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 W/m·K.
1 .- 20 . (canceled)
21 . A device for energy storage and for energy release, the device comprising:
an electrode assembly comprising:
(A) an electrode structure comprising an electrode current collector having (a) an electrode current collector body region and (b) an electrode current collector end region, the electrode current collector end region being bounded by, and extending from, a transverse end of the electrode current collector body region, the transverse end of the electrode current collector body region being along a transverse direction,
(B) a counter-electrode structure stacked with the electrode structure along a longitudinal direction normal to the transverse direction, the counter-electrode structure being separated from the electrode structure along the longitudinal direction, the electrode current collector body region having a first height along a vertical direction normal to the transverse direction and normal to the longitudinal direction, the electrode current collector end region having a second height different from the first height,
(C) an electrode busbar disposed along the longitudinal direction, the electrode busbar being operatively coupled with a surface of the electrode current collector, the surface having (a) a first surface portion of the electrode current collector body region, the first surface portion being disposed normal to the longitudinal direction, and (b) a second surface portion of the electrode current collector end region, the second surface portion being disposed towards, or along, the longitudinal direction; and
a constraint system comprising oblong apertures, the electrode assembly being disposed in an interior space of the constraint system.
22 . The device of claim 21 , wherein the constraint system configured to restrain growth of the electrode assembly during cycling for the energy storage and for the energy release.
23 . The device of claim 22 , wherein the constraint system comprises a first longitudinal constraint separated from a second longitudinal constraint.
24 . The device of claim 23 , wherein the first longitudinal constraint is separated from the second longitudinal constraint (a) in the vertical direction, (b) in the longitudinal direction, or (c) a combination of (a) and (b).
25 . The device of claim 22 , wherein the constraint system is coupled with the electrode assembly at least in part using one or more of adhering, gluing, welding, joining, bonding, soldering, sintering, contacting, brazing, spraying, and clamping.
26 . The device of claim 22 , wherein the apertures are slots, the slots being spaced apart from one another in the transverse direction, each of the slots having a longitudinal axis oriented along the longitudinal direction.
27 . The device of claim 21 , wherein the counter-electrode structure comprises a counter-electrode current collector having (a) a counter-electrode current collector body region and (b) a counter-electrode current collector end region bounded by, and extending from, a transverse end of the counter-electrode current collector body region.
28 . The device of claim 21 , wherein the electrode current collector end region is spatially configured to maximize an energy density of the device.
29 . The device of claim 21 , wherein at least a portion of the electrode current collector end region is bent in a direction towards the longitudinal direction.
30 . The device of claim 21 , wherein (a) the electrode current collector body region and (b) a portion of the electrode current collector end region, are aligned about the transverse direction.
31 . The device of claim 21 , wherein a unit cell of the electrode assembly comprises the electrode structure and the counter-electrode structure, the electrode assembly comprising unit cells similar to, and including, the unit cell, the unit cells being stacked along the longitudinal direction.
32 . The device of claim 31 , wherein the electrode assembly comprises at least four unit cells.
33 . The device of claim 31 , wherein (a) a length L E of the electrode structure of each of the unit cells and a length L CE of the counter-electrode structure of each of the unit cells, is measured in the transverse direction, (b) a width W E of the electrode structure of each of the unit cells and a width W CE of the counter-electrode structure of each of the unit cells, is measured in the longitudinal direction, and (b) a height H E of the electrode structure of each of the unit cells and a height H CE of the counter-electrode structure of each of the unit cells, is measured in the vertical direction that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction; and wherein (i) a ratio of L E to each of W E and H E of each of the electrode structure and of the counter-electrode structure being at least 2:1, respectively, (ii) a ratio of H E to W E for each of the electrode structure and of the counter-electrode structure being at least 0.4:1, (iii) a ratio of L CE to each of W CE and H CE of each of the electrode structure and of the counter-electrode structure being at least 2:1, respectively, and/or (iv) a ratio of H CE to W CE for each of the electrode structure and of the counter-electrode structure being at least 0.4:1.
34 . The device of claim 21 , wherein (a) the electrode assembly is disposed in an enclosure, a thermal conductivity of the electrode assembly along a thermally conductive path between vertically opposing regions of external vertical surfaces of the enclosure in the vertical direction, is at least 5 Watts per meter per Kelvin (W/m·K), (b) a rated capacity of the device is of at least 100 milli Ampere Hours (mAmp*hr), (c) a core energy density of the device is at least 700 Watt hour per Liter (Whr/liter), or (d) any combination of (a), (b), and (c).
35 . The device of claim 21 , wherein the electrode assembly comprises an electrode active material that comprises silicon.
36 . The device of claim 21 , wherein the second height is greater than the first height.
37 . The device of claim 36 , wherein the enclosure (a) is hermetically sealed, (b) comprises a metal material, (c) the device further comprising an electrode tab and a counter-electrode tab, or (d) any combination of (a), (b), and (c), the electrode structure being operatively coupled with the electrode tab, the counter-electrode structure being operatively coupled with the counter-electrode tab, and each of the electrode tab and of the counter-electrode tab, extending from an interior of the enclosure to an exterior of the enclosure.
38 . A method for energy storage and for energy release, the method comprising using one or more operations to form the device of claim 21 .
39 . A method of energy storage and for energy release, the method comprising (a) providing the device of claim 21 ; and (b) (i) using the device for flow of carrier ions to the electrode assembly and/or (ii) cycling the electrode assembly between a charged state and a discharged state.
40 . A control unit for energy storage and for energy release, the control unit being configured to electrically couple with the device of claim 21 , the control unit being configured to direct execution of one or more operations associated with the device, the control unit being configured to couple with the device at least in part using an electrical connection.