Bipolar electrochemical Li-ion battery having increased capacity

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9318748-B2
Application number	US-201214114112-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 25, 2012
Priority date	Apr 26, 2011
Publication date	Apr 19, 2016
Grant date	Apr 19, 2016

Abstract

A bipolar lithium-ion electrochemical battery having increased capacity.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A bipolar Li-ion electrochemical battery comprising:
at least two electrochemical compartments arranged adjacent to each other while being electrically connected in series, each of the compartments comprising:
at least one first electrically conductive substrate acting as a first current collector comprising two faces, wherein a first face supports an electrode according to at least one pattern and the second face supports an electrode according to two patterns at a mutual distance defining an area devoid of patterns, wherein one of the two patterns of the second face is supported in a same area as the pattern of the first face and the first substrate is bent at the area devoid of patterns to obtain a U shape with one pattern from the first face opposite one pattern from the second face;
at least one second electrically conductive substrate acting as a second current collector comprising two faces, wherein a first face supports an electrode according to at least one pattern and the second face supports an electrode according to two patterns at a mutual distance defining an area devoid of patterns, wherein one of the two patterns of the second face is supported in a same area as the pattern of the first face and the second substrate is bent at the area devoid of patterns to obtain a U shape with one pattern from the first face opposite one pattern from the second face;
an electrically insulating separator impregnated with an electrolyte and bent according to an accordion shape nested in each of the U shapes of the first and second substrates which are in turn nested in each other, such that the separator impregnated with electrolyte is in contact with each of the electrode patterns;
wherein, for each of the compartments, at least one of the first and second substrates forming the end substrates has a face with precisely one electrode pattern;
wherein, for each of the compartments, the electrode patterns of a same substrate have a same polarity;
wherein, for each of the compartments, the electrode patterns of the second substrate have opposite polarity of those of the electrode of the first substrate;
wherein all the first or second substrates of one of the compartments are in continuous electrical contact with material continuity with all the second or first substrates of another of the adjacent compartments respectively, via the areas thereof devoid of electrode forming the base of the U shapes;
wherein the electrode of the substrates of one compartment, in continuous electrical contact, have opposite polarity of those of the substrates of the other adjacent compartment, in continuous electric contact, thus defining a bipolar current collector;
the battery further comprising an electrically insulating seal arranged on each peripheral edge of each compartment not coated with a substrate or with the continuous electrical contact area with material continuity between substrates, so as to seal the electrolytes and isolate the compartments from ambient air.

2. A bipolar Li-ion electrochemical battery according to claim 1 , wherein the electrically insulating seal includes a resin or an adhesive.

3. A bipolar Li-ion electrochemical battery according to claim 1 , comprising:
two end current collectors each including a strip, including one connected to the face of an end substrate of one compartment adjacent with one other compartment and comprising a single electrode pattern and the other to the face of an end substrate of the other compartment adjacent with one other compartment and comprising a single electrode pattern, wherein the electrode patterns connected to one of the two strips have opposite polarity to those of the electrode connected to the other strip;
a flexible container configured to contain the compartments tightly while being traversed by a portion of the strips acting as a battery charge pole.

4. A bipolar Li-ion electrochemical battery according to claim 1 , comprising:
two end current collectors each including a strip, including one connected to the face of the end substrate of one compartment adjacent with one other compartment and comprising a single electrode pattern and the other to the face of the end substrate of the other compartment adjacent with one other compartment and comprising a single electrode pattern, wherein the electrode patterns connected to one of the two strips have opposite polarity to those of the electrode connected to the other strip;
an electrically insulating film coating free faces of each compartment while being traversed by a portion of the strips;
a rigid metallic container acting as a housing configured to contain the compartments coated by the electrically insulating film, wherein the strips are each connected to a contact protruding from the metallic housing each acting as one of the battery charge poles and one of the poles is electrically insulated from the metallic housing by a further electrically insulating seal arranged in an annular manner relative to the contact.

5. A bipolar Li-ion electrochemical battery according to claim 1 , wherein each substrate acting as a current collector is a metallic strip or grid with at least one face covered with a metallic strip.

6. A bipolar Li-ion electrochemical battery according to claim 1 , wherein each substrate acting as a current collector is made of aluminum or copper.

7. A bipolar Li-ion electrochemical battery according to claim 1 , wherein all the compartments are identical to each other.

8. A bipolar Li-ion electrochemical battery according to claim 1 , wherein each separator is a microporous film, or polyolefin, ceramics, or PVDF type polymer.

9. A bipolar Li-ion electrochemical battery according to claim 1 , wherein all the negative lithium insertion material-based electrode patterns are based on Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 and all the positive lithium insertion material-based electrode patterns are based on LiFePO 4 .

10. A bipolar Li-ion electrochemical battery according to claim 1 , wherein each electrolyte is a carbonated electrolyte containing a lithium salt, or LiPF 6 .

11. A method for producing a bipolar Li-ion electrochemical battery including at least two electrochemical compartments arranged adjacent to each other while electrically connected in series, the method comprising:
A) for each electrochemical compartment, executing at least once:
a) depositing, on a first face of an electrically conductive substrate acting as a first current collector, at least one electrode pattern and, on a second face of the first substrate opposite the first face, two electrode patterns having a same sign as the pattern of the first face, wherein the two patterns are at a mutual distance defining an area devoid of patterns and one of the two patterns of the second face is deposited in a same area as the pattern of the first face;
b) bending the first electrically conductive substrate substantially into a U shape;
c) implementing a) and b) with a second electrically conductive substrate acting as a second current collector and depositing three electrode patterns having opposite polarity to those deposited on the first substrate; dimensions of the first and second substrates after bending being substantially equal to each other;
d) bending an electrically insulating separator substantially into an accordion shape;
e) nesting the separator after bending into the first and second substrates, each after bending and nesting in each other such that the accordion-shaped separator fits closely to each electrode pattern and peripheral edges of the substrates;
f) producing seals on peripheral edges of the end substrates of the compartment and on one of peripheral edges of the substrates

Assignees

• Chami Marianne
• Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives

Inventors

• Chami Marianne

Classifications

• H01M50/417

  Polyolefins · CPC title

• H01M50/434

  Ceramics · CPC title

• H01M50/426

  Fluorocarbon polymers · CPC title

• Y02P70/50

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

• H01M4/661

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