Abstract: A method for producing a button cell includes: providing a metal cell cup having a cell cup plane region; providing a metal cell top having a cell top plane region; providing a cylindrical electrode winding, the electrode winding being a multi-layer assembly wound in a spiral shape, the multi-layer assembly including an electrode formed from a current collector; connecting a conductor to the current collector; placing the electrode winding into the cell top; inserting the cell top into the cell cup to form a housing in which a strip-shaped portion of the conductor lies flat between (i) an end side of the electrode winding and (ii) a plane region of the cell cup plane region or the cell top plane region; and welding, after forming the housing, the strip-shaped portion of the conductor to a surface of the plane region located in the interior of the housing.

Abstract: A battery includes a thermally conductive housing, a first battery cell enclosed within the thermally conductive housing, and a laminated element enclosed within the thermal conductive housing. The laminated element is in contact with the first battery cell and the thermally conductive housing. The laminated element includes one or more heat conducting layers and one or more intumescent layers. The laminated element is configured to conduct heat generated by the first battery cell from the first battery cell to the thermally conductive housing during normal operational conditions of the first battery cell. A local portion of the laminated element adjacent to where the laminated element contacts the first battery cell is configured to reconfigure into a non-heat conducting configuration when the first battery cell experiences a thermal runaway condition.

Abstract: A nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery (10) includes a porous film (78) (heat resistance layer (HRL)) in, which particles (filler F) of an insulating ceramic are attached through a binder onto a surface of at least one of a negative electrode active material layer (63) and a separator (72, 74). In the nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery, the insulating ceramic of the porous film (78) contains at least one of Fe and Ni.

Abstract: A negative electrode for an electrochemical cell of a lithium metal battery may be manufactured by welding together a lithium metal layer and a metallic current collector layer. The lithium metal layer and the current collector layer may be arranged adjacent one another and in an at least partially lapped configuration such that faying surfaces of the layers confront one another and establish a faying interface therebetween at a weld site. A laser beam may be directed at an outer surface of the current collector layer at the weld site to melt a portion of the lithium metal layer adjacent the faying surface of the current collector layer and produce a lithium metal molten weld pool. The laser beam may be terminated to solidify the molten weld pool into a solid weld joint that physically bonds the lithium metal layer and the current collector layer together at the weld site.

Abstract: Batteries comprise a carbon fibre electrode construction of the invention and have improved DCA and/or CCA, and/or may maintain DCA with an increasing number of charge-discharge cycles, and thus may be particularly suitable for use in hybrid vehicles.

Abstract: An electrolyte composition has a fluoroalkylsulfonyl salt and water. The water is present, relative to the fluoroalkylsulfonyl salt, at a molar ratio within a range of 0.1:1 to 10:1, inclusive. This creates a “water-in-salt” in which individual water molecules are surrounded by salt rather than vice versa. Water contained in this environment is electrochemically stabilized relative to a bulk water. The electrolyte also has an organic carbonate present, relative to the fluoroalkylsulfonyl salt, at a molar ratio within a range of 0.1:1 to 50:1, inclusive. It has been discovered that inclusion of the organic carbonate further increases the electrochemical stability of the water within the “in-salt” environment.

Abstract: A conformal graphene-encapsulated battery electrode material is formed by: (1) coating a battery electrode material with a metal catalyst to form a metal catalyst-coated battery electrode material; (2) growing graphene on the metal catalyst-coated battery electrode material to form a graphene cage encapsulating the metal catalyst-coated battery electrode material; and (3) at least partially removing the metal catalyst to form a void inside the graphene cage.

Abstract: A solid-oxide cell includes a porous substrate and an element part. The porous substrate has a long shape in a longitudinal direction and includes a first main surface, a second main surface, a first side surface, a second side surface and a gas-flow passage. The second main surface faces the first main surface. The second side surface faces the first side surface. The first and the second side surfaces connect the first main surface to the second main surface. The gas-flow passage extends in the longitudinal direction. The element part is provided on the first main surface and includes a first electrode layer, a solid electrolyte layer and a second electrode layer. A thickness at an end portion in the longitudinal direction of the porous substrate is greater than a thickness at a center portion in the longitudinal direction of the porous substrate.

Abstract: The invention provides an electrochemical cell based on a new chemistry for a flow battery for large scale, e.g., gridscale, electrical energy storage. Electrical energy is stored chemically in quinone molecules having multiple oxidation states, e.g., three or more. During charging of the battery, the quinone molecules at one electrode are oxidized by emitting electrons and protons, and the quinone molecules at the other electrode are reduced by accepting electrons and protons. These reactions are reversed to deliver electrical energy. The invention also provides additional high and low potential quinones that are useful in rechargeable batteries.

Abstract: A method for producing a cellulose nanofiber-containing polyolefin microporous stretched film according to the invention includes: a first step of obtaining a cellulose powder dispersion mixture by uniformly dispersing a cellulose which has a powder particle shape and whose hydroxyl groups have been subjected to a lipophilizing treatment using a dibasic acid anhydride, in a plasticizer; a second step of melt-kneading the cellulose powder dispersion mixture and a polyolefin to obtain a polyolefin resin composition; a third step of extrusion-molding the polyolefin resin composition to obtain an extrudate; a fourth step of stretching the extrudate with a film stretcher to obtain a film; a fifth step of extracting out the plasticizer from the film; and a sixth step of thermally fixing the film from which the plasticizer has been extracted out for inhibiting contraction, while stretching the film at a temperature not higher than a melting point of the polyolefin, in which a twin-screw kneading extruder is used onl

Abstract: Provided is a rechargeable electrochemical cell system for generating electrical current using a fuel and an oxidant. The system includes a plurality of electrochemical cells. A controller is configured to apply an electrical current between charging electrode(s) and a fuel electrode with the charging electrode(s) functioning as an anode and the fuel electrode functioning as a cathode, such that reducible metal fuel ions in the ionically conductive medium are reduced and electrodeposited as metal fuel in oxidizable form on the fuel electrode. The controller may selectively apply current to a charging electrode and third electrode between fuel electrodes of separate cells to increase uniformity of the metal fuel being electrodeposited on the fuel electrode. The controller controls a number of switches to apply current to the electrodes and select different modes for the system. Also provided are methods for charging and discharging an electrochemical cell system, and selecting different modes.

