Thermally dissipative electrochemical cell

• US 10,164,304 B1
• Filed: 10/31/2014
• Issued: 12/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Original Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Inventors: Ostanek, Jason K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Crepeau, Jonathan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Buchanan, Jacob
• Application Number:
  US14/529,933
• Time in Patent Office: 1,516 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/617 for achieving uniformity or desired distribution of temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/643 Cylindrical cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/654 located inside the innermost case of the cells, e.g. mandrels, electrodes or electrolytes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6554 Rods or plates
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

According to exemplary practice of the present invention, a cylindrical secondary electrochemical cell (e.g., lithium-ion cell) includes a disk that is made of a thermally and electrically conductive material (e.g., metal material), and that lies in a geometric plane that is perpendicular to the cylindrical axis. The disk is adjacently intermediate, axially aligned with, and electrically connected to two cylindrical jelly-roll electrode components. Inventive practice is possible with respect to a variety of cell types, shapes, and chemistries. Depending on the inventive embodiment, the numbers of disks (≥1) and jelly-roll electrode components (≥2) can vary, each disk serving to augment heat transport in the radial direction. An inventive cylindrical cell thus affords superior heat spreading in the direction radially outward, 360 degrees, from the central axis of the cell.

Claims

1. An electrochemical cell comprising at least one thermally conductive solid plate, at least two electrode components, at least two thermally conductive mandrel sections, and a casino, wherein:

said casing is characterized by a cell length and contains said at least one thermally conductive solid plate and said at least two electrode components;

each said thermally conductive solid plate is perpendicular to said cell length and is interposed between two said electrode components so as to entirely separate the two said electrode components;

said casing is a cylindrical casing characterized by an axis along said cell length;

each said electrode component is characterized by a spirally wound electrode configuration;

each said thermally conductive solid plate is a disk that is perpendicular to said axis and that at least substantially extends to said cylindrical casino;

said electrode components and said thermally conductive solid plate share said axis;

each said spirally wound electrode has a central electrode void coincident with said axis;

each said thermally conductive solid plate is interposed between and contacts two said thermally conductive mandrel sections so as to entirely separate the two said thermally conductive mandrel sections;

each said thermally conductive mandrel section passes through a corresponding said central electrode void and contacts said thermally conductive solid plate;

said thermally conductive mandrel sections, said electrode components, and said thermally conductive solid plate share said axis.

2. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 wherein said casing has an inside casing surface, and wherein each said thermally conductive solid plate is made of metal and at least substantially extends to said inside casing surface.

3. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 wherein said casing has an outside casing surface, and wherein each said thermally conductive solid plate is made of metal and at least substantially extends to said outside casing surface.

4. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 wherein each said thermally conductive solid plate is electrically conductive and is electrically connected to the two said electrode components between which said thermally conductive solid disk is interposed.

5. The electrochemical cell of claim 1, wherein said at least one thermally conductive solid plate is at least two thermally conductive solid plates, and wherein said at least two electrode components is at least three electrode components.

6. The electrochemical cell of claim 1, wherein:

the number of said at least two electrode components exceeds by one the number of said at least one thermally conductive solid plate;

each said thermally conductive solid plate is characterized by a thickness;

at least two said thermally conductive solid plates are respectively characterized by different said thicknesses.

7. The electrochemical cell of claim 6, wherein said at least one thermally conductive solid plate is at least two thermally conductive solid plates, and wherein said at least two electrode components is at least three electrode components.

