Systems and methods for charging and discharging a plurality of batteries are described herein. In some embodiments, a system includes a battery module, an energy storage system electrically coupled to the battery module, a power source, and a controller. The energy storage system is operable in a first operating state in which energy is transferred from the energy storage system to the battery module to charge the battery module, and a second operating state in which energy is transferred from the battery module to the energy storage system to discharge the battery module. The power source electrically coupled to the energy storage system and is configured to transfer energy from the power source to the energy storage system based on an amount of stored energy in the energy storage system. The controller is operably coupled to the battery module and is configured to monitor and control a charging state of the battery module.

A separator for a lithium secondary battery comprising a porous polymer substrate and a porous coating layer on at least one surface of the porous polymer substrate. The separator has an ionic conductivity of 4.75×10.sup.−5 S/cm or more, and the porous coating layer comprises an interstitial volume and a macro pore having a larger diameter than the interstitial volume. A method for manufacturing the separator is also disclosed. Accordingly, the separator has significantly improved ionic conductivity over commercial separators.

A device for charging and discharging a battery cell capable of suppressing a swelling phenomenon of a terrace portion of a battery cell during a formation process of the battery cell includes first and second plates configured to receive a battery cell therebetween and to press two surfaces of the battery cell; first and second grippers connected to the first and second plates, respectively, the first and second grippers protrude to face each other and configured to contact a lead region of the battery cell; and first and second pressing pads positioned inward of the first and second grippers, the first and second pressing pads being configured to contact a terrace region of the battery cell. A method of charging and discharging a battery cell using the same is also provided.

A lithium ion secondary battery includes: an anode including an anode current collector and an anode coating layer coating a region of the anode current collector; a cathode including a cathode current collector, a cathode coating layer coating a region of the cathode current collector, and an inactive coating layer disposed on a surface of a region of the cathode current collector on which the cathode coating layer is not disposed, the inactive coating layer extending from one or more of both end portions of the cathode coating layer toward an end portion of the anode; and a separation membrane arranged between the cathode and the anode.

A cell formation system for lithium containing secondary batteries includes a population of formation clusters, each formation cluster includes a connector configured for connecting to a lithium containing secondary battery, a charging module connected to the connector and configured to charge the battery, a pre-lithiation module connected to the connector and configured to diffuse lithium to electrode active material layers of the battery, a discharging module connected to the connector and configured to discharge the battery, and a communication interface for communicatively coupling the formation cluster to a central controller. In response to received instructions from the central controller, the formation cluster is configured to charge the battery using the charging module, diffuse lithium to the electrode active material layers of the battery using the pre-lithiation module, and discharge the secondary battery using the discharging module after lithium has been diffused to the electrode active material layers of the battery.

The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a secondary battery, a battery module, a battery pack, a device, and a manufacturing method. The secondary battery includes: an electrode unit, including a main body portion and a first tab and a second tab extending out from the main body portion; a casing, including an accommodating cavity for accommodating the main body portion and a first opening which is in communication with the accommodating cavity; a first cover plate capping the first opening, the first cover plate including a first relief hole penetrating therethrough, the first tab passes through the first relief hole and is connected to a side of the first cover plate facing away from the accommodating cavity; and a sealing plate, which is sealingly connected to the side of the first cover plate facing away from the accommodating cavity and covers the first relief hole.

A battery includes: a power generating element including a positive electrode layer, a negative electrode layer, and a solid electrolyte layer between the positive electrode layer and the negative electrode layer; a structure located above a first main surface of the power generating element and having insulating properties; and a laminate film accommodating the power generating element and the structure, wherein a gap is located between the first main surface and the laminate film such that the gap is in contact with the structure.

A pouch-type secondary battery according to an embodiment of the present invention for solving the above problems includes a cup part configured to accommodate an electrode assembly formed by stacking electrodes and separators, wherein the cup part includes: a bottom portion configured to form a bottom; an outer wall configured to form a side surface and meet the bottom portion; a punch edge configured to connect the bottom portion to the outer wall; a thickness edge configured to connect two adjacent outer walls to each other; and a corner formed by connecting the two adjacent punch edges to the thickness edge, wherein at least one of the punch edges is rounded, at least one of the thickness edge is rounded, at least one of the corner is rounded and has a curvature radius different from that of each of the punch edge and the thickness edge.

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a secondary battery and a secondary battery. The method for manufacturing the secondary battery comprises an accommodation step of accommodating an electrode assembly in an accommodation part of a battery case, a vent membrane mounting step of mounting a vent membrane on a discharge hole, which passes between the inside and outside of the battery case, in the battery case, and a case sealing step of sealing the battery case, wherein the vent membrane allows only a gas to pass through the discharge hole of the battery case, but blocks a liquid.

Embodiments described herein relate generally to electrochemical cells having semi-solid electrodes that are coated on only one side of a current collector. In some embodiments, an electrochemical cell includes a semi-solid positive electrode coated on only one side of a positive current collector and a semi-solid negative electrode coated on only one side of a negative current collector. A separator is disposed between the semi-solid positive electrode and the semi-solid negative electrode. At least one of the semi-solid positive electrode and the semi-solid negative electrode can have a thickness of at least about 250 μm.