Abstract: An easily handleable electrolytic copper foil securing a highly durable secondary battery, an electrode including same, a secondary battery including same, and a method of manufacturing same. The electrolytic copper foil including first and second surfaces includes a copper layer including a matte surface facing the first surface and a shiny surface facing the second surface, a first protective layer formed on the matte surface of the copper layer, and a second protective layer formed on the shiny surface of the copper layer. A coefficient of thermal expansion of the electrolyte copper foil measured using thermomechanical analyzer while heating the electrolytic copper foil from 30 to 190° C. at 5° C./min ranges from 16 to 22 ?m/(m·° C.), tensile strength of the electrolytic copper foil measured after heat treatment at 190° C., ranges from 21 to 36 kgf/mm2, and weight deviation of the electrolytic copper foil is 5% or less.

Abstract: A terminal-equipped electrical wire includes an electrical wire and a terminal that is connected to the electrical wire. The terminal includes a metal cap portion in which one end portion of a tubular portion that has a tubular shape is sealed and another end portion is an opening portion. The terminal is connected to the electrical wire in a state where the cap portion is placed over an end portion of the electrical wire. An edge portion of the opening portion has an increased width in the diameter direction of the tubular portion.

Abstract: A battery or an accumulator including an anode case, an anode situated inside the anode case, a cathode case joined to the anode case, a seal sealing the cathode case to the anode case, a cathode situated inside the cathode case between the anode and the cathode case, and a membrane between the anode and the cathode. An outer surface of the battery includes at least one marking.

Abstract: A mandrel that can uniformly form a thickness of an electrode assembly and minimize deformation of an electrode plate upon swelling. The mandrel that is configured to wind an electrode of a rechargeable battery includes: a first reel and a second reel with a gap therebetween, wherein the first reel includes a gap surface facing the second reel, a first front surface and a second front surface that are connected by the gap surface, and a first inclined surface and a second inclined surface that connect the first front surface and the second front surface, wherein the first inclined surface is longer than the second inclined surface.

Abstract: A separator having a first polymer diaphragm and a second polymer diaphragm and a layer between the first polymer diaphragm and the second polymer diaphragm including particles featuring low elasticity, the first polymer diaphragm and the second polymer diaphragm being interconnected, which may be periodically, by first support elements. In addition, a galvanic cell and a battery having such a separator are provided.

Abstract: Mechanical energy harvesting is an increasingly important method of providing power to distributed sensor networks where physical connection to a power source is impractical. Conventional methods use vibrations to actuate a piezoelectric element, coil/magnet assembly, or capacitor plates, thereby generating an electric current. The low charge-density of these devices excludes their application in low frequency and static load sources, with the lowest frequency reported devices limited to 10 Hz. These frequency limitations can be overcome by exploiting the piezoelectrochemical effect, a similar but physically distinct effect from the piezoelectric effect whereby an applied mechanical load alters the thermodynamics of an electrochemical reaction to produce a voltage/current. Piezoelectrochemical energy harvesters are expected to produce orders of magnitude more energy per load cycle than piezoelectrics and comparable power capabilities.

Abstract: Provided are electrocatalysts, fuel cells, methods of making fuel cells, and methods of generating an electric current, each featuring a platinum (Pt)-containing substrate in contact with an aqueous solution comprising Pb2+. Electrocatalysts of the invention are formed via underpotential deposition (UPD) when a trace amount of Pb2+ is present in the electrolyte of a half anodic cell for oxidizing formic acid using Pt as the anode. Surprisingly, the UPD process dramatically enhances the activity of formic acid oxidation, at least as much as 10-fold compared with palladium (Pd) black. In an embodiment, the electrocatalyst comprises a Pt-containing substrate, a submonolayer of lead (Pb) adsorbed onto the Pt-containing substrate, and an aqueous solution comprising Pb2+, wherein the concentration of Pb2+ in the aqueous solution is 10 to 500 ?m.

Abstract: The invention discloses a methanol-water mixture reforming hydrogen production generator, including an electronic control system, a methanol-water mixture feed system, a hydrogen production system and a power generation system, where the electronic control system includes a control mainboard, a power supply device and a power output port, and the control mainboard controls operations of the methanol-water mixture feed system, the hydrogen production system and the power generation system; the power supply device includes a rechargeable battery; the methanol-water mixture feed system includes a main feed pipe, a transfer pump, a start-up feed solenoid valve, a start-up feed branch pipe, a hydrogen production feed solenoid valve and a hydrogen production feed branch pipe.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus to form biocompatible energization elements are described. In some embodiments, the methods and apparatus to form the biocompatible energization elements involve forming cavities comprising active cathode chemistry. The active elements of the cathode and anode are sealed with a laminate stack of biocompatible material. In some embodiments, a field of use for the methods and apparatus may include any biocompatible device or product that requires energization elements.