Adjustable Tab Insulator for Battery Cell Short Circuit Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional battery cell designs face issues with short circuits due to misaligned current collecting tabs, which can be exacerbated by manufacturing variations, mechanical shock, and vibration, and existing insulators struggle to accommodate multiple tabs effectively.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a tab insulator with concentrically positioned outer and inner members featuring adjustable slots and rib-shaped protrusions to securely position and bend conducting tabs, preventing contact with opposite polarity electrodes, and uses a higher number of tabs to reduce impedance and inductance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional insulators with fixed slots are used to accommodate conducting tabs, then the insulator structure is simple, but the tabs cannot be securely positioned due to manufacturing variations and mechanical shock, causing short circuits
Solution Approach 1:
The insulator employs adjustable slots that can be repositioned to accommodate tabs at different positions caused by manufacturing variations and mechanical shock. The slots are designed to be movable or adjustable rather than fixed, allowing the insulator to adapt to dynamic changes in tab positioning while maintaining secure electrical isolation.
Solution Approach 2:
The insulator is divided into multiple segments or components that can independently adjust to accommodate tabs. This segmentation allows each slot to be positioned independently to match the actual tab locations, providing precise positioning while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
2Power
If the number of conducting tabs is increased to reduce impedance and inductance, then the energy storage capacity and performance improve, but the difficulty of accommodating all tabs with an insulator increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The insulator is designed with a universal slot configuration that can accommodate multiple tabs (4 or more) simultaneously. The adjustable slots can be positioned to match various tab arrangements, making the insulator multi-functional for different tab configurations without requiring multiple different insulator designs.
Solution Approach 2:
The slots in the insulator are designed to be adjustable or movable to accommodate the varying positions of multiple tabs. This dynamic adjustment capability allows the single insulator to handle all tabs effectively, reducing the need for complex multi-component insulator assemblies.
3Reliability
If polyimide tape is used to cover and protect conducting tabs, then the tabs are protected from contact with electrodes, but the adhesive softens with heat and electrolyte exposure, allowing the tape to move during mechanical shock and vibration
Solution Approach 1:
The insulator with adjustable slots serves as an intermediary structure between the tabs and the electrode assembly. Instead of relying on adhesive tape to hold tabs in position, the insulator mechanically constrains the tabs through its slot structure, providing stable protection that is not affected by adhesive softening due to heat or electrolyte exposure.
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4A~4C
Figure 5A~6B
AI summary
In some embodiments, a battery cell can include an assembly having an anode sheet and a cathode sheet separated by separator membranes, each sheet having an electroactive layer on a current collector. At least one of the current collectors can be in electrical communication with conducting tabs that extend from at least one of the anode sheet and the cathode sheet, the conducting tabs extends from an end face of the spirally wound assembly. In addition, the cell can include a first tab insulator having concentrically positioned outer and inner members, each of the outer and inner members having at least one slot that allows one or more of the plurality of conducting tabs to pass through. The inner and outer members are adjustable with respect to relative angular orientation of the at least one slot on the outer and inner members of the first tab insulator.