Hughes Aircraft Company

Ovonic Battery Company, Inc.

Energy Conversion Devices, Inc.

Texaco Ovonic Battery Systems, LLC

Chevron Texaco Technology Ventures, LLC

Ovanic Battery Company, Inc.

Lin R Higley

Dennis A Corrigan

Stanford R Ovshinsky

Philippe Gow

Anthony Osgood

Marshall D Muller

Srinivasan Venkatesan

Arthur Holland

Ronald Himmler

Kenneth Laming

Subhash K Dhar

Donn Fillmore

Rajeev Puttaiah

Nick Karditsas

Carl W Townsend

Andrew Kindler

Frank A Ludwig

John McHardy

John Smaga

Lawrence S Prince

Joshua Payne

Janet L Dalke

Michael Marchio

A nano-particulate reticulated foam-like structure, which includes particles having a size of 10-200 nanometers. The particles are joined together to form a reticulated foam-like structure. The reticulated foam-like structure is similar to the structure of carbon nano-foam. The nano-particulate reticulated foam-like structure may comprise a metal, such as a hydrogen storage ahoy, either a gas-phase thermal or an electrochemical hydrogen storage alloy. The nano-particulate reticulated foam-like structure may alternatively comprise a hydroxide such as nickel hydroxide or manganese hydroxide or an oxide, such as a silver oxide or a copper oxide. When the nano-particulate reticulated foam-like structure is a hydrogen storage alloy, the material exhibits substantial immunity to hydrogen cycling decrepitation and an increase in the reversible hydrogen storage capacity by reduction of trapped hydrogen by at least 10% as compared to the same alloy in bulk form.

Reticulated foam-like structure formed of nano-scale particulate

A battery having at least one group of electric power-generating elements each comprising at least a positive electrode, a negative electrode and a separator; and a battery case containing the group of electric power-generating elements. The battery case is formed from a mixture which includes a matrix material selected from the group consisting of plastics, polymers, resins or combinations thereof. The mixture further includes a thermally conductive, electrically insulating material distributed throughout the matrix material. The thermally conductive material has a thermal conductivity at least one order of magnitude higher than the thermal conductivity of the matrix material. The present invention also includes battery cases (lids and containers) used in making the batteries and formed of the mixture.

Battery employing thermally conductive polymer case

Mechanically and thermally improved rechargeable batteries, modules and fluid-cooled battery pack systems. The battery is prismatic in shape with an optimized thickness to width to height aspect ratio which provides the battery with balanced optimal properties when compared with prismatic batteries lacking this optimized aspect ratio. The fluid-cooled battery pack includes; 1) a battery-pack case having coolant inlet and outlet; 2) battery modules within the case such that the battery module is spaced from the case walls and from other battery modules to form coolant flow channels along at least one surface of the bundled batteries; and 3) at least one coolant transport means. The width of the coolant flow channels allows for maximum heat transfer.

Mechanical and thermal improvements in metal hydride batteries, battery modules, and battery packs

A rechargeable multi-cell battery including a plurality of electrochemical cells. Each of the cells includes a gas port that allows passage of cell gases into and out of the cell but prevent passage of cell electrolyte out of the cell. The gas port may be a gas permeable membrane. The multi-cell batter may be a bipolar battery.

Multi-cell battery

Mechanically and thermally improved rechargeable batteries, modules and fluid-cooled battery pack systems. The battery is prismatic in shape with an optimized thickness to width to height aspect ratio which provides the battery with balanced optimal properties when compared with prismatic batteries lacking this optimized aspect ratio. The optimized thickness, width and height allow for maximum capacity and power output, while eliminating deleterious side affects. The battery case design allows for unidirectional expansion which is readily compensated for by applying external mechanical compression counter to that direction. In the module, the batteries are bound within a module bundling/compression means under external mechanical compression which is optimized to balance outward pressure due to expansion and provide additional inward compression to reduce the distance between the positive and negative electrodes, thereby increasing overall battery power. The fluid-cooled battery pack includes; 1) a battery-pack case having coolant inlet and outlet; 2) battery modules within the case such that the battery module is spaced from the case walls and from other battery modules to form coolant flow channels along at least one surface of the bundled batteries; and 3) at least one coolant transport means. The width of the coolant flow channels allows for maximum heat transfer. Finally the batteries, modules and packs can also include means for providing variable thermal insulation to at least that portion of the rechargeable battery system which is most directly exposed to said ambient thermal condition, so as to maintain the temperature of the rechargeable battery system within the desired operating range thereof under variable ambient conditions.

