Battery with embedded fiber optic cable
A method of fabricating an electrochemical energy storage cell such as a battery or supercapacitor involves positioning a portion of a fiber optic cable that includes at least one optical fiber sensor over a current collector layer. The electrode material of the energy storage cell is deposited over the current collector layer and the fiber optic cable.
1. A method of fabricating an electrochemical energy storage cell, comprising:
positioning a portion of a fiber optic cable including at least one fiber optic sensor over a current collector layer of the electrochemical energy storage cell, wherein the at least one fiber optic sensor is arranged to sense volume expansion and contraction of an electrode layer; depositing electrode material over the fiber optic cable;
placing cell layers of the cell within a cell casing having first and second sealing surfaces;
disposing a first case sealing layer on the first sealing surface;
disposing a sealing material at least partially around the fiber optic cable and extending in a direction normal to the length of the fiber optic cable;
positioning the sealing material on the first case sealing layer to position the fiber optic cable to extend outside the cell casing;
disposing a second case sealing layer on the sealing material; positioning the second sealing surface on the second case sealing layer; and sealing the cell casing,
wherein the first and second sealing surfaces have a width and the sealing material is disposed only along a length of the fiber optic cable corresponding to the width.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein positioning the portion of the fiber optic cable over the current collector comprises positioning directly on the current collector layer.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising folding or rolling the cell layers before placing the cell layers within the cell casing.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising bonding the fiber optic cable to the current collector layer.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein bonding the fiber optic cable comprises bonding using a binder of the electrode material.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the current collector layer comprises an anode current collector layer; and
depositing the electrode material comprises depositing anode electrode material.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the current collector layer comprises a cathode current collector layer; and
depositing the electrode material comprises depositing cathode electrode material.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein depositing the electrode material comprises:
depositing a slurry; and
allowing the slurry to dry.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein depositing the electrode material comprises printing the electrode material over the fiber optic cable.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein printing the electrode material comprises at least one of j et printing and screen printing.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein sealing the cell casing comprises:
disposing heat activated sealing layers at least over sealing edges of the cell casing; and
sealing the cell casing by thermal fusion of the sealing layers.
12. An electrochemical energy storage cell, comprising:
a cell stack, comprising:
a first current collector layer;
a first electrode material disposed in a layer over the first current collector layer;
a fiber optic cable including at least one optical sensor embedded in the first electrode layer, such that the at least one optical sensor is arranged to sense volume expansion and contraction of the first electrode layer;
a second current collector layer;
a second electrode material disposed in a layer over the second current collector layer;
a separator layer disposed between the first and second electrode layers; and
at least one fiber optic sealing layer disposed at least partially around the fiber optic cable and extending in a direction normal to the length of the fiber optic cable; and
a case comprising:
a cavity into which the cell stack is disposed;
first and second sealing surfaces that define the cavity, wherein the first and second sealing surfaces have a width and the at least one fiber optic sealing layer is disposed only along a length of the fiber optic cable corresponding to the width; and
first and second case sealing layers disposed between the fiber optic sealing layer and the first and second sealing surfaces.
13. The cell of claim 12 , wherein the first electrode material comprises an anode material.
14. The cell of claim 12 , wherein the cell stack is folded or rolled.
15. The cell of claim 12 , wherein the fiber optic sealing layer comprises an elastomeric material disposed at least partially around the fiber optic cable.
16. The cell of claim 12 , wherein the fiber optic sealing layer comprises an epoxy disposed at least partially around the fiber optic cable.
17. The cell of claim 12 wherein the at least one optical sensor includes a second optical sensor configured to sense stress, strain, acoustic emission, ion concentration, chemistry, or concentration of a gas.
18. The cell of claim 12 , wherein the cell is a battery cell.
19. The cell of claim 18 , wherein the battery cell is a cylindrical, button, prismatic, or pouch type battery cell.
20. The cell of claim 12 , wherein the cell is a super-capacitor.
21. The cell of claim 12 , wherein the fiber optic cable is positioned directly on the first current collector layer.
22. The cell of claim 12 , wherein the electrode material is a printed material that is printed over the fiber optic cable.
23. A system that includes multiple cells as in claim 12 coupled to an energy storage management system, the fiber optic cable of each cell of the multiple cells carrying information about the state of charge of the cell to the energy storage management system.
24. The cell of claim 12 , wherein the at least one fiber optic sealing layer comprises a first fiber optic sealing layer and a second fiber optic sealing layer.
25. The cell of claim 24 , wherein the first fiber optic sealing layer is disposed partially around a portion of the fiber optic cable and a first portion extends in a first direction normal to the length of the fiber optic cable and a second portion extends in a second, opposing direction normal to the length of the fiber optic cable and the second fiber optic sealing layer is disposed partially around the portion of the fiber optic cable and a first portion extends in the first direction normal to the length of the fiber optic cable and a second portion extends in the second, opposing direction normal to the length of the fiber optic cable.
26. The cell of claim 25 , wherein the first portion of the first fiber optic sealing layer is disposed on the first portion of the second fiber optic sealing layer and the second portion of the first fiber optic sealing layer is disposed on the second portion of the second fiber optic sealing layer.
27. The cell of claim 12 , wherein the at least one fiber optic sealing layer is disposed at least partially around the fiber optic cable and at least partially around at least one electrode.