Battery cell design for preventing internal short circuits from occurring and propagating using positive temperature coefficient (PTC) materials
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsShengyi Liu, John A. Trela, Kamiar J. Karimi
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Abstract
A battery and related methods are described. The battery can include a plurality of battery cell segments. Each of the battery cell segments can include: a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) material whose resistance increases with temperature, an anode segment, a cathode segment, and one or more current limiters. The one or more current limiters of a battery cell segment are configured to conditionally electrically isolate the battery cell segment based on an occurrence of a short circuit within the battery cell segment. The battery can be used to store electrical power and/or provide electrical power to a load.
Claims20
A battery, comprising:
- one or more cells, each cell comprising a plurality of battery cell segments electrically connected in parallel within the cell to electrodes, each battery cell segment comprising:
- a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) material whose resistance increases with temperature,
- an anode segment,
- a cathode segment, and
- one or more current limiters configured to conditionally electrically isolate the battery cell segment based on an occurrence of a short circuit within the battery cell segment, wherein the anode segment is separated from the cathode segment by a separator immersed in an electrolyte filler, wherein the one or more current limiters are connected to the cathode segment and/or the anode segment, and wherein the PTC material is positioned to separate a battery cell segment from other battery cell segments of the plurality of battery cell segments.
A battery, comprising:
- one or more cells, each cell comprising a plurality of battery cell segments electrically connected in parallel within the cell to electrodes, each battery cell segment comprising:
- a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) material whose resistance increases with temperature,
- an anode segment,
- a cathode segment, and
- one or more current limiters configured to conditionally electrically isolate the battery cell segment based on an occurrence of a short circuit within the battery cell segment, wherein the PTC material is positioned to separate a battery cell segment from other battery cell segments of the plurality of battery cell segments.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.