Abstract: A disconnection device, in particular for disconnecting two electrically connected electrochemical elements. The present invention also relates to a device for short-circuiting two electrodes of opposite polarity in an electrochemical element. The subject matter of the invention includes an assembly comprising: ? a) a connecting part (3) and ? b) a disconnection device (4), the disconnection device being intended to disconnect two electrochemical elements (1, 2) connected by the connecting part (3), the disconnection device (4) comprising: ? i) microparticles (5) capable of expanding when their temperature reaches a threshold value, the threshold value being below 150° C., ? ii) a capsule (4a, 4b) enclosing all of the microparticles (5), the capsule (4a, 4b) being arranged such that when the temperature of the microparticles (5) reaches the threshold value, the expansion of the microparticles disconnects the connection between the two electrochemical elements (1, 2).

Abstract: The invention relates to an electrochemical element (1) comprising: a) a container (2) comprising an opening allowing the introduction of at least one electrochemical beam (7); and b) a closing part (3) for closing said container, comprising: i) at least one flat inner surface (4a, 4b, 4c) which is oriented towards the inside of the container and can be directly electrically connected to a current collector (6), ii) at least one flat outer surface (5a, 5b, 5c) which is oriented towards the outside of the container and can act as a terminal of the electrochemical element, and iii) at least one wall (8a, 8b, 8c) connecting said at least one flat inner surface to said at least one flat outer surface, said wall forming an angle of between 70 and 120° in relation to one of the two flat surfaces. The closing part of the container allows heat dissipation to be improved in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the element.

Abstract: The invention relates to an electrochemical element (1) comprising: a) a container (2) comprising an opening allowing the introduction of at least one electrochemical beam (7); and b) a closing part (3) for closing said container, comprising: i) at least one flat inner surface (4a, 4b, 4c) which is oriented towards the inside of the container and can be directly electrically connected to a current collector (6), ii) at least one flat outer surface (5a, 5b, 5c) which is oriented towards the outside of the container and can act as a terminal of the electrochemical element, and iii) at least one wall (8a, 8b, 8c) connecting said at least one flat inner surface to said at least one flat outer surface, said wall forming an angle of between 70 and 120° in relation to one of the two flat surfaces. The closing part of the container allows heat dissipation to be improved in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the element.

Abstract: The invention relates to a battery, in particular a lithium-ion type battery. The battery comprises a container (1) containing an electrochemical bundle with alternating positive and negative electrodes (2) framing electrolyte-impregnated separators, and at least one current output terminal (3, 4) forming a cover (3, 4) for closing the container (1). The edges (5, 6) of the electrodes (2) having one of the polarities are directly connected to the cover (3, 4) by welding.

Abstract: There is provided an electrical connection device (1) between terminals (8a, 8a?, 8b, 8b?) of electrochemical storage battery cells (9a, 9b), which includes a first layer consisting of a metal substrate (4) for connecting two electrochemical cell terminals, and a second layer consisting of a printed electronic circuit (2) with electronic components (7) for measuring electrochemical cell parameters, the printed electronic circuit layer (2) being electrically and mechanically connected to the metallic substrate layer (4). The electrical connection device provides reliable connection with the terminals of storage cells and good heat dissipation.

Abstract: A device (1) for controlling the charging of a battery (2) of secondary electrochemical cells (7), the device being interfaced between a battery charger (3), the battery, and a piece of electrical equipment (4), and comprising firstly measurement means (6) delivering measurements of a first physical magnitude representative of at least one voltage (V) across the terminals of at least a portion of the battery (2), and of a second physical magnitude representative of at least one temperature (T) of at least a portion of the battery (2), and secondly control means (8) capable of determining, as a function of the measured first and second magnitudes, an electrical reference value enabling the battery (2) to be maintained in a selected state of charge and at a mean temperature substantially below a selected threshold by means of a continuous low current at constant voltage.

