IP Library Patent Application 14596624
Patent Application
App. No. 14/596,624

SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR LITHIUM TITANATE OXIDE (LTO) ANODE ELECTRODES FOR LITHIUM ION BATTERY CELLS

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Patent No.
US None
App. No.
14/596,624
Abstract

The present disclosure relates generally to the field of lithium ion batteries and battery modules. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a battery module including a lithium ion battery cell having a cathode with a cathode active layer and an anode with an anode active layer. The anode active layer includes at least one polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) binder, a conductive carbon, and a secondary lithium titanate oxide (LTO), wherein the secondary LTO includes secondary LTO particles having an average particle size (D 50 ) greater than 2 micrometers (μm).

Claims (55)

1 . A battery module, comprising:

a lithium ion battery cell, comprising:

a cathode having a cathode active layer, and

an anode having an anode active layer, comprising:

at least one polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) binder;

a conductive carbon; and

a secondary lithium titanate oxide (LTO), wherein the secondary LTO comprises secondary LTO particles having an average particle size (D 50 ) greater than 2 micrometers (μm).

2 . The battery module of claim 1 , wherein the secondary LTO particles are agglomerates of primary LTO particles, and wherein the primary LTO particles have an average particles size (D 50 ) less than approximately 250 nanometers (nm) before agglomeration.

3 . The battery module of claim 1 , wherein the average particle size (D 50 ) of the secondary LTO particles is between approximately 3 μm and approximately 20 μm.

4 . The battery module of claim 1 , wherein the anode has a loading between approximately 5 milligrams (mg) and approximately 10 mg of the anode active layer per square centimeter (cm 2 ) of the anode.

5 . The battery module of claim 1 , wherein the cathode active layer includes a nickel magnesium cobalt (NMC)-based material comprising nickel, magnesium, and cobalt and having a layered structure, and wherein the secondary LTO comprises lithium, titanium, and oxygen and has a spinel structure.

6 . The battery module of claim 1 , wherein lithium ion battery cell comprises a plurality of layers of the anode, wherein the plurality of layers of the anode each have a thickness less than approximately 100 μm.

7 . The battery module of claim 1 , wherein a density of the anode active layer is approximately 1.8 grams per cubic centimeter (g/cc).

8 . The battery module of claim 1 , wherein the lithium ion battery cell has an internal resistance (DC-IR) less than approximately 0.021 Ohms.

9 . The battery module of claim 1 , wherein a capacity retention of the lithium ion battery cell decreases by less than approximately 5% after 400 cycles at 10 C.

10 . The battery module of claim 9 , wherein the capacity retention of the lithium ion battery cell is greater than approximately 90% after 400 cycles at 10 C.

11 . The battery module of claim 1 , wherein the lithium ion battery cell has a first capacity retention and a first recovery at the time of manufacturing and has a second capacity retention and a second recovery after 1 month at 60° C., wherein the second capacity retention is greater than approximately 60% of the first capacity retention, and wherein the second recovery is greater than approximately 80% of the first recovery.

12 . The battery module of claim 1 , wherein the lithium ion battery cell has a first capacity retention at room temperature and a second capacity retention at −20° C., wherein the second capacity retention is greater than or equal to approximately 60% of the first capacity retention.

13 . The battery module of claim 1 , wherein the lithium ion battery cell has a first area-specific impedance (ASI) at the time of manufacturing and a second ASI after 1 month at 60° C., wherein the second ASI is less than approximately 50% larger than the first ASI.

14 . The battery module of claim 13 , wherein the first ASI is less than approximately 16 Ohm centimeters squared (Ohm·cm 2 ), and wherein the second ASI is less than approximately 24 Ohm·cm 2 .

15 . The battery module of claim 1 , wherein the lithium ion battery cell has first ASI at the time of manufacturing and a second ASI after 1 week at 60° C., wherein an average lithiation component of the second ASI is less than approximately 50% larger than an average lithiation component of the first ASI, and wherein an average delithiation component of the second ASI is less than approximately 50% larger than an average dilithiation component of the first ASI.

16 . The battery module of claim 1 , wherein the lithium ion battery cell has a negative-to-positive capacity ratio (N/P) between approximately 1.0 and approximately 1.05.

17 . The battery module of claim 1 , wherein the battery module comprises a second battery cell, and wherein the second battery cell comprises a lead-acid battery.

18 . The battery module of claim 1 , wherein the battery module comprises a battery control module that monitors and controls operation of the battery module, wherein the battery control module is configured to communicate with a vehicle control unit of a micro-hybrid xEV.

19 . A method of manufacturing a lithium ion battery cell, comprising:

forming a slurry comprising a solvent, a conductive carbon, at least one binder, and a secondary LTO active material, wherein the secondary LTO active material comprises secondary LTO particles having an average particle size (D 50 ) greater than 2 micrometers (μm);

depositing the slurry onto the surface of a metal to form the active layer of an anode; and

assembling the lithium ion battery cell using the anode.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein forming the slurry comprises:

forming a mixture that includes the solvent, the conductive carbon, and a first binder;

adding a binder solution to the mixture, wherein the binder solution comprises the first binder and a second binder; and

adding the secondary LTO active material to the mixture to form the slurry.

