Rechargeable battery with internal current limiter and interrupter
A high energy density rechargeable (HEDR) battery employs a combined current limiter/current interrupter to prevent thermal runaway in the event of internal discharge or other disruption of the separator. The combined current limiter/current interrupter is interior to the battery.
1 . An improved high energy density rechargeable battery, comprising:
a first electrode;
a first current collector for transferring electrons;
a current interrupter interposed between the first electrode and the first current collector, wherein the current interrupter comprises a voltage sensitive material configured to generate a gas upon activation of at least a voltage trigger, wherein the voltage sensitive material comprises one or more polymers, wherein the generating of the gas forms a nonconductive gap between the first electrode and the first current collector, and wherein the forming of the nonconductive gap electrically decouples the first electrode from the first current collector;
a second electrode having an opposite polarity of the first electrode; and
a separator interposed between the first electrode and the second electrode.
2 . The battery of claim 1 , further comprising a current limiter.
3 . The battery of claim 2 , further comprising a second current collector.
4 . The battery of claim 3 , wherein the current limiter is interposed between the second electrode and the second current collector.
5 . The battery of claim 2 , wherein the current limiter is interposed between the first electrode and the first current collector.
6 . The battery of claim 5 , wherein the current limiter and the current interrupter are simultaneously incorporated into a single protective layer interposed by lamination between the first electrode and the first current collector.
7 . The battery of claim 2 , wherein a resistivity of the current limiter is greater than the internal resistivity of the first electrode at voltages above a voltage range for standard operation.
8 . The battery of claim 2 , wherein a resistivity of the current limiter does not transition at voltages within a voltage range for standard operation.
9 . The battery of claim 2 , wherein a resistivity of the current limiter is less than the internal resistivity of the first electrode at voltages within a voltage range for standard operation.
10 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the voltage trigger is activated when voltage exceeds a voltage range for standard operation.
11 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the voltage sensitive material is further configured to generate the gas upon activation of a temperature trigger, and wherein the temperature trigger is activated when temperature exceeds a temperature range for standard operation.
12 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the first electrode and the first current collector are electrically coupled when the current interrupter is in an unengaged configuration, and wherein the nonconductive gap is formed between the first electrode and the first current collector when the current interrupter is in an engaged configuration.
13 . The battery of claim 12 , wherein the voltage sensitive material is configured to transition the current interrupter from the unengaged configuration to the engaged configuration upon activation of at least the voltage trigger.
14 . The battery of claim 12 , wherein the first electrode and the first current collector are electrically coupled via a laminated connection provided by the current interrupter when the current interrupter is in the unengaged configuration, and wherein the forming of the nonconductive gap delaminates the laminated connection between the first electrode and the first current collector.
15 . A method, comprising:
forming a nonconductive gap between an electrode within a battery and a current collector, wherein the nonconductive gap is formed by a voltage sensitive material that is adapted to generate a gas upon activation of least a voltage trigger, wherein the voltage sensitive material comprises an interrupt layer interposed between the electrode and current collector, wherein the voltage sensitive material comprises one or more polymers, and wherein the forming of the nonconductive gap electrically decouples the electrode from the current collector.
16 . The battery cell of claim 1 , wherein the one or more polymers include carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC).