Electrode Assembly Through-Hole Fixing to Suppress Battery Swelling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Secondary batteries experience swelling during charging and discharging cycles due to gas generation and high-temperature environments, leading to performance degradation and internal short circuits.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a through-hole in the thickness direction of the electrode assembly and using a fixing member to secure the assembly, which includes aligned through-holes in the electrode plates and separator, and a coupling mechanism to prevent swelling and improve adhesion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a through-hole is added to the electrode assembly to release gas, then swelling is reduced, but the structural integrity and adhesion may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The electrode assembly is segmented by introducing through-holes that pass through the electrode plate, separator, and insulating layer. This segmentation allows gas to be released from different regions of the assembly, preventing pressure buildup that causes swelling while maintaining overall structural integrity through the distributed hole pattern.
Solution Approach 2:
An insulating layer is introduced as an intermediary component between the electrode plate and separator. This layer provides a pathway for gas release through the through-holes while maintaining electrical insulation and mechanical adhesion, thus resolving the contradiction between gas release needs and structural integrity.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the electrode assembly is constrained in the thickness direction to prevent swelling, then deformation is suppressed, but gas release may be hindered
Solution Approach 1:
The insulating layer is applied selectively at specific locations where through-holes are formed, providing local gas release pathways without constraining the overall thickness direction. This localized approach allows gas to escape from specific points while the rest of the assembly maintains its structural stability and resistance to deformation.
3Productivity
If multiple through-holes are aligned across electrode plates and separator, then gas release efficiency is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
Through-holes are formed in the electrode plate and insulating layer before the final assembly is completed. This preliminary action allows the holes to be positioned and aligned with predetermined patterns, ensuring that subsequent components can be aligned with these pre-established pathways, thereby reducing the overall manufacturing precision requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
A secondary battery includes: an electrode assembly including a through-hole in a thickness direction thereof, a case having an opening and accommodating the electrode assembly, a cap plate coupled to an end of the case having the opening of the case, and an electrode terminal electrically connected to an electrode tab of the electrode assembly and penetrating through the cap plate. The secondary battery further includes a fixing member in the through-hole to secure the electrode assembly in the thickness direction.