Bipolar electrochemical battery of stacked wafer cells

• US 6,887,620 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2003
• Issued: 05/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Electro Energy, Inc. (Delaware)
• Original Assignee: Electro Energy, Inc. (Delaware)
• Inventors: Plivelich, Robert, Klein, Martin G., Ralston, Paula
• Primary Examiner(s): Ryan, Patrick
• Assistant Examiner(s): Martin, Angela J.
• Application Number:
  US10/337,816
• Publication Number:
  US 20030138691A1
• Time in Patent Office: 848 Days
• Field of Search: 429/210, 429/157, 429/162, 429/124, 429/127, 429/176, 429/82, 429/152, 429/217, 429/223, 429/218.2, 429/66, 429/185
• US Class Current: 429/210
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0418 with bipolar electrodes
• 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 10/345 Gastight metal hydride accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/667 in the form of layers, e.g. coatings
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/103 prismatic or rectangular H01M50/109, H01M50/11 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/119 Metals
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/121 Organic material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/124 having a layered structure
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/51 Connection only in series
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/42 Grouping of primary cells into batteries H01M6/40 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/46 of flat cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/48 with bipolar electrodes
• 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: Y10T 29/49108 Electric battery cell making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4911 including sealing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49112 including laminating of indefinite length material

Abstract

The bipolar electrochemical battery of the invention comprises:

• • a stack of at least two electrochemical cells electrically arranged in series with the positive face of each cell contacting the negative face of an adjacent cell, wherein each of the cells comprises
  • (a) a negative electrode;
  • (b) a positive electrode;
  • (c) a separator between the electrodes, wherein the separator includes an electrolyte;
  • (d) a first electrically conductive lamination comprising a first inner metal layer and a first polymeric outer layer, said first polymeric outer layer having at least one perforation therein to expose the first inner metal layer, said first electrically conductive lamination being in electrical contact with the outer face of the negative electrode; and
  • (e) a second electrically conductive lamination comprising a second inner metal layer and a second polymeric outer layer, said second polymeric outer layer having at least one perforation therein to expose the second inner metal layer, said second electrically conductive lamination being in electrical contact with the outer face of the positive electrode; wherein the first and second laminations are sealed peripherally to each other to form an enclosure including the electrodes, the separator and the electrolyte.

Claims

1. A battery cell, comprising:

a negative electrode having a first physical area defined by a first perimeter;

a positive electrode having a second physical area defined by a second perimeter, substantially similar to the first perimeter;

a separator interposed between the negative and positive electrodes and extending beyond the perimeters of the positive and negative electrodes, wherein the separator is flat and has a porous structure for absorbing and containing electrolyte within the cell;

a first electrically conductive lamination comprising a first inner metal layer and a first polymeric outer layer, the first inner metal layer making electrical contact with the negative electrode, the first polymeric outer layer having a perimeter larger than the first perimeter;

a second electrical conductive lamination comprising a second inner metal layer and a second polymeric outer layer, the second inner metal layer making electrical contact with the positive electrode, the second polymeric outer layer having a perimeter larger than the second perimeter;

wherein the first and second polymeric outer layers are sealed to each other along their perimeters forming a plastic to plastic joint and sealing therein the negative electrode, the positive electrode, and the separator.

2. The battery cell of claim 1, wherein the first and second inner metal layers are each a metal foil.

3. The battery cell of claim 1, wherein the metal layer is between about 0.0003 inches and about 0.005 inches thick.

4. The battery cell of claim 1, wherein the metal layer is made of a metal selected from copper, aluminum, silver, steel, lithium, nickel, metal plated materials and mixtures thereof.

5. The battery cell of claim 1, wherein the first and second polymeric outer layers are each made of a polymeric material selected from polypropylene, polyethylene, polysulfone, polyvinyl chloride, and mixtures thereof.

6. The battery cell of claim 1, wherein the first and second polymeric outer layers each comprise a plurality of perforations which are aligned with respect to each other to create contacts points through which current can flow from cell to cell.

7. The battery cell of claim 1, wherein the positive electrode comprises a material selected from oxygen, magnesium, nickel, manganese, copper, cobalt, silver, lithium, an oxide or hydroxide of nickel, an oxide or hydroxide of manganese, an oxide or hydroxide of copper, an oxide or hydroxide of mercury, an oxide or hydroxide of silver, an oxide or hydroxide of magnesium, an oxide or hydroxide of lithium, an oxide or hydroxide of cobalt and combinations thereof.

8. The battery cell of claim 1, wherein the negative electrode comprises a material selected from cadmium, iron, zinc, silver, lithium, carbon containing lithium, hydrogen and mixtures thereof.

9. The battery cell of claim 1, wherein the negative electrode is a metal hydride electrode.

10. The battery cell of claim 1, wherein a conductive paste or cement is present between at least one of the metal layers and the electrode with which it is in contact.

11. The battery cell of claim 1, wherein the stack of at least two electrochemical cells is contained in a battery housing.