SECONDARY BATTERY CELLS HAVING HERMETICALLY SEALED ENCLOSURE, ELECTRODE ASSEMBLIES AND METHODS
A sealed secondary battery cell that is chargeable between a charged state and a discharged state is provided. The sealed secondary battery cell comprises a hermetically sealed enclosure comprising a polymer enclosure material, an electrode assembly enclosed by the hermetically sealed enclosure, a set of electrode constraints, and a rated capacity of at least 100 mAmp·hr. A thermal conductivity of the secondary battery cell along a thermally conductive path between the vertically opposing regions of the external vertical surfaces of hermetically sealed enclosure in the vertical direction is at least 2 Wm·K.
1 . A sealed secondary battery cell that is chargeable between a charged state and a discharged state, the sealed secondary battery cell comprising a hermetically sealed enclosure comprising a polymer enclosure material, an electrode assembly enclosed by the hermetically sealed enclosure, a set of electrode constraints, and a rated capacity of at least 100 mAmp·hr, wherein
the electrode assembly has a substantially polyhedral shape with mutually perpendicular transverse, longitudinal and vertical axes corresponding to the x, y and z axes, respectively, of an imaginary three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system, opposing longitudinal end surfaces that are substantially flat and separated from each other in the longitudinal direction, and a lateral surface surrounding an electrode assembly longitudinal axis A EA and connecting the first and second longitudinal end surfaces, the lateral surface having opposing vertical surfaces that are substantially flat and are separated from each other in the vertical direction on opposing vertical sides of the longitudinal axis, opposing transverse surfaces that are substantially flat and are separated from each other in the transverse direction on opposing transverse sides of the longitudinal axis, wherein the opposing longitudinal surfaces have a combined surface area, L SA , the opposing transverse surfaces have a combined surface area, T SA , the opposing vertical surfaces have a combined surface area, V SA , and the ratio of V SA to each of L SA and T SA is at least 5:1,
the electrode assembly further comprises an electrode structure population, an electrically insulating separator population, and a counter-electrode structure population, wherein members of the electrode structure, electrically insulating separator and counter-electrode structure populations are arranged in an alternating sequence,
the set of electrode constraints comprises a vertical constraint system comprising first and second vertical growth constraints that are separated from each other in the vertical direction, the first and second vertical growth constraints being connected to members of the population of electrode structures and/or members of the population of counter-electrode structures, and the vertical constraint system being capable of restraining growth of the electrode assembly in the vertical direction,
members of the population of electrode structures and/or members of the population of counter-electrode structures that are connected to the first and second vertical growth constraints have: (i) a thickness as measured in the longitudinal direction that is in a range of between 5 and 50 μm, and (ii) a yield strength of greater than 70 MPa,
the charged state is at least 75% of a rated capacity of the secondary battery cell, and the discharged state is less than 25% of a rated capacity of the secondary battery cell,
the hermetically sealed enclosure comprises opposing external vertical surfaces separated from each other in the vertical direction,
wherein a thickness of the sealed secondary battery cell as measured in the vertical direction between vertically opposing regions of the external vertical surfaces of the hermetically sealed enclosure, is at least 1 mm, and
wherein a thermal conductivity of the secondary battery cell along a thermally conductive path between the vertically opposing regions of the external vertical surfaces of the hermetically sealed enclosure in the vertical direction is at least 2 W/m·K.
2 . The sealed secondary battery cell according to claim 1 , wherein members of the population of electrode structures and/or members of the population of counter-electrode structures are connected to the first and second vertical growth constraints by any one or more of one or more of adhering, gluing, welding, joining, bonding, soldering, sintering, press contacting, brazing, thermal spraying joining, clamping, wire bonding, ribbon bonding, ultrasonic bonding, ultrasonic welding, resistance welding, laser beam welding, electron beam welding, induction welding, cold welding, plasma spraying, flame spraying, and arc spraying.
3 . The sealed secondary battery cell according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second vertical growth constraints comprise apertures through the vertical thicknesses thereof.
