Cylindrical Battery Can Corners for Electrolyte Retention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Increasing the space occupied by the electrode body in a battery can to enhance energy density often results in insufficient electrolyte volume relative to the active materials, leading to electrolyte depletion and reduced battery performance.
Innovation Solution
A battery design featuring a battery can with a cylindrical portion having a shape of inner circumference that includes corner portions, allowing for a circular-cylindrical electrode body that maximizes energy density by optimizing the volume of both the electrode body and the retained electrolyte.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the electrode body occupies more space in the battery can, then the energy density increases, but the battery performance deteriorates due to electrolyte depletion
Solution Approach 1:
The corner portions of the battery can are segmented to function as dedicated electrolyte reservoirs. This segmentation ensures that electrolyte is retained in specific zones and cannot be depleted by the electrode body expansion, thereby maintaining reliable battery performance while achieving high energy density through maximum electrode space utilization.
Solution Approach 2:
The corner portions are designed in advance to hold excess electrolyte that serves as a cushion against depletion. This beforehand cushioning ensures that even when the electrode body occupies most of the battery can space, sufficient electrolyte remains available to maintain proper ion conduction and prevent performance deterioration, thus ensuring reliability.
2Quantity of substance
If a circular-cylindrical electrode body is used to maximize space utilization, then the energy density is improved, but the electrolyte distribution becomes uneven
Solution Approach 1:
While the electrode body maintains a symmetric circular-cylindrical shape for optimal space utilization, the battery can introduces asymmetric corner portions that strategically distribute electrolyte. This asymmetric feature in the can's inner circumference creates multiple electrolyte retention zones that ensure even electrolyte distribution throughout the battery, preventing concentration gradients and maintaining stable composition despite the symmetric electrode geometry.
Data Source
AI summary
A battery including: an electrode body having a circular-cylindrical shape; and a battery can housing the electrode body. A battery can includes a cylindrical portion, a bottom wall closing one end of the cylindrical portion, and an open rim continuing to the other end of the cylindrical portion. The cylindrical portion has a shape of inner circumference including a corner portion.