ENERGY STORAGE DEVICES HAVING CELLS ELECTRICALLY COUPLED IN SERIES AND IN PARALLEL

• US 20100304191A1
• Filed: 04/23/2010
• Published: 12/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: G4 Synergetics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: G4 Synergetics, Inc.
• Inventors: Zhou, Xin, West, Jon K., Regalado, Julius, West, Daniel J.
• Application Number:
  US12/766,225
• Publication Number:
  US 20100304191A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/9
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0418 with bipolar electrodes
• 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 10/06 Lead-acid accumulators semi-lead accumulators H01M10/20
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/18 with bipolar electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/345 Gastight metal hydride accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4264 with capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 16/00 Structural combinations of different types of electrochemical generators
• 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

Abstract

A stacked energy storage device (ESD) has at least two cell segments arranged in a stack. Each cell segment may have a first electrode unit having a first active material electrode, a second electrode unit having a second active material electrode, and an electrolyte layer between the active material electrodes. The ESD includes at least two sub-stacks, where the elements of each respective sub-stack are electrically coupled in series with other elements of the sub-stack. The sub-stacks may be placed in a single stack, and the sub-stacks may be electrically coupled in parallel, in series, or both, with other sub-stacks to create an ESD with a particular voltage and current capacity. The entire stack may be contained by a single pair of end caps.

Claims

1. An energy storage device comprising:

a stack of a plurality of electrode units, the stack comprising;

a first sub-stack of a plurality of bi-polar electrode units;

a second sub-stack of a plurality of bi-polar electrode units collinear with the first stack; and

a mono-polar electrode unit positioned between the first sub-stack and the second sub-stack;

a first end cap at a first end of the stack of electrode units; and

a second end cap at a second end of the stack of electrode units.

2. The energy storage device of claim 1 wherein the mono-polar electrode unit is configured to electrically couple the first sub-stack in parallel with the second sub-stack.

3. The energy storage device of claim 1 wherein the polarity of the mono-polar electrode unit is opposite the polarity of the first and second end caps.

4. The energy storage device of claim 1 wherein the electrode units of the first sub-stack and the electrode units of the second sub-stack have separate chemistries.

5. The energy storage device of claim 4 wherein the electrode units of first sub-stack are lithium-ion and the electrode units of the second sub-stack are lead-acid.

6. The energy storage device of claim 1 wherein the bi-polar electrode units of the first sub-stack are electrically coupled in series.

7. The energy storage device of claim 1 wherein the bi-polar electrode units of the second sub-stack are electrically coupled in series.

8. The energy storage device of claim 1 wherein the first sub-stack and the second sub-stack are electrically coupled in series.

9. The energy storage device of claim 1 wherein each bi-polar electrode unit comprises:

a conductive substrate;

a positive active material electrode layer on a first surface of the conductive substrate; and

a negative active material electrode layer on a second surface of the conductive substrate.

10. The energy storage device of claim 1 wherein the mono-polar electrode unit comprises:

an impermeable substrate;

a first active material electrode layer on a first surface of the non-conductive substrate;

a second active material electrode layer on a second surface of the non-conductive substrate, wherein the first layer and the second layer have the same polarity.

11. The energy storage device of claim 10 wherein the impermeable substrate is conductive.

12. The energy storage device of claim 10 wherein the impermeable substrate is non-conductive.

13. The energy storage device of claim 1 wherein an electrolyte layer is provided between each pair of adjacent electrode units.

14. The energy storage device of claim 1 wherein the first and second sub-stacks have the same number of bi-polar electrode units.

15. The energy storage device of claim 14 wherein the mono-polar unit is placed centrally within the stack between the first and second sub-stacks.

16. The energy storage device of claim 1 wherein the first and second sub-stacks do not have the same number of bi-polar electrode units.

17. The energy storage device of claim 1 further comprising:

a third sub-stack of a plurality of bi-polar electrode units, wherein the third sub-stack is placed between the second sub-stack and the second end cap; and

a second mono-polar unit positioned between the second sub-stack and the second end cap, wherein the second mono-polar electrode unit is configured to electrically couple the first, second, and third sub-stacks in parallel with one another.

18. The energy storage device of claim 1, further comprising:

a third sub-stack of a plurality of capacitors, wherein the third sub-stack is placed between the second sub-stack and the second end cap; and

a second mono-polar unit positioned between the second sub-stack and the second end cap, wherein the second mono-polar electrode unit is configured to electrically couple the first, second, and third sub-stacks in parallel with one another.

19. The energy storage device of claim 18 wherein the capacitors have a double layer electrode configuration.

20. The energy storage device of claim 18 wherein the voltage of the third sub-stack is equal to or greater than the voltage of the energy storage device.

21. An energy storage device comprising:

a stack of a plurality of electrode units along a stacking axis, the stack comprising;

a mono-polar electrode unit having a first and second surface on opposite sides thereof;

a first bi-polar electrode unit provided along the stacking axis opposite the first surface;

a second bi-polar electrode unit provided along the stacking axis opposite the second surface, wherein the first and second bi-polar electrode units are electrically coupled in parallel via the mono-polar electrode unit.

22. The energy storage device of claim 21 further comprising a single pair of end caps provided at opposite ends of the stack.

23. The energy storage device of claim 21 wherein the mono-polar electrode unit has a positive or negative polarity.

24. The energy storage device of claim 21 wherein an electrolyte layer is provided between each pair of adjacent electrode units.