Abstract: An industrial type vented cell storage battery includes an electrode package including at least one positive electrode containing nickel hydroxide, one negative electrode, and one hydrophilic and gas-permeable separator an extension of which beyond said electrode package is in contact with the electrolyte contained in said space. It also includes an oxygen recombination device. It contains an excess quantity of alkaline electrolyte. A space between the base of the electrode package and the bottom of the container contains at least some of the excess quantity of electrolyte.

Abstract: An aqueous alkaline electrolyte Ni-MH sealed secondary storage cell includes a bundle of electrodes placed in a container and made up of a plurality of negative and positive electrodes. The space separating the negative electrode from the positive electrode contains a separator. The separator is permeable to gases and a recombination device is placed between two adjacent negative electrodes and has a wetting angle of at least 45°, an average pore section of at least 103 &mgr;m2, and a thickness from 0.2 mm to 5 mm.

Abstract: A method of controlling the discharging of a battery including a plurality of modules each consisting of at least one secondary storage cell includes the following steps: (a) a voltage Vz(tn) of each module z and a discharge current I(tn) are measured synchronously at time tn, (b) the internal resistance IRz(tn) of each module z is calculated as follows: IRz(tn)=Vz(tn)/I(tn), (c) a voltage Vz(tn+1) of each module z and a discharge current I(tn+1) are measured synchronously at time tn+1, (d) the internal resistance IRz(tn+1) of each module z is calculated as follows: IRz(tn+1)=Vz (tn+1)/I(tn+1), (e) the slope of the variation in the internal resistance IRSz of each module z is calculated between times tn and tn+1 as follows: IRSz=[IRz(tn+1)−IRz(t)]/I(tn), (f) the maximum value IRSmax and the average value IRSavg of the slopes of the variation in the internal resistance of all the modules are calculated, (g) a difference DI

Abstract: A method of controlling the discharging of a battery including a plurality of modules each consisting of at least one secondary storage cell includes the following steps:

Abstract: A sealed nickel-metal hydride storage cell comprises a positive electrode whose electrochemically reactive material is a hydroxide containing principally nickel and a negative electrode whose electrochemically active material is an intermetallic compound capable of forming a hydride when charged. The total quantity of electrochemically active material in the negative electrode exceeds the total quantity of electrochemically active material in the positive electrode so that the total negative capacity exceeds the total positive capacity by an amount of at least 15% referred to as the overcapacity. Part of the overcapacity, referred to as the precharge, is partly in the charged state when the positive electrode is completely discharged and the remaining part, referred to as the surplus, is in the discharged state when the positive electrode is completely charged. The precharge is less than 10% of the negative overcapacity.

Abstract: An aqueous alkaline electrolyte Ni-MH sealed secondary storage cell includes a bundle of electrodes placed in a container and made up of a plurality of negative and positive electrodes. The space separating the negative electrode from the positive electrode contains a separator. The separator is permeable to gases and a recombination device is placed between two adjacent negative electrodes and has a wetting angle of at least 45°, an average pore section of at least 103 &mgr;m2, and a thickness from 0.2 mm to 5 mm.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of controlling rapid charging of an alkaline-electrolyte industrial storage cell of the "maintenance-free" or "sealed" type, the cell possessing a nominal capacity Cn, a voltage U, and an internal temperature T, wherein charging is stopped at a percentage charge greater than 75% of Cn as follows:a voltage threshold Us is fixed which corresponds to the desired final percentage charge for said cell;the voltage U and the temperature T of said cell are measured;a corrected voltage Uc is calculated using the following formula:Uc=U-k(T-Tc)where voltages are expressed in volts, Tc is an arbitrarily-selected reference temperature, and k is a constant coefficient expressed in volts per temperature unit; andUc is compared with said voltage threshold Us, and charging is stopped when Uc is not less than Us.

Abstract: A method of charging an industrial maintenance-free Ni-MH storage cell, the method comprising in combination a first stage at a constant current I.sub.1 lying in the range I.sub.c /10 to I.sub.c /2, and a second stage at a constant current I.sub.2 lying in the range I.sub.c /50 to I.sub.c /10, the changeover from the first stage to the second stage taking place when the time derivative of the temperature reaches a threshold value which varies as a function of the temperature at the time of the changeover.