Short-circuit protection in wet-cell battery

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10256509-B2
Application number	US-201715426452-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 7, 2017
Priority date	Feb 7, 2017
Publication date	Apr 9, 2019
Grant date	Apr 9, 2019

Abstract

A wet cell battery, where a first cell in a wet-cell battery includes a set of anode electrodes and a set of cathode electrodes, and where electrically conductive debris accumulates on a surface inside the first cell to an expected height. An anode electrode in the set of anode electrodes has an anode end closest to the surface, and a cathode electrode in the set of cathode electrodes has a cathode end closest to the surface. A first gap distance between the anode end and the surface is different from a second gap distance between the cathode end and the surface. When the electrically conductive debris accumulates up to the expected height, the debris fails to make simultaneous electrical contact with the anode electrode and the cathode electrode due to the different gap distances.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a first cell in a wet-cell battery, the first cell comprising a set of anode electrodes and a set of cathode electrodes;
a surface inside the first cell, wherein electrically conductive debris accumulates on the surface to a height;
an anode electrode in the set of anode electrodes and a cathode electrode in the set of cathode electrodes, wherein the anode electrode has an anode end closest to the surface, wherein the cathode electrode has a cathode end closest to the surface, and wherein the anode electrode and the cathode electrode are configured to cause a first gap distance between the anode end and the surface to be different from a second gap distance between the cathode end and the surface; and
the electrically conductive debris, when accumulated up to the height, fails to make simultaneous electrical contact with the anode electrode and the cathode electrode due to the first gap distance being different from the second gap distance.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the debris reaches the height over a useful life of the wet-cell battery.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the debris comprises conductive material separating from at least one of the set of anode electrodes and the set of cathode electrodes.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the anode electrode comprises a plate having a flat shape and an edge, the edge forming the anode end.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the surface is substantially orthogonal to a direction of gravity acting on the wet-cell battery when the wet-cell battery is in use.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first gap distance is greater than the second gap distance, and wherein gap distances of each anode electrode in the set of anode electrodes is greater than the second gap distance.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second gap distance is greater than the first gap distance, and wherein gap distances of each cathode electrode in the set of cathode electrodes is greater than the first gap distance.

8. A method comprising:
constructing a first cell in a wet-cell battery, the first cell comprising a set of anode electrodes and a set of cathode electrodes;
identifying a surface inside the first cell, wherein electrically conductive debris accumulates on the surface to a height;
configuring, by causing a processor and a memory to manipulate a fabrication machine, an anode electrode in the set of anode electrodes and a cathode electrode in the set of cathode electrodes, wherein the anode electrode has an anode end closest to the surface, wherein the cathode electrode has a cathode end closest to the surface, and wherein the configuring causes a first gap distance between the anode end and the surface to be different from a second gap distance between the cathode end and the surface; and
preventing a short-circuit from the electrically conductive debris when the debris accumulates up to the height, by causing the debris to fail to make simultaneous electrical contact with the anode electrode and the cathode electrode due to the first gap distance being different from the second gap distance.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the debris reaches the height over a useful life of the wet-cell battery.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the debris comprises conductive material separating from at least one of the set of anode electrodes and the set of cathode electrodes.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the anode electrode comprises a plate having a flat shape and an edge, the edge forming the anode end.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the surface is substantially orthogonal to a direction of gravity acting on the wet-cell battery when the wet-cell battery is in use.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first gap distance is greater than the second gap distance, and wherein gap distances of each anode electrode in the set of anode electrodes is greater than the second gap distance.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the second gap distance is greater than the first gap distance, and wherein gap distances of each cathode electrode in the set of cathode electrodes is greater than the first gap distance.

15. A computer usable program product comprising one or more computer-readable storage mediums, and program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, the stored program instructions causing a processor to configure operations comprising:
constructing a first cell in a wet-cell battery, the first cell comprising a set of anode electrodes and a set of cathode electrodes;
identifying a surface inside the first cell, wherein electrically conductive debris accumulates on the surface to a height;
configuring, by causing a processor and a memory to manipulate a fabrication machine, an anode electrode in the set of anode electrodes and a cathode electrode in the set of cathode electrodes, wherein the anode electrode has an anode end closest to the surface, wherein the cathode electrode has a cathode end closest to the surface, and wherein the configuring causes a first gap distance between the anode end and the surface to be different from a second gap distance between the cathode end and the surface; and
preventing a short-circuit from the electrically conductive debris when the debris accumulates up to the height, by causing the debris to fail to make simultaneous electrical contact with the anode electrode and the cathode electrode due to the first gap distance being different from the second gap distance.

16. The computer usable program product of claim 15 , wherein the debris reaches the height over a useful life of the wet-cell battery.

17. The computer usable program product of claim 15 , wherein the debris comprises conductive material separating from at least one of the set of anode electrodes and the set of cathode electrodes.

18. The computer usable program product of claim 15 , wherein the anode electrode comprises a plate having a flat shape and an edge, the edge forming the anode end.

19. The computer usable program product of claim 15 , wherein the stored program instructions are stored in a computer readable storage device in a data processing system, and wherein the stored program instructions are transferred over a network from a remote data processing system.

20. The computer usable program product of claim 15 , wherein the stored program instructions are stored in a computer readable storage device in a server data processing system, and wherein the stored program instructions are downloaded over a network to a remote data processing system for use in a computer readable storage device associated with the remote data processing system.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Coq Marc H
• Fishbune Richard J
• Maresh Mark E
• Swenson Eric B

Classifications

• H01M10/12

  Construction or manufacture · CPC title

• H01M10/14 Primary

  Assembling a group of electrodes or separators · CPC title

• H01M10/16

  Suspending or supporting electrodes or groups of electrodes in the case · CPC title

• Y02P70/50

  Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product · CPC title

• Y02E60/10

  Energy storage using batteries · CPC title