Nissan North America, Inc.

Nissan Motor Company Limited

Kyushu University

Kenzo Oshihara

Xiaoguang Hao

Yasuhiko Ohsawa

Taehee Han

Rameshwar Yadav

Gregory DiLeo

Ellazar Niangar

Peter Aurora

Nagappan Ramaswamy

Shinji Yamamoto

Atsushi Ito

Tomohiro Kaburagi

Ying Liu

Ryuuta Yamaguchi

Katsuo Suga

Jessica Weber

Masahiro Kishida

Sakae Takenaka

A method of making an electrode for a lithium ion battery includes providing a restricting media having a main body with opposing planar surfaces and depositing alloying particles on the opposing planar surfaces to form a restrained active particle layer. The restricting media can be a magnetic, electrochemically inactive material with an affinity for the alloying particles. The restricting media restrains expansion of the alloying particles during lithiation to a respective side of the restricting media. Electrodes include a current collector and an electrode material layer adjacent the current collector including the restricting media, the alloying particles deposited on the restricting media to form a restrained active particle layer, and a carbon material in contact with the alloying particles.

Electrodes with directionally restrained active materials and methods of restraint

Electrodes having at least one current correcting layer between the current collector and the separator drive electron flow in a direction perpendicular to the X-Y plane. Such an electrode includes a current collector, a first active material layer coated on the current collector, a first current correcting layer on the first active material layer opposite the current collector and a second active material layer on the first current correcting layer opposite the first active material layer. The first current correcting layer is a highly conductive, porous material that is not electrochemically active, the first current correcting layer being uniformly formed along an X-Y plane of the electrode.

Electrode having current correcting layers

A stress detector for detecting an in-situ stress profile of an electrode has a liquid cell, a holder configured to attach to one end of a sample electrode so that the sample electrode is cantilevered in the liquid cell, a piezo sensor comprising a piezo material in the liquid cell and having a movable end configured to contact the sample electrode and a fixed end fixedly engaged within the liquid cell and a measurement sensor in contact with the piezo sensor.

In-situ stress detector for an electrode and a method of use

Provided are methods and apparatus for charging a lithium sulfur (Li&#x2014;S) battery. The Li&#x2014;S battery has at least one unit cell comprising a lithium-containing anode and a sulfur-containing cathode with an electrolyte layer there between. One method provides controlled application of voltage pulses at the beginning of the charging process. An application period is initiated after a discharge cycle of the Li&#x2014;S battery is complete. During the application period, voltage pulses are provided to the Li&#x2014;S battery. The voltage pulses are less than a constant current charging voltage. Constant current charging is initiated after the application period has elapsed.

Lithium sulfur battery pulse charging method and pulse waveform

Electrochemical cells for lithium-sulfur batteries include a cathode comprising a sulfur containing material, an anode comprising lithium, a separator between the anode and cathode and an interlayer extending from a perimeter of the separator in a direction perpendicular to a stacking direction. The interlayer is configured to prevent polysulfide migration from the cathode to the anode.

Two compartment lithium sulfur cell and assembly method

An electrode comprises a current collector and a multi-layer active material formed on the current collector. The multi-layer active material includes at least one active composite unit having a first layer consisting essentially of a first carbon material having electrochemical activity and a binder and a second layer formed on the first layer comprising a high energy density material. A top layer is formed on the active composite unit consisting essentially of a second carbon material having electrochemical activity and a binder. The electrode provides even current distribution and compensates for particle volume expansion.

Electrode structure having alternating composite layers

Electrodes made with a matrix selectively loaded with particular active particles provide uniform distribution and reduce issues due to particle expansion. The electrode has a current collector, a separator and a matrix having first pores having a first size and second pores having a second size, the first size being larger than the second size, the second pores being uniformly distributed throughout the matrix; first active particles deposited in the first pores, the first active particles having a first particle size smaller than the first pores and larger than the second pores; and second active particles deposited in the second pores, the second active particles having a second particle size smaller than the second pores.

