Electrochemical cell for facilitating hermeticity leakage testing of an electrical feedthrough

Patent · Tue Jul 17 00:00:00 EDT 1984

OSTI ID:5277233

Jurva, E O; Goodin, R L

An electrical feedthrough, including a metal ferrule, an electrical lead, a glass seal for centrally locating the electrical lead axially within ferrule, for electrically isolating the electrical lead from the ferrule and for hermetically sealing the feedthrough assembly, which further includes an injection molded insulating material extending between the ferrule and lead and a fluorocarbon washer positioned adjacent the inner surface of the glass seal. The fluorocarbon washer is capable of retaining helium and allows for the hermeticity leakage testing of the glass seal. Such a feedthrough is particularly useful in hermetically sealed electrochemical cells wherein the insulated portion of the feedthrough is placed in the cell and the uninsulated portion of the ferrule is welded to or forms the cell cover, and the electrical lead is electrically connected to cell components, such as the anode, within the cell. The hermeticity testing of the aforementioned cell is accomplished by constructing the electrical feedthrough with the teflon washer in position; attaching the feedthrough to the hermetically sealed cells; placing the completed electrochemical cell in a pressurized atmosphere of a test gas, such as helium, for a period of time to force the test gas through the glass seal into the chamber containing the fluorocarbon washer, whereby the fluorocarbon washer absorbs helium gas; and examining the electrochemical cell for leakage of any of the helium back out through the glass seal. Gross and fine leakage testing may be accomplished by respectively observing the escape of the test gas at atmospheric pressure and drawing a vacuum on the electrical feedthrough and testing for the escape of the test gas with a mass spectrometer.

• Assignee: Medtronic Inc.
• Patent Number(s): US 4460664
• OSTI ID: 5277233
• Resource Relation: Patent File Date: Filed date 5 Oct 1981; Other Information: PAT-APPL-308308
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

25 ENERGY STORAGE
ELECTROCHEMICAL CELLS
LEAK TESTING
ANODES
CATHODES
DESIGN
ELECTRICAL INSULATION
HELIUM
LEAKAGE CURRENT
MASS SPECTROMETERS
SEALS
TEFLON
CURRENTS
ELECTRIC CURRENTS
ELECTRODES
ELEMENTS
FLUIDS
FLUORINATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS
GASES
HALOGENATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS
MATERIALS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
NONMETALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC FLUORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC POLYMERS
PETROCHEMICALS
PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
PLASTICS
POLYETHYLENES
POLYMERS
POLYOLEFINS
POLYTETRAFLUOROETHYLENE
RARE GASES
SPECTROMETERS
SYNTHETIC MATERIALS
TESTING
250902* - Energy Storage- Batteries- Performance & Testing