Abstract: A system and a method for rapid evacuation of fluid components from a battery cell include first and second puncturing elements for forming first and second holes in the battery cell with respective first and second channels extending through the puncturing elements, a first pressure source connected with the first channel, an evacuation manifold, and a second pressure source connected with the manifold inlet. The evacuation manifold has a housing enclosing a plenum, a manifold inlet and outlet formed in the housing, a through-hole formed in the housing between the manifold inlet and outlet, a conduit connected with the through-hole and terminating within the plenum downstream of the primary end, and a one-way valve disposed adjacent the conduit termination. The through-hole is aligned with the second channel, and the fluid components are caused to flow through the second hole, the second channel and the conduit and out the manifold outlet.

Abstract: A system configured to remove an electrolyte from a battery. The system includes: a rotatable platform; a battery support configured to be rotated by the rotatable platform; a motor configured to rotate the rotatable platform; an impalement device adjacent to the battery support, the impalement device configured to puncture the battery seated on the battery support as the rotatable platform rotates to drain the electrolyte out of the battery by centrifugal force; a reservoir configured to collect the electrolyte; and a conduit in fluid communication with the impalement device and the reservoir to direct the electrolyte from the impalement device to the reservoir.

Abstract: An apparatus for cutting a prismatic battery cell can including a base, a fixture coupled to the base for orienting the prismatic battery cell can, and a cutting device. The cutting device includes one or more guide rails coupled to the base, a retainer coupled to the one or more guide rails and movable with respect to a first axis, a tool guide coupled to the base, and one or more cutting tools coupled to the retainer and to the tool guide, the one or more cutting tools being movable with respect to the first axis and a second axis that is perpendicular to the first axis.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure include a thickness control manifold for molten lithium dip coating. An exemplary thickness control manifold includes a plurality of rollers positioned to guide a current collector from a feed roller to a molten lithium bath and to provide a vertical current collector pull from the molten lithium bath. A gas knife is positioned after the vertical current collector pull and against a side of the current collector. The manifold includes a cold gas tip having a first gas port and a first gas channel that is positioned to eject a cooled fluid to the side of the current collector and a hot gas tip having a second gas port and a second gas channel that is positioned to eject a heated fluid to the side of the current collector. The hot gas tip is between the cold gas tip and the molten lithium bath.

Abstract: A system configured to roll a metal into a foil. The system includes work rollers spaced apart to accommodate the metal therebetween. The work rollers are configured to press against the metal to roll the metal into the foil. A cooling subsystem is spaced apart from the work rollers on a work line configured to feed the metal to the work rollers. The cooling subsystem is configured to cool the metal as the metal moves along the work line.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an alkali metal coated current collector for a battery, the method includes melting the alkali metal, removing impurities floating on the surface of the melted alkali metal; applying the purified melted alkali metal to the surface of at least one side of a passing current collector substrate to form a coating on the current collector substrate.

Abstract: A method for controlling an adjustable rolling line includes obtaining, while the line is operating, a first measurement of a first convolution spacing of first corrugated material formed from coiled material by a pair of primary rollers and one or more adjustable finger tensioners, determining, based on the first measurement, one or more first adjustments to the one or more adjustable finger tensioners, and adjusting, based on the one or more first adjustments, the one or more adjustable finger tensioners. The method also includes obtaining, while the line is operating, a second measurement of a second convolution spacing of second corrugated material formed from the first corrugated material by a pair of adjustable restrike rollers, determining, based on the second measurement, one or more second adjustments to the pair of adjustable restrike rollers, and adjusting, based on the one or more second adjustments, the pair of adjustable restrike rollers.

Abstract: A system for synchronizing communications in a radio ranging process involves transmitting calibration signals according to a predetermined schedule of nominal transmission times. Timing offsets are determined. A start time is determined for a transmission of a ranging signal. The start time is earlier than a nominal start time of the ranging signal by at least the largest timing offset. Another system for synchronization involves a radio device transmitting a calibration signal to a second radio device and receiving a calibration response signal from the second radio device. A time-of-flight value is determined in dependence on a time of departure of the calibration signal and a time of arrival of the calibration response signal. A ranging signal is transmitted at a time determined in dependence on the determined time-of-flight value. A ranging response signal is received and processed to determine a range value.

Abstract: A method facilitating volume replacement using cloud volume snapshots includes halting, by a system including at least one processor, input/output (I/O) activity to a first volume of a cloud computing system in response to the first volume being determined to be unreachable; obtaining, by the system, a snapshot of the first volume in response to the halting; and creating, by the system, a second volume, of the cloud computing system and other than the first volume, using the snapshot.

