Abstract: Methods for manufacturing intermittently coated dry electrodes for energy storage devices and energy storage devices including the intermittently coated dry electrodes are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes providing a metal layer and providing an electrochemically active free-standing film formed of a dry active material. The method also includes combining the electrochemically active free-standing film and the metal layer to form a combined layer. The method further includes removing a portion of the electrochemically active free-standing film from the combined layer so that the electrochemically active free-standing film is intermittently formed on the metal layer in a longitudinal direction of the metal layer.

Abstract: Apparatuses and methods for forming an electrode film mixture are described. An apparatus for forming an electrode film mixture can have a first source including a solution comprising a polymer, for example, polytetrafluoroethylene and a critical or supercritical fluid, for example, supercritical carbon dioxide, a second source including a second component of the electrode film mixture, a mixer configured to receive the solution and the second component and to form a slurry comprising the solution and the second component. The apparatus can include a decompressor configured to receive the slurry and decompress the slurry to vaporize the critical or supercritical fluid and precipitate dry polymer.

Abstract: An energy storage device can include a cathode, an anode, and a separator between the cathode and the anode, and an electrolyte where the electrolyte includes one or more additives and/or solvent components selected from vinylene carbonate (VC), vinyl ethylene carbonate (VEC), dimethylacetamide (DMAc), hydro fluorinated ether branched cyclic carbonate, a hydro fluorinated ether ethylene carbonate (HFEEC), hydro fluorinated ether (HFE), and fluorinated ethylene carbonate (FEC). The electrolyte may include a carbonate based solvent and one or more solvent components and/or one or more of vinylene carbonate (VC), vinyl ethylene carbonate (VEC), dimethylacetamide (DMAc), hydro fluorinated ether branched cyclic carbonate, a hydro fluorinated ether ethylene carbonate (HFEEC), hydro fluorinated ether (HFE), and fluorinated ethylene carbonate (FEC).

Abstract: Dry process electrode films, and energy storage devices incorporating the same are described, including a silicon active material. The films may be free standing anode electrode films. Also provided are methods for fabricating such anode electrode films.

Abstract: In one aspect, the invention comprises an apparatus for balancing cells in a series string of modules having cells. The apparatus comprises a processing system and a communication circuit. The processing circuit is configured to receive an average cell voltage value from each module. The processing circuit is further configured to determine an overall average cell voltage for all the cells. The processing circuit is also configured to cause each the modules to determine a relative capacitance for each of its cells and cause each of the modules to balance its cells based on the respective relative capacitances. The communication circuit is configured to receive the average cell voltage value from the modules.

Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods for improved cell-balancing circuits, back-up failure detection circuits and alarm extension for cells and modules of an energy storage system. One aspect of the invention comprises an energy storage device cell balancing apparatus. The apparatus comprises a first and a second dissipative component connected in series. The first dissipative component and the second dissipative component are coupled to an energy storage cell. The second dissipative component monitors a voltage of the energy storage cell and, if the voltage is at or above a reference voltage, the second dissipative component conducts a discharging current through the first and second dissipative components. The first dissipative component maintains a voltage drop across the first dissipative component that is proportional to the voltage of the energy storage cell. The second dissipative component maintains a constant voltage drop across the second dissipative component when conducting the discharging current.

Abstract: An energy storage device can include a cathode, an anode, and a separator between the cathode and the anode, where the anode and/or electrode includes an electrode film having a super-fibrillized binder material and carbon. The electrode film can have a reduced quantity of the binder material while maintaining desired mechanical and/or electrical properties. A process for fabricating the electrode film may include a fibrillization process using reduced speed and/or increased process pressure such that fibrillization of the binder material can be increased. The electrode film may include an electrical conductivity promoting additive to facilitate decreased equivalent series resistance performance. Increasing fibrillization of the binder material may facilitate formation of thinner electrode films, such as dry electrode films.

Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for an energy storage system. In one aspect, the energy storage system includes a controller configured to connect a capacitor system in series with an output of a battery system during a regenerative event such that the voltage of the capacitor system is subtracted from the voltage of the battery system.

Abstract: An energy storage device can include a first electrode, a second electrode and a separator between the first electrode and the second electrode wherein the first electrode includes an electrochemically active material and a porous carbon material, and the second electrode includes elemental lithium metal and carbon particles. A method for fabricating an energy storage device can include forming a first electrode and a second electrode, and inserting a separator between the first electrode and the second electrode, where forming the first electrode includes combining an electrochemically active material and a porous carbon material, and forming the second electrode includes combining elemental lithium metal and a plurality of carbon particles.

Abstract: An energy storage device can have a first graphite film, a second graphite film and an electrode divider ring between the first graphite film and the second graphite film, forming a sealed enclosure. The energy storage device may be compatible with an aqueous electrolyte or a non-aqueous electrolyte. A method of forming an energy storage device can include providing an electrode divider ring, a first graphite film and a second graphite film. The method can include pressing a first edge of the electrode divider ring into a surface of the first graphite film, and pressing a second opposing edge of the electrode divider ring into a surface of the second graphite film to form a sealed enclosure. The sealed enclosure may have as opposing surfaces the surface of the first graphite film and the surface of the second graphite film.

