THREE-DIMENSIONAL BATTERY HAVING CURRENT-REDUCING DEVICES CORRESPONDING TO ELECTRODES
Various three-dimensional battery structures are disclosed, in certain embodiments comprising a battery enclosure and a first plurality of electrodes within the enclosure. The first plurality of electrodes includes a plurality of cathodes and a plurality of anodes. The first plurality of electrodes includes a second plurality of electrodes selected from the first plurality of electrodes. The three-dimensional battery includes a first structural layer within the battery enclosure. Each of the second plurality of electrodes protrudes from the first structural layer. The three-dimensional battery includes a plurality of electrical current-reducing devices within the enclosure. Each of the second plurality of electrodes is coupled to one of the plurality of current-reducing devices.
1 . A three-dimensional battery, comprising:
a battery enclosure;
a first plurality of electrodes within the enclosure, the first plurality of electrodes including a plurality of cathodes and a plurality of anodes, the first plurality of electrodes including a second plurality of electrodes selected from the first plurality of electrodes;
a first structural layer within the battery enclosure, each of the second plurality of electrodes protruding from the first structural layer; and
a plurality of electrical current-reducing devices within the enclosure;
wherein each of the second plurality of electrodes is coupled to one of the plurality of current-reducing devices.
2 . The three-dimensional battery of claim 1 wherein the plurality of current-reducing devices comprises a plurality of regions of a PTC layer including positive-temperature-coefficient (PTC) material that is in contact with each of the second plurality of electrodes.
3 . The three-dimensional battery of claim 2 wherein the PTC material is a conductive-polymer PTC material.
4 . The three-dimensional battery of claim 3 wherein the PTC material comprises polyethylene including graphite particles.
5 . The three-dimensional battery of claim 2 wherein the PTC material comprises barium titanate.
6 . The three-dimensional battery of claim 1 wherein the plurality of current-reducing devices comprises a plurality of current collectors that include positive-temperature-coefficient (PTC) material, each of the plurality of current collectors being in contact with a respective one of the second plurality of electrodes.
7 . The three-dimensional battery of claim 6 wherein the PTC material is a conductive-polymer PTC material.
8 . The three-dimensional battery of claim 7 wherein the PTC material comprises polyethylene including graphite particles.
9 . The three-dimensional battery of claim 6 wherein the PTC material comprises barium titanate.
10 . The three-dimensional battery of claim 1 wherein the plurality of current-reducing devices comprises a plurality of solid state switches.
11 . The three-dimensional battery of claim 1 wherein the plurality of current-reducing devices comprises a plurality of fuses.
12 . The three-dimensional battery of claim 1 wherein the first plurality of electrodes comprises lithium ion insertion electrodes.
13 . The three-dimensional battery of claim 6 wherein the first plurality of electrodes comprises a material selected from the group consisting of LiCoO 2 , Li(Ni x Co y Al z )O 2 , LiFePO 4 , and Li 2 MnO 4 .
14 . The three-dimensional battery of claim 1 wherein the first plurality of electrodes comprises an interdigitated array of electrodes.
15 . The three-dimensional battery of claim 1 wherein the first plurality of electrodes comprises a plurality of fins protruding at least 50 microns from the first structural layer.
16 . The three-dimensional battery of claim 1 wherein the second plurality of electrodes includes fewer electrodes than the first plurality of electrodes.
17 . The three-dimensional battery of claim 16 wherein the second plurality of electrodes includes the plurality of anodes but not the plurality of cathodes.
18 . The three-dimensional battery of claim 16 wherein the second plurality of electrodes includes the plurality of cathodes but not the plurality of anodes.
19 . The three-dimensional battery of claim 16 further comprising a second structural layer within the battery enclosure, wherein the first plurality of electrodes further includes a third plurality of electrodes selected from the first plurality of electrodes, each of the third plurality of electrodes protruding from the second structural layer.
20 . The three-dimensional battery of claim 19 wherein the third plurality of electrodes includes the plurality of anodes but not the plurality of cathodes.
21 . The three-dimensional battery of claim 19 wherein the third plurality of electrodes includes the plurality of cathodes but not the plurality of anodes.
22 . The three-dimensional battery of claim 1 wherein the second plurality of electrodes is the same as the first plurality of electrodes.
23 . The three-dimensional battery of claim 1 wherein each of the second plurality of electrodes comprises a protrusion that protrudes from the first structural layer and has an electrically conductive outer surface, and an electrode layer on the conductive outer surface.
24 . The three-dimensional battery of claim 23 wherein the protrusion comprises a non-active backbone structure that protrudes from the first structural layer, and an electrically conductive layer on the non-active backbone layer.
25 . A three-dimensional battery, comprising:
a structural layer;
a plurality of electrodes each protruding from the structural layer; and
means for substantially reducing an electrical current through one of the plurality of electrodes without substantially reducing an electrical current through another of the plurality of electrodes.