Abstract: A method includes providing a current collector comprising metal and forming a lithium layer on at least one side of the current collector. This includes dipping the current collector into a bath of molten lithium, and controlling the thickness of the lithium layer at least partly by at least one of: setting a line speed through the bath or a resident time that the current collector is to be within the bath. Then, the method provides the current collector with the lithium layer to form a lithium metal anode for a battery cell.

Abstract: A hot-dip coating system comprising a substrate pathway comprising one or more rollers configured to move a substrate along the substrate pathway between a first end and a second end, a pre-coating section arranged with respect to the substrate pathway and configured to apply a first coating to the substrate, a pre-heating section arranged with respect to the substrate pathway and configured to heat the substrate and the first coating, and a hot-dip coating section arranged with respect to the substrate pathway and configured to apply a second coating to the substrate.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure include a thickness control manifold for molten lithium dip coating. An exemplary thickness control manifold includes a plurality of rollers positioned to guide a current collector from a feed roller to a molten lithium bath and to provide a vertical current collector pull from the molten lithium bath. A gas knife is positioned after the vertical current collector pull and against a side of the current collector. The manifold includes a cold gas tip having a first gas port and a first gas channel that is positioned to eject a cooled fluid to the side of the current collector and a hot gas tip having a second gas port and a second gas channel that is positioned to eject a heated fluid to the side of the current collector. The hot gas tip is between the cold gas tip and the molten lithium bath.

Abstract: A system can maintain a computer cluster that comprises a group of nodes, wherein a node of the group of nodes comprises a group of storage drives, wherein the node is a member of a failure domain that comprises a subgroup of nodes of the group of nodes, wherein the failure domain is configured to preserve data stored in the failure domain when at least one node within the failure domain fails. The system can obtain a reservation for the node, wherein the reservation permits the node to make the group of storage drives unavailable for data access, and wherein other nodes within the failure domain are unable to obtain the reservation while the node possesses the reservation. The system can, while the node possesses the reservation, update firmware for respective storage drives for the group of storage drives in parallel.

Abstract: A system configured to roll a metal into a foil. The system includes work rollers spaced apart to accommodate the metal therebetween. The work rollers are configured to press against the metal to roll the metal into the foil. A cooling subsystem is spaced apart from the work rollers on a work line configured to feed the metal to the work rollers. The cooling subsystem is configured to cool the metal as the metal moves along the work line.

Abstract: A method facilitating storage capacity expansion using volume addition for cloud computing clusters includes suspending, by a system including at least one processor, changes to an infrastructure configuration of a group of virtual machines (VMs) of a cloud computing system in response to receiving a request to expand a storage capacity of the group of VMs; associating, by the system in response to the suspending, new storage volumes with respective VMs of the group of VMs; and resuming, by the system, the changes to the infrastructure configuration of the group of VMs in response to the associating being determined to have successfully completed.

Abstract: A method facilitating volume replacement using cloud volume snapshots includes halting, by a system including at least one processor, input/output (I/O) activity to a first volume of a cloud computing system in response to the first volume being determined to be unreachable; obtaining, by the system, a snapshot of the first volume in response to the halting; and creating, by the system, a second volume, of the cloud computing system and other than the first volume, using the snapshot.

Abstract: A system configured to roll a metal into a foil. The system includes rollers spaced apart to receive the metal therebetween. The rollers are configured to press against the metal to roll the metal into the foil. A cooling sub-system is configured to cool the rollers with a coolant, thereby cooling the foil in contact with the rollers.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an alkali metal coated current collector for a battery, the method includes melting the alkali metal, removing impurities floating on the surface of the melted alkali metal; applying the purified melted alkali metal to the surface of at least one side of a passing current collector substrate to form a coating on the current collector substrate.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure include an electrode calendering system for manufacturing electrodes with enhanced edge quality. An exemplary system includes an active material supply including an electrode material and a coating roll coupled to the active material supply. The coating roll is positioned to coat a current collector with the electrode material. A back roll is positioned to transfer the current collector to the coating roll. The system includes at least one of a bare foil supporting material roll and a coated foil supporting material roll. The bare foil supporting material roll is positioned to apply a support material onto a first portion of the current collector prior to the current collector being coated with the electrode material. The coated foil supporting material roll is positioned to apply the support material onto the first portion of the current collector after the current collector is coated with the electrode material.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure include a roll press design for manufacturing tailored porosity electrodes. An exemplary roll press includes a top roller and a bottom roller separated from the top roller by a gap. At least one of the top roller and the bottom roller includes a raised region and an indented region. The raised region includes a first radius and the indented region includes a second radius less than the first radius. The gap includes a distance selected to accommodate a current collector. The current collector includes a bare portion and a coated portion having thereon an electrode material of a first thickness. A difference between the first radius and the second radius is selected, based on the first thickness, to evenly distribute stress across the bare portion and the coated portion of the current collector during a calendering process for forming a tailored porosity electrode.