Abstract: A secondary battery includes a diaphragm which is disposed on a current path between a current collector plate connected to a wound electrode group in a battery container and an external terminal, deforms when an internal pressure of the battery container increases, and breaks the current path. The diaphragm has a convex portion which protrudes to the current collector plate. The current collector plate has a through-hole into which the convex portion is inserted. An inner wall portion of the through-hole and a side wall portion of the convex portion facing each other are welded.

Abstract: A method of prolonging service life of an energy storage device such as a lithium-ion battery includes temporarily operating the battery at an elevated current density. Cycling of lithium-ion batteries at regular current densities results in the generation of lithium-metal dendrites at the surface of the anode, particularly in batteries where the anode is lithium metal. The lithium metal dendrites pose a threat to damage other components of the battery, such as separators, as well as causing an electrical short. Operating the battery in bursts at the elevated current density results in self-heating at the anode surface that merges adjacent lithium-metal dendrites and an overall smoothing of the anode surface. This method is also applicable to other alkali-metal-based batteries and chemistries.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide methods and apparatuses for enhancing electron flow within a battery, such as a lead-acid battery. In one embodiment, a battery separator may include a conductive surface or layer upon which electrons may flow. The battery separator may include a fiber mat that includes a plurality of electrically insulative fibers. The battery separator may be positioned between electrodes of the battery to electrically insulate the electrodes. The battery separator may also include a conductive material disposed on at least one surface of the fiber mat. The conductive material may contact an electrode of the battery and may have an electrical conductivity that enables electron flow on the surface of the fiber mat.

Abstract: A method for improving the performance and/or stability of non-precious metal catalysts in fuel cells and other electrochemical devices. Improved membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) and fuel cells containing the same are provided. Such MEAs include a catalyst layer made up of at least two sub-layers containing ionomers of differing equivalent weights. The sub-layers may optionally contain mixtures of ionomers. Also provided are methods of making and using the described devices.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a lithium battery package comprising a housing (100), a lithium battery pack and a circuit board (400), wherein the lithium battery pack comprises a lithium battery holder (200) and a number of lithium cells (300) mounted within the lithium battery holder (200), and two sides of the lithium battery holder (200) are mounted respectively with metal pin means (500) coupled with the lithium cells (300), wherein the housing (100) is provided with a charging adaptor (111); a bottom portion at each side of the charging adaptor (111) is provided with a chute (115) along its length direction; a front end of the charging adaptor (111) is provided with six charging sockets (112); the housing (100) is further provided with a locking structure for locking an electric lood.

Abstract: An electric vehicle may include a battery system with a plurality of battery packs electrically connected together. Each battery pack of the plurality of battery packs may include a plurality of battery cells. The electric vehicle may also include a cooling system configured to cool the plurality of battery packs. The electric vehicle may further include a control system configured to selectively operate the cooling system such that at least one battery pack of the plurality of battery packs is maintained at a temperature different from another battery pack of the plurality of battery packs.

Abstract: A solid state battery (10) including a stack of cells (22), each cell comprising a positive electrode (12), a negative electrode (14) and a solid electrolyte (16) disposed between the positive electrode (12) and the negative electrode (14), wherein a current collector (18) is disposed between the negative electrode (14) of a first cell (20A) and the positive electrode (12) of a second cell (20B), the second cell (20B) being adjacent to the first cell (20A), the solid state battery (10) comprising an ionic conductor (26) having two configurations, a normal configuration wherein the ionic conductor (26) is not in contact with the current collector (18) and a short-circuit configuration wherein the ionic conductor (26) is in contact with the current collector (18), the negative electrode (14) of the first cell (20A) and the positive electrode (12) of the second cell (20B) and wherein the ionic conductor (26) has an ionic conductivity which smaller than an electronic conductivity of the current collector (18).

Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a removal treatment execution unit configured to execute an oxide layer removal treatment that removes an oxide layer generated on a catalyst of a fuel cell. The removal treatment execution unit is configured to execute the oxide layer removal treatment by adjusting a voltage of the fuel cell to be within a predetermined second voltage range lower than a predetermined first voltage range that is lower than an open-circuit voltage, when an operation of the fuel cell system shifts from a first operation, where a current value of the fuel cell is zero and the flow rate is controlled to maintain the voltage of the fuel cell within the first voltage range, to a second operation, where the current value is larger than zero and the flow rate is controlled in response to an output request to the fuel cell.

Abstract: A connection module includes: an insulating protector that holds a plurality of bus bars to connect between electrode terminals; and a flexible printed circuit that is held by the insulating protector, and includes a detection line that is connected to the each of the bus bars and detects a state of the power storage element. The insulating protector includes a protector horizontal part including a holding part which holds each of the bus bars and is formed at one end; and a vertical part that is extended in a vertical direction from the protector horizontal part in at least a part of another end, opposite to the one end, of the protector horizontal part. The flexible printed circuit includes: a substrate horizontal part that is held by the protector horizontal part; and a bent part that is bent perpendicularly to the substrate horizontal part and held by the vertical part.

