Grooved separator electrode composite

Abstract

A battery cell includes at a plurality of composite separator/electrode structures, each composite structure including a support member having a plurality of parallel, closely spaced ribs defining a plurality of grooves which extend longitudinally of the support member, alternating ones of the grooves having a positive paste of an active material therein, and the remaining grooves having a negative paste of an active material therein, and a current collector lead wire in each groove embedded in the paste and centrally located in the groove with the terminal ends of the lead wires of the positive electrodes extending out of one end of the composite structure and being interconnected to form a positive termination, and the terminal ends of the lead wires of the negative electrodes extending out of the opposite end of the composite structure and being interconnected to form a negative termination, a plurality of the battery cells being stacked together to form a battery having a desired amp hour capacity. Also disclosed is a method of making the composite separator/electrode structure wherein a first layer of positive and negative paste material is applied to alternate grooves to fill the grooves to half their volume, the lead wires are placed on the paste in each of the grooves, and then a second layer of positive and negative paste material is applied to the grooves to fill the grooves and encapsulate the lead wires in the paste material.