A battery includes a stacked arrangement of electrochemical cells. Each electrochemical cell is free of a cell housing and includes a bipolar plate having a substrate, a first active material layer formed on a first surface of the substrate, and a second active material layer formed on a second surface of the substrate. Each cell includes a solid electrolyte layer that encapsulates at least one of the active material layers, and an edge insulating device that is disposed between the peripheral edges of the substrates of each pair of adjacent cells. Within each cell, the substrate includes a surface feature that is engaged with a corresponding feature of the edge insulating device in such a way as to locate the edge insulating device relative to the bipolar plate.

An electrode assembly includes a radical unit in which electrodes and separators are alternately stacked, the radical unit having a structure in which one electrode is stacked at the uppermost end. An auxiliary unit is provided with a separation sheet disposed at the uppermost end side of the radical unit. The separation sheet includes a separation part disposed at the uppermost end side of the radical unit and a side surface protection part connected to each of side surfaces of the separation part and folded to contact a side portion of the radical unit to cover the side portion of the radical unit.

A battery pack includes a base plate forming a bottom surface; a main frame combined to the base plate and extending in a height direction to form a wall structure for supporting both side portions of the plurality of battery modules; and a top plate combined to an upper portion of the main frame to form a ceiling, wherein at least one of the top plate and the base plate is provided in a plate body shape including a bead.

In some embodiments, high-energy additive manufacturing (HE-AM) (e.g., directed energy deposition, powder injection, powder bed fusion, electron beam melting, solid-state, and ultrasonic) is used to overcome constraints of comparative EES fabrication techniques to produce chemical additive-free electrodes with complex, highly versatile designs for next generation EES. An exemplary rapid fabrication technique provides an approach for improving electrochemical performance while increasing efficiency and sustainability, reducing time to market, and lowering production costs. With this exemplary technique, which utilizes computer models for location specific layer-by-layer fabrication of three-dimensional parts (e.g., versatile design), a high degree of control over processing conditions may be achieved to enhance both the design and performance of EES systems.

An electrode assembly includes a cell stack part having (a) a structure in which one kind of radical unit is repeatedly disposed, or (b) a structure in which at least two kinds of radical units are disposed in a predetermined order. The one kind of radical unit has a four-layered structure in which first electrode, first separator, second electrode and second separator are sequentially stacked or a repeating structure in which the four-layered structure is repeatedly stacked. Each of the at least two kinds of radical units are stacked by ones to form the four-layered structure or the repeating structure. The separator has a larger size than the electrode to expose an edge part of the separator to outside of the electrode and the separator. The edge parts of the separators included in one radical unit or in the cell stack part are attached to form a sealing part.

An electrode structure for use in an energy storage device, the electrode structure comprising a population of electrodes, a population of counter-electrodes and an electrically insulating material layer separating members of the electrode population from members of the counter-electrode population, each member of the electrode population having a longitudinal axis A.sub.E that is surrounded by the electrically insulating separator layer.

An electrode assembly includes a cell stack part having (a) a structure in which one kind of radical unit is repeatedly disposed, or (b) a structure in which at least two kinds of radical units are disposed in a predetermined order. The one kind of radical unit has a four-layered structure in which first electrode, first separator, second electrode and second separator are sequentially stacked or a repeating structure in which the four-layered structure is repeatedly stacked. Each of the at least two kinds of radical units are stacked by ones to form the four-layered structure or the repeating structure. The separator has a larger size than the electrode to expose an edge part of the separator to outside of the electrode and the separator. The edge parts of the separators included in one radical unit or in the cell stack part are attached to form a sealing part.

The present invention provides a single electrode assembly, in which a plurality of negative electrodes and positive electrodes are stacked alternately and repeatedly, and separators are disposed between the plurality of negative electrodes and positive electrodes, the electrode assembly including: a negative electrode tab part formed on one end of the electrode assembly and extending from the plurality of negative electrodes; a positive electrode bus bar spaced apart from the negative electrode tab part on the one end of the electrode assembly and electrically connecting the plurality of the positive electrodes; a positive electrode tab part formed on the other end of the electrode assembly opposite to the one end and extending from the plurality of positive electrodes; and a negative electrode bus bar spaced apart from the positive electrode tab part on the other end of the electrode assembly and electrically connecting the plurality of the negative electrodes.

A secondary battery including a first electrode structure; a second electrode structure spaced apart from the first electrode structure; and an electrolyte layer disposed between the first electrode structure and the second electrode structure, wherein the first electrode structure includes: a current collector layer; and plurality of first active material plates electrically connected to the current collector layer, protruding from the current collector layer, and including a first active material, wherein each plate of the plurality of first active material plates has a width and a length greater than the width, and the plurality of first active material plates are spaced apart from one another in a widthwise direction and in a lengthwise direction, and wherein the electrolyte layer extends into gaps between the plurality of first active material plates along the lengthwise direction.

Disclosed is a secondary battery. The secondary battery includes an electrode assembly having a plurality of unit electrode bodies, each electrode body including a positive electrode plate having a plurality of positive electrode uneven grooves into which a positive electrode active material is inserted, a negative electrode plate having a plurality of negative electrode uneven grooves located to face the positive electrode uneven grooves so that a negative electrode active material is inserted therein, and a unit separator interposed between the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate; and a case having an accommodation portion in which the electrode assembly and an electrolyte are accommodated, wherein the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate are symmetrical to each other on the basis of the unit separator.