Thermal conductor for high-energy electrochemical cells

Patent · Sat Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 2000

OSTI ID:873237

Hoffman, Joseph A ^[1]; Domroese, Michael K ^[2]; Lindeman, David D ^[3]; Radewald, Vern E ^[4]; Rouillard, Roger ^[5]; Trice, Jennifer L ^[6]

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1. Minneapolis, MN
2. South St. Paul, MN
3. Hudson, WI
4. Austin, TX
5. Beloeil, CA
6. Eagan, MN

A thermal conductor for use with an electrochemical energy storage device is disclosed. The thermal conductor is attached to one or both of the anode and cathode contacts of an electrochemical cell. A resilient portion of the conductor varies in height or position to maintain contact between the conductor and an adjacent wall structure of a containment vessel in response to relative movement between the conductor and the wall structure. The thermal conductor conducts current into and out of the electrochemical cell and conducts thermal energy between the electrochemical cell and thermally conductive and electrically resistive material disposed between the conductor and the wall structure. The thermal conductor may be fabricated to include a resilient portion having one of a substantially C-shaped, double C-shaped, Z-shaped, V-shaped, O-shaped, S-shaped, or finger-shaped cross-section. An elastomeric spring element may be configured so as to be captured by the resilient conductor for purposes of enhancing the functionality of the thermal conductor. The spring element may include a protrusion that provides electrical insulation between the spring conductor and a spring conductor of an adjacently disposed electrochemical cell in the presence of relative movement between the cells and the wall structure. The thermal conductor may also be fabricated from a sheet of electrically conductive material and affixed to the contacts of a number of electrochemical cells.

• Research Organization: United States Advanced Battery Consortium, Dearborn, MI (US)
• DOE Contract Number: FC02-91CE50336
• Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (St. Paul, MN)
• Patent Number(s): US 6117584
• OSTI ID: 873237
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

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adjacent
adjacent wall
adjacently
affixed
anode
attached
c-shaped
captured
cathode
cathode contacts
cell
cells
chemical energy
conductive
conductive material
conductor
conducts
conducts current
conducts thermal
configured
contact
contacts
containment
containment vessel
cross-section
current
device
disclosed
disposed
double
elastomeric
electrical
electrical insulation
electrically
electrically conductive
electrically resistive
electrochemical
electrochemical cell
electrochemical cells
electrochemical energy
element
energy
energy storage
enhancing
fabricated
finger-shaped
functionality
height
high-energy
high-energy electrochemical
insulation
maintain
maintain contact
material
material disposed
movement
o-shaped
portion
position
presence
protrusion
provides
provides electrical
purposes
relative
relative movement
resilient
resistive
resistive material
response
s-shaped
shaped cross-section
sheet
spring
spring element
storage
storage device
structure
substantially
thermal
thermal conductor
thermal energy
thermally
thermally conductive
v-shaped
varies
vessel
wall
wall structure
z-shaped