Bi-polar rechargeable electrochemical battery

Abstract

A bi-polar battery has a positive electrode unit, a negative electrode unit, at least one bi-polar electrode unit stacked therebetween, an electrolyte layer separating each adjacent electrode unit, and a gasket positioned about each electrolyte layer for creating a seal about the electrolyte layer in conjunction with the electrode units adjacent thereto. The bi-polar battery also includes a wrapper for maintaining the seals created by the gaskets.

1 - 2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . A method of manufacturing a battery, the method comprising:
 providing a first electrode unit;   providing a first electrolyte layer on top of the first electrode unit in a stacking direction;   providing a first gasket on top of the first electrode unit and about the first electrolyte layer;   providing a second electrode unit on top of the first electrolyte layer and first gasket in the stacking direction; and   sealing the first gasket to the first electrode unit and the second electrode unit.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the providing the first electrode unit comprises:
 providing a first electrode layer with a first side and a second side;   providing a first active material on the first side of the first electrode layer; and   providing a first groove in the first side of the first electrode layer about at least a portion of the first active material.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the providing the first gasket comprised:
 providing a first gasket body portion with a top surface and a bottom surface;   providing a top groove in the top surface of the first gasket body portion; and   stacking the first gasket on top of the first electrode unit, the first groove mating with the top groove to align the first gasket with the first electrode unit.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 providing a wrapper about the first and second electrode units; and   compressing the wrapper, wherein the wrapper exerts a first holding force on the first and second electrode units in a first holding direction, wherein the first holding direction is substantially perpendicular to the stacking direction, and wherein the holding force pushes at least a portion of the top groove against at least a portion of the first groove in the first holding direction.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 providing a wrapper about the first and second electrode units; and   compressing the wrapper, wherein the wrapper exerts a first holding force on the first and second electrode units in a first holding direction, wherein the first holding direction is substantially parallel to the stacking direction, and wherein the holding force pushes at least a portion of the top groove against at least a portion of the first groove in the first holding direction.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein a cross-sectional area of the first groove is one of rectangular, triangular, and curved. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the first groove is continuous about the entire first active material. 
     
     
         10 . A battery comprising:
 a stack of a plurality of electrode units in a stacking direction, the stack comprising:
 a first electrode unit; 
 a second electrode unit stacked on top of the first electrode unit in the stacking direction; and 
 a first electrolyte layer provided between the first electrode unit and the second electrode unit, the battery further comprising: 
   a first gasket positioned about the first electrolyte layer, wherein the first electrolyte layer is sealed by the first gasket and the first and second electrode units.   
     
     
         11 . The battery of  claim 10 , wherein the first electrode unit is a bi-polar electrode unit, and wherein the second electrode unit is a bi-polar electrode unit. 
     
     
         12 . The battery of  claim 10 , wherein the first electrode unit is a mono-polar electrode unit, and wherein the second electrode unit is a bi-polar electrode unit. 
     
     
         13 . The battery of  claim 10 , wherein the first electrode unit comprises:
 a first electrode layer having a first side and a second side; and   a first active material on the first side of the first electrode layer, wherein the first electrode layer has a first groove in the first side about at least a portion of the first active material.   
     
     
         14 . The battery of  claim 13 , wherein the first gasket comprises a body portion having a top surface and a bottom surface, wherein the body portion has a top groove in the top surface, and wherein the first groove mates with the top groove to seal the first electrolyte layer. 
     
     
         15 . The battery of  claim 14 , wherein:
 at least a portion of the first gasket extends along at least a portion of an edge of the first electrode layer between the first side and the second side of the first electrode layer.   
     
     
         16 . The battery of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 a wrapper provided about the stack, wherein the wrapper is compressible to exert a first holding force on the stack in a first holding direction substantially perpendicular to the stacking direction.   
     
     
         17 . The battery of  claim 16 , wherein the holding force pushes at least a portion of the top groove against at least a portion of the first groove in the first holding direction. 
     
     
         18 . The battery of  claim 16 , wherein the wrapper is compressible to exert a second holding force on the stack in a second holding direction substantially parallel to the stacking direction. 
     
     
         19 . The battery of  claim 18 , wherein the holding force pushes at least a portion of the top groove against at least a portion of the first groove in the second holding direction. 
     
     
         20 . The battery of  claim 13 , wherein a cross-sectional area of the first groove is rectangular. 
     
     
         21 . The battery of  claim 13 , wherein a cross-sectional area of the first groove is triangular. 
     
     
         22 . The battery of  claim 13 , wherein a cross-sectional area of the first groove is curved. 
     
     
         23 . The battery of  claim 13 , wherein the first groove is continuous about the entire first active material. 
     
     
         24 . The battery of  claim 13 , wherein the first groove is at least partially smooth about the at least a portion of the first active material. 
     
     
         25 . The battery of  claim 13 , wherein the first groove is at least partially jagged about the at least a portion of the first active material. 
     
     
         26 . The battery of  claim 13 , wherein the second electrode unit comprises:
 a second electrode layer having a first side and a second side; and   a second active material on the second side of the second electrode layer, wherein the second electrode layer has a second groove in the second side about at least a portion of the second active material.   
     
     
         27 . The battery of  claim 26 , wherein the first gasket comprises a body portion having a top surface and a bottom surface, wherein the body portion has a top groove in the top surface and a bottom groove in the bottom surface, and wherein the top groove mates with the first groove and the bottom groove mates with the second groove to seal the first electrolyte layer. 
     
