Abstract: A battery pack includes: battery cells each including first and second end portions that are opposite each other in a length direction; a case providing an accommodation space in which each battery cell and a cooling fluid for cooling the battery cell are located, the case including a first cover covering the first end portion of the battery cell, the first cover including a first terminal hole through which the first end portion of the battery cell is partially exposed; and first and second sealing members doubly surrounding the first terminal hole from an outside of the first terminal hole to block a cooling fluid leakage passage formed through the first terminal hole. Therefore, while improving heat-dissipating performance, a cooling fluid sealing structure may be provided to the battery pack to prevent cooling fluid leakage from the accommodation space in which the battery cells are accommodated.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for charging a battery pack including a plurality of electrochemical cells distributed within a thermal management composite matrix, including a phase change material. The method operates upon determining that a battery pack temperature and/or voltage measurement is below a predetermined minimum threshold. The pack temperature and/or the voltage measurement is raised to the predetermined minimum threshold, such as by applying a low current rate, and then the charging rate is increased upon reaching the predetermined minimum threshold. The increased charging rate is further selected based upon a thermal state of charge of the thermal management composite matrix.

Abstract: Battery packs having jelly roll battery cells of different capacities may have an imbalance in the charging and/or discharging current supplied to and provided by each jelly roll due to differences in capacity specific impedance between the battery cells of the battery pack. A C-rate (i.e., current relative to rated capacity) of a lower capacity first battery cell and a higher capacity second battery cell connected in parallel may be balanced by repositioning and/or increasing the number of cathode tabs and anode tabs of the second jelly roll battery cell to reduce an impedance of the second battery cell.

Abstract: A method for producing a cement material wherein 1) a first acid is reacted with a first cement precursor to form a second cement precursor, and 2) the second cement precursor is converted to a cement material. The first cement precursor includes one or more of Ca, Si, or Al, and the reaction with the first acid produces a second cement precursor that includes one or more of Ca, Si, or Al, and the conjugate base of the first acid. The second step can be performed by thermally converting the second cement precursor to a cement material by sintering or thermally decomposing the second cement precursor at a temperature in the range of 500 to 2000° C. The first step can be performed in the presence of water as a wet slurry. The concentration of the first acid can be greater than 20% by weight.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for decoupling reactant activation and reaction completion. Various embodiments of the present disclosure leverage electrodynamic inversion principles to provide fuel cell-like operation. In one exemplary embodiment a fuel cell-like apparatus is configured to: create reactant ions (e.g., fuel ions, oxidant ions, etc.) in isolation, transport the reactant ions to a reaction interface, enable a chemical reaction, harvest the resulting electrical current, and eliminate the exhaust products. The exemplary fuel cell-like device decouples the reactants from directly powering the load. Notably, the redox reaction is allowed to proceed at a reaction interface rather than directly at the anode and cathode.

Abstract: A device for charging and discharging a battery cell capable of suppressing a swelling phenomenon of a terrace portion of a battery cell during a formation process of the battery cell includes first and second plates configured to receive a battery cell therebetween and to press two surfaces of the battery cell; first and second grippers connected to the first and second plates, respectively, the first and second grippers protrude to face each other and configured to contact a lead region of the battery cell; and first and second pressing pads positioned inward of the first and second grippers, the first and second pressing pads being configured to contact a terrace region of the battery cell. A method of charging and discharging a battery cell using the same is also provided.

Abstract: Several embodiments of a microporous battery separator for lithium rechargeable batteries and/or related methods of making and/or using such separators are disclosed. A dry process battery separator or membrane separator exhibits a thickness that is less than about 14 ?m and has increased strength performance as defined by reduced splittiness. The mode of splitting failure has been investigated, and the improvement in splittiness quantified by a test method known as the Composite Splittiness Index (CSI).

Abstract: A battery thermal management system for an air vehicle includes a liquid heat exchange circuit. The system includes at least one battery in thermal communication with the liquid heat exchange circuit. The system includes a controller operatively connected to the liquid heat exchange circuit. The controller is configured and adapted to variably select whether heat will be rejected to the liquid heat exchange circuit. The system includes at least one heat exchanger positioned on the liquid heat exchange circuit. The at least one heat exchanger is a liquid-air heat exchanger or a liquid-liquid heat exchanger. A method for controlling a thermal management system for an air vehicle includes determining an expected temperature of at least one battery, and cooling the at least one battery with a cooling device if the expected temperature exceeds a pre-determined expected temperature threshold.

Abstract: Mobile swappable battery for a powered workstation. In an embodiment of a mobile swappable battery sized for detachable coupling with a base of a powered workstation of the present disclosure, the battery comprises a wheeled housing enclosing a portion of the battery, wherein the wheeled housing comprises at least two wheels attached to a bottom side of the housing, and a collapsible handle for pushing and guiding the wheeled housing into detachable alignment with a battery guide in the base of the powered workstation.

