Cable-Type Secondary Battery with Parallel Inner Electrodes

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing secondary batteries are limited in shape adaptability and stability, making them unsuitable for diverse portable device applications, and they often suffer from capacity imbalance and short circuits due to their fixed cylindrical or prismatic structures.

Innovation Solution

A cable-type secondary battery design featuring parallel inner electrodes and a tubular outer electrode with a protection coating, utilizing a gel polymer or solid electrolyte and various active materials, allowing for flexible shape adaptation and increased contact area for improved performance and capacity control.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If a cylindrical or prismatic metal casing structure is used for secondary batteries, then manufacturing process is simplified, but shape adaptability is limited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing process simplicityVSAvoidshape adaptability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The battery is divided into multiple electrode assemblies arranged in parallel, with each assembly consisting of anode, cathode, and separator. This segmentation allows the battery to achieve flexible shapes while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through modular assembly processes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent transitions from traditional 3D cylindrical/prismatic structures to a linear cable-type configuration with high length-to-diameter ratio. This dimensional change enables the battery to adapt to various shapes and spaces, including curved surfaces and irregular geometries, while simplifying the manufacturing process through linear assembly techniques.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Device complexity

If a single anode and single cathode structure is used, then device complexity is reduced, but capacity balance is poor

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveelectrode structure complexityVSAvoidcapacity balance
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The battery employs multiple electrode assemblies arranged in parallel, where each assembly contains coordinated anode and cathode elements. This segmentation enables better capacity balance across the entire battery system while maintaining relatively simple individual assembly structures that are easy to manufacture and assemble.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Stability of the object's composition

If traditional electrode assembly mounting in metal casing is used, then structural stability is ensured, but shape variety is limited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural stabilityVSAvoidshape variety
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSShape

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs a flexible cable-type structure with multiple electrode assemblies that can be dynamically arranged to achieve various shapes. The structural stability is maintained through the coordinated arrangement of anodes, cathodes, and separators within each assembly, while the overall battery can adapt to different configurations including linear, curved, and three-dimensional shapes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The battery uses a flexible cable-type construction with thin electrolyte layers and flexible electrode assemblies, replacing rigid metal casings. This enables the battery to achieve various shapes while maintaining structural integrity through the flexible yet stable arrangement of internal components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

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 cable-type battery achieves free shape adaptation, high battery rate, and enhanced stability by increasing the contact area between electrodes, while preventing short circuits through adjustable capacity balance and improved ion conductivity.

Implementation Method 1

an electrolyte layer serving as an ion channel surrounding the inner electrode

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectIonic conduction: Conduction (electrical)

Data Source

PatentEP2533340B1Cable-type secondary battery
Publication Date: 2018.12.05 LG CHEM LTD
  • EP2533340B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2

AI summary

Provided is a cable-type secondary battery including an inner electrode comprising at least two anodes arranged in parallel that extend longitudinally and have a horizontal cross section of a predetermined shape, an electrolyte layer serving as an ion channel surrounding the inner electrode, an outer electrode comprising a tubular cathode having a horizontal cross section of a predetermined shape and surrounding the electrolyte layer, and a protection coating surrounding the outer electrode. The cable-type secondary battery has free shape adaptation due to its linearity and flexibility. A plurality of inner electrodes within a tubular outer electrode leads to an increased contact area therebetween and consequently a high battery rate. It is easy to control the capacity balance between the inner and outer electrodes by adjusting the number of inner electrodes.