Flexible Battery Energy-Absorbing Layer for Bending Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current flexible lithium-ion batteries face challenges with low energy density, limited flexibility, and poor comfort experience due to the addition of flexible auxiliary materials or structural adjustments, which compromise volumetric energy density and increase structural complexity.
Innovation Solution
The flexible lithium battery incorporates an energy absorbing layer with supporting parts made of elastic materials, which are designed to absorb and disperse stress during bending, maintaining arc transition and protecting the electrochemical cell. This layer includes interlaced bulges on opposite surfaces and filling parts to enhance energy absorption and prevent excessive bending.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If flexible auxiliary materials are added to enable the battery to be flexible, then flexibility is improved, but volumetric energy density deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies flexible auxiliary materials including a flexible packaging layer and a flexible supporting layer to enable the battery to be flexible. The flexible packaging layer wraps the electrode assembly, and the flexible supporting layer provides structural support, allowing the battery to bend without compromising volumetric energy density significantly.
2Adaptability or versatility
If flexible auxiliary materials are added to enable the battery to be flexible, then flexibility is improved, but structural complexity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the flexible packaging layer and flexible supporting layer into an integrated structure that works together to provide flexibility. The flexible supporting layer is positioned between the flexible packaging layer and the electrode assembly, creating a unified flexible structure that reduces overall structural complexity while maintaining adaptability.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the battery is made thinner to improve bending performance, then flexibility is improved, but volumetric energy density deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses thin flexible packaging layers and flexible supporting layers that provide the necessary flexibility and bending performance while occupying minimal volume. The flexible packaging layer forms a thin protective shell, and the flexible supporting layer provides structural integrity without significantly increasing thickness, thereby maintaining high volumetric energy density.
4Adaptability or versatility
If multiple small-sized batteries are spliced to implement flexibility, then flexibility is improved, but reliability of electrical connection deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple electrode assemblies into a single integrated flexible battery structure with continuous electrolyte and unified current collectors. This integration eliminates the need for electrical connections between separate battery units, ensuring reliable electrical connection while maintaining flexibility through the flexible supporting layer and packaging.
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
The solution achieves a balance between high volumetric energy density and flexibility, ensuring reliable electric contact and improved comfort, while preventing premature performance degradation due to excessive bending.
Implementation Method 1
the flexible battery further includes an energy absorbing layer; the electrochemical cell layer has a first surface and a second surface that are opposite to each other; the energy absorbing layer is located between the first surface of the electrochemical cell layer and the wrapping layer and between the second surface of the electrochemical cell layer and the wrapping layer; the energy absorbing layer includes a plurality of supporting parts; each supporting part in the plurality of supporting parts protrudes outward from an upper or lower surface of the electrochemical cell layer; the plurality of supporting parts are mainly made of an clastic material
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a flexible battery, including an electrochemical cell layer and a wrapping layer that wraps the electrochemical cell layer. The flexible battery further includes an energy absorbing layer. The energy absorbing layer is located between the wrapping layer and upper and lower surfaces, which are opposite to each other, of the electrochemical cell layer. The energy absorbing layer includes a plurality of supporting parts that protrude outward from the upper or lower surface of the electrochemical cell layer. The plurality of supporting parts are mainly made of a foam material or rubber. For the energy absorbing layer, a lower-modulus buffering layer or an empty part may be further disposed between the electrochemical cell layer and the wrapping layer, to complement a wavy surface of the supporting part to form a flat surface.