SECONDARY BATTERY CELLS HAVING HERMETICALLY SEALED CASE, ELECTRODE ASSEMBLIES AND METHODS
A sealed secondary battery cell chargeable between a charged state and a discharged state is provided. The sealed secondary battery cell comprises a hermetically sealed case, an electrode assembly enclosed by the hermetically sealed case, and a rated capacity of at least 100 mAmp·hr, The hermetically sealed case has opposing first and second case ends separated in the longitudinal direction, and a case sidewall that connects the first and second case ends, the opposing first and second case ends and case sidewall forming a hermetic seal about the electrode assembly, wherein the case sidewall comprises upper and lower sidewalls separated from each other in the vertical direction, and first and second transverse sidewalls that are separated from each other in the transverse direction. 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 upper and lower sidewalls of the hermetically sealed case in the vertical direction is at least 7.5 W/m·K.
1 . A sealed secondary battery cell chargeable between a charged state and a discharged state, the sealed secondary battery cell comprising a hermetically sealed case, an electrode assembly enclosed by the hermetically sealed case, 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 separated from each other in the vertical direction on opposing vertical sides of the longitudinal axis, and opposing transverse surfaces that are substantially flat and 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 hermetically sealed case has opposing first and second case ends separated in the longitudinal direction, and a case sidewall that connects the first and second case ends, the opposing first and second case ends and case sidewall forming a hermetic seal about the electrode assembly, wherein the case sidewall comprises upper and lower sidewalls separated from each other in the vertical direction, and first and second transverse sidewalls that are separated from each other in the transverse direction,
members of the population of electrode structures and/or members of the population of counter-electrode structures that are connected to the upper and lower sidewalls 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
wherein members of the electrode structure population and/or counter-electrode structure are connected to the upper and lower sidewalls of the hermetically sealed case to restrain growth of the electrode assembly in the vertical direction during cycling of the secondary battery cell between the charged and discharged states,
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,
a thickness of the secondary battery cell as measured in the vertical direction between vertically opposing regions of external vertical surfaces of the upper and lower sidewalls of the hermetically sealed case, is at least 1 mm, and
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 upper and lower sidewalls of the hermetically sealed case in the vertical direction is at least 7.5 W/m·K.
2 . 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.
3 . The sealed secondary battery cell according to claim 1 , wherein the opposing first and second case ends are connected together by one or more of the upper and lower sidewalls of the case, and restrain growth of the electrode assembly in the longitudinal direction.
4 . The sealed secondary battery cell according to claim 1 , wherein the sealed secondary battery further comprises a set of electrode constraints internal to the hermetically sealed case, the set of electrode constraints comprising 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, and wherein the first and second vertical growth constraints are connected to the respective upper and lower sidewalls, to indirectly connect the members of the population of electrode structures and/or members of the population of counter-electrode structures to the upper and lower sidewalls.
5 . The sealed secondary battery cell according to claim 4 , wherein the set of electrode constraints that are internal to the hermetically sealed case further comprise a longitudinal constraint system comprising 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.
6 . The sealed secondary battery cell according to claim 1 , wherein the thermally conductive path is along the vertical direction of members of the population of electrode structures and/or members of the population of counter-electrode structures that are connected to the upper and lower sidewalls.
7 . The sealed secondary battery cell according to claim 1 , wherein the hermetically sealed case comprises a metal material comprising any selected from the group consisting of stainless steel, aluminum, titanium, beryllium, beryllium, copper, nickel, and alloys thereof.
8 . The sealed secondary battery cell according to claim 1 , wherein the upper and lower sidewalls comprise any of stainless steel and aluminum.
9 . The sealed secondary battery cell according to claim 5 , wherein the first and second vertical growth constraints and/or first and second longitudinal constraints comprise any of metals, alloys, ceramics, glass, plastics, or a combination thereof.
10 . The sealed secondary battery cell according to claim 4 , wherein upper and lower sidewalls, either alone or in combination with first and second vertical growth constraints, have a tensile strength of at least 70 MPa.
11 . The sealed secondary battery cell according to claim 5 , wherein the first and second case ends, either alone or in combination with first and second longitudinal growth constraints, have a yield strength of at least 70 MPa.
12 . The sealed secondary battery cell according to claim 5 , wherein the first and second case ends, either alone or in combination with first and second longitudinal growth constraints, have a tensile strength of at least 70 MPa.
13 . The sealed secondary battery cell according to claim 1 , wherein the upper and lower sidewalls are connected to upper and lower surfaces of members of the electrode structure population and/or counter-electrode structure population.
14 . The sealed secondary battery cell according to claim 4 , wherein the first and second vertical growth constraints are connected to upper and lower surfaces of electrode current collectors of members of the electrode structure population, and/or upper and lower surfaces of counter-electrode current collectors of members of the counter-electrode population.
15 . 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 directly to the upper and lower sidewalls by any one or more of one or more of adhering, gluing, welding, bonding, joining, 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.
16 . The sealed secondary battery cell according to claim 1 , wherein the members of the population of electrode structures and/or members of the population of counter-electrode structures are connected indirectly to the upper and lower sidewalls.
17 . The sealed secondary battery cell according to claim 4 , wherein members of the population of electrode structures and/or members of the population of counter-electrode structures are connected via first and second vertical growth constraints to the upper and lower sidewalls.
18 . The sealed secondary battery cell according to claim 4 , wherein the first and second vertical growth constraints comprise apertures through the vertical thicknesses thereof.
19 . The sealed secondary battery cell according to claim 1 , where the surface area of the opposing longitudinal end surfaces is less than 33% of the surface area of the electrode assembly.
20 . The sealed secondary battery cell according to claim 1 , wherein for members of the secondary battery cell population, 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.
21 . The sealed secondary battery cell according to claim 1 , wherein for members of the population of secondary battery cells, 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.
22 . The sealed secondary battery cell according to claim 5 , 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.
23 . The sealed secondary battery cell according to claim 5 , wherein the opposing first and second ends of the hermetically sealed case, or the first and second longitudinal growth constraints, either alone or in combination with one another 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.
24 . The sealed secondary battery cell according to claim 5 , wherein the opposing first and second ends of the hermetically sealed case, or the first and second longitudinal growth constraints, either alone or in combination with one another 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.
25 . The sealed secondary battery cell according to claim 5 , wherein the opposing first and second ends of the hermetically sealed case, or the first and second longitudinal growth constraints, either alone or in combination with one another 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%.
26 . 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.
27 . 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.
28 . The sealed secondary battery cell according to claim 5 , wherein the first and second connecting members of the constraint system comprise any of stainless steel, titanium, or glass fiber composite.
29 . The sealed secondary battery cell according to claim 5 , wherein the first and second connecting members of the constraint system comprise a coating of insulating material on inner and outer surfaces thereof.
30 . The sealed secondary battery cell according to claim 1 , wherein the electrically insulating separator comprises a solid electrolyte.