21 . The method of claim 20 , wherein a ratio between the first binder and the second binder in the binder solution is approximately 4 to 1.

22 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the solvent comprises N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), the conductive carbon comprises carbon black, and the binder comprises a first polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) binder and a second PVDF binder.

23 . The method of claim 22 , wherein the active layer comprises between approximately 90 wt % and approximately 94 wt % of the secondary LTO active material, between approximately 3 wt % and approximately 5 wt % of the first and the second PVDF binders, and between approximately 3 wt % and 5 wt % of the carbon black, and wherein a ratio of the first PVDF binder to the second PVDF binder is between approximately 5 to 1 and approximately 3 to 1.

24 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the anode active layer comprises 92 wt % of the secondary LTO active material, 4 wt % of the first and the second PVDF binders, and 4 wt % of the carbon black, wherein the ratio of the first PVDF binder to the second PVDF binder is approximately 4 to 1.

25 . The method of claim 19 , comprising degassing the slurry under reduced pressure before depositing the slurry onto the surface of the metal.

26 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the slurry has a total solid ratio greater than approximately 38% and a viscosity that is less than approximately 1080 centipoise (cps).

27 . A lithium ion battery cell, comprising:

an electrode stack, comprising:

a cathode having a cathode active layer;

an anode having a loading of at least 5 milligrams (mg) of anode active layer per square centimeter (cm 2 ) of anode, wherein the anode active layer comprises:

at least one polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) binder;

a conductive carbon; and

a secondary lithium titanate oxide (LTO), wherein the secondary LTO comprises secondary LTO particles having an average particle size (D 50 ) greater than 2 micrometers (μm).

28 . The system of claim 27 , wherein the secondary LTO particles are agglomerates of primary LTO particles, wherein the primary LTO particles have an average particles size (D 50 ) less than approximately 250 nm before agglomeration, and wherein the average particle size (D 50 ) of the secondary LTO particles is between approximately 3 μm and approximately 20 μm.

29 . The system of claim 27 , wherein the lithium ion battery cell has an internal resistance (DC-IR) less than approximately 0.021 Ohms.

30 . The system of claim 27 , wherein the lithium ion battery cell is a pouch battery cell, and wherein the electrode stack comprises the anode, the cathode, and at least one separator rolled together around a common axis.

31 . The system of claim 27 , wherein the lithium ion battery cell has a capacity greater than approximately 8 ampere hours (Ah).

32 . The system of claim 31 , wherein the lithium ion battery cell has a thickness less than or equal to approximately 7.1 mm and a volume less than or equal to approximately 0.22 liters (L).

33 . The system of claim 32 , wherein the electrode stack comprises less than 50 layers of the anode and less than 50 layers of the cathode, and wherein the lithium ion battery cell has a power density greater than approximately 7000 Watts per liter (W/L).

34 . The system of claim 31 , wherein the lithium ion battery cell has a thickness less than or equal to approximately 6.1 mm and a volume less than or equal to approximately 0.19 L.

35 . The system of claim 34 , wherein the electrode stack comprises less than 32 layers of the anode and less than 32 layers of the cathode, and wherein the lithium ion battery cell has a power density that is greater than approximately 6000 W/L.

36 . The system of claim 31 , wherein the lithium ion battery cell has a thickness less than or equal to approximately 5.3 mm and a volume less than or equal to approximately 0.16 L.

37 . The system of claim 36 , wherein the electrode stack comprises less than 25 layers of the anode and less than 25 layers of the cathode, and wherein the lithium ion battery cell has a power density that is greater than approximately 5900 W/L.

Assignments (5)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE PROPERTIES, REMOVING US APP. NO. 16332731 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 049553 FRAME: 0079. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Jan 23, 2020
From: JOHNSON CONTROLS TECHNOLOGY COMPANY
To: CPS TECHNOLOGY HOLDINGS LLC
Reel/Frame 051689/0130 →
FIRST LIEN PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 29, 2019
From: CPS TECHNOLOGY HOLDINGS LLC
To: CITIBANK N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 050229/0029 →
ABL PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 29, 2019
From: CPS TECHNOLOGY HOLDINGS LLC
To: CITIBANK N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 050229/0079 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 20, 2019
From: JOHNSON CONTROLS TECHNOLOGY COMPANY
To: CPS TECHNOLOGY HOLDINGS LLC
Reel/Frame 049553/0079 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 14, 2015
From: SON, YONGKYU; METZ, BERNHARD M.; JIANG, JUNWEI; HALLAC, BOUTROS P.
To: JOHNSON CONTROLS TECHNOLOGY COMPANY
Reel/Frame 034712/0638 →