Pre-doping Metal Foil Arrangement for Lithium-Ion Capacitor Cost Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Lithium-ion capacitors have unnecessary lithium-electrode collectors that increase costs, and existing methods for pre-doping energy storage devices can lead to short circuits due to lack of active-material layers where the pre-doping metal foil contacts the collector foil.

Innovation Solution

The energy storage device design omits lithium-electrode collectors by arranging pre-doping metal foil directly in contact with the active-material layer of the electrodes, forming a non-arrangement part around the periphery to prevent short circuits and material deficiencies, thus reducing production costs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If lithium-electrode collectors are used to arrange pre-doping metal foil, then the pre-doping process can be performed, but unnecessary parts increase production cost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepre-doping process reliabilityVSAvoidnumber of parts

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts and removes the lithium-electrode collector from the pre-doping structure, arranging the pre-doping metal foil directly on the active-material layer. This eliminates the unnecessary collector component while maintaining the pre-doping function, directly resolving the contradiction between process reliability and device complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention merges the pre-doping metal foil directly with the active-material layer by arranging the foil in direct contact with the layer surface. This consolidation eliminates the intermediate collector component, reducing parts count while ensuring effective pre-doping through direct contact.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Device complexity

If pre-doping metal foil is arranged in direct contact with active-material layer, then collector cost is reduced, but short circuit risk increases due to potential lack of active-material layer

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveparts costVSAvoidshort circuit prevention

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The invention forms a peripheral protective structure around the active-material layer before the pre-doping process. This preliminary protective arrangement ensures that even if the active-material layer has deficiencies, the peripheral structure prevents direct contact between the pre-doping metal foil and the collector foil, thereby preventing short circuits before they can occur.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The peripheral protective structure acts as a cushioning barrier that anticipates and prevents potential short circuit issues. By providing this protective arrangement in advance, the invention compensates for potential active-material layer deficiencies without requiring the expensive collector component.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

3Device complexity

If pre-doping metal foil is arranged in direct contact with active-material layer, then production cost is reduced, but active-material layer integrity may be compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveproduction costVSAvoidactive-material layer integrity

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The peripheral protective structure is formed in advance to safeguard the active-material layer integrity. This preliminary protective measure allows the pre-doping metal foil to be arranged in direct contact with the active-material layer without compromising its integrity, as the protective structure prevents potential damage or deficiency issues.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

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 design prevents short circuits and material deficiencies, reducing production costs by eliminating the need for unnecessary collectors and ensuring effective pre-doping without compromising the integrity of the active-material layers.

Implementation Method 1

lithium foil dissolves into lithium ions and these lithium ions are pre-doped into the negative electrodes through the electrolyte solution

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectDissolution: Solvation

Implementation Method 2

lithium ions are pre-doped into the negative electrodes through the electrolyte solution

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectIon transport: Diffusion

Data Source

PatentUS10090115B2Energy storage device and method for producing energy storage device including a pre-doping targeted electrode

Publication Date: 2018.10.02 JTEKT CORP

AI summary

An energy storage device before pre-doping includes positive electrodes, negative electrodes, separators, a cover, an electrolyte solution, a positive terminal, a negative terminal, and pre-doping metal foil. Each of the positive electrodes and the negative electrodes respectively include: positive collector foil and negative collector foil each having holes; and a positive active-material layer and a negative active-material layer arranged on at least one side of the collector foil. Either one or both of the positive electrodes and the negative electrodes include a pre-doping-targeted electrode, in which the pre-doping metal foil is arranged in direct contact with the surface of the active-material layer, and a non-arrangement part, in which the pre-doping metal foil is not arranged, is formed in at least part of the outer periphery of the active-material layer.