Nissan Motor Company Limited

Kao Corporation

Mikio Kawai

Hideaki Horie

Takaaki Abe

Toyoaki Nakagawa

Ken Iwai

Yasuhiko Ohsawa

Yuji Tanjo

Yuuji Tanjo

Osamu Shimamura

Tatsuhiro Fukuzawa

Masazumi Ishikawa

Teruko Yoshimoto

Hiroshi Akama

Junji Ito

Masashi Ito

Takamitsu Saito

Kenichi Nishimura

Kazuo Oki

Kazuhiko Shinohara

Yuuji Tanjou

Yasuhisa Fukumoto

Ryuichi Akagi

Tamaki Miura

Taketo Kaneko

Yasuyuki Murofushi

Harutoshi Miyagi

Tomaru Ogawa

Takao Kase

Mikio Ura

Mieko Kawai, Legal Representative

Hitoshi Kunimi

A secondary battery electrode, which is formed by stacking an electrode active material layer (I) containing spinel-structured lithium manganate as an electrode active material and an electrode active material layer (II) containing, as an electrode active material, a composite oxide represented by the following Chemical formula (1) in a thickness direction of the electrode, in which the electrode active material layer (I) is disposed in contact with a current collector, and an average particle diameter of the composite oxide is smaller than an average particle diameter of the spinel-structured lithium manganate. In such a way, it is possible to provide a secondary battery electrode capable of realizing a secondary battery excellent in both of a volumetric energy density and a volumetric output density.LiCoNiMnMO&#x2003;&#x2003;(1)

Secondary battery electrode, and secondary battery using the same

The present invention provides a composite positive electrode material for a lithium ion battery, which is particularly excellent in high-rate discharge characteristics in a battery, and also provides a slurry, positive electrode and battery using the composite positive electrode material. The composite positive electrode material for a lithium ion battery contains: a positive electrode active material (a); a conductive material (b) having a primary particle diameter of 10 to 100 nm and/or a fibrous conductive material (c) having a fiber diameter of 1 nm to 1 &#x3bc;m; and a conductive material (d) having an aspect ratio of 2 to 50.

Composite positive electrode material for lithium ion battery and battery using the same

A rechargeable lithium ion battery with high power density comprises a positive electrode; a negative electrode; and a non-aqueous electrolytic solution, in which the positive electrode includes a active material layer containing a positive electrode active material with the particle diameter of 5 &#x3bc;m or less and having the thickness at a range of 20 to 80 &#x3bc;m. Another rechargeable lithium ion battery with high power density comprises a positive electrode; a negative electrode; and a non-aqueous electrolytic solution, in which the positive electrode has two active material layers, each of which contains a positive electrode active material with a different diameter and has the thickness at a range of 20 to 30 &#x3bc;m.

Rechargeable lithium ion battery

A fuel vapor treatment or recovery system for an automotive internal combustion engine. The system comprises a canister containing a fuel vapor adsorbing material. A membrane separation module is provided to be connected to the canister and including a separation membrane for separating a mixture gas into an air-rich component and a fuel vapor-rich component. The separation membrane has an air-selective permeability so that the air-rich component is be able to pass through the separation membrane, the mixture gas containing air and fuel vapor. Additionally, a gas transporting device is provided to be connected to the canister, for causing purge gas to be introduced into the canister to purge fuel vapor from the fuel vapor adsorbing material and causing fuel vapor purged from the canister to be fed to the membrane separation module. Here, the fuel vapor-rich component is fed to an intake air passageway of an engine so that vacuum generated by the engine acts on the separation membrane so as to serve as a driving force for membrane separation. Further, the air-rich component from the membrane separation module is returned to the fuel tank so that fuel vapor component contained in the fuel vapor-rich component is recovered to the fuel tank upon being subjected to at least one of liquefaction and absorption to liquid fuel in the fuel tank.

