IP Library Granted Patent US 12,401,068
Granted Patent B2
US 12,401,068 · App. 17/692,432 · Granted Aug 26, 2025

Energy accumulator and motor vehicle

Inventors: Stephan Leonhard Koch (Salzgitter, DE); Miriam Kunze (Seelze, DE)
Assignee: PowerCo SE
H01M10/4235B60L50/64H01M10/0525H01M2220/20
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,401,068
App. No.
17/692,432
Granted
Aug 26, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

An energy accumulator, in particular for a motor vehicle, has a secondary cell with two complementary electrodes, a separator spacing them apart, a cell housing which encloses the electrodes and the separator, and an electrolyte with which the cell housing is filled. In addition, hollow glass spheres are located within the cell housing, which are filled with a quantity of the electrolyte and/or an additive and which are in contact with the electrolyte accommodated in the cell housing.

Claims (18)

1. An energy accumulator for a motor vehicle, comprising:

a secondary cell with two complementary electrodes,

a separator configured to space apart the complementary electrodes,

a cell housing which encloses the complementary electrodes and the separator,

an electrolyte with which the cell housing is filled, and

at least two hollow glass spheres located within the cell housing, which hollow glass spheres are filled with a quantity of the electrolyte and/or an additive and which are in contact with the electrolyte accommodated in the cell housing,

wherein the glass of the hollow glass spheres is selected such that it is dissolved by a chemical reaction with the electrolyte.

2. The energy accumulator according to claim 1 , wherein one wall of the hollow glass spheres is formed exclusively by a glass.

3. The energy accumulator according to claim 1 , wherein the glass used is a silicate glass, an aluminosilicate glass, a phosphorus silicate glass, a phosphate glass, a borate glass and/or a borosilicate glass.

4. The energy accumulator according to claim 3 , wherein a wall of the hollow glass spheres is designed such that the wall is only partially dissolved by the chemical reaction, whereby a residual structure, which runs through the soluble components of the hollow glass spheres in the initial state, is retained after the soluble components have been dissolved.

5. The energy accumulator according to claim 3 , wherein a duration of dissolution of the hollow glass spheres is predetermined by a selection of the wall thickness of the wall.

6. The energy accumulator according to claim 5 , wherein hollow glass spheres with different wall thicknesses and/or different diameters are used.

7. The energy accumulator according to claim 5 , wherein the hollow glass spheres have wall thicknesses in the range between 1 nanometer and 30 micrometers.

8. The energy accumulator according to claim 5 , wherein the hollow glass spheres have wall thicknesses in the range between 5 nanometers and 5 micrometers.

9. The energy accumulator according to claim 3 , wherein the glass is a silicate glass, an aluminosilicate glass, a phosphorus silicate glass, a phosphate glass, a borate glass and/or a borosilicate glass.

10. The energy accumulator according to claim 1 , wherein the hollow glass spheres are accommodated in a coating of the separator and/or at least one inactive component of the secondary cell.

11. The energy accumulator according to claim 10 , wherein the inactive component is a wall of the cell housing and/or a portion of a current collector of the electrodes.

12. A motor vehicle having an energy accumulator according to claim 1 .

Assignments (2)
NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT Recorded Mar 27, 2025
From: VOLKSWAGEN AG
To: POWERCO SE
Reel/Frame 070665/0142 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 13, 2022
From: KOCH, STEPHAN LEONHARD; KUNZE, MIRIAM
To: VOLKSWAGEN AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
Reel/Frame 059585/0131 →
Priority Claims (1)
DE 10 2021 202 426.2 · Mar 12, 2021 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220294033A1 · Sep 15, 2022
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