Abstract: Flow batteries can include a first half-cell containing a first aqueous electrolyte solution. a second half-cell containing a second aqueous electrolyte solution, and a separator disposed between the first half-cell and the second half-cell. The first aqueous electrolyte solution contains a first redox-active material, and the second aqueous electrolyte solution contains a second redox-active material. At least one of the first redox-active material and the second redox-active material is a nitroxide compound or a salt thereof. Particular nitroxide compounds can include a doubly bonded oxygen contained in a ring bearing the nitroxide group, a doubly bonded oxygen appended to a ring bearing the nitroxide group, sulfate or phosphate groups appended to a ring bearing the nitroxide group, various heterocyclic rings bearing the nitroxide group, or acyclic nitroxide compounds.

Abstract: Improvements in the structural components and physical characteristics of lithium battery articles are provided. Standard lithium ion batteries, for example, are prone to certain phenomena related to short circuiting and have experienced high temperature occurrences and ultimate firing as a result. Structural concerns with battery components have been found to contribute to such problems. Improvements provided herein include the utilization of thin metallized current collectors (aluminum and/or copper, as examples), high shrinkage rate materials, materials that become nonconductive upon exposure to high temperatures, and combinations thereof. Such improvements accord the ability to withstand certain imperfections (dendrites, unexpected electrical surges, etc.) within the target lithium battery through provision of ostensibly an internal fuse within the subject lithium batteries themselves that prevents undesirable high temperature results from short circuits.

Abstract: A lithium battery cell with an internal fuse component and including needed tabs which allow for conductance from the internal portion thereof externally to power a subject device is provided. Disclosed herein are tabs that exhibit sufficient safety levels in combination with the internal fuse characteristics noted above while simultaneously displaying pull strength to remain in place during utilization as well as complete coverage with the thin film metallized current collectors for such an electrical conductivity result. Such tabs are further provided with effective welds for the necessary contacts and at levels that exhibit surprising levels of amperage and temperature resistance to achieve the basic internal fuse result with the aforementioned sufficient conductance to an external device. With such a tab lead component and welded structure, a further improvement within the lithium battery art is provided the industry.

Abstract: A personal tactical system including a load-bearing garment, a pouch with one or more batteries enclosed in the pouch, at least one power distribution and data hub, and at least one camera. The camera is incorporated into or removably attachable to the load-bearing garment, the pouch is removably attachable to the load-bearing garment and the one or more batteries are operable to supply power to the at least one power distribution and data hub. The at least one power distribution and data hub is operable to supply power to at least one peripheral device. A plurality of personal tactical systems is operable to form an ad hoc network to share images and other information for determining object direction, location, and movement.

Abstract: A structural component of a primary structure for a vehicle, the structural component including a fiber composite laminate with a plurality of fiber composite sublayers. The plurality of fiber composite sublayers includes an electric energy store which is configured as a multilayer electrochemical fiber composite battery to store electric energy in a rechargeable manner; and an electrothermal temperature regulation sublayer which is configured to supply thermal energy to the electric energy store and conducting thermal energy away from the electric energy store as required to regulate a temperature. A control device, which is connected to the electric energy store and the electrothermal temperature regulation sublayer, is configured to control a temperature regulation of the electric energy store by means of the electrothermal temperature regulation sublayer.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling the atmosphere of a multizone calcination (firing) furnace for production of high-quality nickel-rich cathode material for lithium-ion and solid-state batteries. A high-quality oxygen-rich atmosphere is maintained to ensure the quality of the cathode material. An atmosphere control system continuously measures and analyzes the composition of the calcination furnace atmosphere in different zones and adjusts the flowrate of oxygen-rich atmosphere into the furnace to optimize the calcination process.

Abstract: A method for prelithiating an anode of lithium ion batteries includes the following steps: (a) charging the battery to a voltage from about 4.2 to about 4.5 V at a first temperature; and (b) discharging the battery to a voltage from about 2.5 to about 3.2 V at a second temperature which is about 20 to 40° C. lower than the first temperature. Also provided is a lithium ion battery having an anode prelithiated by the method.

Abstract: A battery module includes: a housing accommodating a plurality of battery cells, the housing including a bottom plate and a side plate. A connection board is located on one end or both ends of the housing. The connection board is coupled to the side plate, a plurality of air channels are formed in the side plate, and the connection board includes a plurality of protrusions located between adjacent air channels of the plurality of air channels.

Abstract: The metal porous body having a framework of a three-dimensional network structure is disclosed. The framework is formed of a metal film, the framework has an interior that is hollow, and the metal film contains titanium metal or titanium alloy as a main component.

Abstract: A diagnostic device for a secondary battery having a structure in which positive electrodes and negative electrodes are alternately arranged includes an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to acquire a first resistance value indicating a magnitude of electrical resistance of the secondary battery, compress at least a part of the secondary battery, acquire a second resistance value indicating a magnitude of electrical resistance of the secondary battery after the compression, determine, using the first and second resistance values, whether an amount of decrease in electrical resistance of the secondary battery by the compression is greater than a predetermined value, and determine whether an increase in resistance due to distortion of at least one of the positive electrodes and the negative electrodes occurs in the secondary battery using a result of the determination.

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: A gas diffusion layer comprises a carbon sheet and a microporous layer disposed on at least one surface of the carbon sheet, and meeting the requirement “C is equal to or greater than 0”, wherein: C, referred to as “index for simultaneous realization of a required in-plane oxygen permeation coefficient and electrical resistance”, is calculated by subtracting the product of B multiplied by 60 from A and adding 310 to the difference, A, is the rate of oxygen permeation in an in-plane direction in a gas diffusion layer that occurs when a pressure of 0.5 MPa is applied in the through-plane direction to a surface of the gas diffusion layer to compress an arbitrarily selected region having a width of 10 mm and a depth of 3 mm in the gas diffusion layer, and B is the “electrical resistance” that occurs when the gas diffusion layer is compressed by applying a pressure of 2 MPa in the through-plane direction.

Abstract: A fluoride shuttle (F-shuttle) battery and nanostructures of copper based cathode materials in the fluoride shuttle battery. The F-shuttle batteries include a liquid electrolyte, which allows the F-shuttle batteries to operate under room temperature. The minimum thickness of copper layer within the copper nanostructures is no more than 20 nm. The thickness of copper layer within the copper nanostructures is controlled and reduced to ensure the energy densities of F-shuttle batteries.

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: 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 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: 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 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.