Abstract: An apparatus for storing energy includes a plurality of energy storage cells, a switching circuit configured to control a transient voltage support to a battery provided by the plurality of energy storage cells, a charging circuit configured to charge the plurality of energy storage cells, and a processing system. The processing system is configured to control the charging circuit to charge the plurality of energy storage cells, and control the switching circuit to control the transient voltage support of the plurality of energy storage cells to the battery. The switching circuit and the charging circuit provide parallel paths between the plurality of energy storage cells and the battery terminal.

Abstract: An electric double-layer ultracapacitor configured to maintain desired operation at an operating voltage of three volts, where the capacitor includes a housing component, a first and a second current collector, a positive and a negative electrode electrically coupled to one of the first and second current collectors, and a separator positioned between the positive and the negative electrode. At least one of the positive electrode and the negative electrode can include a treated carbon material, where the treated carbon material includes a reduction in a number of hydrogen-containing functional groups, nitrogen-containing functional groups and/or oxygen-containing functional groups.

Abstract: An energy storage device can include a cathode and an anode, where at least one of the cathode and the anode are made of a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) composite binder material including PTFE and at least one of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), a PVDF co-polymer, and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO). The energy storage device can be a lithium ion battery, a lithium ion capacitor, and/or any other lithium based energy storage device. The PTFE composite binder material can have a ratio of about 1:1 of PTFE to a non-PTFE component, such a PVDF, PVDF co-polymer and/or PEO.

Abstract: An energy storage device can include a cathode, an anode, and a separator between the cathode and the anode, where the anode comprises a first lithium ion intercalating carbon component and a second lithium ion intercalating carbon component. The first lithium ion intercalating carbon component can include hard carbon, and the second lithium ion intercalating component can include graphite or soft carbon. A ratio of the hard carbon to the graphite or of the hard carbon to the soft carbon can be between 1:19 to 19:1. The anode may comprise a first lithium ion intercalating carbon component, a second lithium ion intercalating carbon component and a third lithium ion intercalating carbon component. The first lithium ion intercalating carbon component can include hard carbon, the second lithium ion intercalating carbon component can include soft carbon, and the third lithium ion intercalating carbon component can include graphite.

Abstract: This disclosure provides collector plates for an energy storage device, energy storage devices with a collector plate, and methods for manufacturing the same. In one aspect, a collector plate includes a body. One or more apertures extend into the body. The apertures are configured to allow a portion of a free end of a spirally wound current collector of a spirally wound electrode for an energy storage device to extend into the one or more apertures.

Abstract: In one aspect, an embodiment of this invention comprises an energy storage device balancing apparatus. The energy storage device balancing apparatus comprises a balancing circuit and an alarm circuit. Both the balancing circuit and the alarm circuit are coupled to the energy storage device. The balancing circuit is configured to monitor a voltage of the energy storage cell and dissipate energy from the energy storage cell if the voltage is at or above a first reference voltage. The alarm circuit is configured to generate an alarm when the voltage of the energy storage cell is at or above a second reference voltage and dissipate energy from the energy storage cell when the voltage is at or above the second reference voltage.

Abstract: Dry process based energy storage device structures and methods for using a dry adhesive therein are disclosed.

Abstract: A method of fibrillizing a fibrillizable binder component of an electrode film can include providing a negatively charged fibrillizable binder component, and applying an electric field upon the negatively charged binder component to fibrillize the negatively charged fibrillizable binder component. A system for fibrillizing a binder component of an electrode film can include a mixing container made of a material having an affinity to donate electron(s) to the binder component, and an actuator configured to apply a force upon the mixing container so as to contact the mixing container with the binder component and to move the mixing container and the binder component relative to each other within a speed and range of motion sufficient to create an electrostatic force on the binder component and fibrillize the binder component.

Abstract: An energy storage device can include a first electrode, a second electrode and a separator between the first electrode and the second electrode wherein the first electrode or the second electrode includes elemental lithium metal and carbon particles. A method for fabricating an energy storage device can include forming a first electrode and a second electrode, and inserting a separator between the first electrode and the second electrode, where forming the first electrode or the second electrode can include combining elemental lithium metal and a plurality of carbon particles.

Abstract: An energy storage device can include a cathode, an anode, and a separator between the cathode and the anode, and an electrolyte where the electrolyte includes one or more additives and/or solvent components selected from vinylene carbonate (VC), vinyl ethylene carbonate (VEC), dimethylacetamide (DMAc), hydro fluorinated ether branched cyclic carbonate, a hydro fluorinated ether ethylene carbonate (HFEEC), hydro fluorinated ether (HFE), and fluorinated ethylene carbonate (FEC). The electrolyte may include a carbonate based solvent and one or more solvent components and/or one or more of vinylene carbonate (VC), vinyl ethylene carbonate (VEC), dimethylacetamide (DMAc), hydro fluorinated ether branched cyclic carbonate, a hydro fluorinated ether ethylene carbonate (HFEEC), hydro fluorinated ether (HFE), and fluorinated ethylene carbonate (FEC).