Abstract: A laminate is formed by overlapping at least a part of a first member and at least a part of a second member. The first member and the second member are joined by irradiating the laminate with a laser. The first member contains aluminum. The second member contains copper. The second member includes a first main surface and a second main surface. The second main surface is an opposite surface of the first main surface. A contact portion is provided due to contact of the first main surface with the first member. The second main surface is irradiated with the laser. A temperature of the contact portion is equal to or higher than an eutectic point temperature of Al and Cu and lower than a melting point of Cu.

Abstract: An electrode mixture includes an electrode active material and a carbon nanotube as a conductive fibrous carbon material. The electrode mixture includes an inorganic nanoparticle disposed on a surface of the electrode active material.

Abstract: Provided is a technique improving assemblability when a sealing plate is attached to an opening of a case body. The battery case disclosed here includes: a case body in bottomed rectangular parallelopiped shape having a substantially rectangular opening; and a sealing plate attached to the opening. The opening of the case body has long side portions, short side portions, R portions, and steps protruding from the inner surfaces of the short side portions. The R portions are each provided with a gradual change region where a shape of each the steps changes to be gradually close to the shape of each of the inner surfaces of the long side portions toward the long side portions.

Abstract: Provided is technique to suppress inside short circuit of a battery. A herein disclosed battery includes an electrode body, a battery case, and a first electrical collector member. The electrode body includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and a first electrode tab group connected to the first electrode. The battery case includes an outer package and a sealing plate. The outer package is configured to accommodate the electrode body and includes an opening. The sealing plate is configured to seal the opening. The first electrical collector member is connected to the first electrode tab group. The first electrical collector member includes a first area that is arranged along a surface at the electrode body side of the sealing plate. A first insulating member is arranged between the sealing plate and the first area. A second insulating member is arranged between the first area and the electrode body.

Abstract: According to the present disclosure, a secondary battery in which precipitation of metallic lithium can be inhibited more appropriately is provided. The secondary battery disclosed here includes a flat wound electrode body. The wound electrode body has a pair of curved portions and a flat portion. In addition, a positive electrode starting end portion inside the wound electrode body has a first region extending along the flat portion. On the other hand, a negative electrode starting end portion inside the wound electrode body has a second region extending along the flat portion, a folded portion folded back along a first curved portion, and a third region extending from the folded portion along the flat portion.

Abstract: Provided is a technology capable of improving the impregnation efficiency of an electrolyte into an electrode body. In accordance with a preferable one embodiment of a method for manufacturing a secondary battery herein disclosed, a method for manufacturing a secondary battery including an electrode body, an electrolyte, and a battery case is provided. The manufacturing method includes a solution introducing step of introducing the electrolyte into the battery case, and a pressure reducing step of reducing the pressure in the battery case after the solution introducing step. After an elapse of 10 hours or more after the solution introducing step, the pressure reducing step is carried out.

Abstract: A lithium-ion rechargeable battery includes a positive electrode mixture that includes a positive electrode active material and a lithium salt. The lithium salt reacts with hydrogen fluoride generated in an electrolytic solution to produce an organic acid that is a weak acid relative to the hydrogen fluoride, an acid dissociation constant of the organic acid being 3.15 or higher.

Abstract: A battery pack includes: a plurality of battery cells arranged side by side along a first direction; and a case provided with an inner space for accommodating the plurality of battery cells. The case includes a structural member for securing strength of the case. The structural member includes a plate-shaped portion having a thickness. A discharging path through which a gas in the inner space is dischargeable is formed within the thickness of the plate-shaped portion so as to extend in an extending direction of the plate-shaped portion.

Abstract: A battery pack includes: a plurality of battery cells arranged side by side along a first direction; a case provided with an inner space for accommodating the plurality of battery cells; and a sheet member provided in the case and having gas permeability. The sheet member is provided at a cooling plate that constitutes a bottom portion of the case or at a member integrated with the cooling plate.

