Hughes Electronics Corporation

He Holdings, Inc.

Barry G Gage

Steven J Stadnick

Robert K Taenaka

Allen R Powers

Michael A Allison

James M Hill

An electrochemical cell has electrode leads of different lengths extending from the terminals to the respective plate sets of the cell. The electrode leads have a cross-sectional area which varies along the length of the electrode leads, such that the electrical resistances of the electrode leads are substantially the same. Typically, each electrode lead has a first region having a first cross-sectional area, and a second region having a second cross-sectional area. The relative lengths of the first region and the second region of the electrode leads are varied to achieve the substantially constant total resistance.

Electrochemical cell with graded electrode leads

A battery cell terminal having structure for receiving a thermal conductor. The receiving structure may comprise a bore defined by an inner surface of the terminal. The thermal conductor may be a heat pipe or other suitable conductor. A layer of electrical insulation may be disposed between the terminal and the thermal conductor. The terminal conducts heat produced by electrodes in the cell to the thermal conductor which then conducts the heat to a heat sink.

Battery cell terminal

An energy storage cell includes a cylindrical pressure vessel, a porous ceramic coating on the interior surface of the pressure vessel, a plurality of insulating stripes of an electrically insulating polymeric coating on the interior surface of the porous ceramic coating, and a plurality of catalytic stripes of a catalytic material overlying the plurality of insulating stripes. The insulating material is preferably a polymer such as polytetrafluoroethylene. The catalytic material catalyzes the chemical combination of hydrogen and oxygen, and is preferably a mixture of platinum powder, polytetrafluoroethylene, and methocel. The insulating stripes and catalytic stripes lie around the circumference of the cylindrical pressure vessel and extend parallel to the cylindrical axis of the cylindrical pressure vessel. The energy storage cell further includes a plate stack having a plurality of plate sets within the wall of the pressure vessel, with the plate sets lying perpendicular to the cylindrical axis. Each plate set includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a separator between the positive electrode and the negative electrode. The separator contacts the porous ceramic coating between the stripes of the electrically insulating coating. There are, additionally, a screen between each plate set, an electrolyte within the pressure vessel, and a pair of electrical leads extending from the plate stack and through an electrical feedthrough in the wall of the pressure vessel to an exterior of the pressure vessel.

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La Crescenta, CA, United States of America

Barry G Gage