Abstract: Various methods and techniques for enhancing a silicon-containing anode for a battery cell are presented. The methods may include providing a silicon-containing anode having reversible electrochemical capabilities including a silicon-containing material and an anode material compatible with a lithium-ion battery chemistry having porous and conductive mechanical properties. The methods may also include enriching a surface layer of the silicon-containing anode with sodium ions to intersperse the sodium ions between silicon atoms of the silicon-containing matieral. The methods may also include displacing the sodium ions with potassium ions to form a comrpession layer in the silicon-containing anode. The potassium ions may place the silicon atoms of the silicon-containing material in a pre-compressive state to counteract internal stress exerted on the silicon-containing material.

Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein generally relate to a microporous separator with a pore geometry that creates a low or no tortuosity architecture. In one embodiment, a battery cell may comprise of an anode layer, a cathode layer, and a separator layer positioned between the cathode layer and the anode layer. The separator layer may be comprised of one or more block copolymers. The block copolymers that make up the separator layer may be materials that self-align into a vertical nanostructure. The vertical nanostructures may allow ions within the battery cell to flow in a vertical path between the cathode and anode. This vertical path my create a low or no tortuosity environment within the battery cell.

Abstract: Various methods and techniques for enhancing a silicon-containing anode for a battery cell are presented. The methods may include providing a silicon-containing anode having reversible electrochemical capabilities including a silicon-containing material and an anode material compatible with a lithium-ion battery chemistry having porous and conductive mechanical properties. The methods may also include enriching a surface layer of the silicon-containing anode with sodium ions to intersperse the sodium ions between silicon atoms of the silicon-containing matieral. The methods may also include displacing the sodium ions with potassium ions to form a comrpession layer in the silicon-containing anode. The potassium ions may place the silicon atoms of the silicon-containing material in a pre-compressive state to counteract internal stress exerted on the silicon-containing material.

Abstract: In various embodiments, an anti-dendrite anode-free solid-state battery (SSB) are presented. The SSB can include a cathode layer; an anode current collector layer; and a lithium gel separator layer between the cathode layer and the anode current collector layer. An anti-dendrite layer may also be present located between the lithium gel separator layer and the anode current collector layer. The anti-dendrite layer can help discourage dendrite formation.

Abstract: A battery cell includes a cathode layer and an anode layer. The anode layer includes anode particles, and a plurality of the anode particles have non-spanning cracks induced in the anode particles from cyclic tension applied to the anode layer prior to the anode layer being combined with the cathode layer in the battery cell. The battery cell also includes a case, where the cathode layer and the anode layer are housed within the case.

Abstract: A method for controlling battery temperature during a charge cycle includes representing a battery cell as a plurality of individual battery cells such that each representation of the individual battery cells can be simulated individually; for each of the individual battery cells, calculating one or more simulated responses during a charge cycle based at least in part on one or more values indicative of a charge rate; determining an optimal input temperature profile for the charge rate that minimizes differences between simulated responses for each of the plurality of individual battery cells; and providing the optimal input temperature profile for control of a temperature management system that monitors and controls a temperature of the battery cell.

Abstract: Various arrangements are presented for determining a state of a traffic light. A first analysis of a scene may be performed that includes the traffic light. The first analysis may result in the output of a first classification result and a first confidence score. A second, different analysis of the scene may be performed that also outputs a classification result and a confidence score. A fusion process may be performed to fuse the classification results into a fused classification result based on the confidence scores and one or more weighting metrics. A vehicle may then be driven at least partially based on the fused classification result.

Abstract: Various arrangements of increasing an amount of contact between an electrolyte and active materials of a battery cell are presented herein. A battery cell may be inserted within a housing such that the battery cell is submersed in liquid. The housing may be sealed, then pressure and heat may be applied to the liquid. The battery cell may then be removed from the housing and used as part of a sealed battery module.

Abstract: Various arrangements for imaging a traffic light are presented. A distance to the traffic light from a vehicle may be determined. A camera mode may be selected based on the determined distance to the traffic light. One or more images from one or more cameras may be captured and received based on the selected camera mode. A state of the traffic light within the one or more received images may then be determined. The vehicle may then be driven autonomously based on the determined state of the traffic light.