Method of making a multi-electrode double layer capacitor having single electrolyte seal and aluminum-impregnated carbon cloth electrodes

• US 6,585,152 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2001
• Issued: 07/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tesla Inc.
• Original Assignee: Maxwell Technologies Incorporated (Tesla Inc.)
• Inventors: Crawford, Robert W., Dispennette, John M., Blank, Edward, Farahmandi, C. Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HA T
• Application Number:
  US09/783,728
• Publication Number:
  US 20010020319A1
• Time in Patent Office: 868 Days
• Field of Search: 29/250.1, 29/250.2, 29/250.3, 298/43, 298/77, 148/516, 148/523, 148/527, 148/535, 148/558, 148/688, 156/47, 156/53, 156/73.1, 156/60, 156/163, 228/262, 228/262.5
• US Class Current: 228/262
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 11/12 Stacked hybrid or EDL capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 11/52 Separators
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 11/72 specially adapted for integration in multiple or stacked hybrid or EDL capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 11/78 Cases; Housings; Encapsulations; Mountings
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 11/82 Fixing or assembling a capacitive element in a housing, e.g. mounting electrodes, current collectors or terminals in containers or encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/13 Energy storage using capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/10 Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49149 by metal fusion bonding

Abstract

A method of making a double layer capacitor consists of the steps of: impregnating each of a plurality of carbon preforms with a metal; forming a plurality of current collector foils, each of the plurality of current collector foils having a tab portion and a paddle portion; forming a plurality of electrodes by positioning one of the plurality of carbon preforms against respective paddle portions of each of the plurality of current collector foils, wherein each of the plurality of electrodes comprises one of the plurality of current collector foils and one of the plurality of carbon preforms; stacking each of the plurality of electrodes such that tab portions of adjacent ones of the plurality of current collector foils are offset, thereby forming an electrode stack; interposing respective porous separator portions between each of the plurality of electrodes, wherein the porous separator portions function as electrical insulators between the adjacent ones of the plurality of electrodes preventing electrical shorting against each other; applying a modest constant pressure against the electrode stack; saturating the electrode stack with an electrolytic solution; and maintaining the electrode stack immersed within the electrolytic solution.

Claims

1. A method of ultrasonically bonding multiple foils together to form an electrical interconnection comprising;

stacking ten or more metal foils to be bonded together, each of the ten or more metal foils being coupled to an electrical device;

positioning at least one dummy metal foil against the ten or more metal foils; and

using a horn for ultrasonically bonding the ten or more metal foils and the at least one dummy metal foil together, the horn being directed at the at least one dummy metal foil, wherein the ten or more metal foils remain intact and are bonded to each other and the at least one dummy metal foil.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said positioning comprises said positioning said at least one dummy metal foil against said ten or more metal foils, said at least one dummy metal foil comprises two or more dummy metal foils.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said positioning comprises folding one or more of said ten or more metal foils over said ten or more metal foils such that a portion of the one or more of said ten or more metal foils form said at least one dummy metal foil, the one or more of said ten or more metal foils having a length longer than a length of remaining ones of said ten or more metal foils.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said stacking comprises said stacking ten or more aluminum foils.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said positioning comprises positioning at least one dummy aluminum foil against said ten or more aluminum foils.

6. A method of ultrasonically bonding multiple foils together to form an electrical interconnection comprising:

stacking a multiplicity of metal foils to be bonded together, each of the multiplicity of metal foils being coupled to an electrical device;

positioning at least one dummy metal foil against the multiplicity of metal foils; and

using a horn for ultrasonically bonding the multiplicity of metal foils and the at least one dummy metal foil together, the horn being directed at the at least one dummy metal foil, wherein the multiplicity of metal foils remain intact and are bonded to each other and the at least one dummy metal foil.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said stacking comprises said stacking said multiplicity of metal foils, said multiplicity of metal foils includes ten or more metal foils.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein said positioning comprises said positioning said at least one dummy metal foil against said multiplicity of metal foils, said at least one dummy metal foil comprises two or more dummy metal foils.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein said positioning comprises folding one or more of said multiplicity of metal foils over said multiplicity of metal foils such that a portion of the one or more of said multiplicity of metal foils form said at least one dummy metal foil, the one or more of said multiplicity of metal foils having a length longer than a length of remaining ones of said multiplicity of metal foils.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein said stacking comprises said stacking a multiplicity of aluminum foils.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said positioning comprises positioning at least one dummy aluminum foil against said multiplicity of aluminum foils.