Multi-Piece Electrochemical Enclosure for Accurate Stack Compression
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrochemical devices face challenges in manufacturing complexity and cost, safety, and inconsistent cell performance due to inaccurate compression methods in rigid enclosures, leading to complex and failure-prone systems with unpredictable aging behavior.
Innovation Solution
The development of an electrochemical device with a rigid or semi-rigid enclosure formed by joining multiple pieces using welding, hemming, or crimping techniques, incorporating metallic and insulating layers, and featuring compression elements and pretensioning mechanisms to ensure secure stacking and efficient energy storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If rigid enclosures are used to provide safety and structural integrity, then safety and mechanical strength are improved, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The enclosure is divided into multiple separate pieces (first piece, second piece, third piece) that are joined together through welding, hemming, crimping, or punchcrimping. This segmentation allows for simpler individual components that are easier to manufacture while maintaining the overall safety and structural integrity of the complete enclosure assembly.
2Ease of operation
If compression is applied to cells in modules or packs, then cell assembly is achieved, but compression accuracy deteriorates resulting in complex and failure prone systems
Solution Approach 1:
The enclosure pieces are pre-formed with specific geometries and joining features that enable accurate assembly without requiring complex compression operations. The pieces are designed to fit together in predetermined ways, establishing accurate cell positioning and assembly before final joining operations occur.
3Ease of manufacture
If multiple joining methods (welding, hemming, crimping, punchcrimping) are used to form the enclosure, then ease of manufacture is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention provides flexibility in selecting joining parameters and methods based on specific application requirements. Different joining techniques (welding, hemming, crimping, punchcrimping) can be selected and optimized for different enclosure configurations, allowing manufacturers to adjust process parameters to balance manufacturing ease with structural requirements for each specific case.
Data Source
AI summary
An electrochemical device includes at least one enclosure for a stack of sheets of electrochemical device forming material including at least one sheet of a first type of electrode, at least one sheet of a second type of electrode and at least one separator sheet between the sheets of the two types of electrodes, where the enclosure includes a number of pieces including a first piece and a second piece, which pieces are joined to each other using welding, hemming, crimping or punchcrimping for forming an interior volume that houses the stack.