Ovonic Battery Company, Inc.

Energy Conversion Devices, Inc.

Texaco Ovonic Battery Systems, LLC

Chevron Texaco Technology Ventures, LLC

Marshall D Muller

Lin R Higley

Dennis A Corrigan

Stanford R Ovshinsky

Rajeev Puttaiah

Philippe Gow

Anthony Osgood

John Smaga

Arthur Holland

Ronald Himmler

Joshua Payne

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

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

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

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.

Growing community of inventors

Farmington, MI, United States of America

Marshall D Muller