Contoured Battery Using Conducting Foam Matrix for High Current
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional coin cells struggle to provide both long-term energy output and short, high-current power bursts, and their packaging limits the active charge-carrying material, while traditional lithium-ion cells face space constraints in small devices.
Innovation Solution
The development of contoured batteries with a three-dimensional conducting foam matrix as a current collector, allowing for non-planar shapes that conform to device housings, enabling both longevity and power bursts by optimizing electron and ion paths through the mesh structure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If coin cells are constructed with thick layers of active materials in a sandwich configuration, then energy density is improved, but the ability to provide high-current power bursts deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The battery is divided into multiple thin active material layers separated by conductive mesh layers, creating a segmented structure that allows simultaneous high energy density and high current output by providing multiple parallel ion transport pathways
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the battery are engineered with varying properties - the conductive mesh provides high electrical conductivity for power bursts, while the active material layers provide energy storage, creating local optimization of both energy density and power delivery capabilities
2Volume of moving object
If traditional lithium-ion cells are made smaller to fit space constraints, then the proportion of packaging increases, but the amount of active charge-carrying material decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The battery transitions from a traditional planar structure to a three-dimensional contoured shape that conforms to the available space within the electronic device housing, effectively utilizing vertical and lateral dimensions to maximize active material volume within constrained boundaries
Solution Approach 2:
The battery geometry parameters are optimized by creating contoured shapes with varying thickness profiles, allowing the active material distribution to be adjusted locally to maximize charge-carrying capacity within the available volume while maintaining structural integrity
3Power
If coin cells are used to provide power bursts, then current pulse capability is improved, but space efficiency deteriorates due to packaging requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The battery employs curved and contoured surfaces instead of traditional cylindrical or rectangular shapes, allowing it to conform to irregular cavities within electronic device housings and achieve superior space utilization while maintaining the power delivery capabilities of coin cell architecture
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 approach allows for batteries that can be shaped to fit within tight spaces, providing both long-lasting energy and the ability to deliver power bursts as needed, enhancing their performance in various electronic devices.
Implementation Method 1
a three-dimensional conducting foam matrix as a current collector, allowing for non-planar shapes that conform to device housings, enabling both longevity and power bursts by optimizing electron and ion paths through the mesh structure
Implementation Method 2
optimizing electron and ion paths through the mesh structure
Data Source
AI summary
In an embodiment, an apparatus includes a battery shaped to be situated within a housing. The battery has a shape that substantially conforms to a shape of a cavity that is defined at least in part by a non-cylindrical curved portion of the housing. The battery includes a contoured conductive mesh formed by shaping a substantially planar conductive mesh to include at least one curved conductive mesh portion. Other embodiments are described and claimed.