Pulsed mode apparatus with mismatched battery

• US 9,905,895 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2015
• Issued: 02/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KLA Corporation
• Original Assignee: Front Edge Technology, Inc
• Inventors: Shih, Tung-Hsiu, Nieh, Kai Wei, Krasnov, Victor
• Primary Examiner(s): Stagg, Miriam
• Assistant Examiner(s): LYLES-IRVING, CARMEN V
• Application Number:
  US14/841,588
• Publication Number:
  US 20150372359A1
• Time in Patent Office: 911 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0436 Small-sized flat cells or batteries for portable equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/052 Li-accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0562 Solid materials
• 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 16/00 Structural combinations of different types of electrochemical generators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/00 Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the non-active parts of electrochemical cells other than fuel cells, e.g. hybrid cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/207 characterised by their shape
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/227 Organic material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/267 having means for adapting to batteries or cells of different types or different sizes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/296 characterised by terminals of battery packs terminals of batteries H01M50/543
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/512 Connection only in parallel
• 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

Abstract

A pulse mode apparatus comprises a mismatched battery electrically connected to a pulse mode device having a pulse duty cycle with a power-on time period and a power-off time period. The mismatched battery comprises a first battery cell having a first internal resistance and first charge capacity, and a second battery cell having a second internal resistance and second charge capacity, and the battery comprises at least one of the following: (1) the second internal resistance is less than the first internal resistance, and (2) the second charge capacity is less than the first charge capacity. The battery also has a pair of electrical connectors electrically coupling the first and second battery cells in parallel, a pair of terminals connected to the first or second battery cells, and a casing around the first and second battery cells with the terminals extending out of the casing.

Claims

1. A pulse mode apparatus comprising:

(a) a mismatched battery comprising;

(i) a first battery cell having a first electrolyte with a first internal resistance and first charge capacity and a second battery cell having a second electrolyte with a second internal resistance and second charge capacity, and comprising both of the following;

(1) the second internal resistance is less than the first internal resistance such that a ratio of the first internal resistance to the second internal resistance is at least 3;

2, and (2) the second charge capacity is less than the first charge capacity;

(ii) a pair of electrical connectors electrically coupling the first and second battery cells in parallel;

(iii) a pair of terminals electrically connected to the first or second battery cells; and

(iv) a casing around the first and second battery cells such that the terminals extend out of the casing; and

(b) a pulse mode device electrically connected to the terminals of the mismatched battery, the pulse mode device having a pulse duty cycle with a power-on time period and a power-off time period.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the second internal resistance is sufficiently lower than the first internal resistance that the second battery cell is capable of providing electrical power to the pulse mode device for substantially the entire power-on time period, and the first battery cell is capable of substantially recharging the second battery cell during the power-off time period.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the second battery cell provides electrical power to the pulse mode device for at least 80% of the power-on time period.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the second battery cell provides electrical power to the pulse mode device for a power-on time period of from about 10 milliseconds to about 1 second, and the first battery cell recharges the second battery cell during a power-off time period of from about 100 milliseconds to about 100 seconds.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the second internal resistance is lower than the first internal resistance by at least 30%.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the second internal resistance is from about 50Ω

to about 100Ω and

the first internal resistance is from about 150Ω

to about 200Ω

.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1 comprising at least one of the following:

(1) a first internal resistance of at least about 150Ω and

a second internal resistance of less than about 100 Ω

;

(2) the first battery cell has a first internal resistance per unit active area and the second battery cell has a second internal resistance per unit active area, and wherein the ratio of the first internal resistance per unit active area to the second internal resistance per unit active area is at least 3;

2; and

(3) the first battery cell comprises a first maximum current density and the second battery cell comprises a second maximum current density, the second maximum current density being larger than the first maximum current density.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1 comprising at least one of the following:

(1) the ratio of the first charge capacity to the second charge capacity is at least about 2;

1;

(2) the first charge capacity is at least about 1 mAh; and

(3) the second charge capacity is less than about 0.5 mAh.

9. A pulse mode apparatus comprising:

(a) a mismatched battery comprising;

(i) a first battery cell having a first electrolyte with a first internal resistance and a second battery cell having a second electrolyte with a second internal resistance, the second internal resistance being less than the first internal resistance such that a ratio of the first internal resistance to the second internal resistance is at least 3;

2;

(ii) a pair of electrical connectors electrically coupling the first and second battery cells in parallel;

(iii) a pair of terminals electrically connected to the first or second battery cells; and

(iv) a casing around the first and second battery cells such that the terminals extend out of the casing; and

(b) a pulse mode device electrically connected to the terminals of the mismatched battery, the pulse mode device having a pulse duty cycle with a power-on time period and a power-off time period.

10. An apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the second internal resistance is lower than the first internal resistance by at least 30%.

11. An apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the second internal resistance is sufficiently lower than the first internal resistance that the second battery cell is capable of providing electrical power to the pulse mode device for substantially the entire power-on time period, and the first battery cell is capable of substantially recharging the second battery cell during the power-off time period.

12. An apparatus according to claim 9 comprising at least one of the following:

(1) the second battery cell provides electrical power to the pulse mode device for at least 80% of the power-on time period;

(2) the second battery cell provides electrical power to the pulse mode device for a power-on time period of from about 10 milliseconds to about 1 second; and

(3) the first battery cell recharges the second battery cell during a power-off time period of from about 100 milliseconds to about 100 seconds.

13. An apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the second internal resistance is from about 50Ω

to about 100Ω and

the first internal resistance is from about 150Ω

to about 200Ω

.

14. An apparatus according to claim 9 comprising at least one of the following:

(1) a first internal resistance of at least about 150Ω and

a second internal resistance of less than about 100Ω

;

(2) the first battery cell has a first internal resistance per unit active area and the second battery cell has a second internal resistance per unit active area, and wherein the ratio of the first internal resistance per unit active area to the second internal resistance per unit active area is at least 3;

2; and

(3) the first battery cell comprises a first maximum current density and the second battery cell comprises a second maximum current density, the second maximum current density being larger than the first maximum current density.

15. An apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the

first battery cell further comprises a first charge capacity and the second battery cell further comprises a second charge capacity, the second charge capacity being less than the first charge capacity.

16. An apparatus according to claim 15 wherein the ratio of the first charge capacity to the second charge capacity is at least about 2:

1.

17. An apparatus according to claim 15 comprising at least one of the following:

(1) the first charge capacity is at least about 1 mAh; and

(2) the second charge capacity is less than about 0.5 mAh.

18. An apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the first and second battery cells each comprise at least one of:

(i) lithium battery cells, and (ii) battery component layers having a thickness of less than about 100 microns.

19. An apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the first battery cell comprises a first electrolyte thickness and a first cathode thickness, and wherein the second battery cell comprises a second electrolyte thickness and a second cathode thickness, and wherein the second electrolyte thickness is less than the first electrolyte thickness and the second cathode thickness is less than the first cathode thickness.

20. An apparatus according to claim 19 comprising at least one of the following:

(i) the second electrolyte thickness is less than the first electrolyte thickness by at least about 20%;

(ii) the first electrolyte thickness is at least about 3 microns; and

(iii) the first cathode thickness is at least about 15 microns.