Electric vehicle battery cell with internal series connection stacking

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018233768-A1
Application number	US-201715432390-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 14, 2017
Priority date	Feb 14, 2017
Publication date	Aug 16, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A battery module includes a plurality of battery cells connected in series, each battery cell having a cathode, an anode, and a separator separating the cathode and the anode, and a bipolar current collector; a plurality of polymer frames, each having a window to receive part of the one of the plurality of battery cells; two of the plurality of polymer frames defining a compartment; and electrolyte filling the compartment for one of the plurality of battery cells. A method is also provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A battery module comprising:
a plurality of battery cells connected in series, each battery cell having a cathode, an anode, and a separator separating the cathode and the anode, and a bipolar current collector; a plurality of polymer frames, each having a window to receive part of the one of the plurality of battery cells; and two of the plurality of polymer frames defining a compartment, the compartment being filled with an electrolyte.

2 . The battery module as recited in claim 1 further comprising a housing connected to the polymer frames, the housing forming part of the compartment.

3 . The battery module as recited in claim 1 wherein the electrolyte is a liquid or gel electrolyte.

4 . The battery module as recited in claim 1 wherein the polymer frames include polyethylene or polypropylene.

5 . The battery module as recited in claim 1 wherein polymer frames are fixed to the bipolar current collector or the separator.

6 . The battery module as recited in claim 1 wherein the bipolar current collector is made of aluminum with a nickel-coated side.

7 . The battery module as recited in claim 6 wherein the nickel-coated side is directly attached to one of the polymer frames.

8 . The battery module as recited in claim 1 wherein the polymer frame has at least one feed hole for a rod.

9 . A method for manufacturing a battery module comprising:
stacking a plurality of battery cell units, each battery cell unit including a polymer frame having a window and a battery cell having a cathode, an anode, and a separator separating the cathode and the anode, and a bipolar current collector, the window receiving part of the battery cell; connecting the polymer frames, two of the plurality of polymer frames defining a compartment; and filling the compartment with electrolyte.

10 . The method as recited in claim 9 further comprising attaching a housing to the frames, the housing defining part of the compartment.

11 . The method as recited in claim 9 wherein the electrolyte is a liquid or gel electrolyte.

12 . The method as recited in claim 9 wherein the connecting includes sealing the polymer frames to the housing so that the compartment is a sealed compartment.

13 . The method as recited in claim 9 wherein the polymer frames are stacked using a rod interacting with a feed hole in the polymer frames.

14 . An electric vehicle battery comprising a plurality of the battery modules, each battery module as recited in claim 1 .

15 . An electric vehicle comprising the electric vehicle battery as recited in claim 14 .

Assignees

• Volkswagen Ag
• Audi Ag
• Porsche Ag

Inventors

• Herrmann Mirko
• Speidel Angela

Classifications

• H01M10/0418 Primary

  with bipolar electrodes · CPC title

• H01M10/0525 Primary

  Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries · CPC title

• H01M2220/20

  Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane · CPC title

• H01M4/661

  Metal or alloys, e.g. alloy coatings (H01M4/669 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01M4/667

  in the form of layers, e.g. coatings · CPC title