Abstract: The present invention provides a propylene-based resin microporous film which has excellent lithium ion permeability, can constitute a high-performance lithium ion battery, and can prevent a short circuit between a positive electrode and a negative electrode due to dendrites. The propylene-based resin microporous film of the present invention is a propylene-based resin microporous film containing micropores, wherein the degree of gas permeability is 100 to 400 s/100 mL, the standard deviation of the degree of gas permeability is 7 s/100 mL or less, the thermal shrinkage ratio during heating at 105° C. for 2 hours is 6% or less, and the standard deviation of the thermal shrinkage ratio is 1% or less.

Abstract: A battery pack has a sealed case. Battery modules are accommodated in the sealed case. An opening in the main body is closed by a rectangular plate-shaped lid member. The lid member has a releasing portion and a joint portion. When the internal pressure of the sealed case increases, the lid member is deformed away from an opening edge of the opening. This discharges gas from the sealed case through the releasing portion. In addition, the joint between the joint portion and the opening edge is maintained even when the internal pressure of the sealed case increases, deforming the releasing portion, and the gas inside the sealed case starts to be discharged. A protrusion of a rib is provided between the releasing portion and the joint portion.

Abstract: A power generator includes a housing, a chemical hydride fuel block adapted to be removably placed within the housing, an air conduit disposed about the chemical hydride fuel block in the housing. The air conduit includes a fuel cell portion and a water vapor permeable, hydrogen impermeable membrane portion. The housing has an air intake opening to draw air into the housing and through the air conduit to provide oxygen to the fuel cell portion and to carry water vapor generated by the fuel cell portion past the permeable membrane portion such that water vapor passes through the membrane and causes release of hydrogen from the fuel block.

Abstract: A secondary battery including an electrode assembly; a case containing the electrode assembly; a cap plate sealing an opening of the case; a collector terminal electrically connected to the electrode assembly and protruding through the cap plate; a coupling plate on the cap plate; an insulating member on at least one area of the coupling plate; and a terminal plate on the coupling plate and coupled to the collector terminal.

Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: a fuel cell supplied with fuel gas for power generation; a fuel supply flow passage flowing fuel gas, supplied from a fuel supply source, to the fuel cell; a pressure regulating valve regulating a pressure of fuel gas flowing through the fuel supply flow passage; a fuel circulation flow passage returning gas, emitted from the fuel cell, to the fuel supply flow passage; a circulation pump delivering gas in the fuel circulation flow passage to the fuel supply flow passage; an emission valve emitting gas in the fuel circulation flow passage to an outside; and a control device controlling the pressure regulating valve, the circulation pump and the emission valve such that the sum of losses of crossover hydrogen, circulation pump power and purge hydrogen is minimum while a hydrogen stoichiometric ratio required for power generation of the fuel cell is ensured.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, there is provided an active substance. The active substance contains active material particles. The active material particles comprise a compound represented by the formula: Ti1-xM1xNb2-yM2yO7. The active material particles has a peak A attributed to a (110) plane which appears at 2? ranging from 23.74 to 24.14°, a peak B attributed to a (003) plane which appears at 2? ranging from 25.81 to 26.21° and a peak C attributed to a (602) plane which appears at 2? ranging from 26.14 to 26.54° in an X-ray diffraction pattern of the active material particles. An intensity IA of the peak A, an intensity IB of the peak B, and an intensity IC of the peak C satisfy the relation (1): 0.80?IB/IA?1.12; and the relation (2) IC/IB?0.80.

Abstract: An electrolyte including a block copolymer containing a co-continuous domain including an ion conductive phase and a structural phase, wherein the structural phase includes a polymer segment having a glass transition temperature that is equal to or lower than room temperature.

Abstract: A coupled battery and motor controller thermal management system is disclosed. In various embodiments, a motor controller and a heat sink are coupled thermally to a battery. At least a portion of waste heat generated by the motor controller is transferred to the thermal mass of the battery during at least a first mode of operation in which a relatively low amount of ambient air flows through the heat sink.

Abstract: A plate structure includes a plate having a planar portion defining a datum plane. The plate includes a raised bead seal and a tunnel protruding away from the datum plane. The raised bead seal extends along a centerline laying on the datum plane. The tunnel extends along a path laying on the datum plane. The tunnel intersects the raised bead seal. The path and the centerline intersect to form a first intersection angle and an adjacent second intersection angle on the datum plane. The first intersection angle and the second intersection angle are supplementary angles. The first intersection angle is an acute angle, and the second intersection angle is an obtuse angle. The path and the centerline are arranged to form a specific value of the first intersection angle and the second intersection angle to control a stiffness of the raised bead seal.

Abstract: In order to prepare a highly conductive and highly dispersible graphene powder and to obtain an electrode for a lithium ion battery with excellent performance utilizing the highly conductive and highly dispersible graphene, a graphene powder and a preparation method thereof is provided. The graphene powder comprises a compound having a catechol group adsorbing on the surface of graphene in a weight ratio of 5-50% relative to the grapheme and the element ratio of oxygen to carbon in the graphene powder measured by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy is 0.06 or more and 0.20 or less. The method for producing a graphene powder comprise the step of reducing a graphite oxide with a reducing agent having no catechol group in the presence of a compound having a catechol group.