Abstract: An electric power trade support device is configured to execute the following processes: a process of acquiring an electric power profile; a process of providing the electric power profile to another user; a process of making an application to the user having suppliable electric power to receive supply of the electric power, the application made by the other user; a process of sending, to the user having received the application, a profile of the other user having made the application in the process of making the application; a process of approving, by the user having received the application, the application made by the other user having made the application; and a process of supplying, in response to the process of approving, the electric power of the user having received the application to the user having made the application.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing slurry for an insulation protective layer of a rechargeable battery includes obtaining an insulation material calibration curve showing a relationship between particle size and compressibility of an insulation material using sets of particle size and compressibility of the insulation material, obtaining a binder calibration curve showing a relationship between particle size and compressibility of a binder using sets of particle size and compressibility of the binder, measuring particle sizes of the insulation material and the binder loaded, determining an optimal mixture weight ratio with reference to the curves so that compressibility of mixture powder of the insulation material and the binder equals a set compressibility based on the measured particle sizes, mixing the insulation material and the binder at the determined mixture weight ratio to form mixture powder, loading the mixture powder into a powder dispenser, and adding a solvent to the mixture powder.

Abstract: An apparatus for manufacturing an electrode body includes a coater and an attraction magnet. The coater applies a mixture paste including an electrode active material to a substrate that is configured to be a current collector. The attraction magnet is opposed to an applied layer of the mixture paste formed on the substrate so that when the mixture paste contains a metal object, the attraction magnet attracts the metal object so as to change a shape of a surface of the applied layer.

Abstract: Provided is a method for leaching nickel from a nickel oxide ore that enables a nickel sulfate production method which is easily carried out with a small amount of waste generation. The method for leaching nickel into an organic phase disclosed here includes the step of bringing a nickel ore into contact with an organic phase. The organic phase contains a hydrophobic deep eutectic solvent including a hydrogen bond donor and a hydrogen bond acceptor, and an organic acid. The hydrogen bond donor is an acidic hydrogen bond donor. The organic acid is a strong acid.

Abstract: A battery module includes: a plurality of battery cells each including a bottom surface, the plurality of battery cells being arranged in a first direction; a cooling plate facing the bottom surface of each of the plurality of battery cells; and a heat conduction member provided between each of the plurality of battery cells and the cooling plate. The cooling plate has a protrusion and a recess at a portion facing the bottom surface of each of the plurality of battery cells. The heat conduction member is sandwiched between the protrusion of the cooling plate and the bottom surface of each of the plurality of battery cells, and is provided to be located in the recess of the cooling plate.

Abstract: A battery pack includes: a plurality of battery cells; an electronic component unit including an electronic component and a housing that accommodates the electronic component; and a case member that accommodates the plurality of battery cells and the electronic component unit. The housing of the electronic component unit has a bottom surface. The case member has a floor surface that supports the bottom surface of the housing, and the floor surface of the case member includes a first floor surface portion extending along a first plane and a second floor surface portion extending along a second plane obliquely intersecting the first plane.

Abstract: An ultrasonic welding method includes welding workpieces by applying ultrasonic vibration to the workpieces, wherein in the welding, the workpieces are vibrated at an amplitude smaller than an amplitude of the ultrasonic vibration.

Abstract: A battery pack includes: a plurality of stacked battery cells; and a case body that has a first bottom portion and a first side portion and that accommodates the plurality of battery cells, the first bottom portion being a portion on which the plurality of battery cells are placed, the first side portion rising from the first bottom portion. A coolant path through which coolant flows is provided inside the first side portion.

Abstract: A battery pack includes: a plurality of stacked battery cells; a holding member that holds the plurality of battery cells; an adhesive member that is interposed between each of the battery cells and the holding member and that adheres each of the battery cells and the holding member; and a heat conduction member that has an elastic modulus smaller than an elastic modulus of the adhesive member and that is interposed between each of the battery cells and the holding member.

Abstract: Provided is a technique to reduce voids between an electrode tab and a current collecting unit in a portion where the electrode tab and the current collecting unit are welded. The secondary battery manufacturing method disclosed herein is a method of manufacturing a secondary battery including an electrode body having an electrode tab and a current collecting unit electrically connected to the electrode body. This method includes: welding between the electrode tab and the current collecting unit, by sandwiching the electrode tab between a transparent material and the current collecting unit and then applying laser to penetrate the transparent material.

Abstract: A producing method of a flat-wound electrode body, which is formed by winding a strip-shaped positive electrode plate and a strip-shaped negative electrode plate via a pair of separators into a flat shape, includes winding of forming a cylindrical-wound electrode body by winding the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate interposed with the pair of separators into a cylindrical shape, and pressing of forming the flat-wound electrode body by pressing and flattening the cylindrical-wound electrode body. The pressing is to perform pressing to position a positive electrode end portion at a winding end of the positive electrode plate in a flat portion of the flat-wound electrode body.