Battery Current Collector Edge Folding for Low-Resistance Contacts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing energy storage elements face challenges in achieving a stable, large-area contact between current collectors and contact plates, leading to increased internal resistance and risk of short circuits due to uncontrollable compression of current collector edges during assembly.
Innovation Solution
The energy storage element features current collectors with edge strips that undergo a folding and rolling process, ensuring these strips match the thickness of the main electrode area, allowing for better contact with contact plates and reducing internal resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If contact plates are applied to current collectors without edge forming, then the manufacturing process is simpler, but uncontrolled compression occurs leading to undefined folds and potential short circuits
Solution Approach 1:
The edge strip of the current collector is pre-formed (folded or rolled) before the contact plate is applied. This preliminary action creates a controlled thickened structure that prevents uncontrolled compression during contact plate application, eliminating undefined folds and potential short circuits while maintaining manufacturing simplicity.
2Manufacturing precision
If edge strips are left flat for contact plate application, then the contact area is larger, but uncontrolled compression reduces contact quality and increases internal resistance
Solution Approach 1:
The edge strip undergoes a forming process (folding or rolling) before contact plate application. This pre-creates a controlled thickened structure that ensures precise, uniform contact without uncontrolled compression, improving contact quality and reducing internal resistance while remaining easy to manufacture.
Solution Approach 2:
The thickness of the edge strip is changed through folding or rolling, creating a localized thickened structure. This parameter change allows the edge strip to better accommodate the contact plate application process, preventing compression issues and ensuring reliable electrical contact.
3Strength
If current collectors are compressed during contact plate application, then the contact force increases, but uncontrolled compression creates undefined folds and micro-circuits
Solution Approach 1:
The edge strip is pre-formed with a controlled thickened structure through folding or rolling before contact plate application. This preliminary action allows subsequent compression to be controlled and uniform, maintaining contact strength while preventing uncontrolled deformation, micro-circuits, and electrical failures.
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 design enhances the connection between current collectors and contact plates, minimizing thermal resistance and the risk of short circuits while facilitating efficient heat dissipation.
Implementation Method 1
at least one edge strip in direct contact with one of the contact plates has, as a result of folding and/or a rolling process, a thickness that is at least equal to the thickness of the corresponding cathode or anode
Implementation Method 2
as a result of folding and/or a rolling process, a thickness that is at least equal to the thickness of the corresponding cathode or anode
Implementation Method 3
heat can also be dissipated more effectively from the coil
Data Source
Figure 1~3
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Figure 7~8
AI summary
Energy storage elements (100) are known, comprising a cathode (101) and an anode (102) which are parts of a composite body (109) in which they are separated by a separator or solid electrolyte layer (110) in the sequence cathode (101) / separator or solid electrolyte layer (110) / anode (102), wherein cathode (101) and anode (102) comprise current collectors (101a and 102a) which, in addition to areas (101b and 102b) coated on both sides with electrode material (117 and 118), each have an edge strip (101c and 102c) which is not coated with electrode material. The free edge strip (101c) of the cathode current collector (101a) emerges from one side of the composite body (109) and the free edge strip (102c) of the anode current collector (102a) emerges from another side of the composite body (109), with one of the edge strips (101c, 102c) being in direct contact with a first contact plate (119) and the other with a second contact plate (120).It is proposed to fold and/or roll up at least one of the edge strips (101c, 102c) that are in direct contact with one of the contact plates (119, 120) so that it has a thickness which is at least equal to the thickness of the associated cathode (101) or anode (102) in the adjacent main area (101b, 102b) coated on both sides with electrode material (117, 118).