Bipolar battery and vehicle that contains the batteries

• US 20070015047A1
• Filed: 07/10/2006
• Published: 01/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Horie, Hideaki, Hosaka, Kenji, Shimamura, Osamu, Kiriu, Naoto, Senbokuya, Ryouichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,759,005 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/66
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/64 Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/66 Arrangements of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0413 Large-sized flat cells or batteries for motive or stationary systems with plate-like electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0418 with bipolar electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0468 Compression means for stacks of electrodes and separators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0481 Compression means other than compression means for stacks of electrodes and separators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0525 Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0585 of accumulators having only flat construction elements, i.e. flat positive electrodes, flat negative electrodes and flat separators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2004/029 Bipolar electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/131 Electrodes based on mixed oxides or hydroxides, or on mixtures of oxides or hydroxides, e.g. LiCoOx
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/124 having a layered structure
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/40 Separators; Membranes; Diaphragms; Spacing elements inside cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/531 Electrode connections inside a battery casing
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4911 including sealing

Abstract

The disclosure is directed to a bipolar battery that is constructed to improve battery performance by reducing distortions within electrode material of the bipolar battery. The bipolar battery includes multiple battery elements that each include multiple unit batteries. Each unit battery contains a conductor having a positive electrode layer and a negative electrode layer. A collector is positioned between adjacent positive and negative electrode layers of adjacent unit batteries, and an accumulated thickness absorption member is used to separate collectors of adjacent battery elements. The bipolar battery may be used in a motor vehicle, such as an electric car.

Claims

1. A bipolar battery comprising:

a plurality of sub battery elements including;

a plurality of collectors that are arranged in an alternating fashion with an conductor that performs ion exchange between a positive electrode layer formed on the one surface of the collector and the negative electrode layer formed on the other surface of the collector; and

an accumulated thickness absorption member that is arranged between the sub battery elements.

2. The bipolar battery of claim 1, wherein the sub battery element has the collector which faces to the accumulated thickness absorption member, and

the collector has only one of the positive electrode layer or the negative electrode layer on the opposite surface of the accumulated thickness absorption member.

3. The bipolar battery of claim 1, wherein the sub battery further comprises a seal member that prevents the conductor from leaking between the collectors.

4. The bipolar battery of claim 3, wherein the accumulation thickness absorption member absorbs a difference in thickness of the seal layer, the positive electrode layer, and the negative electrode layer.

5. The bipolar battery of claim 3, wherein the accumulation thickness absorption member comprising a small service area inside of the seal layer and above the conductor in a lamination direction.

6. The bipolar battery of claim 1, wherein the accumulation thickness absorption member is formed of a conductive material.

7. The bipolar battery of claim 6, wherein the accumulation thickness absorption member is formed of a fibrous carbon material.

8. The bipolar battery of claim 1, further comprising an external member surrounding the multiple sub battery elements, wherein the internal pressure within the external member is less than an atmospheric pressure

9. The bipolar battery of claim 8, wherein the external material is a laminate film comprising metal foil and a synthetic resin membrane.

10. The bipolar battery of claim 1, wherein the conductor is a solid type electrolyte substance.

11. The bipolar battery of claim 1, wherein the positive electrode layer comprises a lithium transition metal complex oxide substance, and wherein the negative electrode layer comprises at least one of a carbon and a lithium transition metal complex oxide substance.

12. The bipolar battery of claim 1, further comprising a motor vehicle, wherein the battery is a power source for the motor vehicle.

13. A bipolar battery comprising:

a plurality of sub battery elements including;

a plurality of collectors that comprise a positive electrode layer on one surface and a negative electrode layer on another surface; and

a conductor disposed between the collectors, wherein the conductor performs ion exchange between the positive electrode layer formed on the one collector and the negative electrode layer formed on the other collector; and

means for absorbing thickness changes that is arranged between the collector of the one sub battery element and the collector of the other sub battery element.

14. A method for manufacturing a bipolar battery comprising:

forming two or more sub battery elements by stacking two or more unit batteries for each of the battery elements, wherein each unit battery is constructed by;

forming a positive electrode layer on one surface of a collector and a negative electrode layer on another surface of the collector;

forming a conductor by laminating an electrode layer that performs ion exchange between a positive electrode layer and a negative electrode layer, wherein the positive electrode layer is disposed on an opposite side of the conductor to the negative electrode layer;

forming a seal layer on a periphery of the electrolyte layer to prevent electrolyte leakage; and

positioning an accumulation thickness absorption member between the collector of a first sub battery element and the collector of a second sub battery element.

15. The method for manufacturing the bipolar battery of claim 14, further comprising administering pressure to the battery element after positioning the accumulation thickness absorption member.

16. The method for manufacturing the bipolar battery of claim 14, further comprising stacking three battery elements, wherein each battery element is separated by one of two accumulation thickness absorption members and comprises three unit batteries.

17. The method for manufacturing the bipolar battery of claim 14, further comprising:

surrounding multiple battery elements with an external member; and

creating a vacuum within the external member.