Assembled battery

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9728815-B2
Application number	US-201314383281-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 5, 2013
Priority date	Mar 8, 2012
Publication date	Aug 8, 2017
Grant date	Aug 8, 2017

Abstract

An assembled battery includes a plurality of air cells arranged in a horizontal direction and a plurality of connection flow paths. Each air cell includes a storage portion between a positive electrode and a metal negative electrode to store an electrolysis solution. The storage portions of the respective adjacent air cells communicate with each other by the respective connection flow paths. An insulation fluid for electrically insulating the electrolysis solution in the respective adjacent air cells is sealed in the respective connection flow paths.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An assembled battery comprising:
two or more air cells arranged in a horizontal direction, each air cell including a storage portion between a positive electrode and a metal negative electrode to store an electrolysis solution without circulating the electrolysis solution; and
a connection flow path member including one or more connection flow paths by which the storage portions of the respective adjacent air cells communicate with each other,
wherein an insulation fluid for electrically insulating the electrolysis solution in the respective adjacent air cells is sealed in the connection flow path member.

2. The assembled battery according to claim 1 , wherein the insulation fluid is sealed in each of the connection flow paths.

3. The assembled battery according to claim 2 , wherein the storage portions of the respective adjacent air cells communicate with each other by the respective connection flow paths below a liquid surface of the electrolysis solution stored in each of the storage portions.

4. The assembled battery according to claim 2 , further comprising an electrolysis solution supply system configured to supply the electrolysis solution to the respective air cells, the electrolysis solution supply system including an electrolysis solution supply passage by which the electrolysis solution supply system communicates with at least one of the storage portions of the air cells.

5. The assembled battery according to claim 2 , wherein each connection flow path includes an injection portion from which the insulation fluid is injected.

6. The assembled battery according to claim 2 , wherein each connection flow path is curved upward, and
the insulation fluid is a fluid having a density lower than that of the electrolysis solution.

7. The assembled battery according to claim 2 , wherein each connection flow path is curved downward, and
the insulation fluid is a fluid having a density higher than that of the electrolysis solution.

8. The assembled battery according to claim 1 , wherein two or more of the connection flow paths are formed,
the connection flow path member further includes a branching pipe by which the two or more connection flow paths communicate with each other, and
the insulation fluid is sealed in the branching pipe.

9. The assembled battery according to claim 8 , further comprising an electrolysis solution supply system configured to supply the electrolysis solution to the respective air cells, the electrolysis solution supply system including an electrolysis solution supply passage by which the electrolysis solution supply system communicates with the branching pipe.

10. The assembled battery according to claim 9 , wherein the electrolysis solution supply system concurrently serves as a supply system of the insulation fluid.

11. The assembled battery according to claim 8 , wherein the branching pipe includes an external electrode to electrolyze the electrolysis solution in the branching pipe.

12. The assembled battery according to claim 10 , further comprising:
a supply control unit configured to control an operation of the electrolysis solution supply system; and
an insulation detection unit configured to detect an insulation state due to the insulation fluid sealed in the branching pipe,
wherein the supply control unit supplies the insulation fluid when a result detected by the insulation detection unit is unacceptable.

13. The assembled battery according to claim 9 , further comprising:
a supply control unit configured to control an operation of the electrolysis solution supply system; and
an inclination detection unit configured to detect an inclination state of the assembled battery,
wherein the supply control unit stops supplying the electrolysis solution when an inclination detected by the inclination detection unit is a predetermined value or greater.

14. The assembled battery according to claim 1 , wherein each air cell includes an exterior plate on a periphery thereof, and
the respective exterior plates are integrated with the respective connection flow paths, and in a state where the air cells adjacent to each other are connected together, the connection flow path formed on the exterior plate of one air cell communicates with the connection flow path formed on the exterior plate of another air cell.

Assignees

• Nissan Motor

Inventors

• Nagayama Mori
• Miyazawa Atsushi

Classifications

• H01M50/609

  Arrangements or processes for filling with liquid, e.g. electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M8/04283 Primary

  Supply means of electrolyte to or in matrix-fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M12/02 Primary

  Details (of electrodes H01M4/00; of non-active parts H01M50/00) · CPC title

• H01M12/065

  with plate-like electrodes or stacks of plate-like electrodes · CPC title

• H01M2/362

  Electricity · mapped topic