Electrode Assembly with Segmented Stacks for Adjustable Thickness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrode assemblies lack structural freedom in thickness direction and stability, limiting their adaptability to varied device structures and battery designs.
Innovation Solution
The electrode assembly features alternating stacks of unit cells with odd and even numbers of electrodes, where the larger electrode is a negative electrode for stability, and includes separators to facilitate battery reactions at stepped interfaces, allowing for adjustable thickness and enhanced capacity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If electrode stacks with uniform electrode areas are stacked to increase battery capacity, then the battery capacity increases, but the structural freedom in thickness direction is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The electrode assembly is divided into multiple electrode stacks, where each stack can have different electrode areas. This segmentation allows independent design of each stack's dimensions, enabling both increased capacity through multiple stacks and structural freedom in the thickness direction through varied electrode areas in different stacks.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs asymmetric electrode stack designs where neighboring electrode stacks have different electrode areas. This asymmetry breaks the uniformity constraint, allowing the battery to achieve both high capacity (through multiple stacks) and adaptability in thickness direction (through non-uniform electrode areas), directly resolving the technical contradiction.
2Adaptability or versatility
If alternating stacks of unit cells with odd and even numbers of electrodes are configured, then the adaptability in thickness direction is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The electrode assembly is segmented into alternating stacks of unit cells with odd and even numbers of electrodes. This segmentation creates a modular structure where each stack type can be independently designed and assembled, enabling adjustable thickness while maintaining manageable complexity through standardized modular units.
Solution Approach 2:
The alternating odd-even unit cell stack configuration serves multiple functions: it enables adjustable thickness adaptability, maintains structural stability, and facilitates standardized manufacturing. This multi-functional design resolves the contradiction by making the complex configuration beneficial across multiple performance dimensions.
3Productivity
If electrodes of different polarities are disposed to face each other at the interface between electrode stacks, then the battery reactions are enhanced at interfaces, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The electrode assembly is divided into discrete electrode stacks with clearly defined interfaces. This segmentation creates natural alignment references at each interface, making it easier to achieve proper positioning of electrodes with different polarities. The modular stack structure reduces the overall manufacturing precision requirements compared to a monolithic design.
Solution Approach 2:
Separators are used as intermediary elements between electrodes of different polarities at the interfaces between electrode stacks. These separators provide physical spacing and alignment guidance, facilitating proper electrode positioning while enabling enhanced battery reactions at the interfaces. The separator acts as a mediator that reduces the direct precision requirements for electrode alignment.
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided an electrode assembly having increased degrees of structural freedom in the thickness direction thereof. The electrode assembly includes negative and positive electrodes alternately stacked with separators interposed therebetween, wherein the electrode assembly is formed by stacking N electrode stacks where N is a natural number equal to or greater than 2, each of the electrode stacks comprises electrodes having the same area and stacked with separators interposed therebetween, and neighboring electrode stacks of the electrode stacks have different electrode areas, wherein a first electrode stack of the electrode stacks is formed by stacking unit cells respectively including an odd number of electrodes, and the other electrode stacks stacked on the first electrode are formed by stacking unit cells respectively including an even number of electrodes.