Variable-Thickness Electrode Tab for Heat and Vibration Durability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Secondary battery electrode tabs are prone to disconnection due to vibration and heat, leading to performance degradation and safety concerns, especially in applications with high vibration exposure or high-rate discharge.
Innovation Solution
The electrode tab is designed with a variable thickness by stacking multiple metal plates of different lengths, where one end is thicker for enhanced durability and the other end is thinner for easier disconnection, improving resistance to heat and vibration while maintaining battery performance and safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the electrode tab is made with uniform thickness, then the manufacturing process is simple, but the durability against heat and vibration is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The electrode tab employs varying thickness across different regions: a thicker first region for enhanced durability under heat and vibration stress, and a thinner second region for reduced material usage and improved flexibility. This local quality differentiation allows the single component to simultaneously achieve high reliability in critical areas while maintaining manufacturing simplicity overall.
2Reliability
If the electrode tab thickness is increased to improve durability, then resistance to heat and vibration improves, but the battery performance and safety may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
By implementing a thicker first region specifically at the connection point where heat and vibration stress is highest, and a thinner second region extending toward the battery interior, the design provides enhanced durability precisely where needed without unnecessarily increasing overall tab thickness that could compromise battery performance and safety.
3Reliability
If the electrode tab is made thicker to prevent disconnection, then durability improves, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The varying thickness design concentrates the increased material usage only in the first region where disconnection resistance is most critical, rather than uniformly thickening the entire tab. This approach improves durability against disconnection while minimizing the overall material consumption and manufacturing complexity compared to a uniformly thick design.
Data Source
AI summary
An electrode assembly includes a positive electrode plate coated with a positive electrode active material on a collector, a negative electrode plate coated with a negative electrode active material on the collector, a separator interposed between the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plat, and an electrode tab connected to the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate and formed by stacking a plurality of metal plates. An electrode tab and a secondary battery are also provided.