Electric vehicle propulsion system and method utilizing solid-state rechargeable electrochemical cells

• US 8,492,023 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2012
• Issued: 07/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sakti3, Inc
• Original Assignee: Sakti3, Inc
• Inventors: Sastry, Ann Marie, Albano, Fabio, Wang, Chia-Wei, Kruse, Robert, Lebrun, Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): RHEE, JANE J
• Application Number:
  US13/648,429
• Publication Number:
  US 20130059172A1
• Time in Patent Office: 286 Days
• Field of Search: 429/246, 429/209, 429/149
• US Class Current: 429/161
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/64 Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0431 Cells with wound or folded electrodes H01M10/045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/052 Li-accumulators
• 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 10/054 Accumulators with insertion or intercalation of metals other than lithium, e.g. with magnesium or aluminium
• 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 10/0587 of accumulators having only wound construction elements, i.e. wound positive electrodes, wound negative electrodes and wound separators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/63 Control systems charging or discharging in response to temperature H01M10/44 , H01M10/443; measurement of temperature H01M10/48 , H01M10/486
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/658 by thermal insulation or shielding
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 16/00 Structural combinations of different types of electrochemical generators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2300/0068 inorganic
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2300/0071 Oxides
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2300/0082 Organic polymers
• 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 4/136 Electrodes based on inorganic compounds other than oxides or hydroxides, e.g. sulfides, selenides, tellurides, halogenides or LiCoFy
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/40 Alloys based on alkali metals
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/405 Alloys based on lithium
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/204 Racks, modules or packs for multiple batteries or multiple cells
• 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

Abstract

A vehicle propulsion system comprising a plurality of solid state rechargeable battery cells configured to power a drivetrain. In accordance with once aspect of the invention, a transportation system that is powered at least in part by electricity stored in the form of rechargeable electrochemical cells. According to an embodiment of the present invention, these cells are combined in series and in parallel to form a pack that is regulated by charge and discharge control circuits that are programmed with algorithms to monitor state of charge, battery lifetime, and battery health.

Claims

1. A system comprising a plurality of solid state rechargeable battery cells configured to power an appliance, the system comprising:

a stack of electrochemical cells, each electrochemical cell formed overlying the surface of a substrate, said electrochemical cell having an overall thickness of less than 50 microns, said electrochemical cell comprising;

a substrate less than 10 microns in thickness along a shortest axis, the substrate comprising a surface region;

a positive electrode material comprised of a transition metal oxide or a transition metal phosphate, the positive electrode material characterized by a thickness between 0.5 micron and 50 microns;

a solid state layer of a ceramic, polymer, or glassy material configured for conducting lithium or magnesium ions during a charge and discharge process, the solid state layer characterized by a thickness between 0.1 micron and 5 microns;

a negative electrode material configured for electrochemical insertion or plating of ions during the charge and discharge process, the negative electrode material characterized by a thickness between 0.5 micron and 50 microns; and

an electrically conductive material coupled with the positive electrode material and free from contact with the negative electrode material,

wherein said layers of positive and negative electrode materials each have a total surface area greater than 0.5 meters,

wherein the substrate is made of at least a polymer, a metal, a semiconductor, or an insulator,

whereupon the positive electrode material comprises a positive electrode layer, the negative electrode material comprises a negative electrode layer, and the electrically conductive material comprises an electrically conductive layer, and

whereupon the plurality of electrochemical cells, each of the electrochemical cells comprising the positive electrode layer, the solid state layer, the negative electrode layer, are continuously wound or stacked.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the substrate is rolled.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said layers are wound into a container that has an external surface area less than 1/100th the surface area of the electrochemical cell(s), and wherein the substrate is rolled.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the aspect ratio of the uniform cathode material layer is greater than 500,000 when dividing the length of the longest axis by the length of the shortest axis.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said layers are continuously wound or stacked at least 30 times.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said battery cells have energy densities of no more than 50 Watt-hours per square meter of electrochemical cell(s).

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said substrate comprises a polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a biaxxially oriented polypropylenefilm (BOPP), a polyethylene naphtahalate (PEN), a polyimide, polyester, a polypropylene, an acrylact, an arimide, or a metallic material which is less than 10 microns thick.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said battery cells are free from solid electrolyte interface/interphase (SEI) layers.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein said negative electrode material comprises a lithium metal alloy such that the melting point of the alloy is greater than 150 degrees Celsius.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein said battery cells have specific energies of at least 300 Watt-hours per kilogram.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein said battery cells have energy densities of at least 700 Watt-hours per liter.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein said battery cells are capable of achieving at least 5,000 cycles while being cycled at 80% of the rated capacity and which have gravimetric energy densities of at least 250 Wh/kg.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein said appliance is at least a vehicle, smartphone, a cellular phone, a radio or other portable communication device, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a portable video game system, an MP3 player or other music player, a camera, a camcorder, an RC car, an unmanned aeroplane, a robot, an underwater vehicle, a satellite, a GPS unit, a laser rangefinder, a flashlight, an electric street lighting, and other portable electronic devices.

14. The system of claim 1 further comprising a multicell, rechargeable solid state battery pack, the multicell, rechargeable solid state battery pack comprising a plurality of solid state rechargeable cells;

a first portion of said cells being connected in a series relationship; and

a second portion of said cells being connected in a parallel relationship.

15. The system of claim 4 wherein said multicell, rechargeable solid state battery pack is comprised of a heat transfer system and one or more electronics controls configured to maintain an operating temperature range between 60 degrees Celsius and 200 degrees Celsius.

16. The system of claim 5 wherein the plurality of rechargeable cells comprises respective outermost portions of the plurality of rechargeable cells, each of the outermost portions are in proximity of less than 1 millimeter from each other.

17. The system of claim 3 wherein the multicell, rechargeable solid state battery pack is insulated by one or more materials that have thermal resistance with an R-value of at least 0.4 m²*K/(W*in).

18. The system of claim 1 further comprising a multicell, rechargeable solid state battery pack having the solid state rechargeable battery cells;

and a plurality of capacitors configured at least in serial or parallel to provide a higher net energy density than the plurality of capacitors alone or conventional particulate electrochemical cells without being combined with the solid state rechargeable battery cells, wherein the multicell, rechargeable solid state battery pack is characterized by an energy density of at least 500 Watts per kilogram.

19. The system of claim 1 is provided within a vehicle that is powered by at least in part by the system.

20. The system of claim 1 wherein the solid state rechargeable battery cells are configured in a wound or stacked structure, wherein by utilizing lithium or magnesium as a transportion, the solid state rechargeable battery cells are configured in a format larger than 1 Amp-hour, wherein the solid state rechargeable battery cells are configured to be free from a solid-electrolyte interface layer, and wherein the solid state rechargeable battery cells are capable of greater than 80% capacity retention after more than 1000 cycles.