Negative-limited lithium-ion battery

Abstract

A rechargeable lithium-ion battery includes a housing including a titanium or a titanium alloy, a positive electrode having a first capacity and at least one positive active material selected from the group consisting of LiCoO 2 , LiMn 2 O 4 , LiNiO 2 , LiCoPO 4 , LiCoPO 4 F, LiFeMn 2-x O 4 , LiAl x Co y Ni (1−x−y) O 2 , and LiTi x Co y Ni (1−x−y) O 2 , a negative electrode having a second capacity that is less than the first capacity, such that the battery has a negative-limited design, and a negative active material that is configured to cycle lithium ions at a potential of greater than approximately 0.2 volts versus a lithium reference electrode, a liquid electrolyte including a lithium salt dissolved in at least one non-aqueous solvent, and a porous polymeric separator located between the positive electrode and negative electrode and configured to allow lithium ions to flow through the separator.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A rechargeable lithium-ion battery comprising:
 a housing comprising titanium or a titanium alloy;   a positive electrode having a first capacity and comprises at least one positive active material selected from the group consisting of LiCoO 2 , LiMn 2 O 4 , LiNiO 2 , LiCoPO 4 , LiCoPO 4 F, LiFeMn 2−x O 4  (where 0<x<0.5), LiAl x Co y Ni (1−x−y) O 2  where x is between approximately 0.05 and 0.3 and y is between approximately 0.1 and 0.3, and LiTi x Co y Ni (1−x−y) O 2  where x is between approximately 0.05 and 0.3 and y is between approximately 0.1 and 0.3;   a negative electrode having a second capacity that is less than the first capacity such that the battery has a negative-limited design, the negative electrode comprising a negative active material that is configured to cycle lithium ions at a potential of greater than approximately 0.2 volts versus a lithium reference electrode;   a liquid electrolyte comprising a lithium salt dissolved in at least one non-aqueous solvent; and   a porous polymeric separator located between the positive electrode and negative electrode, wherein the separator is configured to allow lithium ions to flow through the separator.   
     
     
         2 . The rechargeable lithium-ion battery of  claim 1 , wherein the negative electrode has a capacity fade rate that is lower than that of the positive electrode. 
     
     
         3 . The rechargeable lithium-ion battery of  claim 1 , wherein a ratio of the capacity of the negative electrode to the capacity of the positive electrode increases after cycling the battery. 
     
     
         4 . The rechargeable lithium-ion battery of  claim 1 , wherein the negative active material has a lower energy density than that of the positive active material. 
     
     
         5 . The rechargeable lithium-ion battery of  claim 1 , wherein during discharge of the battery, the negative electrode is fully depleted of lithium ions before the positive electrode is fully-saturated with lithium ions. 
     
     
         6 . The rechargeable lithium-ion battery of  claim 1 , wherein when the battery is discharged to zero volts, the potential of the negative electrode is higher than the potential at which the negative active material is configured to dope and undope lithium ions. 
     
     
         7 . The rechargeable lithium-ion battery of  claim 1 , wherein the capacity of the negative electrode is less than approximately ninety percent of the capacity of the positive electrode. 
     
     
         8 . The rechargeable lithium-ion battery of  claim 7 , wherein the capacity of the negative electrode is less than approximately seventy-three percent of the capacity of the positive electrode. 
     
     
         9 . The rechargeable lithium-ion battery of  claim 1 , wherein the negative active material comprises lithium titanate. 
     
     
         10 . The rechargeable lithium-ion battery of  claim 1 , wherein the negative active material comprises a lithium vanadate material. 
     
     
         11 . The rechargeable lithium ion battery of  claim 11 , wherein the negative active material comprises Li 1.1 V 0.9 O 2 . 
     
     
         12 . The rechargeable lithium ion battery of  claim 1 , wherein the negative active material does not extend beyond an edge of the positive electrode in at least one region. 
     
     
         13 . The rechargeable lithium ion battery of  claim 13 , wherein the positive active material extends beyond an edge of the negative electrode in the at least one edge region. 
     
     
         14 . The rechargeable lithium ion battery of  claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte consists essentially of ethylene carbonate, ethylmethyl carbonate, and a salt of LiPF 6 . 
     
     
         15 . The rechargeable lithium ion battery of  claim 1 , wherein the positive electrode and the negative electrode are wound electrodes. 
     
     
         16 . A rechargeable lithium-ion battery comprising:
 a housing comprising titanium or a titanium alloy;   a wound positive electrode having a first capacity and comprising at least one positive active material selected from the group consisting of LiCoO 2 , LiMn 2 O 4 , LiNiO 2 , LiCoPO 4 , LiCoPO 4 F, LiFeMn 2−x O 4  (where 0<x<0.5), LiAl x Co y Ni (1−x−y) O 2  where x is between approximately 0.05 and 0.3 and y is between approximately 0.1 and 0.3, and LiTi x Co y Ni (1−x−y) O 2  where x is between approximately 0.05 and 0.3 and y is between approximately 0.1 and 0.3;   a wound negative electrode having a second capacity that is less than the first capacity such that the battery has a negative-limited design, the negative electrode comprising a negative active material that is configured to cycle lithium ions at a potential of greater than approximately 0.2 volts versus a lithium reference electrode;   a liquid electrolyte comprising a lithium salt dissolved in at least one non-aqueous solvent;   a porous polymeric separator located between the positive electrode and negative electrode, wherein the separator is configured to allow lithium ions to flow through the separator;   wherein the negative electrode has a capacity fade rate that is lower than that of the positive electrode.   
     
