Consecutively wound or stacked battery cells

• US 6,923,837 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2002
• Issued: 08/02/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alfred J. Longhi Jr, Government of the United States of America
• Original Assignee: Lithium Werks Technology BV
• Inventors: Munshi, M. Zafar A., Longhi, Alfred J. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Maples, John S.
• Application Number:
  US10/082,946
• Publication Number:
  US 20030162086A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,253 Days
• Field of Search: 296/231, 429/94, 83/39
• US Class Current: 29/623.1
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/052 Li-accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0562 Solid materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0565 Polymeric materials, e.g. gel-type or solid-type
• 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 10/0587 of accumulators having only wound construction elements, i.e. wound positive electrodes, wound negative electrodes and wound separators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/04 Processes of manufacture in general
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/42 Grouping of primary cells into batteries H01M6/40 takes precedence
• 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 29/49112 including laminating of indefinite length material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49115 including coating or impregnating
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/0524 Plural cutting steps

Abstract

The specification discloses a consecutively wound or stacked battery system and a method for making these devices. In one aspect, battery cells are wound consecutively, separated by insulating layers, to form an integral battery system capable of producing multiple voltages. In a second, but related, aspect, multiple battery cells are wound consecutively on a large diameter mandrel, cut in a radial plane, and laid flat to form stacked battery systems capable of producing multiple voltages. Whether remaining in the consecutively wound configuration, or being cut to become a stacked cell configuration, each cell in these configurations may be selectively coupled to other cells within its consecutive winding or stack to produce desired output voltages and current ratings. In the case of the stacked battery system, this battery system may be selectively cut to provide amperage capacities to order. Moreover, the consecutively wound or stacked battery systems may also include capacitors, fuel cells, and the like, wound in the same fashion.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

wrapping a plurality of turns of a battery cell to make a wound battery cell;

cutting the wound battery cell to create a stacked battery cell, the amperage capacity of the stacked battery cell based on a length of the stacked battery cell; and

removing a portion of the length of the stacked battery cell to adjust the amperage capacity of the stacked battery cell.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein wrapping a plurality of turns of the battery cell to make the wound battery cell further comprises wrapping the plurality of turns of the battery cell around a substantially cylindrical mandrel thus creating a substantially cylindrical shaped wound battery cell.

3. The method as defined in claim 2 wherein wrapping the plurality of turns of the first battery cell around a cylindrical mandrel further comprises wrapping the plurality of turns of the first battery cell around a mandrel having a diameter of at least two feet.

4. The method as defined in claim 3 wherein wrapping the plurality of turns of the battery cell around a mandrel having a diameter of at least two feet further comprises wrapping a plurality of turns of the first battery cell around the mandrel having a diameter of at least two feet and less than five feet.

5. The method as defined in claim 4 wherein wrapping the plurality of turns of the battery cell around the mandrel having a diameter of at least two feet and less than five feet further comprises wrapping the battery cell around the mandrel having a diameter of approximately three feet.

6. The method as defined in claim 2 wherein cutting the wound battery cell to create a stacked battery cell further comprises:

cutting the substantially cylindrical shaped wound battery cell on one side substantially parallel with an axis of the cylindrical shape; and

laying the cut substantially cylindrical shaped wound battery to be substantially flat to become the stacked battery cell with a circumference of the cylindrical shape becoming the length of the stacked battery cell.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to cutting and removing, winding a second battery cell a plurality of turns around the wound battery cell.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein winding the second battery cell a plurality of turns around the wound battery cell comprises winding the second battery cell a plurality of turns around the wound battery cell where the wound battery cell produces a first voltage and the second battery cell produces a second voltage.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising coupling the wound and second battery cells in series.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising coupling the wound and second battery cells in parallel.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising, prior to cutting and removing, winding a third battery cell a plurality of turns around the second battery cell.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising coupling the wound, second and third battery cells in series.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising coupling the wound, second and third battery cells in parallel.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising coupling two of the first, second or third battery cells in parallel.

15. A method comprising:

wrapping a plurality of turns of a first battery cell;

wrapping a plurality of turns of a second battery cell around the first battery cell to make a consecutively wound battery system;

cutting the consecutively wound battery system to create a stacked battery system, the amperage capacity of each cell of the stacked battery system based on a length of the stacked battery system; and

removing a portion of the length of the stacked battery system to adjust the amperage capacity each cell of the stacked battery system.

16. The method as defined in claim 15 wherein the wrapping steps further comprise:

wrapping the plurality of turns of the first battery cell around a substantially cylindrical mandrel; and

wrapping the plurality of turns of the second battery cell around the first battery cell, thus creating a substantially cylindrical shaped wound battery system.

17. The method as defined in claim 16 wherein wrapping the plurality of turns of the first battery cell around a substantially cylindrical mandrel further comprises wrapping the plurality of turns of the first battery cell around a mandrel having a diameter of at least two feet.

18. The method as defined in claim 17 wherein wrapping the plurality of turns of the first battery cell around a mandrel having a diameter of at least two feet further comprises wrapping a plurality of turns of the first battery cell around the mandrel having a diameter of at least two feet and less than five feet.

19. The method as defined in claim 18 wherein wrapping the plurality of turns of the first battery cell around the mandrel having a diameter of at least two feet and less than five feet further comprises wrapping the battery cell around the mandrel having a diameter of approximately three feet.

20. The method as defined in claim 15 wherein cutting the wound battery system to create a stacked battery system further comprises:

cutting the substantially cylindrical shaped consecutively wound battery system on one side substantially parallel with an axis of the cylindrical shape; and

laying the cut substantially cylindrical shaped consecutively wound battery system to be substantially flat to become the stacked battery system with a circumference of the cylindrical shape becoming the length of the stacked battery cell.

21. The method of claim 15, further comprising coupling the first and second battery cells in series.

22. The method of claim 15, further comprising coupling the first and second battery cells in parallel.

23. The method of claim 15, further comprising winding a third battery cell a plurality of turns around the second battery cell.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising coupling the first, second and third battery cells in series.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising coupling the first, second and third battery cells in parallel.

26. The method of claim 23, further comprising coupling two of the first, second or third battery cells in parallel.