Resin-Layered Electrodes for Short-Circuit Isolation in Cells
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Solution Overview
Problem
Short circuits and thermal runaway pose significant safety concerns in electrochemical cell design, as dendrites can form between electrodes, causing ignition risks and damage.
Innovation Solution
The use of resin layers on electrodes, combined with segmented current collectors and a cascading melting temperature scheme, isolates short circuit events and prevents thermal runaway by creating a rise in impedance and physically separating electrode sections, thereby containing the damage to a discrete portion of the electrochemical cell.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If continuous current collector material is used to connect electrode sections, then electrical conductivity and charge capacity are improved, but thermal runaway risk increases due to uncontained short circuit events
Solution Approach 1:
The current collector material is divided into discrete sections rather than using continuous material. Each electrode section has its own separated current collector portions, which prevents thermal runaway from propagating across the entire electrode while maintaining electrical conductivity within each segmented unit.
Solution Approach 2:
The resin material is applied locally at specific positions between electrode sections to create impedance barriers only where needed for thermal containment, rather than uniformly across the entire electrode. This allows electrical conductivity to be maintained in functional areas while providing thermal isolation at critical interfaces.
2Reliability
If resin material is added between electrode sections to prevent thermal runaway, then safety is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The resin material is extracted and applied only as thin layers at specific strategic positions between electrode sections, rather than using bulk materials or complex containment structures. This minimizes the added complexity while achieving the safety function of thermal runaway containment.
Solution Approach 2:
The resin is applied as thin film layers between electrode sections, providing effective thermal isolation and impedance barriers without adding significant structural complexity or volume. The thin film approach maintains simplicity while achieving the safety function.
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 solution effectively prevents thermal runaway and isolates short circuit events, enhancing the safety and performance of electrochemical cells by increasing charge capacity and energy density while reducing the risk of ignition.
Implementation Method 1
a resin configured to create a rise in impedance
Implementation Method 2
a film coupled to a first side of the resin via an adhesive
Data Source
AI summary
In some aspects, an electrode described herein can include a resin configured to create a rise in impedance, a film coupled to a first side of the resin via an adhesive, a first portion of an electrode material disposed on a second side of the resin, and a second portion of the electrode material disposed on the second side of the resin, wherein the first portion of the current collector material does not physically contact the second portion of the current collector material. In some embodiments, the electrode can further include a first portion of a current collector material disposed between the resin and the first portion of the electrode material and a second portion of the current collector material disposed between the resin and the second portion of the electrode material.