A bipolar battery having a plurality of cells. The bipolar battery includes: a negative electrode; a positive electrode and a separator element disposed between the negative electrode and the positive electrode, the separator element electrically insulating the electrodes from one another; an electrolyte disposed within at least one of the negative electrode, the positive electrode and the separator element; and an electrode containment structure including a cup-like electrode holder.
A high-temperature bipolar battery consisting of a plurality of stacked individual cells. A first, thermal-sprayed electrode or electrolyte resistant material ceramic layer is sprayed to the exterior of the face-to-face stacked array and onto the peripheral faces of the battery metal end plates remote from the individual cells of a thickness sufficient to virtually eliminate all through pores therein. A second thermal-sprayed ceramic layer is of a thickness sufficient to form a metal support and containment structure of the bipolar battery stack. The thermal-sprayed layers have similar coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE). A metal cup surrounds and encloses at least one of the electrodes of each individual cell tending to form an inter-cell seal between the thermal-sprayed ceramic layer and the metal cup to prevent communication of electrolyte from cell to cell. Preferably the cups and any screens between the electrolyte layer and the anodes and cathodes of the respective cells extend radially beyond the electrodes and are embedded in the thermal-sprayed ceramic layer. The thermal-sprayed ceramic layer may be MgO of 20 mil. thickness and the thermal-sprayed metal layer may be 410 stainless steel of 50 mil. thickness.
An improved bipolar lead-acid battery including a novel "cup" design of a bipolar plate, a resilient sliding rim seal for each battery cell, spring conductors for achieving both high compression and current collection, unique current collecting plates, and a self-sealing venting port on the external container.
A cell or battery of cells having improved overcharge tolerance and increased power capability, and methods for the construction of such cells or batteries, via electrolyte modification.
A bipolar rechargeable battery comprises a vessel with an insulated liner and an interior region for bulk storage of a gas which serves as an electrode active material. A plurality of cells are nested within the vessel, each including a metallic bipolar cup having a circular base and an integral insulated hydrophobic upstanding side wall of truncated conical shape diverging with increased distance from the base. A positive electrode overlies the base. A dielectric separator separates the positive electrode and a negative electrode sized to fittingly engage the side wall such that any gas generated at the positive electrode must pass through the negative electrode to escape the cell to thereby recombine the generated gas with the active material gas within the cell. The upstanding side wall of each cell is oriented to enable gas passage from each of said cells to the bulk gas storage region. The upstanding side walls of the adjacent cells mutually define a gap enabling gas communication between the adjacent cells and between each of the cells and the bulk gas storage region. A gas screen of porous conductive inert material may overlie the gas electrode, providing an interface between the cell and an adjoining cell in the battery and passage of gas between the bulk gas storage and the gas electrode current collector.
A design and process for making hermetically sealed thermocompression feedthrough and peripheral seal for high temperature Li Alloy FeS.sub.x battery cells and battery enclosures. The selected materials and processes parameters are developed to match the high temperature Li Alloy/FeS.sub.x system.
