Lithium Ion Battery Ceramic Separator with Electrode Smoothing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Lithium ion secondary batteries face challenges in achieving high energy and power density while maintaining low cost and safety, as existing configurations rely on polymer separators that increase cost, resistance, and reduce energy density.
Innovation Solution
A lithium ion secondary battery design incorporating a ceramic separator layer and an electrode smoothing layer formed from a composite material with insulating inorganic microparticles and an organic substance, which reduces surface asperity and ensures electron insulation without a polymer separator, thereby enhancing safety and performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the film thickness of the ceramic separator layer is reduced to achieve low cost and low resistance, then cost and resistance are reduced, but electron insulation cannot be ensured with electrodes having large surface asperity
Solution Approach 1:
By treating the electrode surfaces in advance to reduce asperity, the patent enables the use of thinner ceramic separator layers while maintaining electron insulation performance. This resolves the contradiction by allowing cost reduction through thinner separators without compromising insulation reliability.
2Reliability
If a polymer separator is used to ensure electron insulation, then electron insulation is ensured, but cost increases and energy density decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses surface treatment of electrodes to enable thin ceramic separator layers to provide adequate electron insulation, replacing expensive polymer separators. This resolves the contradiction by achieving the same insulation effect at lower cost, thereby improving energy density.
3Reliability
If the film thickness of the ceramic separator layer is increased to ensure electron insulation, then electron insulation is ensured, but cost and resistance increase
Solution Approach 1:
By pre-treating electrode surfaces to reduce asperity, the patent enables the use of thinner ceramic separator layers that maintain electron insulation while reducing resistance and cost. This resolves the contradiction between insulation reliability and resistance.
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 configuration eliminates the need for polymer separators, reducing costs and resistance, increasing energy density, and preventing short circuits, while maintaining high reliability and safety.
Implementation Method 1
the ceramic separator layer is formed from a composite material including insulating inorganic microparticles and an organic substance, has lithium ion permeability, and is provided to be opposed to at least one of the positive electrode and the negative electrode with the electrode smoothing layer interposed therebetween
Implementation Method 2
an electrode smoothing layer for smoothing a surface of at least one of the positive electrode and negative electrode
Implementation Method 3
the ceramic separator layer is formed from a composite material including insulating inorganic microparticles and an organic substance, has lithium ion permeability
Data Source
AI summary
A lithium ion secondary battery that includes an electrode smoothing layer formed from a composite material including an active material and an organic substance and provided on the surface of at least one of a positive electrode and a negative electrode, and a lithium-ion permeable ceramic separator layer formed from a composite material including insulating inorganic microparticles and an organic substance provided so as to be opposed to at least one of the positive electrode and negative electrode with the electrode smoothing layer interposed therebetween.