Bipolar Battery Current Collector With Insulating Shielded Regions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Bipolar batteries face issues such as electrical short circuits and uneven current distribution due to contact between current collectors and electrolytes, leading to reduced voltage and premature degradation, while existing solutions like insulating polymers can cause air bubbles and delamination.
Innovation Solution
A current collector for bipolar batteries is designed with a conductive region and an insulating region, where the conductive region is composed of a composite material providing anisotropic conductivity and the insulating region shields the conductive region to prevent ion conduction, ensuring uniform current distribution and structural integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If current collectors from different layers come into contact in bipolar batteries, then the battery structure is simplified, but electrical short circuits occur leading to reduced voltage
Solution Approach 1:
The current collector is designed with spatially varying properties: a conductive region for electrical current collection and an insulating region for electrical isolation. This local differentiation allows the same component to serve dual functions - maintaining electrical connectivity where needed while preventing short circuits between adjacent battery layers, thus resolving the contradiction between structural simplification and short circuit prevention.
Solution Approach 2:
The current collector is segmented into distinct functional zones - a conductive region and an insulating region - rather than using a uniform structure. This segmentation enables the current collector to simultaneously provide electrical conduction pathways and electrical insulation barriers, addressing both the need for structural simplicity and the need to prevent electrical short circuits between layers.
2Reliability
If insulating polymer is used to cover current collector, then electrical short circuits are prevented, but air bubbles are trapped causing delamination
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of applying a continuous insulating polymer layer that traps air bubbles, the solution segments the insulating function into a dedicated insulating region formed as part of the current collector structure itself. This eliminates the need for overlapping layers and associated air bubble entrapment, while still providing effective electrical isolation between battery layers.
Solution Approach 2:
The insulating region is merged with the current collector to form an integrated structure, eliminating the need for separate insulating polymer layers. This integration removes the interface between overlapping layers where air bubbles would be trapped, thereby preventing delamination while maintaining electrical insulation functionality.
3Reliability
If reinforcement and electrode and separator are overlapped, then electrical insulation is achieved, but uneven pressure distribution causes cracking
Solution Approach 1:
The electrical insulation function is segmented into a dedicated insulating region that is part of the current collector structure, rather than relying on overlapping layers. This eliminates the need for multiple layers to be stacked and pressed together, thereby avoiding uneven pressure distribution that would cause cracking in the electrodes and separators.
Solution Approach 2:
The insulating polymer layer is extracted from the layered structure and replaced with an insulating region formed as part of the current collector. This removes the need for overlapping reinforcement, electrode, and separator layers, eliminating the source of uneven pressure distribution and subsequent cracking while maintaining electrical insulation.
4Power
If joint parts are used to connect batteries in series, then voltage is increased, but energy density and power density are reduced due to volumetric loss
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple battery layers are merged into a bipolar stacked configuration where adjacent layers share common current collectors. This integration eliminates the need for separate joint parts between batteries, reducing volumetric loss and increasing energy density while maintaining high voltage through the series connection of multiple layers.
Solution Approach 2:
The bipolar battery structure implements a nested arrangement where current collectors serve dual roles as both electrodes for one layer and separators for adjacent layers. This nesting eliminates redundant components and reduces overall volume, thereby increasing energy density while maintaining the series voltage configuration.
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
The solution enhances the stability and reliability of bipolar batteries by preventing short circuits and ensuring consistent current flow, maintaining structural integrity and efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
The conductive materials are in a form to provide anisotropic conductivity to enhance conductivity in a thickness direction of the current collector while restraining in-plane conductivity
Implementation Method 2
An insulating region is formed around the conductive region to shield the conductive region
Data Source
AI summary
A current collector for a bipolar battery has a conductive region. An insulating region is formed around the conductive region to shield the conductive region.