US-12626901-B2 - Resistance heated roll-bonding of a lithium to a current collector layer

US12626901B2US 12626901 B2US12626901 B2US 12626901B2US-12626901-B2

Abstract

A method for bonding a metal electrode layer and a current collector includes supplying a first metal electrode layer, a current collector layer, and a second metal electrode layer for a battery cell between a first roller and a second roller; connecting a power supply to the first roller and the second roller; and supplying current through the first roller, the first metal electrode layer, the current collector layer, and the second metal electrode layer and the second roller to cause joule heating and bonding of the first metal electrode layer, the current collector layer, and the second metal electrode layer.

Inventors

Wayne Cai
Erik Damon Huemiller
Jennifer Therese Bracey

Assignees

GM Global Technology Operations LLC

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20230306

Claims (20)

1 . A method for bonding a first metal electrode layer, a second metal electrode layer, and a current collector layer, comprising: supplying the first metal electrode layer, the current collector layer, and the second metal electrode layer for a battery cell between a first roller and a second roller, wherein the first roller including a first body portion having a cylindrical body and at least four projections extending radially outwardly from the first body portion, and at least four second body portions arranged in at least four slots defined between the projections; connecting a power supply to the first roller and the second roller; and supplying current through the first roller, the first metal electrode layer, the current collector layer, the second metal electrode layer and the second roller to cause joule heating and bonding of the first metal electrode layer, the current collector layer, and the second metal electrode layer.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first metal electrode layer and the second metal electrode layer include a lithium.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the current collector layer comprises copper.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first body portion is made of a first material and the second body portions are made of a second material.
5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the first body portion and the second body portions are cylindrical-shaped and are arranged adjacent to one another in an axial direction.
6 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the first body portion and the second body portions are cylindrical-shaped and are arranged concentrically on a shaft of the first roller.
7 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the first material is selected from a group consisting of copper and a copper alloy.
8 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the second material is selected from a group consisting of steel, stainless steel, and tungsten.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein: the first body portion is made of a first material selected from a group consisting of copper and a copper alloy, and the second body portions are made of a second material selected from a group consisting of steel, stainless steel, and tungsten.
10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising rolling the first metal electrode layer, the current collector laver, and the second metal electrode layer after joule heating between the first roller and the second roller.
11 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising rolling the first metal electrode layer, the current collector layer, and the second metal electrode layer before joule heating between the first roller and the second roller.
12 . A method for bonding a first metal electrode layer, a second metal electrode layer, and a current collector layer for a battery cell, comprising: supplying the first metal electrode layer from a first roll, the first metal electrode layer including lithium metal; supplying the current collector layer from a second roll and between the first metal electrode layer and the second metal electrode layer, the current collector layer including copper; supplying the second metal electrode layer from a third roll, the second metal electrode layer including lithium metal; connecting a power supply to the first roll and the third roll; and supplying current through the first roll, the first metal electrode layer, the current collector layer, the second metal electrode layer and the third roll to cause joule heating and bonding of the first metal electrode layer, the current collector layer, and the second metal electrode layer.
13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising rolling the first metal electrode layer, the current collector laver, and the second metal electrode layer between a first roller and a second roller.
14 . A method for bonding a first metal electrode layer, a second metal electrode layer, and a current collector layer for a battery cell, comprising: supplying the first metal electrode layer from a first roll, the first metal electrode layer including lithium metal; supplying the current collector layer from a second roll, the current collector layer including copper; supplying the second metal electrode layer from a third roll, the second metal electrode layer including lithium metal; connecting a power supply to the first roll and the third roll; connecting the power supply to the current collector layer; supplying current through the first roll, the first metal electrode layer, and the current collector layer to cause joule heating and bonding of the first metal electrode layer and the current collector layer; and supplying current through the third roll, the second metal electrode layer, and the current collector layer to cause joule heating and bonding of the second metal electrode layer and the current collector layer.
15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising rolling the first metal electrode layer, the current collector layer, and the second metal electrode layer between a first roller and a second roller.
16 . The method of claim 14 , wherein: the power supply includes a first power supply including a first terminal connected to the first roll, second terminals of the first power supply and a second power supply are connected to the second roll; and the power supply includes the second power supply including a first terminal connected to the third roll.
17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the first roller comprises: a first body portion including a cylindrical body and projections extending radially outwardly from the first body portion; and second body portions arranged in slots defined between the projections.
18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein: the first body portion is made of a first material selected from a group consisting of copper and a copper alloy, and the second body portions are made of a second material selected from a group consisting of steel, stainless steel, and tungsten.
19 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the first roller comprises: a first body portion including a cylindrical body and projections extending radially outwardly from the first body portion; and second body portions arranged in slots defined between the projections.
20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein: the first body portion is made of a first material selected from a group consisting of copper and a copper alloy, and the second body portions are made of a second material selected from a group consisting of steel, stainless steel, and tungsten.