4 . The sealed secondary battery cell according to claim 1 , wherein the opposing longitudinal, vertical, and transverse surfaces make up a combined surface area of greater than 66% of the electrode assembly.
5 . The sealed secondary battery cell according to claim 1 , wherein the surface area of the opposing longitudinal end surfaces is less than 33% of the surface area of the electrode assembly.
6 . The sealed secondary battery cell according to claim 1 , wherein, a length L E of each member of the electrode structure population and a length L CE of each member of the counter-electrode structure population are measured in the transverse direction of their central longitudinal axis A E and A CE , a width W E of each member of the electrode structure population and a width W CE of each member of the counter-electrode structure population are measured in the longitudinal direction, and a height H E of each member the electrode structure population and a height H CE of each member of the counter-electrode structure population is measured in the vertical direction that is perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis A E or A CE of each such member and to the longitudinal direction, the ratio of L E to each of W E and H E of each member of the electrode structure population being at least 5:1, respectively, the ratio of H E to W E for each member of the electrode structure population being between 0.4:1 and 1000:1, and the ratio of L CE to each of W CE and H CE of each member of the counter-electrode structure population being at least 5:1, respectively, the ratio of H CE to W CE for each member of the counter-electrode structure population being between 0.4:1 and 1000:1.
7 . The sealed secondary battery cell according to claim 1 , wherein, the electrode assembly has a maximum width W EA measured in the longitudinal direction, a maximum length L EA bounded by the lateral surface and measured in the transverse direction, and a maximum height H EA bounded by the lateral surface and measured in the vertical direction, and the ratio of each of L EA and W EA to H EA is at least 2:1.
8 . The sealed secondary battery cell according to claim 1 , wherein the set of electrode constraints further comprises first and second longitudinal constraints separated from each other in the longitudinal direction, and connected by a connecting member to restrain growth of the electrode assembly in the longitudinal direction.
9 . The sealed secondary battery cell according to claim 8 , wherein the first and second longitudinal growth constraints have a yield strength of at least 70 MPa.
10 . The sealed secondary battery cell according to claim 8 , wherein a projection of members of the electrode structure population and the counter-electrode structure populations onto the first longitudinal surface circumscribes a first projected area and a projection of the members of the electrode structure population and the counter-electrode structure population onto the second longitudinal surface circumscribes a second projected area, and wherein the first and second longitudinal growth constraints comprises first and second compression members that overlie the first and second projected areas.
11 . The sealed secondary battery cell according to claim 8 , wherein the first and second longitudinal growth constraints maintain a pressure on the electrode assembly in the longitudinal direction that exceeds the pressure maintained on the electrode assembly in the each of the two directions that are mutually perpendicular and perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.
12 . The sealed secondary battery cell according to claim 8 , wherein the first and second longitudinal growth constraints maintain a pressure on the electrode assembly in the longitudinal direction that exceeds the pressure maintained on the electrode assembly in the each of the two directions that are mutually perpendicular and perpendicular to the longitudinal direction by a factor of at least 3.
13 . The sealed secondary battery cell according to claim 8 , wherein the first and second longitudinal growth constraints restrain growth of the electrode assembly in the longitudinal direction such that any increase in the Feret diameter of the electrode assembly in the longitudinal direction over 20 consecutive cycles is less than 20%.
14 . The sealed secondary battery cell according to claim 1 , wherein (i) members of the population of electrode structures are anode structures and members of the population of counter-electrode structures are cathode structures, or (ii) members of the population of electrode structures are cathode structures and members of the population of counter-electrode structures are anode structures.
15 . The sealed secondary battery cell according to claim 1 , wherein members of the population of electrode structures are anode structures comprising anodically active material layers, and members of the population of counter-electrode structures are cathode structures comprising cathodically active material layers.
16 . The sealed secondary battery cell according to claim 1 , wherein carrier ions are contained within the hermetically sealed battery enclosure.
