Divided energy electrochemical cell systems and methods of producing the same
View Patent ↗Embodiments described herein relate to divided energy electrochemical cells and electrochemical cell systems. Divided energy electrochemical cells and electrochemical cell systems include a first electrochemical cell and a second electrochemical cell connected in parallel. Both electrochemical cells include a cathode disposed on a cathode current collector, an anode disposed on an anode current collector, and a separator disposed between the anode and the cathode. In some embodiments, the first electrochemical cell can have different performance properties from the second electrochemical cell. For example, the first electrochemical cell can have a high energy density while the second electrochemical cell can have a high power density. In some embodiments, the first electrochemical cell can have a battery chemistry, thickness, or any other physical/chemical property different from those properties of the second electrochemical cell.
1. An electrochemical cell system, comprising:
a first anode current collector and a second anode current collector;
a first anode and a second anode, the first anode disposed on the first anode current collector and the second anode disposed on the second anode current collector;
a cathode current collector;
a first semi-solid cathode and a second semi-solid cathode, at least one of the first semi-solid cathode and the second semi-solid cathode disposed on the cathode current collector; and
a first separator and a second separator, the first separator disposed between the first anode and the first semi-solid cathode, the second separator disposed between the second anode and the second semi-solid cathode,
wherein the first anode has a thickness greater than a thickness of the second anode by a factor of at least about 1.5, and/or
wherein the first semi-solid cathode has a thickness greater than a thickness of the second semi-solid cathode by a factor of at least about 1.5.
2. The electrochemical cell system of claim 1 , wherein the first semi-solid cathode and the second semi-solid cathode are disposed on the cathode current collector.
3. The electrochemical cell system of claim 2 , wherein the first anode current collector is disposed onto a first portion of a pouch, and the second anode current collector is disposed onto a second portion of the pouch.
4. The electrochemical cell system of claim 1 , wherein the cathode current collector is a first cathode current collector, the electrochemical cell system further comprising a second cathode current collector, wherein the first semi-solid cathode is disposed on the first cathode current collector and the second semi-solid cathode is disposed on the second cathode current collector.
5. The electrochemical cell system of claim 4 , wherein:
the first anode current collector is disposed onto a first portion of a first pouch;
the first cathode current collector is disposed onto a second portion of the first pouch;
the second anode current collector is disposed onto a first portion of a second pouch; and
the second cathode current collector is disposed onto a second portion of the second pouch.
6. The electrochemical cell system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first semi-solid cathode or the second semi-solid cathode includes lithium cobalt oxide (LCO), lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC), and/or lithium iron phosphate (LFP).
7. The electrochemical cell system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first anode or the second anode includes graphite, lithium metal (Li), sodium metal (Na), silicon oxide (SiO), graphite, silicon, carbon, lithium-intercalated carbon, lithium nitrides, a lithium alloy, and/or a lithium alloy forming compound.
8. The electrochemical cell system of claim 7 , wherein the lithium alloy forming compound includes silicon, bismuth, boron, gallium, indium, zinc, tin, antimony, aluminum, titanium oxide, molybdenum, germanium, manganese, niobium, vanadium, tantalum, gold, platinum, iron, copper, chromium, nickel, cobalt, zirconium, yttrium, molybdenum oxide, germanium oxide, silicon carbide, and/or a silicon-graphite composite.
9. The electrochemical cell system of claim 1 , wherein the first semi-solid cathode has the same chemical composition as that of the second semi-solid cathode.
10. The electrochemical cell system of claim 1 , wherein the first semi-solid cathode has a chemical composition different from the second semi-solid cathode.
11. An electrochemical cell system, comprising:
a first current collector;
a first electrode material disposed on a first side of the first current collector;
a second electrode material disposed on a second side of the first current collector, the second side of the first current collector opposite the first side;
a third electrode material disposed on a second current collector;
a fourth electrode material disposed on a third current collector;
a first separator disposed between the first electrode material and the third electrode material to form a first electrochemical cell; and
a second separator disposed between the second electrode material and the fourth electrode material to form a second electrochemical cell, the second electrochemical cell having a thickness greater than a thickness of the first electrochemical cell by a factor of at least about 2.
12. The electrochemical cell system of claim 11 , wherein the second electrochemical cell has a thickness greater than a thickness of the first electrochemical cell by a factor of at least about 3.
13. The electrochemical cell system of claim 11 , wherein the second current collector is disposed onto a first portion of a pouch, and the third current collector is disposed onto a second portion of the pouch.
14. The electrochemical cell system of claim 11 , wherein at least one of the first electrode material, the second electrode material, the third electrode material, or the fourth electrode material includes a semi-solid electrode material.
15. The electrochemical cell system of claim 11 , wherein the first electrochemical cell has a different chemical composition from that of the second electrochemical cell.
16. The electrochemical cell system of claim 11 , wherein the first electrochemical cell has an internal resistance greater than an internal resistance of the second electrochemical cell, such that the electrochemical cell system has self-heating properties.