Description

The information provided in this section is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure. The present disclosure relates to battery cells, and more particularly to methods for manufacturing electrodes for battery cells. Electric vehicles such as hybrid vehicles and battery electric vehicles include a battery pack including one or more battery modules including a plurality of battery cells. The battery cells include electrodes (such as anode electrodes and cathode electrodes) and separators. SUMMARY A method for bonding a metal electrode layer and a current collector includes supplying a first metal electrode layer, a current collector layer, and a second metal electrode layer for a battery cell between a first roller and a second roller; connecting a power supply to the first roller and the second roller; and supplying current through the first roller, the first metal electrode layer, the current collector layer, and the second metal electrode layer and the second roller to cause joule heating and bonding of the first metal electrode layer, the current collector layer, and the second metal electrode layer. In other features, the first metal electrode layer and the second metal electrode layer include a lithium. The current collector layer comprises copper. The first roller comprises first body portions made of a first material and second body portions made of a second material. The first body portions and the second body portions are cylindrical-shaped and are arranged adjacent to one another in an axial direction. The first body portions and the second body portions are cylindrical-shaped and are arranged concentrically on a shaft of the first roller. The first material is selected from a group consisting of copper and a copper alloy. The second material is selected from a group consisting of steel, stainless steel, and tungsten. In other features, the first roller comprises a first body portion including a cylindrical body and R projections extending radially outwardly from the first body portion, where R is an integer greater than 3 and R second body portions arranged in R slots defined between the R projections. In other features, the first body portion is made of a first material selected from a group consisting of copper and a copper alloy. The R second body portions are made of a second material selected from a group consisting of steel, stainless steel, and tungsten. In other features, the method includes rolling the first metal electrode layer, the current collector, and the second metal electrode layer after joule heating between the first roller and the second roller. The method includes rolling the first metal electrode layer, the current collector, and the second metal electrode layer before joule heating between the first roller and the second roller. A method for bonding a metal electrode layer and a current collector for a battery cell includes supplying a first metal electrode layer from a first roll; supplying a current collector layer from a second roll; supplying a second metal electrode layer from a third roll; connecting a power supply to the first roll and the third roll; and supplying current through the first roll, the first metal electrode layer, the second metal electrode layer and the second roll to cause joule heating and bonding of the first metal electrode layer, the current collector layer, and the second metal electrode layer. In other features, the first metal electrode layer and the second metal electrode layer comprise lithium metal, and the current collector layer comprises copper. The method includes rolling the first metal electrode layer, the current collector, and the second metal electrode layer between a first roller and a second roller. A method for bonding a metal electrode layer and a current collector for a battery cell includes supplying a first metal electrode layer from a first roll; supplying a current collector layer from a second roll; supplying a second metal electrode layer from a third roll; connecting a power supply to the first roll and the third roll; connecting the power supply to the current collector layer; supplying current through the first roll, the first metal electrode layer, and the current collector; and supplying current through the second roll, the second metal electrode layer and the current collector to cause joule heating and bonding of the first metal electrode layer, the current collector layer, and the second metal electrode layer. In other features, the first metal electrode layer and the second metal electrode layer comprise lithium metal, and the current collector layer comprises copper. The method includes rolling the first met