Battery Cell Alignment for Uniform Compression During Cycling
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Batteries with multiple electrochemical cells face challenges in managing dimensional changes during charging and discharging, leading to uneven pressure distributions and potential battery pack failures, particularly with lithium metal cells where dendrite formation can occur.
Innovation Solution
The use of thermally conductive solid articles with alignment features and thermally insulating compressible components to apply anisotropic forces uniformly across electrochemical cells, mitigating dimensional changes and enhancing pressure distribution while maintaining high energy density and low pack burden.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If electrochemical cells are stacked to increase battery capacity, then energy density improves, but dimensional changes during cycling cause uneven pressure distribution and potential failures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs flexible solid articles (including flexible plates and thermally insulating compressible components) between electrochemical cells to accommodate dimensional changes during charging and discharging. These flexible components compress and expand with the cells while maintaining uniform pressure distribution, preventing mechanical failures and dendrite formation in high-capacity battery stacks.
2Stability of the object's composition
If rigid structures are used to maintain battery shape, then structural stability improves, but thermal management capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes composite solid articles that combine rigid structural elements with thermally conductive and flexible components. These composite structures provide mechanical stability to maintain battery shape while incorporating thermal management pathways to conduct heat away from electrochemical cells, simultaneously achieving structural integrity and thermal regulation.
3Force
If high compressive force is applied to electrochemical cells, then performance improves, but uniform pressure distribution becomes difficult to maintain during cycling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs solid articles with specific mechanical properties (compressibility, elasticity, and thermal conductivity) that change their physical parameters in response to cell expansion and contraction during cycling. These articles dynamically adjust their compressive force and pressure distribution to maintain uniform contact with electrochemical cells throughout charging and discharging cycles, preventing localized stress concentrations.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach allows for high energy density batteries with reduced expansion and improved durability by ensuring uniform pressure distribution across electrochemical cells, preventing dendrite formation and maintaining battery integrity during cycling.
Implementation Method 1
a first thermally conductive solid article portion comprising a first alignment feature
Implementation Method 2
a thermally insulating compressible component between the first electrochemical cell and the second electrochemical cell
Data Source
AI summary
Batteries including electrochemical cells, associated components, and arrangements thereof are generally described. In some aspects, batteries with housings that undergo relatively little expansion and contraction even in cases where electrochemical cells in the battery undergo a relatively high degree of expansion and contraction during charging and discharging are provided. Batteries configured to apply relatively high magnitudes and uniform force to electrochemical cells in the battery, while in some cases having high energy densities and a relatively low pack burden, are also provided. In certain aspects, arrangements of electrochemical cells and associated components are generally described. In some aspects, thermally conductive solid articles that can be used for aligning components of the battery are described. In some aspects, thermally insulating and compressible components for battery packs are generally described.