Abstract: A positive-electrode material for a lithium secondary battery is provided. The material includes a lithium oxide compound or a complex oxide as reactive substance. The material also includes at least one type of carbon material, and optionally a binder. A first type of carbon material is provided as a coating on the reactive substance particles surface. A second type of carbon material is carbon black. And a third type of carbon material is a fibrous carbon material provided as a mixture of at least two types of fibrous carbon material different in fiber diameter and/or fiber length. Also, a method for preparing the material as well as lithium secondary batteries including the material is provided.

Abstract: A method of making a reference electrode assembly for an electrochemical cell according to various aspects of the present disclosure includes providing a subassembly including a separator layer and a current collector layer coupled to the separator layer. The method further includes providing an electrode ink including an electroactive material, a binder, and a solvent. The method further includes creating a reference electrode precursor by applying an electroactive precursor layer to the current collector layer. The electroactive precursor layer covers greater than or equal to about 90% of a superficial surface area of a surface of the current collector layer. The electroactive precursor layer includes the electrode ink. The method further includes creating the reference electrode assembly by drying the electroactive precursor layer to remove at least a portion of the solvent, thereby forming an electroactive layer. The electroactive layer is solid and porous.

Abstract: The present invention provides a catalysed ion-conducting membrane comprising an ion-conducting membrane, an electrocatalyst layer having two opposing faces, and a layer A comprising an ion-conducting material and a carbon containing material. Also provided are methods for preparing the catalysed ion-conducting membrane.

Abstract: An electrochemical battery cell comprising an anode having a primary anode active material, a cathode, and an ion-conducting electrolyte, wherein the cell has an initial output voltage, Vi, measured at 10% depth of discharge (DoD), selected from a range from 0.3 volts to 0.8 volts, and a final output voltage Vf measured at a DoD no greater than 90%, wherein a voltage variation, (Vi?Vf)/Vi, is no greater than ±10% and the specific capacity between Vi and Vf is no less than 100 mAh/g or 200 mAh/cm3 based on the cathode active material weight or volume, and wherein the primary anode active material is selected from lithium (Li), sodium (Na), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), aluminum (Al), zinc (Zn), titanium (Ti), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), vanadium (V), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), a mixture thereof, an alloy thereof, or a combination thereof.

Abstract: A battery module is disclosed having a plurality of battery cells and internal relay controllably coupled to an internal module controller, said controller having a plurality of programmed states. Transitions between programmed states are disclosed responsive to a secure command message, and responsive to a monitored operating condition. Passive and active states are disclosed. A modular battery pack is disclosed consisting of a plurality of modules connected in parallel, which can be individually and independently activated and deactivated responsive to a secure command message. Methods are provided for authentication of command messages and for authentication of the command message source.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for manufacturing a lithium metal secondary battery including a lithium metal electrode as a negative electrode, wherein the lithium metal electrode has a protective layer formed thereon, and the lithium metal secondary battery is discharged before its initial charge during an activation step of the lithium metal secondary battery so that stripping occurs on the surface of the lithium metal electrode.

Abstract: A method for preparing a support for an electrode catalyst including forming first and second polymer layers having charges different from each other on a surface of a carbon support and carbonizing the result, wherein the polymers included in the first and the second polymer layers are an aromatic compound including a heteroatom, and the first or the second polymer includes a pyridine group.

Abstract: A layered cathode structure for a molten carbonate fuel cell is provided, along with methods of forming a layered cathode and operating a fuel cell including a layered cathode. The layered cathode can include at least a first cathode layer and a second cathode layer. The first cathode layer can correspond to a layer that is adjacent to the molten carbonate electrolyte during operation, while the second cathode layer can correspond to a layer that is adjacent to the cathode collector of the fuel cell. The first cathode layer can be formed by sintering a layer that includes a conventional precursor material for forming a cathode, such as nickel particles. The second cathode layer can be formed by sintering a layer that includes a mixture of particles of a conventional precursor material and 1.0 vol % to 30 vol % of particles of a lithium pore-forming compound.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a testing method for the thermal contact between a temperature sensor (50) and a battery cell (10) of a battery module (30), wherein the method comprises the steps of measuring a temperature T1 of the temperature sensor (50) at a time point t1, heating the temperature sensor (50) for a defined time (t2?t1), measuring a temperature T2 of the temperature sensor (50) at a time point t2 and/or a temperature T3 of the temperature sensor (50) at a time point t3, and determining the thermal contact between the temperature sensor (50) and the battery cell (10) based on at least one of the temperature differences ?T2,1=(T2?T1), ?T3,1=(T3?T1) and/or ?T3,2=(T3?T2).

Abstract: A cathode includes: a mixed conductive layer, wherein the mixed conductive layer includes a core-shell structured particle having a core portion including a solid electrolyte and a shell portion including an electronic conductor, wherein the cathode is configured to use oxygen as a cathode active material.

Abstract: A method for monitoring a battery cell is provided. The method measures a first value corresponding to a pressure inside the battery cell. The method also determines a second value on the basis of the first value. The second value corresponds to a temperature of the battery cell. The method monitors the battery cell on the basis of the second value. It is possible to determine whether the battery cell is in a fault-free state or in a state which is faulty, problematic, or critical.