Cylindrical Cell Lithium Anode Swaging Without Sheet Overlap
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Solution Overview
Problem
The prior art process for swaging lithium sheets onto the inner surface of a cylindrically-shaped casing tube in electrochemical cells results in the sheets being in contact at the overlap, leading to deformation and potential tearing due to lithium's sticky nature, which can cause unpredictable cell discharge.
Innovation Solution
The process involves using a cylindrical mandrel and forming tools to wrap and swage lithium sheets onto the casing tube without them ever touching, maintaining a gap of 0.5° to 1° between adjacent edges, ensuring they are pressed into direct contact with the tube surface without deformation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If lithium sheets are wrapped around an expandable tool and pressed onto the casing tube, then the sheets can be contacted to the inner surface of the casing, but the sheets may touch each other at the overlap causing deformation and tearing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the single lithium sheet into two separate lithium sheets. Each sheet is independently wrapped around the expandable tool without overlapping, eliminating the self-contact issue. The first lithium sheet is wrapped and pressed onto the casing tube, then the second lithium sheet is wrapped and pressed onto the casing tube in the same manner, ensuring neither sheet deforms or tears from self-contact.
Solution Approach 2:
The expandable tool serves as an intermediary device that enables the lithium sheets to be contacted to the casing tube without direct contact between the sheets themselves. By using the tool as a temporary support and forming surface, the sheets can be precisely positioned and pressed onto the casing tube while maintaining separation from each other.
2Reliability
If the lithium sheet is pressed onto the casing tube using the prior art process, then the sheet contacts the inner surface, but the sticky nature of lithium causes deformation at the overlap region
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the lithium sheet into two separate sheets that do not overlap, the patent eliminates the deformation-prone overlap region. Each sheet maintains its uniform shape throughout the wrapping and pressing process, ensuring consistent contact with the casing tube inner surface and stable cell discharge characteristics.
3Area of stationary object
If a single lithium sheet is used and wrapped around the casing tube, then the sheet can contact the inner surface, but the edges must overlap which causes tearing due to lithium's sticky nature
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses two separate lithium sheets instead of one large sheet requiring overlap. Each sheet can be sized to cover a portion of the casing tube inner surface without needing to overlap with itself. The sheets are positioned adjacently to provide comprehensive coverage while eliminating the tearing risk associated with overlapping edges.
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
This method prevents deformation and tearing of lithium sheets, ensuring a uniform and stable anode structure for the electrochemical cell, enhancing the reliability of cell discharge.
Implementation Method 1
wrap and swage lithium sheets onto the casing tube without them ever touching, maintaining a gap of 0.5° to 1° between adjacent edges, ensuring they are pressed into direct contact with the tube surface without deformation
Data Source
AI summary
An electrochemical cell has a cylindrically-shaped casing tube with at least first and second lithium sheets swaged onto its inner surface. The first lithium sheet has respective spaced apart first right and left edges, and the second lithium sheet has spaced apart second right and left edges. The first and second right edges and the first and second left edges of the swaged first and second lithium sheets are adjacent to but spaced apart from each other by about 0.5° to about 1° about the inner circumference of the cylindrically-shaped casing tube. A novel process for swaging the first and second lithium sheets onto the inner surface of the casing tube is also described.