Spacers for electrodes, electrode stacks and batteries and systems and methods therefor

Abstract

A battery includes an electrode assembly. The electrode assembly has a population of unit cells, each unit cell including an electrode current collector layer, an electrode layer, a separator layer, a counter-electrode layer, and a counter-electrode current collector layer in stacked succession. The electrode layer has an electrode active material, and the counter-electrode layer has a counter-electrode active material. One of the electrode active material and the counter-electrode material is a cathodically active material and the other of the electrode active material and the counter-electrode material is an anodically active material. A subset of the unit cell population includes a pair of spacer members located between the electrode current collector layer and the counter-electrode current collector layer. At least a portion of the counter-electrode active material is located between the spacer members in a common plane defined by the x and z axes.

1 - 30 . (canceled) 
     
     
         31 . A secondary battery for cycling between a charged state and a discharged state, the secondary battery comprising an enclosure and an electrode assembly disposed within the enclosure, wherein:
 the electrode assembly has mutually perpendicular transverse, longitudinal, and vertical axes corresponding to the x, y and z axes, respectively, of a three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system,   the electrode assembly comprises a population of unit cells, each unit cell comprising an electrode layer, a separator layer, and a counter-electrode layer in stacked succession in the longitudinal direction,   the electrode layer comprises an electrode current collector and an electrode active material, and the counter-electrode layer comprises a counter-electrode current collector and a counter-electrode active material,   a subset of the unit cell population further comprises a pair of spacer members located in the stacked succession between the separator layer and the electrode current collector, one of the spacer members being spaced in the transverse direction from the other spacer member of the pair of spacer members such that each spacer member is positioned adjacent a distal end of the separator layer,   at least a portion of the counter-electrode active material of the counter-electrode layer is located between the pair of spacer members such that the portion of the counter-electrode active material and the spacer members lie in a common plane defined by the x and z axes, and   the separator layer is conformed at each distal end to be in contact with each of the counter-electrode active material and the counter-electrode current collector.   
     
     
         32 . The secondary battery set forth in  claim 31  wherein the counter-electrode material is a cathodically active material and the electrode active material is an anodically active material. 
     
     
         33 . The secondary battery set forth in  claim 31  wherein the counter-electrode layer has a central portion and a pair of flank portions on opposite sides of the central portion, the distal ends of the separator layer being in contact with the counter-electrode current collector at the flank portions and the counter-electrode active material extending across the central portion, the flank portions having a width equal to or less than 50 percent of a width of the central portion. 
     
     
         34 . The secondary battery set forth in  claim 31  wherein the counter-electrode layer has a central portion and a pair of flank portions on opposite sides of the central portion, the distal ends of the separator layer being in contact with the counter-electrode current collector at the flank portions and the counter-electrode active material extending across the central portion, the flank portions having a width equal to or less than 30 percent of a width of the central portion. 
     
     
         35 . The secondary battery set forth in  claim 31  wherein the counter-electrode active material of the counter-electrode layer has a maximum width measured in the longitudinal direction between an interface with the counter-electrode current collector and an interface with the separator layer, the common plane occurring over at least 50 percent of the maximum width. 
     
     
         36 . The secondary battery set forth in  claim 31  wherein each of the spacer members have a length extending in the transverse direction, the length of the spacer members being equal to or less than 500 μm. 
     
     
         37 . The secondary battery set forth in  claim 31  wherein the spacer members are adhered to at least one of the electrode layer and the separator layer. 
     
     
         38 . The secondary battery set forth in  claim 31  wherein the electrode active material of the electrode layer has a first end and a second end spaced in the transverse direction from the first end to define a transverse extent of the electrode active material, the transverse extent of the electrode active material terminating prior to a terminus of the unit cell. 
     
     
         39 . The secondary battery set forth in  claim 31  wherein (i) the members of the unit cell population are in stacked succession in the longitudinal direction, (ii) the unit cell population comprises two sets of adjacent pairs of unit cells, and (iii) one of the two sets of the adjacent pairs share a common electrode current collector and the other of the two sets of the adjacent pairs share a common counter-electrode current collector. 
     
     
         40 . The secondary battery set forth in  claim 31  wherein the spacer members comprise an electrically insulating material. 
     
     
         41 . The secondary battery set forth in  claim 31  wherein the spacer members comprise an adhesive tape having a base and an adhesive layer provided on one surface of the base. 
     
     
         42 . The secondary battery set forth in  claim 31  wherein the spacer members comprise the same material as the separator layer. 
     
     
         43 . The secondary battery set forth in  claim 31  wherein the spacer members define, in part, a transverse terminus of the unit cell. 
     
     
         44 . The secondary battery set forth in  claim 31  wherein the separator layer has a middle portion extending between the distal ends, the middle portion lying in a first plane defined by the x and z axes, each of the distal ends of the separator layer respectively lying in a second plane and a third plane defined by the x and z axes, the second and third planes being offset from the first plane in the longitudinal direction. 
     
     
         45 . The secondary battery set forth in  claim 44  wherein the distal ends lie in the same plane defined by the x and z axes. 
     
     
         46 . The secondary battery set forth in  claim 44  wherein the subset of the unit cell population further comprises at least one supplemental spacer located in the stacked succession between the middle portion of the separator layer and the electrode layer. 
     
     
         47 . The secondary battery set forth in  claim 44  wherein the middle portion of the separator layer is disposed in face-to-face engagement with the counter-electrode active material of the counter-electrode layer, and the distal ends of the separator layer are disposed adjacent a first end and a second end of the counter-electrode active material of the counter-electrode layer, respectively. 
     
