Abstract: A method of manufacturing a component having a porosity-controlled lithium metal coating includes setting up an aerosol spray apparatus having a material feeder and a confinement conduit in fluid communication therewith. The confinement conduit has an inlet end and a nozzle end. The method also includes setting up a substrate having an exposed surface on a moveable tooling plate and directing the nozzle end at the exposed surface. The method additionally includes loading a lithium metal into the material feeder. The method also includes feeding a high-pressure gas into the inlet end of the confinement conduit to thereby form an aerosol spray of lithium metal. The method further includes moving the tooling plate to regulate a thickness and a pattern of deposition of the lithium metal onto the exposed surface through the nozzle end to thereby generate a porous lithium metal coating on the substrate.

Abstract: A lithium metal oxide (LMO) cathode includes a current collector having a length defining a first end and a second end, a width, and a first side and a second side, LMO active material applied to the first side and the second side of the current collector such that the LMO active material applied to each respective side of the current collector has an inner face contiguous with the current collector and an outer face, and a plurality of channels extending widthwise across the cathode within the LMO active material applied to the first and second sides. The LMO active material on each current collector side can have a thickness of about 100 ?m to about 400 ?m. The channels on the same side of the current collector can be spaced apart by 0.1 mm to 10 mm. The channels can have widths of 10 ?m to 60 ?m.

Abstract: An electrode heat treatment device and associated method for fabricating an electrode are described, and include forming a workpiece, including coating a current collector with a slurry. The workpiece is placed on a first spool, and the first spool including the workpiece is placed in a sealable chamber, wherein the sealable chamber includes the first spool, a heat exchange work space, and a second spool. An inert environment is created in the sealable chamber. The workpiece is subjected to a multi-step continuous heat treatment operation in the inert environment, wherein the multi-step continuous heat treatment operation includes continuously transferring the workpiece through the heat exchange work space between the first spool and the second spool and controlling the heat exchange work space to an elevated temperature.

Abstract: An electrode for a lithium-ion electrochemical cell includes a current collector and a first layer formed from a first electrode composition disposed on the current collector. The first electrode composition includes a binder component; a conductive filler component dispersed within the binder component; and an active material component dispersed within the binder component and the conductive filler component. The first electrode composition has a first surface and a second surface spaced apart from and parallel to the first surface. The first electrode composition defines a plurality of pores between the first surface and the second surface having a tailored pore size distribution that includes at least a first pore size and a second pore size that is greater than the first pore size. The first electrode composition has a first porosity of at least 60%.

Abstract: An electrode heat treatment device and associated method for fabricating an electrode are described, and include forming a workpiece, including coating a current collector with a slurry. The workpiece is placed on a first spool, and the first spool including the workpiece is placed in a sealable chamber, wherein the sealable chamber includes the first spool, a heat exchange work space, and a second spool. An inert environment is created in the sealable chamber. The workpiece is subjected to a multi-step continuous heat treatment operation in the inert environment, wherein the multi-step continuous heat treatment operation includes continuously transferring the workpiece through the heat exchange work space between the first spool and the second spool and controlling the heat exchange work space to an elevated temperature.

Abstract: An exemplary system for storage and deployment of a drone from a vehicle includes a platform having a platform surface including a magnetic latching system configured to releasably secure the drone to the platform surface, a storage member enclosing the platform, the storage member defining a storage volume configured to enclose the drone when the drone is secured to the platform, an actuator configured to move the platform relative to the storage member, the platform movable between an enclosed position and an unenclosed position, and at least one controller in communication with the actuator, the at least one controller being configured to, in response to satisfaction of a first operating condition, control the actuator to move the platform to the unenclosed position, and, in response to satisfaction of a second operating condition, control the actuator to move the platform to the enclosed position.

Abstract: Methods for fabricating electrodes include coating a current collector with a slurry and pyrolyzing the coated current collector to produce the electrode with a layer of silicon-based host material. The slurry can include one or more solvents and a dry fraction having silicon particles, one or more polymeric binders, and carbon fibers. Pyrolyzing includes heating at a first temperature, and subsequently heating at a second temperature higher than the first temperature. The silicon particles include single-phase silicon and/or Li2Si, have an average particle diameter of less than 10 ?m, and can be 70% of the dry fraction. The polymeric binders can be only polyacrylonitrile, or optionally one or more fluorinated polymers. The carbon fibers have an average diameter of at least about 50 nm, an average length of at least about 1 ?m, and can be up to 15 wt. % of the dry fraction.

Abstract: A drone landing method and system are provided. The method includes illuminator configured to determining a position and a speed of a vehicle based on vehicle information received via wireless communication, synchronizing the speed of the drone to the speed of the vehicle and maneuvering a drone to a position above a landing point on the vehicle based on the vehicle information, and landing the drone at the landing point of the vehicle.

Abstract: A negative electrode for an electrochemical cell (e.g., a lithium ion battery) is provided. The electrode has an active material that undergoes volumetric expansion during lithiation and delithiation, e.g., silicon-containing materials. The electrode has a current collector with an electrically conductive flexible surface primer coating disposed thereon. The primer coating comprises a polymer with a glass transition temperature of ?85° C. and an electrically conductive particle. When assembled, the flexible surface primer coating serves to reduce strain at the interface between the active material and current collector. The primer coating and the electroactive material remain intact on the surface of the current collector after at least one cycle of lithium ion insertion and deinsertion in the electrode, thus minimizing or preventing charge capacity loss in the electrochemical cell.