     
         28 . The battery of  claim 27 , wherein the first electrode unit is a bi-polar electrode unit, and wherein the second electrode unit is a bi-polar electrode unit. 
     
     
         29 . The battery of  claim 27 , wherein the first electrode unit is a mono-polar electrode unit, and wherein the second electrode unit is a bi-polar electrode unit. 
     
     
         30 . The battery of  claim 10 , wherein the first gasket is a solid seal loop. 
     
     
         31 . The battery of  claim 10 , wherein the first gasket is a viscous paste. 
     
     
         32 . The battery of  claim 10 , wherein the first gasket is compressible. 
     
     
         33 . The battery of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 a viscous paste provided between the first gasket and at least one of the first electrode unit and the second electrode unit.   
     
     
         34 . The battery of  claim 10 , wherein the first electrode unit comprises:
 a first electrode substrate having a first side and a second side; and   a first active layer on the first side of the first electrode substrate, wherein the first active layer includes at least a first active portion on a first portion of the first side and a second active portion on a second portion of the first side.   
     
     
         35 . The battery of  claim 34 , wherein the first active portion comprises at least a first active material, wherein the second positive portion comprises at least a second active material, and wherein the first active material is different than the second active material. 
     
     
         36 . The battery of  claim 34 , wherein the first active portion extends a first height from the first side of the first electrode substrate, wherein the second active portion extends a second height from the first side of the first electrode substrate, and wherein the first height is different than the second height. 
     
     
         37 . The battery of  claim 34 , wherein the second electrode unit comprises:
 a second electrode substrate having a first side and a second side;   a first active layer on the first side of the second electrode substrate; and   a second active layer on the second side of the second electrode substrate.   
     
     
         38 . The battery of  claim 37 , wherein the first electrode substrate of the first electrode unit has a first thickness, wherein the second electrode substrate of the second electrode unit has a second thickness, and wherein the first thickness is different than the second thickness. 
     
     
         39 . The battery of  claim 37 , wherein the first electrode substrate comprises at least a first material, wherein the second electrode substrate comprises at least a second material, and wherein the first material is different than the second material. 
     
     
         40 . The battery of  claim 37 , wherein the first active layer on the first side of the first electrode substrate is a positive active layer and comprises at least a first positive active material, wherein the first active layer on the first side of the second electrode substrate is a positive active layer and comprises at least a second positive active material, and wherein the first positive active material is different than the second positive active material. 
     
     
         41 . The battery of  claim 37 , wherein the first active layer on the first side of the first electrode substrate is a negative active layer and comprises at least a first negative active material, wherein the first active layer on the first side of the second electrode substrate is a negative active layer and comprises at least a second negative active material, and wherein the first negative active material is different than the second negative active material. 
     
     
         42 . The battery of  claim 10 , wherein the stack further comprises:
 a third electrode unit stacked on top of the second electrode unit in the stacking direction; and   a second electrolyte layer provided between the second electrode unit and the third electrode unit, wherein the battery further comprises:
 a second gasket positioned about the second electrolyte layer, wherein the second electrolyte layer is sealed by the second gasket and the second and third electrode units. 
   
     
     
         43 . The battery of  claim 42 , wherein the first gasket has a first height in the stacking direction, wherein the second gasket has a second height in the stacking direction, and wherein the first height is different than the second height. 
     
     
         44 . The battery of  claim 42 , wherein the first electrolyte layer comprises at least a first chemical, wherein the second electrolyte layer comprises at least a second chemical, and wherein the first chemical and the second chemical are different. 
     
     
         45 . The battery of  claim 44 , wherein the first electrolyte layer has a first conductivity, wherein the second electrolyte layer has a second conductivity, and wherein the first conductivity and the second conductivity are different. 
     
     
         46 . The battery of  claim 42 , wherein the first electrode unit is a bi-polar electrode unit, wherein the second electrode unit is a bi-polar electrode unit, and wherein the third electrode unit is a bi-polar electrode unit. 
     
     
         47 . The battery of  claim 42 , wherein the first electrode unit is a mono-polar electrode unit, wherein the second electrode unit is a bi-polar electrode unit, and wherein the third electrode unit is a bi-polar electrode unit. 
     
     
         48 . The battery of  claim 42 , wherein the first electrode unit is a mono-polar electrode unit, wherein the second electrode unit is a bi-polar electrode unit, and wherein the third electrode unit is a mono-polar electrode unit. 
     
     
         49 . The battery of  claim 10 , wherein the first electrolyte layer comprises:
 an electrolyte material; and   a barrier material that electrically isolates the first and second electrode units.   
     
     
         50 . The battery of  claim 10 :
 wherein the first electrode unit comprises:
 a first bi-polar electrode layer, 
 a first positive active material on a first side of the first bi-polar electrode layer, and 
 a first negative active material on a second side of the first bi-polar electrode layer; 
   wherein the second bi-polar electrode unit comprises:
 a second bi-polar electrode layer having two sides, 
 a second positive active material on a first side of the second bi-polar electrode layer, and 
 a second negative active material on a second side of the second bi-polar electrode layer; and 
   wherein the first electrolyte layer comprises an electrolyte material positioned between the first positive active material of the first bi-polar electrode unit and the second negative active material of the second bi-polar electrode unit.