     
         48 . A method of manufacturing a unit cell for use with a secondary battery, the unit cell having mutually perpendicular transverse, longitudinal, and vertical axes corresponding to the x, y and z axes, respectively, of a three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system the method comprising:
 stacking an electrode layer, a separator layer, and a counter-electrode layer in stacked succession in the longitudinal axis direction, the electrode layer comprises an electrode current collector and an electrode active material, and the counter-electrode layer comprises a counter-electrode current collector and a counter-electrode active material,   placing a pair of spacer members in the stacked succession between the separator layer and the electrode layer, one of the spacer members being spaced in the transverse direction from the other spacer member of the pair of spacer members such that each spacer member is positioned adjacent a distal end of the separator layer and at least a portion of the counter-electrode active material of the counter-electrode layer is located between the pair of spacer members, and   conforming the distal ends of the separator layer such that the portion of the counter-electrode active material and the spacer members lie in a common plane defined by the x and z axes and the separator layer is in contact with each of the counter-electrode active material and the counter-electrode current collector.   
     
     
         49 . The method set forth in  claim 48  wherein placing the pair of spacer members in the stacked succession includes adhering the pair of spacer members to at least one of the separator layer and the electrode layer. 
     
     
         50 . The method set forth in  claim 49  comprising removably adhering the pair of spacer members to the at least one of the separator layer and the electrode layer. 
     
     
         51 . The method set forth in  claim 49  comprising permanently adhering the pair of spacer members to the at least one of the separator layer and the electrode layer. 
     
     
         52 . The method set forth in  claim 48  further comprising forming an expansion gap between the separator layer and the electrode layer using the pair of spacer members. 
     
     
         53 . The method set forth in  claim 52  wherein the expansion gap accommodates expansion of the electrode active material of the electrode layer in the longitudinal direction in response to carrier ions being introduced into the electrode active material during an initial charging process such that the electrode active material at least partially fills the expansion gap. 
     
     
         54 . The method set forth in  claim 52  wherein each spacer member has a width W s1  in the longitudinal direction, the width W s1  being greater than a width of the expansion gap in the longitudinal direction. 
     
     
         55 . A secondary battery for cycling between a charged state and a discharged state, the secondary battery comprising an enclosure and an electrode assembly disposed within the enclosure, wherein:
 the electrode assembly has mutually perpendicular transverse, longitudinal, and vertical axes corresponding to the x, y and z axes, respectively, of a three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system,   the electrode assembly comprises a population of unit cells, each unit cell comprising an electrode layer, a separator layer, and a counter-electrode layer in stacked succession in the longitudinal direction,   the electrode layer comprises an electrode current collector and an electrode active material, and the counter-electrode layer comprises a counter-electrode current collector and a counter-electrode active material,   the counter-electrode layer has a central portion and a pair of flank portions on opposite sides of the central portion, the counter-electrode active material extending across the central portion of the counter-electrode layer,   a subset of the unit cell population further comprises a pair of spacer members located in the stacked succession between the separator layer and the electrode layer, each spacer member being positioned adjacent a distal end of the separator layer such that each distal end of the separator layer is located between one of the spacer members and one of the flank portions of the counter-electrode layer, and   at least a portion of the counter-electrode active material of the counter-electrode layer is located between the pair of spacer members such that the portion of the counter-electrode active material and the spacer members lie in a common plane defined by the x and z axes.   
     
     
         56 . The secondary battery set forth in  claim 55  wherein the separator layer is conformed at each distal end to be in contact with each of the counter-electrode current collector and the counter-electrode active material. 
     
     
         57 . The secondary battery set forth in  claim 55  wherein the flank portions of the counter-electrode layer have a width equal to or less than 50 percent of a width of the central portion of the counter-electrode layer. 
     
     
         58 . The secondary battery set forth in  claim 55  wherein the counter-electrode active material of the counter-electrode layer has a maximum width measured in the longitudinal direction between an interface with the counter-electrode current collector and an interface with the separator layer, the common plane occurring over at least 50 percent of the maximum width. 
     
     
         59 . A secondary battery for cycling between a charged state and a discharged state, the secondary battery comprising an enclosure and an electrode assembly disposed within the enclosure, wherein:
 the electrode assembly has mutually perpendicular transverse, longitudinal, and vertical axes corresponding to the x, y and z axes, respectively, of a three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system,   the electrode assembly comprises a population of unit cells, each unit cell comprising an electrode layer, a separator layer, and a counter-electrode layer in stacked succession in the longitudinal direction,   the electrode layer comprises an electrode current collector and an electrode active material, and the counter-electrode layer comprises a counter-electrode current collector and a counter-electrode active material, wherein the counter-electrode material is a cathodically active material and the electrode active material is an anodically active material,   a subset of the unit cell population further comprises a pair of spacer members located in the stacked succession between the separator layer and the electrode layer, one of the spacer members being spaced in the transverse direction from the other spacer member of the pair of spacer members such that each spacer member is positioned adjacent a distal end of the separator layer, and   at least a portion of the counter-electrode active material of the counter-electrode layer is located between the pair of spacer members such that the portion of the counter-electrode active material and the spacer members lie in a common plane defined by the x and z axes.   
     
     
         60 . The secondary battery set forth in  claim 59  wherein each spacer member has a width W s1  in the longitudinal direction, the width W s1  being greater than a width of the counter-electrode active material in the longitudinal direction.