IP Library › Granted Patent US 12700634

Granted Patent B2

US 12700634 · App. 17/975,115 · Granted Aug 4, 2026

Electrochemical cell modules and methods of producing the same

Inventors: Naoki Ota (Lexington, MA); Junzheng Chen (Concord, MA); Raymond Zagars (Quincy, MA); Jeffry Disko (Lexington, MA); Ryan Michael Lawrence (Cambridge, MA)

H01M50/211 H01M10/482 H01M10/486 H01M10/647 H01M10/6551 H01M50/105 H01M50/394 H01M50/46 H01M50/466

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12700634
App. No.: 17/975,115
Granted: Aug 4, 2026
Kind: B2

External Links

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Abstract

Embodiments described herein include electrochemical cell modules. In some aspects, an electrochemical cell module includes a first electrochemical cell and a second electrochemical cell. The first electrochemical cell includes an anode material disposed on an anode current collector, a cathode material disposed on a cathode current collector, a separator disposed between the anode material and the cathode material, and a pouch material disposed on the anode current collector and the cathode current collector. The separator extends beyond the anode material and the cathode material and the pouch material extends beyond the separator. The portion of the separator that extends beyond the outer edge of the anode material and the cathode material and the portion of the pouch material that extends beyond the outer edge of the separator are folded at an angle of about 80 degrees to about 110 degrees with respect to the anode material and the cathode material.

Claims (56)

1 . An electrochemical cell module, comprising:

a first electrochemical cell, the first electrochemical cell comprising:

an anode material layer disposed on an anode current collector;

a cathode material layer disposed on a cathode current collector; and

a separator disposed between the anode material layer and the cathode material layer, the separator having sufficient size such that a portion of the separator extends beyond an outer edge of the anode material layer and an outer edge of the cathode material layer;

a pouch material encasing the first electrochemical cell, the pouch material having a greater width than a width of the separator and a greater length than a length of the separator such that a portion of the pouch material extends beyond outer bounds of the separator;

a second electrochemical cell;

a module case enclosing the first electrochemical cell and the second electrochemical cell; and

a heat sink disposed between the first electrochemical cell and the second electrochemical cell, the heat sink thermally coupled to the first electrochemical cell, the second electrochemical cell, and the module case and configured to transfer heat therebetween, the heat sink including a heating element configured to generate heat and transfer the generated heat to at least one of the first and second electrochemical cells or module case to modify a temperature in the electrochemical cell module,

wherein the portion of the pouch material that extends beyond the outer edge of the separator is folded at an angle of about 80 degrees to about 110 degrees with respect to a plane along which the anode material layer and the cathode material layer extend.

2 . The electrochemical cell module of claim 1 , wherein the heat sink extends beyond the outer edge of the anode material layer and the outer edge of the cathode material layer, and wherein the heat sink is folded such that a portion of the heat sink contacts an interior surface of the module case.

3 . The electrochemical cell module of claim 1 , further comprising:

a temperature sensor disposed between the first electrochemical cell and the second electrochemical cell.

4 . The electrochemical cell module of claim 1 , further comprising:

a frame member disposed around an outside edge of the first electrochemical cell.

5 . The electrochemical cell module of claim 4 , wherein the frame member includes a pass-through area for a portion of at least one of the anode current collector or the cathode current collector to pass through.

6 . The electrochemical cell module of claim 4 , further comprising:

a pressure member coupled to the frame member.

7 . The electrochemical cell module of claim 4 , wherein the portion of the separator that extends beyond the outer edge of the anode material layer and the outer edge of the cathode material layer and the portion of the pouch material that extends beyond the outer edge of the separator are coupled to the framing member.

8 . The electrochemical cell module of claim 1 , wherein the portion of the separator that extends beyond the outer edge of the anode material layer and the outer edge of the cathode material layer is folded at an angle of about 80 degrees to about 110 degrees with respect to the plane along which the anode material layer and the cathode material layer extend.