8. An electrochemical battery device comprising:

a cylindrical case having a geometric longitudinal axis;

two spirally wound electrode components;

a solid disk;

a first positive terminal;

a second positive terminal;

a negative terminal;

a first positive current collector; and

a second positive current collector;

wherein said two spirally wound electrode components and said solid disk are coaxially arranged along said geometric longitudinal axis;

wherein said solid disk and said negative terminal are each in electrical contact with said case;

wherein said first positive terminal and said second positive terminal are each insulated from said case;

wherein said first positive current collector conducts electrical current, from one of said two spirally wound electrode components, to said first positive terminal;

wherein said second positive current collector conducts electrical current, from the other of said two spirally wound electrode components, to said second positive terminal;

wherein said solid disk;

is thermally conductive and electrically conductive;

is electrically connected to the two said spirally wound electrode components between which said thermally conductive solid disk is adjacently situated;

is characterized by a disk thickness;

at least substantially extends to said case;

lies in a geometric disk plane that is perpendicular to said geometric longitudinal axis; and

is adjacently situated between two said spirally wound electrode components whereby the two said spirally wound electrode components are completely apart from each other by a distance at least substantially commensurate with said disk thickness.

9. The electrochemical battery device of claim 8, wherein each said spirally wound electrode component includes an anode layer, a cathode layer, and an insulator layer.

10. An electrochemical battery device comprising:

a cylindrical case having a geometric longitudinal axis;

at least two spirally wound electrode components;

at least one thermally conductive solid disk; and

at least two thermally conductive mandrel elements, wherein;

said at least two spirally wound electrode components and said at least one thermally conductive solid disk are coaxially arranged along said geometric longitudinal axis;

each said spirally wound electrode component has an axial electrode hole;

each said thermally conductive solid disk is adjacently situated between and in contact with two said thermally conductive mandrel elements;

each said thermally conductive mandrel element is positioned inside said axial electrode hole and has two mandrel element ends whereby at least one said mandrel element end is in contact with a said thermally conductive solid disk;

said at least two thermally conductive mandrel elements, said at least two spirally wound electrode components, and said at least one thermally conductive solid disk are characterized by said geometric longitudinal axis;

the number of said at least two thermally conductive mandrel elements equals the number of said at least two spirally wound electrode components and exceeds by one the number of said at least one thermally conductive solid disk;

wherein each said thermally conductive solid disk is electrically conductive, is electrically connected to the two said spirally wound electrode components between which said thermally conductive solid disk is adjacently situated, is characterized by a disk thickness, at least substantially extends to said case, lies in a geometric disk plane that is perpendicular to said geometric longitudinal axis, and is adjacently situated between two said spirally wound electrode components whereby the two said spirally wound electrode components are completely apart from each other by a distance at least substantially commensurate with said disk thickness.

11. The electrochemical battery device of claim 10, further comprising a positive terminal, a negative terminal, a positive current collector, and a negative current collector, wherein:

said at least two spirally wound electrode components are two spirally wound electrode components;

said at least one thermally conductive solid disk is one thermally conductive disk;

said thermally conductive solid disk is electrically conductive and is insulated from said case;

said positive current collector conducts electrical current, from said two spirally wound electrode components and said thermally conductive disk, to said positive terminal;

said negative current collector conducts electrical current, from said two spirally wound electrode components and said thermally conductive disk, to said negative terminal.

12. The electrochemical battery device of claim 10, wherein at least two said thermally conductive solid disks are respectively characterized by different said thicknesses.

13. The electrochemical battery device of claim 10, wherein:

said at least one thermally conductive solid disk is at least two thermally conductive solid disks;

said at least two electrode components is at least three electrode components;

said at least two thermally conductive mandrel elements electrode components is at least three thermally conductive mandrel elements.

14. The electrochemical battery device of claim 10, further comprising a first positive terminal, a second positive terminal, a negative terminal, a first positive current collector, and a second positive current collector, wherein:

said at least one thermally conductive solid disk is electrically conductive;

said at least two spirally wound electrode components are two spirally wound electrode components;

said at least one thermally conductive solid disk is one thermally conductive solid disk;

said thermally conductive solid disk and said negative terminal are each in electrical contact with said case;

said first positive terminal and said second positive terminal are each insulated from said case;

said first positive current collector conducts electrical current, from one of said two spirally wound electrode components, to said first positive terminal;

said second positive current collector conducts electrical current, from the other of said two spirally wound electrode components, to said second positive terminal.