Mechanical and thermal improvements in metal hydride batteries, battery modules and battery packs

A multi-cell monoblock battery in which a plurality of electrochemical cells are disposed in a battery case. The battery case includes one or more cell partitions which divide the interior of the case into a plurality of cell compartments that house the electrochemical cells. Preferably, one or more coolant channels are integrally formed with at least one of the cell partitions. The coolant channels may have inlets and outlets disposed in the walls of the battery case so as to provide a cross-flow cooling design.

Monoblock battery assembly with cross-flow cooling

An electrochemical cell having electrodes that are arranged in a zigzag configuration with folds and creases. Additional electrodes may be inserted within the folds of the zigzag configuration. Preferably, the electrochemical cell is a prismatic cell.

Electrochemical cell with zigzag electrodes

Mechanically and thermally improved rechargeable batteries and modules. The battery is prismatic in shape with an optimized thickness to width to height aspect ratio which provides the battery with balanced optimal properties when compared with prismatic batteries lacking this optimized aspect ratio. The optimized thickness, width and height allow for maximum capacity and power output, while eliminating deleterious side affects. The battery case design allows for unidirectional expansion which is readily compensated for by applying external mechanical compression counter to that direction. In the module, the batteries are bound within a module bundling/compression means under external mechanical compression which is optimized to balance outward pressure due to expansion and provide additional inward compression to reduce the distance between the positive and negative electrodes, thereby increasing overall battery power. Finally the batteries, modules and packs thereof can also include means for providing variable thermal insulation to at least that portion of the rechargeable battery system which is most directly exposed to ambient thermal conditions, so as to maintain the temperature of the rechargeable battery system within the desired operating range thereof under variable ambient conditions.

A multiple cell monoblock battery in which a plurality of electrochemical cells are disposed in a plastic or metal case and each of the cells includes an enclosure providing for gas to exit while preventing electrolyte to exit the enclosure. A novel integral system of flow channels allows liquid coolant to flow between adjacent cells. Other special features, such as cell interconnections are described.

Monoblock battery assembly

Mechanical and thermal improvements in metal hydride batteries, battery

A robust terminal for a prismatic battery comprising a terminal post, and a connector strap mechanically joined to the terminal post. Electrode tabs are mechanically joined to the connector strap. Connection points between the tabs and the connector strap have two or more degrees of freedom.

Robust terminal for rechargeable prismatic batteries

A beta-double prime aluminum oxide solid electrolyte (24) is prepared for wetting by a liquid electrode material. The method includes mechanically rubbing an asperity-filling metal against the surface (32) of the solid electrolyte (24) until the solid electrolyte (24) turns gray in color, which fills in asperities (34) in the surface (32) of the electrolyte (24). The electrolyte (24) and deposited asperity-filling metal (36) are heated to a temperature above the melting point of sodium, and sodium is de posited onto the electrolyte surface (32) and permitted to wick along the surface (32).

Treatment of solid electrolytes to promote wettability

A high-storage-capacity electrical storage battery (20) includes a plurality of fiber anodes (22), a plurality of fiber cathodes (28) bundled together and interspersed with the fiber anodes (22), and an electrolyte in the interstices (40) between the fiber anodes (22) and the fiber cathodes (28). The fiber anodes (22) and the fiber cathodes (28) include anode fibers (24) and cathode fibers (30) that are each preferably of a diameter of 0.010-0.050 inches. A tubular compliant lateral casing (44) laterally surrounds the fiber anodes (22), the fiber cathodes (28), and the electrolyte. A compliant end plate (46) is sealed to the lateral casing (44) at each end thereof with an end of each fiber anode (22) extending out of a first end plate at a first end of the battery (20), and an end of each fiber cathode extending out of a second end plate at a second end of the battery (20). A protective metallic housing (45) overlies the compliant lateral casing (44). Two metallic collector plates (48) form contacts at each end to the fiber anodes (22) and fiber cathodes (28), respectively.

Battery having fiber electrodes

An electrical device such as a battery (20) or capacitor is formed as alternating facing layers of an array of fibrous electrodes. The fibrous electrodes (24) of one set of layers are connected at one end (36) of the array, and the fibrous electrodes (30) of the alternating set of layers are connected at the other end (38) of the array. The fibrous electrodes (24, 30) of the two layers, taken together, preferably have a two-dimensional close-packed arrangement. Desirably, no connection is made to at least one of each pair of any shorted electrodes that may be present.

Growing community of inventors

Troy, MI, United States of America

Lin R Higley