Lithium-sulfur cylindrical cell configured for direct contact

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024372186-A1
Application number	US-202418771946-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 12, 2024
Priority date	Jul 23, 2021
Publication date	Nov 7, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

A battery includes a cylindrical shell defining an inner volume and a jelly roll disposed within the inner volume. The jelly roll includes an anode comprising lithium configured as a freestanding assembly having first and second sides, a double-sided cathode having a cathode current collector sandwiched between sulfur-containing first and second cathode layers, a first separator between the anode first side and cathode first layer, and a second separator in direct contact with the anode second side and cathode second layer. The double-sided cathode comprises particles each including a first zone of first pores and a second zone of second pores. The battery provides a lithium-sulfur cylindrical cell configuration with a freestanding lithium anode and double-sided sulfur cathode structure.

First claim

1 . A battery comprising:
a cylindrical shell defining an inner volume; and a jelly roll disposed within the inner volume of the cylindrical shell, the jelly roll comprising: an anode comprising lithium, wherein the anode is configured as a freestanding assembly having a first side and a second side, a double-sided cathode, the double-sided cathode having a cathode current collector sandwiched between a sulfur-containing first layer of the cathode and a sulfur-containing second layer of the cathode, a first separator between the first side of the anode and the first layer of the double-sided cathode, and a second separator in direct contact with the second side of the anode and with the second layer of the double-sided cathode; wherein the double-sided cathode comprises a plurality of particles, wherein each of the particles includes a first zone of first pores and a second zone of second pores.

2 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the first pores have a uniform pore size.

3 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the second zone concentrically positioned relative to the first zone and separated from the first zone by at least some of the first pores.

4 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the second pores have a pore size that gradually decreases along a radial direction from the center of the particle to a boundary of the particle.

5 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the double-sided cathode includes a plurality of aggregates, each including a multitude of the particles joined together.

6 . The battery of claim 5 , wherein each agglomerate of the plurality of aggregates includes a multitude of the aggregates joined together.

7 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the double-sided cathode includes mesoporous carbon-based particles.

8 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein each mesoporous carbon-based particle of the mesoporous carbon-based particles includes a plurality of electrically conductive 3D aggregates.

9 . The battery of claim 8 , wherein the electrically conductive 3D aggregates are formed of graphene sheets randomly sintered together to form a 3D hierarchical open porous structure including mesoscale structuring in combination with micron-scale fractal structuring.

10 . The battery of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of electrically conductive 3D aggregates is configured to provide electrical conduction between contact points of the graphene sheets.

11 . The battery of claim 9 , wherein the first zone and the second zone include a porous arrangement defining a plurality of interconnected porous channels formed in the 3D hierarchical open porous structure.

12 . The battery of claim 11 , wherein the porous arrangement is configured to facilitate ion transport through at least some interconnected porous channels.

13 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the second zone has a second electrical conductivity that is lower than a first electrical conductivity of the first zone.

14 . The battery of claim 1 , further comprising an electrolyte disposed in the battery, wherein the electrolyte is configured to inhibit transport of lithium-containing polysulfide intermediate species from the cathode to the anode.

15 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first separator or the second separator is configured for ion flow.

16 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the cylindrical shell has a diameter in a range from approximately 18.4 millimeters to approximately 18.6 millimeters and a length in a range from approximately 65.1 millimeters to approximately 65.3 millimeters.

17 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the cylindrical shell is congruent with an 18650 cell.

18 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the double-sided cathode includes carbonaceous cathode active material including graphite, graphene nanoplatelets adjoined to one another, spherical fullerenes, carbon nano onions (CNOs), amorphous carbon, or any combination thereof.

19 . The battery of claim 18 , wherein the carbonaceous cathode active material comprises one or more films of interconnected agglomerates of tri-zone carbon particles.

20 . The battery of claim 19 , wherein the tri-zone particles include carbonaceous fragments nested within each other and separated from adjacent carbonaceous fragments by mesopores.

Assignees

• Lyten Inc

Inventors

• Bell Jeffrey
• Tuncer Engin
• Favors Zach
• Taing Brandan
• Baucom Jesse

Classifications

• H01M4/38

  of elements or alloys · CPC title

• H01M10/0525

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

• H01M50/572

  Means for preventing undesired use or discharge · CPC title

• H01M4/661

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

• H01M2004/027

  Negative electrodes · CPC title