Electrode having a selectively loaded matrix and method of manufacturing

A positive electrode active material is provided for an electric device that contains a first active material comprising a transition metal oxide represented by formula (1): Li1.5[NiaCobMnc[Li]d]O3 (where a, b, c, and d satisfy the relationships: 0&#x3c;d&#x3c;0.5; a+b+c+d=1.5; and 1.0&#x3c;a+b+c&#x3c;1.5); and a second active material comprising a spinel transition metal oxide that has a crystal structure assigned to the space group Fd-3m, represented by formula (2): LiMa'Mn2&#x2212;a&#x2032;O4 (where M indicates at least one metal element having an atomic valence of 2-4, and a&#x2032; satisfies the relationship 0=a&#x2032;&#x3c;2.0). The fraction content of the first and second active material by mass ratio satisfies the relationship (3): 100:0 A:MB A indicates the mass of the first active material and MB indicates the mass of the second active material).

Positive electrode active material for electric device, positive electrode for electric device, and electric device

A transition metal oxide containing solid solution lithium contains a transition metal oxide containing lithium, which is represented by a chemical formula: Li[NiCoMn[Li]]Owhere 0&#x3c;a&#x3c;1.4; 0&#x2266;b&#x3c;1.4; 0&#x3c;c&#x3c;1.4; 0.1&#x3c;d&#x2266;0.4; a+b+c+d=1.5; and 1.1&#x2266;a+b+c&#x3c;1.4. The transition metal oxide containing lithium includes: a layered structure region; and a region changed to a spinel structure by being subjected to charge or charge/discharge in a predetermined potential range. When a ratio of an entire change from LiMnOwith a layered structure in a region to be changed to the spinel structure to LiMnOwith the spinel structure is defined to be 1, a spinel structure change ratio of the transition metal oxide containing lithium is 0.25 or more to less than 1.0.

Transition metal oxide containing solid solution lithium, non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery positive electrode and non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery

Methods and apparatus are provided for discharging a Li&#x2014;S battery having at least one battery unit comprising a lithium-containing anode and a sulfur-containing cathode with an electrolyte layer there between. One method comprises electrochemically surface treating the sulfur-containing cathode during discharge of the battery. A method of electrochemically surface treating a cathode of a lithium-sulfide battery comprises applying at least one oxidative voltage pulse during a pulse application period while the lithium-sulfur battery discharges and controlling pulse characteristics during the pulse application period, the pulse characteristics configured to affect a morphology of lithium sulfide forming on the sulfur-containing cathode during discharge.

Lithium sulfur battery cathode electrode surface treatment during discharge

The positive electrode active material includes a compound represented by the following composition formula:[Li][LiMnM]O(wherein x satisfies 0.1&#x2266;x&#x2266;0.5, and M is represented by NiCoMnin which &#x3b1;, &#x3b2; and &#x3b3; satisfyand, respectively), wherein a half width of the peak of a (001) crystal plane of the compound measured by X-ray diffraction is in a range fromtoinclusive, and an average primary particle diameter of the compound is in a range from&#x3bc;m to&#x3bc;m inclusive.

Positive electrode active material for lithium ion secondary battery

An electrode material, including: catalyst particles formed by performing inclusion, by a porous inorganic material, for a conductive support and metal particles arranged on the conductive support and/or metal particles brought into contact with the conductive support.

Electrode material

A fluid reforming apparatus of the present invention includes: a flow channel () in which a catalyst () is fixed to an inner wall; a fluid heating device () which heats a fluid to be reformed by the catalyst () and/or heats the catalyst () in the flow channel (); catalyst temperature measuring devices () which measure temperatures of the catalyst (); and a pressure control device () which controls a pressure of the fluid in the flow channel so that the fluid can have a target pressure. The pressure control device () increases the target pressure when a difference between the temperatures of the catalyst () in a flow direction of the fluid exceeds a predetermined value during a period while the fluid in the flow channel () is being heated up to a target temperature.

Fluid reforming apparatus for maintaining thermal conductivity of a fluid in a flow channel

A fluid heating apparatus heats fluid in a passage to a target temperature. The fluid heating apparatus includes a fluid heating unit that heats the fluid, a fluid temperature measuring unit that measures a temperature of the fluid, and a pressure control unit that controls a pressure in the passage such that the pressure becomes equal to a target pressure. While the fluid in the passage is heated to the target temperature and when a temperature estimated from the thermal conductivity and specific heat is not increased, the pressure control unit increases the target pressure. According to a fluid heating method, when the fluid is heated by the fluid heating apparatus, the pressure control unit controls the pressure of the fluid such that the pressure becomes equal to or higher than a critical pressure.

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Novi, MI, United States of America

Kenzo Oshihara