four, which may be arranged around the anode connector 231 , preferably in positions equidistant from the anode connector 231 .

[0186] The tray 100 can thus be configured to have, for each battery 10 that it can accommodate, one anode connector 231 surrounded by a plurality of cathode connectors 232 (preferably four).

[0187] Thus, for example in the case of batteries 10 having the second, cathode, contact portion 10b surrounding the first, anode, contact portion 10a, a central anode connector 231 , surrounded by cathode connectors 232 arranged circumferentially around it, can be provided.

[0188] The anode connector 231 may be passed through an opening 31 of the third operating component 3, e.g. circular and possibly coaxial to, and positioned to contact the first anode contact portion 10a at the same time as it is contacted by the plurality of cathode connectors 232 that may be passed through holes that are placed around the opening 31 .

[0189] The contacting members may comprise or incorporate the anode connector 231 so that the latter can perform the dual function of allowing a passage of electric current of a suitable magnitude adapted to implement a formation of an electrochemical cell 10 and to allow a voltage measurement to be carried out operating as an anode.

[0190] The control module 36 can be integrated into the third operating component 3 and, in any case, can be connected to the anode connector 231 and cathode connector 232 and also to the temperature sensors and can be configured to process the data received from them to detect an effective electrolytic cell behaviour during an aging operation and compare this effective behaviour with a reference behaviour to identify batteries 10 in a timely manner whose performance does not correspond to expectations or which may present critical conditions that may lead to their degeneration and - in the worst case scenario - to their damage or explosion.

Claims

CLAIMS1. Tray (100) for transporting electrochemical cells (10) configured for forming electrochemical cells (10); the tray (100) comprises two operating components (1 , 2) and is removably housed in a frame or rack of a station for forming electrochemical cells (10); where said two operating components (1 , 2) comprise:- a first operating component (1 ) comprising a support (11 ) for housing electrochemical cells (10);- a second operating component comprising a power module (21 ), which is configured to apply a voltage / current to electrochemical cells (10) for implementing the formation thereof;- contacting members configured to electrically connect the power module (21 ) with electrochemical cells (10) housed in the support (11 ).

2. Tray (100) according to claim 1 , wherein the two operating components (1 , 2) are mutually coupled to form together a unitary product that can be independently managed with respect to a frame or rack of a station for forming electrochemical cells (10).

3. Tray (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a third operating component (3) placed between the first operating component (1 ) and the second operating component (2) and configured to allow the electrical connection between the power module (21 ) and electrochemical cells (10) housed in the support (11 ); wherein the third operating component (3) optionally comprises at least one of:- thermal detection members, configured to be in contact with electrochemical cells (10) housed in the support (11 ) to detect the temperature of said electrochemical cells (10);- at least a first voltmeter contact (35) and at least a second voltmeter contact; wherein the first voltmeter contact (35) and the second voltmeter contact are configured and positioned to extend from the third operating component (3) towards the first operating component (1 ) to make contact with each electrochemical cell housed in the support (11 ); wherein the first voltmeter contact (35) and the second voltmeter contact are positioned and configured to allow a voltage measurement to be made on each electrochemical cell housed in thesupport (11 ), independently of the other electrochemical cells (10) housed in the support (11 ).

4. Tray (100) according to claim 3, wherein the at least one first voltmeter contact (35) and the at least one second voltmeter contact are configured and positioned to extend from the third operating component (3) also towards the second operating component (2) to connect electrically with respective connectors of the power module (21 ) or a control module (36) of the power module (21 ).

5. Tray (100) according to any one of claims 3 or 4, wherein the contacting members comprise at least one anode connector (231 ) and at least one cathode connector (232) extending from the second operating component (2) to make electrical contact, through the third operating component (3), with the cathode and the anode, respectively, of electrochemical cells (10) housed in the support (11 ); wherein the third operating component (3) has openings (31 ) positioned and configured in such a way that, following a coupling of the first operating component (1 ) with the second operating component (2) with the third operating component (3) interposed between them, each anode connector (231 ) and cathode connector (232) crosses one of said openings (31 ).

6. Tray (100) according to claim 5, wherein the support (11 ) is configured to house a plurality of electrochemical cells (10) provided with an operating face (F) that has a first, anode, contact portion (10a) and a second, cathode, contact portion (10b), surrounding the first contact portion (10a); where the first operating component (1 ) is configured in such a way as to expose towards the third operating component (3) the operating face (F) of electrochemical cells (10) housed in the support (11 ); wherein the second operating component (2) has, for each anode connector (231 ), at least one cathode connector (232) flanking it; wherein each anode connector (231 ) and each cathode connector (232) is positioned to make electrical contact with the first contact portion (10a) and the second contact portion (10b), respectively, of electrochemical cells (10) housed in the support (11 ); where the openings of the third operating component (3) comprise first openings positioned and configured to be crossed by the anode contact elements andsecond openings, flanked by the first openings, and positioned and configured to be crossed by the cathode connectors (232).

7. Tray (100) according to claim 6 wherein, for each anode connector (231 ), the second operating component (2) has a plurality of cathode connectors (232), preferably four, which are arranged around the anode connector (231 ), preferably in positions equidistant from the anode connector (231 ).

8. Tray (100) according to any one of claims 3 to 7, wherein the third operating component (3) is configured to detect a temperature and a voltage of each electrochemical cell housed in the support (11 ) and to be connected to a control module (36) adapted to process said temperature and said voltage.

9. Tray (100) according to any one of claims 3 to 8, wherein the first operating component (1 ), the second operating component (2) and the third operating component (3) are configured with respect to each other such that:- the second operating component (2) can be coupled, in a decouplable or reversible manner, to the first operating component (1 ) to form a first modular assembly which is adapted to implement a forming operation of electrochemical cells (10) housed in the support (11 );- the third operating component (3) can be coupled, in a decouplable manner, t the first operating component (1 ) to form a second modular assembly, which is adapted to implement an aging operation of electrochemical cells (10) housed in the support (11 );- the second operating component (2) can be coupled, in a decouplable manner, to the third operating component (3), which can - in turn - be coupled, in a decouplable manner, to the first operating component (1 ) to form a third modular assembly which is adapted to implement a forming operation or an aging operation on the electrochemical cells (10) housed in the support (11 ).

10. Tray (100) according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the first operating component (1 ) comprises a first number of seats (12) for electrochemical cells (10) and the power module (21 ) comprises a second number of power supplies (22); wherein the first number is equal to the second number or a fraction of the second number; wherein the power supplies (22) areconnected to the contacting members in such a manner that, in operation, each electrochemical cell housed in a seat (12) of the support (11 ) is connected to at least one power supply (22).

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