Rechargeable battery with internal current limiter and interrupter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021344086-A1
Application number	US-202117370973-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 8, 2021
Priority date	Nov 25, 2014
Publication date	Nov 4, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

A high energy density rechargeable (HEDR) battery employs a combined current limiter/current interrupter to prevent thermal runaway in the event of internal discharge or other disruption of the separator. The combined current limiter/current interrupter is interior to the battery.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An improved high energy density rechargeable battery, comprising:
a first electrode; a first current collector for transferring electrons; a current interrupter interposed between the first electrode and the first current collector, wherein the current interrupter comprises a heat sensitive material configured to generate a gas upon activation of at least a temperature trigger, wherein the generating of the gas forms a nonconductive gap between the first electrode and the first current collector, and wherein the forming of the nonconductive gap electrically decouples the first electrode from the first current collector; a second electrode having an opposite polarity of the first electrode; and a separator interposed between the first electrode and the second electrode.

2 . The battery of claim 1 , further comprising a current limiter.

3 . The battery of claim 2 , further comprising a second current collector.

4 . The battery of claim 3 , wherein the current limiter is interposed between the second electrode and the second current collector.

5 . The battery of claim 2 , wherein the current limiter is interposed between the first electrode and the first current collector.

6 . The battery of claim 5 , wherein the current limiter and the current interrupter are simultaneously incorporated into a single protective layer interposed by lamination between the first electrode and the first current collector.

7 . The battery of claim 2 , wherein a resistivity of the current limiter is greater than the internal resistivity of the first electrode at temperatures above a temperature range for standard operation.

8 . The battery of claim 2 , wherein the resistivity of the current limiter does not transition at temperatures within the temperature range for standard operation.

9 . The battery of claim 2 , wherein the resistivity of the current limiter is less than the internal resistivity of the first electrode at temperatures within a temperature range for standard operation.

10 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the temperature trigger is activated when temperature exceeds a temperature range for standard operation.

11 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the heat sensitive material is further configured to generate the gas upon activation of a voltage trigger, and wherein the voltage trigger is activated when voltage exceeds a voltage range for standard operation.

12 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the first electrode and the first current collector are electrically coupled when the current interrupter is in an unengaged configuration, and wherein the nonconductive gap is formed between the first electrode and the first current collector when the current interrupter is in an engaged configuration.

13 . The battery of claim 12 , wherein the heat sensitive material is configured to transition the current interrupter from the unengaged configuration to the engaged configuration upon activation of at least the temperature trigger.

14 . The battery of claim 12 , wherein the first electrode and the first current collector are electrically coupled via a laminated connection provided by the current interrupter when the current interrupter is in the unengaged configuration, and wherein the forming of the nonconductive gap delaminates the laminated connection between the first electrode and the first current collector.

15 . A method, comprising:
forming a nonconductive gap between an electrode within a battery and a current collector, wherein the nonconductive gap is formed by a heat sensitive material that is adapted to generate a gas upon activation of least a temperature trigger, wherein the heat sensitive material comprises an interrupt layer interposed between the electrode and current collector, and wherein the forming of the nonconductive gap electrically decouples the electrode from the current collector.

Assignees

• American Lithium Energy Corp

Inventors

• Fan Jiang
• Wu Dengguo

Classifications

• Y02E60/10

  Energy storage using batteries · CPC title

• H01M50/574 Primary

  Devices or arrangements for the interruption of current · CPC title

• H01M2200/10

  Temperature sensitive devices · CPC title

• H01M10/4235 Primary

  Safety or regulating additives or arrangements in electrodes, separators or electrolyte (H01M10/4242 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01M10/058

  Construction or manufacture · CPC title