Abstract: The present invention is a thermal blanketing system used to manage the temperature of individual electrochemical cells within the modules of a single battery system. The present invention uses either a thin walled tube made from either a flexible or rigid material (i.e. plastic, etc.) which is wound in a fashion so at least one side of the tube makes contact with each individual cell, or uses a plurality of individual thermal jackets placed between battery cells such that at least some of the thermal jackets are contacted by at least two of the cells within the battery. In each of the above embodiments, each tube or jacket is filled with a thermal management fluid, chosen for its thermal management characteristics, and which flows throughout the tube or jackets, and acts either as a heat sink absorbing heat from the batteries to cool them, or as a heat source providing heat to the batteries as needed.

Abstract: A stand alone battery module including: (a) a mechanical configuration; (b) a thermal management configuration; (c) an electrical connection configuration; and (d) an electronics configuration. Such a module is fully interchangeable in a battery pack assembly, mechanically, from the thermal management point of view, and electrically. With the same hardware, the module can accommodate different cell sizes and, therefore, can easily have different capacities. The module structure is designed to accommodate the electronics monitoring, protection, and printed wiring assembly boards (PWAs), as well as to allow airflow through the module. A plurality of modules may easily be connected together to form a battery pack. The parts of the module are designed to facilitate their manufacture and assembly.

Abstract: An electrochemical cell, including a jelly-roll type electrode stack, and a method for making such cell. The electrochemical cell includes folded electrode portions which form a plane recessed from the end of the electrode stack. The folded electrode portions are preferably formed by making pairs of slits in the electrode end and bending over the electrode portions between each pair of slits. The recessed plane forms a large area to which a current collection tab is subsequently connected. A coating may be applied to the folded portions of the electrode to further increase the contact area with the current collection tab by eliminating the slight variations in the recessed plane which are due to the overlap of the folded electrode portions.

Abstract: A method of making an electrochemical cell, and an electrode stack made thereby. The method includes fabrication of a coating onto selected areas of the ends of the stack by a thermal spray coating process in which the coating is applied to one of the electrodes in the stack without the coating contacting the alternate edges of the other electrode in the stack. Suitable conductive strips, compatible with the substrate materials that make up the electrodes of the cell, can be attached to the thermally sprayed coating layers, or can be embedded into the sprayed materials as they are applied to the electrode stack.

Abstract: An electrochemical cell having a spiral winding around a central core, wherein the central core is provided with longitudinal grooves on its outer surface to facilitate electrolyte filing and accommodate overpressure. The core itself improves dissipation of heat generated along the center of the cell, and the hollow core design allows the cell core to have a larger radius, permitting the "jelly roll" winding to begin at a larger radius and thereby facilitate the initial turns of the winding by decreasing the amount of bending required of the electrode laminate at the beginning of the winding operation. The hollow core also provides mechanical support end-to-end. A pair of washers are used at each end of the cell to sandwich current collection tabs in a manner that improves electrical and thermal conductivity while also providing structural integrity.

Abstract: An electrochemical cell, including a jelly-roll type electrode stack, and a method for making such cell. The electrochemical cell includes folded electrode portions which form a plane recessed from the end of the electrode stack. The folded electrode portions are preferably formed by making pairs of slits in the electrode end and bending over the electrode portions between each pair of slits. The recessed plane forms a large area to which a current collection tab is subsequently connected. A coating may be applied to the folded portions of the electrode to further increase the contact area with the current collection tab by eliminating the slight variations in the recessed plane which are due to the overlap of the folded electrode portions.