9 . An electrochemical cell module, comprising:

a first electrochemical cell, the first electrochemical cell comprising:

an anode material layer disposed on an anode current collector;

a cathode material layer disposed on a cathode current collector; and

a second electrochemical cell;

a module case enclosing the first electrochemical cell and the second electrochemical cell, the module case including an inner wall; and

a heat sink disposed between the first electrochemical cell and the second electrochemical cell, the heat sink thermally coupled to the first electrochemical cell, the second electrochemical cell, and the module case and configured to transfer heat therebetween, the heat sink including a heating element configured to generate heat and transfer the generated heat to at least one of the first and second electrochemical cells or the module case to modify a temperature in the electrochemical cell module,

wherein at least one of the top surface or the bottom surface of the portion of the pouch material contacts the inner wall of the module case.

10 . The electrochemical cell module of claim 9 , wherein the portion of the separator that extends beyond the outer edge of the anode material layer and the outer edge of the cathode material layer is folded at an angle of about 80 degrees to about 110 degrees with respect to a plane along which the anode material layer and the cathode material layer extend.

11 . The electrochemical cell module of claim 9 , wherein the portion of the pouch material that extends beyond the outer edge of the separator is folded at an angle of about 80 degrees to about 110 degrees with respect to a plane along which the anode material layer and the cathode material layer extend.

12 . The electrochemical cell module of claim 9 , wherein the heat sink extends beyond the outer edge of a plane along which the anode material layer and the outer edge of the cathode material layer extend, and wherein the heat sink is folded such that a portion of the heat sink contacts the interior surface of the module case.

13 . The electrochemical cell module of claim 9 , further comprising:

a temperature sensor disposed between the first electrochemical cell and the second electrochemical cell.

14 . The electrochemical cell module of claim 9 , further comprising:

a frame member disposed around an outside edge of the first electrochemical cell.

15 . The electrochemical cell module of claim 14 , wherein the frame member includes a pass-through area for a portion of at least one of the anode current collector or the cathode current collector to pass through.

16 . The electrochemical cell module of claim 14 , further comprising:

a pressure member coupled to the frame member.

17 . The electrochemical cell module of claim 9 , wherein the module case includes a degassing aperture.

18 . The electrochemical cell module of claim 9 , wherein the portion of the pouch material is folded, such that a first section of the portion of the pouch material that extends beyond the outer bounds of the separator contacts a second section of the portion of the pouch material that extends beyond the outer bounds of the separator.

19 . The electrochemical cell module of claim 18 , wherein the first section is bonded to the second section via an adhesive.

20 . The electrochemical cell module of claim 9 , wherein the module case includes a side panel, the side panel including a curved surface.

21 . An electrochemical cell module, comprising:

a plurality of electrochemical cells arranged in a stack, each of the plurality of electrochemical cells each including:

an anode material layer disposed on an anode current collector;

a cathode material layer disposed on a cathode current collector; and

a heat sink disposed between a first electrochemical cell of the plurality of electrochemical cells and a second electrochemical cell of the plurality of electrochemical cells, the heat sink thermally coupled to the first electrochemical cell and the second electrochemical cell and configured to transfer heat therebetween, the heat sink including a heating element configured to generate heat and transfer the generated heat to at least one of the first electrochemical cell or the second electrochemical cell to modify a temperature in the electrochemical cell module; and

a pouch material having a greater width than a width of the separator and a greater length than a length of the separator such that a portion of the pouch material extends beyond outer bounds of the separator,

wherein the portion of each pouch material that extends beyond the outer bounds of the separator has a first side and a second side opposite the first side, the first side folded relative to a plane along which the anode material layer and the cathode material layer extend, the second side folded relative to the plane along which the anode material layer and the cathode material layer extend and at an angle of between about 160 degrees and about 200 degrees relative to the first side.

22 . The electrochemical cell module of claim 21 , wherein the portion of the pouch material that extends beyond the outer edge of the separator is folded at an angle of about 80 degrees to about 110 degrees with respect to the plane along which the anode material layer and the cathode material layer extend.

23 . The electrochemical cell module of claim 21 , further comprising:

a frame disposed between the first electrochemical cell and an inner surface of a module case, the frame disposed around an outer edge of the first electrochemical cell,

wherein the portion of the pouch material that extends beyond the outer edge of the separator and a portion of the heat sink that extends beyond an outer periphery of the frame are folded at an angle of about 80 degrees to about 110 degrees with respect to a lateral dimension of the anode material layer or the cathode material layer such that the folded portion of the heat sink is interposed between the outer periphery of the frame and an inner surface of the module case and thermally coupled to the internal surface of the module case.