17 . The sealed secondary battery cell according to claim 1 , wherein members of the population of electrode structures comprise anode current collectors comprising at least one of copper, nickel, aluminum, stainless steel, titanium, palladium, baked carbon, calcined carbon, indium, iron, magnesium, cobalt, germanium, lithium, a surface treated material of copper or stainless steel with carbon, nickel, titanium, silver, an aluminum-cadmium alloy, and/or alloys thereof.
18 . The sealed secondary battery cell according to claim 1 , wherein the counter-electrode structures comprise cathode current collectors comprising at least one of stainless steel, aluminum, nickel, titanium, baked carbon, sintered carbon, a surface treated material of aluminum or stainless steel with carbon, nickel, titanium, silver, or an alloy thereof.
19 . The sealed secondary battery cell according to claim 1 , wherein the electrically insulating separator comprises a solid electrolyte.
20 . The sealed secondary battery cell according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second vertical growth constraints comprise any of stainless steel, titanium, or glass fiber composite.
21 . The sealed secondary battery cell according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second vertical growth constraints comprise a coating of insulating material on inner and outer surfaces thereof.
22 . The sealed secondary battery cell according to claim 1 , wherein the hermetically sealed enclosure comprises a laminate structure made of sheets of polypropylene, aluminum, and nylon, with the aluminum sheet being between the polypropylene and nylon polymeric sheets.
23 . The sealed secondary battery cell according to claim 1 , wherein the secondary battery cell comprises one or more gas containment compartments located externally to the electrode assembly and within the hermetically sealed enclosure, to contain a gas evolved during charging or discharging of the secondary battery cell, the one or more gas containment compartments comprising any one or more of (i) a transverse containment compartment located external to the transverse end surfaces of the electrode assembly in the transverse direction to contain the gas between the hermetically sealed enclosure and the electrode assembly on a transverse side of the electrode assembly, and (ii) a longitudinal containment compartment located external to the longitudinal end surfaces of the electrode assembly in the longitudinal direction to contain the gas between the hermetically sealed enclosure and the electrode assembly on a longitudinal side of the electrode assembly.
24 . The sealed secondary battery cell according to claim 23 , wherein one or more of the transverse and longitudinal containment compartments are configured to contain a volume of gas V X,Y evolved from the electrode assembly during charging or discharging of the secondary battery cell.
25 . The sealed secondary battery cell according to claim 23 , wherein one or more of the transverse and longitudinal containment compartments are configured to contain a volume of gas V X,Y evolved from the electrode assembly during charging or discharging of the secondary battery cell that is greater than any volume Vz of gas evolved from the electrode assembly during charging or discharging of the secondary battery cell that is contained in between the hermetically sealed enclosure and the electrode assembly on any of the vertical sides of the electrode assembly.
26 . The sealed secondary battery cell according to claim 23 , wherein one or more of the transverse and longitudinal containment compartments have a greater volume, either alone or in combination with one another, than any space between the hermetically sealed enclosure and electrode assembly on either vertical side of the electrode assembly.
27 . The sealed secondary battery cell according to claim 25 , wherein the volume of gas Vxy contained in one or more of the transverse and longitudinal containment compartments is at least 1.5 times, at least 2 times, at least 3 times, at least 5 times, and/or at least 10 times a volume of gas Vz contained on any of the vertical sides of the electrode assembly.
28 . The sealed secondary battery cell according to claim 25 , wherein substantially no volume of gas Vz is contained on any vertical side of the electrode assembly.
29 . The sealed secondary battery cell according to claim 23 , wherein one or more of the transverse and longitudinal containment compartments is configured to contain a volume of gas Vxy that is at least 4% of the volume of the sealed secondary cell.
30 . The sealed secondary battery cell according to claim 23 , wherein the hermetically sealed enclosure comprises a flexible polymer enclosure material, and wherein the one or more transverse and longitudinal containment compartments are formed by expansion of the hermetically sealed enclosure in at least one of the transverse and longitudinal directions upon charging or discharging of the sealed secondary battery cell.