Abstract: A battery unit includes two bases, two locking components, a plurality of battery cells and two electrode pieces. The two bases fixed to each other through the two locking components. The battery cells and the two electrode pieces are accommodated in the two bases. Two opposite ends of each battery cell respectively abut against the two electrode pieces. Each base has an engaging protrusion and an engaging groove. A battery set is also provided. The battery set is composed by the plurality of battery units and the battery units are electrically connected with each other through at least one electrical connecting component. One of the battery units is engaged with the engaging groove of the other one of battery units through the engaging protrusion.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for fabricating a regenerative polysulfide-scavenging layer (RSL). The method includes embedding nanowires or nanocrystals of metal oxides with a membrane of carbon nanotubes (CNTs); and forming the RSL with the embedded nanowires or nanocrystals of the metal oxides and the membrane, so as to enable lithium-sulfur batteries with high energy density and prolonged cycling life. The invention also relates to a lithium-sulfur battery that contains the RSL.

Abstract: This invention relates to particulate electroactive materials consisting of a plurality of composite particles, wherein the composite particles comprise: (a) a porous carbon framework including micropores and mesopores having a total volume of 0.5 to 1.5 cm3/g; and (b) silicon located at least within the micropores of the porous carbon framework in a defined amount relative to the volume of the micropores and mesopores. At least 20 wt % of the silicon is characterized as surface silicon by thermogravimetric analysis.

Abstract: A resistor ladder comprising identical resistors is disposed electrically in parallel with a multicell battery to calibrate voltage-controlled oscillators or analog-to-digital converters for voltage balancing the battery cells in the multicell battery. Switches in a first state provide the voltage across each resistor as inputs to the VCOs or ADCs. The number of oscillations of the output signal of each VCO or ADC over a predetermined time period are compared to determine an offset error. Switches in a second state provide the voltage across each battery cell as inputs to the VCOs or ADCs. The battery cells with a higher relative voltage can be discharged until they are balanced. Some aspects describe temperature-adjusted and interpolated determinations of electrical quantities in the cells such as voltage and/or current.

Abstract: A fuel cell stack is located in a front room of a fuel cell vehicle. The fuel cell stack is connected to a fuel gas guide passage extending to a widthwise central part in front of a windshield of the fuel cell vehicle. When a fuel gas is leaked from the fuel cell stack, the fuel gas is guided by the fuel gas guide passage and discharged from a discharge outlet formed in the widthwise central part through an opening formed in a hollow cover to the outside. The fuel gas guide passage is connected to a filter case in a fuel gas detector for fuel cells.

Abstract: One method of operating a fuel cell system including splitting a cathode exhaust from one or more fuel cell stacks in the system into a majority cathode exhaust stream comprising more than 50% of the cathode exhaust and a first cathode exhaust bypass stream, providing the majority cathode exhaust stream to an inlet of an anode tail gas oxidizer (ATO) containing a catalyst and providing the first cathode bypass stream downstream of the catalyst such that it bypasses the catalyst. Another method includes providing an air inlet stream to the SOFC system via a main air inlet, providing the air inlet stream from the main air inlet to a cathode recuperator, and providing a cooling medium to a heat exchanger to cool the cathode recuperator.

Abstract: A module of elementary electrical energy storage cells includes a first set of elementary cells that are interconnected so as to supply a first voltage in a first voltage range and a second set of elementary cells that are interconnected so as to supply a second voltage in a second voltage range. At least one elementary cell from the second set is arranged between two elementary cells from the first set.

Abstract: A fuel cell including a separator having a plurality of unit bodies continuously arranged along a first direction and arranged apart at predetermined intervals along a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, wherein each of the unit bodies has a wedge shape having a first inclined surface and a second inclined surface, connected at a predetermined angle at a vertex portion and two unit bodies adjacent along the second direction are arranged so that each vertex portion is not coaxially located with respect to a virtual line parallel to the second direction.

Abstract: An electric copper foil is applied as a current collector for a lithium secondary battery, and in a peak curve with respect to a (111) plane appearing on an X-ray diffraction analysis graph (a graph in which an X-axis variable is a diffraction angle 2? and a Y-axis variable is an intensity of a diffracted X-ray) in a state where the electric copper foil is not thermally treated, the electric copper foil has a full width at half maximum (FWHM) of 0.08 or above and 0.15 or below.

Abstract: The disclosure is related to a battery formation system and probe supporting structure thereof. The battery formation system includes a base, a holder, a probe supporting structure and at least one probe. The base is adaptive to bear at least one battery, and the holder is located on one side of the base. The probe supporting structure is disposed on the holder. The probe supporting structure has an air flow passage and at least one air discharge channel connected to each other, and an extension direction of the air flow passage intersects an extension direction of the at least one air discharge channel. The at least one probe is disposed on the probe supporting structure, and a probing end of the at least one probe and an air outlet of the at least one air discharge channel are located at a same side of the probe supporting structure.

Abstract: Provided is an aging device for a fuel cell stack, capable of reliably detecting the generation of a negative voltage during aging while also achieving a cost reduction with reduced cell monitors. The voltage of an end cell on the reactant gas inlet side, in which the voltage is likely to become the highest, is monitored alone, so that the generation of a negative voltage in each of a plurality of individual central cells other than the end cell is estimated.