Ceramic-Coated Electrode Assembly for Short-Circuit-Resistant Batteries
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Solution Overview
Problem
Lithium batteries face challenges in achieving high capacity and structural safety due to short circuits caused by volume changes, external impacts, and other factors, which deteriorate their structural integrity.
Innovation Solution
An electrode assembly with insulating ceramic coating layers on both uncoated portions of the positive electrode substrate, preventing direct contact between the positive and negative electrodes and enhancing mechanical strength to reduce the risk of short circuits and structural damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If high capacity lithium batteries are designed with increased loading, then energy density and capacity are improved, but structural safety deteriorates due to short circuits caused by volume changes and external impacts
Solution Approach 1:
An insulating layer is introduced as an intermediary between the positive and negative electrodes. This layer prevents direct contact and potential short circuits while allowing the battery to maintain high capacity through increased loading. The insulating layer acts as a mediator that preserves structural safety despite the increased stress from higher capacity operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The battery structure employs composite materials including the insulating layer composed of ceramic particles embedded in a polymer matrix. This composite structure provides both mechanical strength to withstand volume changes and electrical insulation to prevent short circuits, thereby maintaining structural safety while enabling high capacity design.
2Ease of manufacture
If the positive electrode substrate is left uncoated in certain areas, then manufacturing complexity is reduced and ease of manufacture is improved, but the risk of short circuits increases due to direct contact between electrodes
Solution Approach 1:
The insulating layer is applied selectively to specific regions of the positive electrode substrate where uncoated areas exist. This localized application maintains ease of manufacture by not requiring complete coverage of the entire electrode, while still providing adequate protection against short circuits in the critical uncoated regions.
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 effectively prevents short circuits and mechanical defects, improving the structural safety and reliability of lithium batteries by distributing the ceramic coating layers strategically on the positive electrode substrate.
Implementation Method 1
a first ceramic coating layer is on the first uncoated portion and a second ceramic coating layer is disposed on the second uncoated portion, and the first ceramic coating layer directly faces the exterior material
Data Source
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AI summary
An electrode accommodated in an exterior material includes a positive electrode, the positive electrode including a positive electrode substrate and a positive active material layer disposed on both sides of the positive electrode substrate, a negative electrode, and a separator between the positive electrode and the negative electrode, wherein the positive electrode is at an outermost side of the electrode assembly, the positive electrode substrate includes a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, the first surface and the second surface include, respectively, a first or second coated portion on which the positive active material layer is located and a first or second uncoated portion free from the positive active material layer, a first ceramic coating layer is on the first uncoated portion and a second ceramic coating layer is on the second uncoated portion, and the first ceramic coating layer directly faces the exterior material.