     
         17 . The rechargeable lithium-ion battery of  claim 16 , wherein a ratio of the capacity of the negative electrode to the capacity of the positive electrode increases after cycling the battery. 
     
     
         18 . The rechargeable lithium-ion battery of  claim 16 , wherein the negative active material has a lower energy density than that of the positive active material. 
     
     
         19 . The rechargeable lithium-ion battery of  claim 16 , wherein discharging of the battery causes the negative electrode to become fully depleted of lithium ions before the positive electrode is fully-saturated with lithium ions. 
     
     
         20 . The rechargeable lithium-ion battery of  claim 16 , wherein discharging the battery to zero volts results in the potential of the negative electrode being higher than the potential at which the negative active material is configured to dope and undope lithium ions. 
     
     
         21 . The rechargeable lithium-ion battery of  claim 16 , wherein the capacity of the negative electrode is less than approximately ninety percent of the capacity of the positive electrode. 
     
     
         22 . The rechargeable lithium-ion battery of  claim 16 , wherein the negative active material comprises lithium titanate or a lithium vanadate material. 
     
     
         23 . The rechargeable lithium ion battery of  claim 22 , wherein the negative active material comprises Li 1.1 V 0.9 O 2 . 
     
     
         24 . The rechargeable lithium ion battery of  claim 16 , wherein the negative active material does not extend beyond an edge of the positive electrode in at least one region in an axial direction, and the positive active material extends beyond an edge of the negative electrode in the at least one region. 
     
     
         25 . The rechargeable lithium ion battery of  claim 16 , wherein the electrolyte consists essentially of ethylene carbonate, ethylmethyl carbonate, and a salt of LiPF 6 . 
     
     
         26 . A rechargeable lithium-ion battery comprising:
 a housing comprising titanium or a titanium alloy;   a wound or folded positive electrode having a first capacity and comprising at least one positive active material selected from the group consisting of LiCoO 2 , LiMn 2 O 4 , LiNiO 2 , LiCoPO 4 , LiCoPO 4 F, LiFeMn 2−x O 4  (where 0<x<0.5), LiAl x Co y Ni (1−x−y) O 2  where x is between approximately 0.05 and 0.3 and y is between approximately 0.1 and 0.3, and LiTi x Co y Ni (1−x−y) O 2  where x is between approximately 0.05 and 0.3 and y is between approximately 0.1 and 0.3;   a wound or folded negative electrode having a second capacity that is less than the first capacity such that the battery has a negative-limited design, the negative electrode comprising a negative active material that is configured to cycle lithium ions at a potential of greater than approximately 0.2 volts versus a lithium reference electrode;   a liquid electrolyte that is free of molten salt; and   a porous polymeric separator located between the positive electrode and negative electrode, wherein the separator is configured to allow lithium ions to flow through the separator.   
     
     
         27 . The rechargeable lithium-ion battery of  claim 26 , wherein a ratio of the capacity of the negative electrode to the capacity of the positive electrode increases after cycling the battery. 
     
     
         28 . The rechargeable lithium-ion battery of  claim 26 , wherein the negative active material has a lower energy density than that of the positive active material. 
     
     
         29 . The rechargeable lithium-ion battery of  claim 26 , wherein discharging of the battery causes the negative electrode to become fully depleted of lithium ions before the positive electrode is fully-saturated with lithium ions. 
     
     
         30 . The rechargeable lithium-ion battery of  claim 26 , wherein discharging the battery to zero volts results in the potential of the negative electrode being higher than the potential at which the negative active material is configured to dope and undope lithium ions. 
     
     
         31 . The rechargeable lithium-ion battery of  claim 26 , wherein the capacity of the negative electrode is less than approximately ninety percent of the capacity of the positive electrode. 
     
     
         32 . The rechargeable lithium-ion battery of  claim 26 , wherein the negative active material comprises lithium titanate or a lithium vanadate material. 
     
     
         33 . The rechargeable lithium ion battery of  claim 32 , wherein the negative active material comprises Li 1.1 V 0.9 O 2 . 
     
     
         34 . The rechargeable lithium ion battery of  claim 26 , wherein the negative active material does not extend beyond an edge of the positive electrode in at least one region, and the positive active material extends beyond an edge of the negative electrode in the at least one region. 
     
     
         35 . The rechargeable lithium ion battery of  claim 26 , wherein the electrolyte consists essentially of ethylene carbonate, ethylmethyl carbonate, and a salt of LiPF 6 . 
     
     
         36 . The rechargeable lithium ion battery of  claim 26 , wherein the negative electrode has a capacity fade rate that is lower than that of the positive electrode.