Battery assembly, method of preparation, and thermal control thereof

A method for preparing a battery assembly comprising:

• a) a providing of a formed battery stack with a plurality of electrochemical cells which form the battery assembly, wherein the formed battery stack includes:
• i) a plurality of electrode plates which are stacked, each having a substrate with one or more active materials thereon in paste form, and having one or more openings formed in the substrate;
• ii) one or more channels passing transversely through the plurality of electrode plates which are stacked, including passing through the substrate and the one or more active materials, wherein the one or more channels are formed by alignment of the one or more openings;
• iii) one or more separators, wherein the one or more separators include:
• iii-a) one or more sheets which are porous and non-conductive, and configured to allow electrolyte, ions, electrons, or a combination thereof therethrough;
• iii-b) one or more other openings in the one or more sheets aligned with the one or more openings of adjacent electrode plates of the plurality of electrode plates;
• and
• iii-c) one or more troughs formed in the one or more sheets such as to be within one or more electrochemical cells of the plurality of electrochemical cells;
• wherein the one or more troughs are formed as one or more other channels of reduced thickness of the one or more sheets and configured to guide flow of the electrolyte of the battery assembly;
• wherein the one or more troughs are in fluid communication with at least one of the one or more channels;
• wherein the one or more troughs are substantially perpendicular to the one or more channels;
• wherein the one or more troughs include a plurality of troughs and the plurality of troughs include a main trough and one or more branching troughs;
• wherein the main trough is in direct fluid communication with the one or more other openings;
• the one or more branching troughs are distanced from the one or more other openings and in fluid communication with the main trough;
• and
• wherein the one or more branching troughs substantially follow the perimeter of the one or more sheets;
• b) a pickling of the battery assembly while flowing one or more pickling fluids through the battery assembly;
• wherein the pickling includes circulating the one or more pickling fluids through one or more electrochemical cells and allowing the one or more pickling fluids to soak into the one or more active materials;
• c) a forming of the battery assembly by applying an electric charge while flowing one or more forming fluids through the battery assembly;
• and
• d) a filling of the battery assembly with one or more final fluids before operation of the battery assembly.