Fuel vapor treatment system

A multilayer battery cell comprises an ion-conductive separator film. A positive electrode layer is disposed on one surface of the separator film. A negative electrode layer is disposed on the other surface of the separator film. A first conductive layer is disposed on the positive electrode layer and electrically connected to the same. A second conductive layer is disposed on the negative electrode layer and electrically connected to the same. The positive and negative electrode layers and the first and second conductive layers are each produced by employing a spraying process.

Multilayer battery cell and method of producing same

There is provided a positive electrode comprising positive electrode active material granules which each are composed of lithium manganate; and a first surface layer which is formed on each of the positive electrode active material granules and is to transmit lithium (Li) ion but not manganese (Mn) ion therethrough.

Manganese-lithium ion electrolytic cell

A vehicle (V) includes a battery enclosure (,) enclosing a battery system (B). Each battery (B,) includes a cell (,) that comprises a rolled lamination (LM) of a positive sheet electrode (,) having layers (,) of positive-pole-oriented active substance coated on both side of a charge collecting sheet (,), a negative sheet electrode (,) having layers (,) of negative-pole-oriented active substance coated on both sides of another charge collecting sheet (,), and electrolyte-containing separator (,) between the layers of active substances. The batter further includes a cell enclosure (,) totally enclosing the cell. A gas effluent system (,) for the battery system comprises a gas release system (RS,) for generated gas in the cell of each battery to be released outside the cell enclosure, and a gas discharge system (DS) for released gas to be discharged outside the battery enclosure. The gas release system comprises gas release circuitry including a network (NT) of blanks (Cp: P&equals;1,2, . . . , q, . . . ) formed in the lamination, e.g. pointed or zoned blanks (,A,,) formed in the layer(s) of active substance(s) and/or the charge collecting electrode(s), a blank space (Sp) between the cell and the cell enclosure, and release valve (,). The gas discharge system comprises a gas discharge circuit (DC) communicable with the gas release circuitry, and provided as a draft controllable ducting (,) defined between a floor panel (,) of vehicle body (VB) and a wall of the battery enclosure.

Battery and gas effluent system therefor

A cell which has become inactive is detected in a multi-cell battery (,) comprising plural cells (C,). An inactivity detecting circuit comprising a signal generator (D,) and a diode (D,) connected in series, is connected in parallel with the cell (C,) When the cell becomes inactive, the signal generator (D,) emits a signal to indicate the state of the cell. Hence, it is possible to economically detect loss of cell activity.

Battery inactivation detection device

This invention relates to a lithium ion multi-cell battery (15) wherein plural lithium ion cells (C.sub.n) are arranged in series. Each cell comprises a positive electrode of manganese/spinal oxide and a negative electrode. A first Zener diode (Z.sub.n 1) and first resistor (R.sub.n 1) are connected in series between the electrodes. By setting the Zener voltage (VZ1) of the first Zener diode (Z.sub.n 1) equal to the cell voltage VL of the responding cell (C.sub.n) when positive electrode crystal phase transport stars in that cell (C.sub.n), the charge amount of each cell is made uniform.

Charge controlling device and method for multi-cell battery, and

A state of charge indicator of a lithium ion battery computes a state of charge (SOC) corresponding to a cell open circuit voltage from a SOC-cell open circuit voltage characteristic map, and displays the SOC on a display device. Herein, the SOC-cell open circuit voltage characteristics are obtained by defining the battery charge amount when the open circuit voltage of the cell is 3.9 V as SOC=100%, and defining the battery charge amount when the open circuit voltage of the cell is 3.5 V as SOC=100%. By defining SOC=100% and SOC=0% in this way, the SOC can be correctly computed and displayed even if the battery has deteriorated.