Abstract: This invention provides a sealed secondary battery comprising a current cutoff mechanism. The current cutoff mechanism has a current breaking valve 30 comprising a sloped side wall 32A which tapers with decreasing diameter from the inner circumference of a flange 32 and a dome 32B descending in a spherical cap shape from the rim of sloped side wall 32A. The rotation axis L of sloped side wall 32A and the sloped side wall 32A form an angle ? to satisfy 60°???75° while dome 32B has a sphere radius R of 30 mm or larger, but smaller than 100 mm. In a planer view along the rotation axis L, the outer circumference of dome 32B is located outside the outer circumference of a thin portion 76.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a vehicular storage battery device includes a housing, battery boxes, and a common cooling passage. The battery boxes are disposed in the housing. Each of the battery boxes houses an electric cell as a vehicle power source and includes a heat transporting part transporting heat generated in the battery box to outside of the battery box. The common cooling passage is disposed in the housing. The common cooling passage is provided with an inlet for taking in a fluid and an outlet for discharging the fluid having passed through the passage. The inlet and the outlet are open in a direction different from a traveling direction of the vehicle. The heat transporting part of each of the battery boxes is exposed to inside of the passage.

Abstract: A fuel cell assembly of one or more fuel cell bundles, wherein each fuel cell bundle comprises an array of elongated tubular fuel cells, comprising: an oxidant supply system; a fuel supply system; a fuel reformation system; and a support structure for integrating as a bundle said elongated tubular fuel cells, said oxidant supply system, said fuel supply system, and said fuel reformation system; a first row of spaced apart, elongated tubular fuel cells; wherein said support structure comprises: a base plate; a plurality of upper insulation end pieces (UIEPs) surrounding a top of the fuel cell assembly to produce a top assembly, wherein each upper insulation end piece has a top surface, a side portion and a beveled portion disposed between the top surface and the side portion to produce a beveled shoulder around the top assembly; a top clamp having a beveled inner surface complementary to the beveled shoulder that interfaces against a plurality of pivot pads disposed on the beveled shoulder when the top clamp i

Abstract: An electrolyte membrane for use in a rechargeable battery includes a polymer layer and platelet particles, where the polymer layer is reinforced with a fiber mat, and the polymer layer retains an electrolyte. A rechargeable battery uses the membrane in a position between a positive electrode and negative electrode where the membrane serves as an ion conductor for the battery.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a heat flux assembly for an energy storage device. The energy storage device includes a housing with a plurality of side walls that define an internal volume and a plurality of cells configured within the internal volume. The heat flux assembly includes a plurality of heat flux components configured for arrangement with the side walls of the housing of the energy storage device and one or more temperature sensors configured with each of the plurality of heat flux components. Thus, the temperature sensors are configured to monitor one or more temperatures at various locations in the plurality of heat flux components. The heat flux assembly also includes a controller configured to adjust a power level of each of the heat flux components as a function of the monitored temperature so as to reduce a temperature gradient or difference across the plurality of cells during operation of the energy storage device.

Abstract: A lead-acid battery comprises a flame arrestor plug (1) for controlled venting of gases from the battery through the vent hole (3), wherein the flame arrestor plug has a valve element (5) for controlling the venting of gas from the vent hole and a plug portion (4) which is adjacent to or in contact with the battery casing (2) around the vent hole and which, together with the battery casing, defines a flow path through which gases released through the valve element can escape from the battery, at least a portion of the flow path being of sufficiently narrow cross-section to prevent propagation of a flame along the flow path.

Abstract: A flow battery system includes a first tank having a hydrogen reactant, a second tank having a bromine electrolyte, at least one cell including a hydrogen reactant side operably connected to the first tank through an ¾ feed and return system and a bromine electrolyte side operably connected to the second tank, and a crossover return system. The crossover return system includes a vessel operably connected to the ¾ feed and return system and configured to receive an effluent containing a first portion of the hydrogen reactant and a second portion of the bromine electrolyte, the vessel configured to separate the first portion from the second portion. A first return line returns the first portion of the hydrogen reactant to the first tank and a second return line returns the bromine electrolyte to the second tank.

Abstract: An example electrolyte includes a solvent, a lithium salt, and an additive selected from the group consisting of a silane with at least one Si—H group; a fluorinated methoxysilane; a fluorinated chlorosilane; and combinations thereof. The electrolyte may be used in a method for making a solid electrolyte interface (SEI) layer on a surface of a lithium electrode. A negative electrode structure may be formed from the method.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for manufacturing a separator, comprising the steps of (S1) preparing a porous planar substrate having multiple pores; (S2) coating a coating solution obtained by dissolving a binder polymer in a solvent and dispersing inorganic particles therein on the porous substrate to form a porous coating layer and drying the porous coating layer; and (S3) applying a binder solution on the surface of the dried porous coating layer to form an adhesive layer, wherein the binder solution has a surface energy of at least 10 mN/m higher than that of the porous coating layer and a contact angle of the binder solution to the surface of the porous coating layer maintained at 80° or more for 30 seconds. In accordance with the present invention, a separator capable of obtaining sufficient adhesion force with minimizing the amount of an adhesive used for the adhesion with an electrode, and minimizing the deterioration of battery performances can be easily manufactured.

Abstract: A lithium-ion battery having over-discharge protection includes an anode comprising at least an electrochemically active anode material, said anode having an anode irreversible capacity loss during a first charge of the lithium-ion battery; and a cathode comprising at least an electrochemically active cathode material characterized by the formula: xLi2MnO3.(1?x)LiMnaNibCocO2, where 0<x<1 and a+b+c=1, and x, a, b, and c are selected to provide a cathode irreversible capacity loss during a first charge of the lithium-ion battery that is greater than or equal to the anode irreversible capacity loss, and wherein the cathode possesses a voltage step less than about 2 V versus Li.