Electrochemical cell having a folded electrode and separator, battery including the same, and method of forming same
An electrochemical cell including a folded electrode layer and a folded separator, a battery including the electrochemical cell, and methods of forming the electrochemical cell and battery are disclosed. The electrode layer is folded in a first direction and the separator is folded in a second direction, such that the first direction and second direction are orthogonal each other.
1. A method of forming an electrochemical cell, the method comprising the steps of:
placing a separator layer overlying a first section of a first electrode layer, in a direction orthogonal to the first electrode layer;
folding the separator layer back onto itself to form a first separator section, a second separator section, and a first opening there between;
folding the first electrode layer over the second separator section to form a first first electrode section underlying the first separator section and a second first electrode section overlying the second separator section;
placing a first sheet comprising second electrode material within the opening; and
cutting a folded section of the first electrode layer to form edge sections and forming contact to the first electrode layer.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising forming an electrochemical cell comprising greater than two of each of: first electrode sections, separator sections, and plates.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of placing a first plate occurs prior to the step of folding the first electrode layer over the second separator section.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of placing the first plate occurs after the step of folding first electrode layer over the second separator section.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising a step of providing a separator section underlying the first first electrode section.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising a step of providing a separator section at a top of the electrochemical cell.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising a step of forming a contact to the first electrode layer through a folded section of the first electrode layer.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising a step of forming a contact to the second electrode layer on a contact area on a plate.
9. An electrochemical cell comprising:
a first electrode layer comprising a first electrode section;
a second electrode layer overlying the first electrode layer, the second electrode layer comprising a first surface and a second surface comprising active material; and
a separator layer partially overlying the second surface,
wherein a combination of the second electrode layer and the separator layer is folded back over itself in a first direction, the first electrode layer is folded over the combination in a second direction to form a second first electrode section, and wherein the first direction and the second direction are orthogonal each other.
10. The electrochemical cell of claim 9 , comprising greater than two of each of: first electrode sections, second electrode sections, and separator sections.
11. The electrochemical cell of claim 9 , wherein the second surface is intermittently coated with active material.
12. The electrochemical cell of claim 9 , wherein the second electrode layer comprises a contact area.
13. The electrochemical cell of claim 9 , wherein the first electrode layer comprises active material on a top surface and on a bottom surface.
14. The electrochemical cell of claim 9 comprising a section of the separator layer at the bottom of the electrochemical cell.
15. The electrochemical cell of claim 9 comprising a section of the separator layer on the top of the electrochemical cell.
16. A method of forming an electrochemical cell, the method comprising the steps of:
placing a combination of a second electrode layer and a separator layer overlying a first first electrode section of a first electrode layer, the combination in a direction orthogonal to the first electrode layer;
folding the combination back onto itself to form a first combination section and a second combination section;
folding the first electrode layer over the second combination section to form a second first electrode section overlying the second combination section; and
cutting a folded section of the first electrode layer to form an edge section and forming contact to a first electrode layer.
17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising forming an electrochemical cell comprising greater than two of each of: first electrode sections and combination sections.
18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising a step of providing separator material at a bottom of the electrochemical cell.
19. The method of claim 16 , further comprising a step of providing separator material at a top of the electrochemical cell.
20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the step of placing comprises providing a second electrode layer comprising a substrate and intermittent sections of electrode active material overlying the substrate.
21. The method of claim 16 , wherein the step of placing comprises providing a second electrode layer comprising a substrate comprising one or more contact areas.
22. The method of claim 16 , further comprising a step of forming contact to the second electrode layer.
23. The method of claim 16 , further comprising a step of forming contact to the first electrode layer.
24. The method of claim 16 , further comprising a step of forming contact to the first electrode layer through a folded section of the first electrode layer.
25. An electrochemical cell comprising:
a first electrode layer;
a second electrode layer overlying the first electrode layer, the second electrode layer comprising a first surface comprising active material and a second surface comprising active material;
a first separator layer partially overlying the first surface; and
a second separator layer partially overlying the second surface,
wherein a combination of the first separator layer, the second electrode layer, and the second separator layer overlays a first first electrode section, and
wherein the first electrode layer is orthogonally folded over the combination to form a second first electrode section.
26. The electrochemical cell of claim 25 , wherein the first electrode layer comprises active cathode material and the second electrode layer comprises active anode material.
27. The electrochemical cell of claim 25 , wherein the first electrode layer comprises active anode material and the second electrode layer comprises active cathode material.
28. The electrochemical cell of claim 25 , comprising greater than two of each of: first electrode sections, second electrode sections, and separator sections.
29. The electrochemical cell of claim 25 , wherein the first surface is partially coated with active material.
30. The electrochemical cell of claim 25 , wherein the second surface is partially coated with active material.
31. The electrochemical cell of claim 25 , wherein a bottom layer of the electrochemical cell comprises separator material.
32. The electrochemical cell of claim 25 , wherein a top layer of the electrochemical cell comprises separator material.
33. The electrochemical cell of claim 25 , wherein the second electrode layer comprises one or more contact areas.
34. A method of forming an electrochemical cell, the method comprising the steps of:
placing a combination of a first separator layer, a second electrode layer comprising a first surface comprising active material and a second surface, and a second separator layer overlying a first first electrode section of a first electrode layer, in a direction orthogonal to the first electrode layer, wherein the first separator layer partially overlies the first surface and the second separator layer partially overlies the second surface; and
folding the first electrode layer over the combination in a direction orthogonal to the combination.
35. The method of claim 34 , comprising forming an electrochemical cell comprising greater than two of each of: first electrode sections and combination sections.
36. The method of claim 34 , further comprising a step of providing a separator section underlying the first first electrode section.
37. The method of claim 34 , further comprising a step of providing a separator section at a top of the electrochemical cell.
38. The method of claim 34 , further comprising a step of forming contact to the first electrode layer.
39. The method of claim 34 , further comprising a step of forming contact to the second electrode layer.
40. The method of claim 34 , further comprising steps of cutting a folded section of the first electrode layer to form an edge section and forming contact to the first electrode layer.
41. A battery comprising the electrochemical cell of claim 9 .
42. A battery comprising the electrochemical cell of claim 25 .
43. A process of forming a battery comprising the method of claim 1 .
44. A process of forming a battery comprising the method of claim 16 .
45. A process of forming a battery comprising the method of claim 34 .