State of charge indicator

An inductor (L), capacitor (C) and alternator (OSC) are connected in series to the positive and negative poles of a battery (15). The temperature of the battery (15) is increased by causing the alternator (OSC) to generate an alternating current having the resonance frequency of the inductor (L) and capacitor (C). The alternating current is consumed by the internal resistance of the battery (15) due to the resonance of the inductor (L) and capacitor (C), and the temperature of the battery (15) therefore rises due to the heat thereby generated in the battery. In this way, the temperature of the battery (15) can be effectively increased with minimum power consumption.

Battery temperature increasing device and method

The invention relates to a variable light transmittance glass board which is an electrochromic cell in principle and is comprised of oppositely arranged two transparent glass substrates each of which is laid with a transparent electrode film, first and second electrochromic layers formed on the two electrode films, respectively, by using tungsten trioxide for the first layer and Prussian blue for the second layer and an electrolyte liquid which fills up the space remaining between the two electrode films. The electrolyte liquid is a solution of a conventional supporting electrolyte such as lithium perchlorate in an organic polar solvent such as propylene carbonate. Durability of both electrochromic layers at elevated temperatures is greatly improved by adding 0.2-3.0 wt % of water to the organic polar solvent. By using one or two auxiliary electrode(s) comprising an electrochemically oxidizable and reducible material and being disposed in a marginal region of the space between the two glass substrates, it is possible to prevent the appearance of the glass board from being marred by partial decomposition of the electrolyte liquid at the initial reduction of one electrochromic layer. A polymer of a conjugated compound, e.g. polytriphenylamine, is very advantageous as the electrochemically active material in each auxiliary electrode.

Variable light transmittance glass board functional as electrochromic

The disclosure relates to a novel polymer which is made up of repeating units of N,N,N'N'-tetrapheny-p-phenylenediamine. This polymer is thermoplastic and is soluble in industrially usable organic solvents. The polymer acquires high conductivity by doping with an electron acceptor. The polymer becomes insoluble in organic solvents when it is once doped with an electron acceptor and then dedoped, so that the polymer can be used as an active electrode material in electrolytic devices using an organic solvent. The polymer has electrochromic properties and undergoes two-stage oxidation and two-stage reduction to assume three differently stable states. The polymer exhibits pale yellow color in its reduced state, green color in the first-stage oxidized state and dark blue color in the second-stage oxidized state.

Electrochromic polymer comprising

A novel polymer of triphenylamine, which may be a homopolymer of 4,4',4'-triphenylamine units, a copolymer of 4,4',4'-triphenylamine units and 1,4-benzene units or a homopolymer of 4,4'-(4'-unsubstituted or 4'-alkyl or alkoxyl) triphenylamine. This polymer is prepared by first carrying out Grignard reaction between a halogenotriphenylamine and metallic magnesium and then polymerizing the obtained Grignard reagent in a nonreactive organic solvent by using a nickel compound catalyst. This polymer acquires high conductivity by doping with an electron accepting dopant, and the conductivity is stable in the atmosphere. This polymer is useful as an electrode material in a device using a liquid electrolyte and is advantageous in being stable to repetition of electrochemical oxidation and reduction.

Polymer of triphenylamine

A method of electrodepositing a hexacyano-cobalt iron complex of the general formula Fe.sub.x [Co(CN).sub.6 ].sub.y, where 3.ltoreq.x.ltoreq.4 and 2.ltoreq.y.ltoreq.3, which serves as an electrochromic material high in memory effects and quick in response. A film of the cyano-complex is electrodeposited from an aqueous mixed solution of K.sub.3 [Co(CN).sub.6 ] and an iron(III) salt such as FeCl.sub.3. During the electrolytic reduction process the cathode potential is periodically increased and decreased over a predetermined range, preferably from -0.2 to +1.2 V, to stably accomplish electrodeposition to thereby obtain an electrochromic film which is uniform in physical properties and even in the tone and tint of the color. The sweep of the cathode potential may be made in the manner of a saw-tooth wave, rectangular wave or sinusoidal wave.

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Yokosuka, Japan

Mikio Kawai