A lithium-sulfur battery includes a casing, a top lid circumferentially welded to the casing, a negative contact surface positioned opposite the top lid, a positive terminal disposed within the casing, welded to the top lid, and configured as a mandrel, a glass insulator circumferentially wound around the mandrel, and a jelly roll including at least an anode and a cathode wound around the mandrel. The jelly roll may also include a top surface not in contact with the top lid, a bottom surface partially in contact with the negative contact surface, and partially in contact with a plurality of non-hollow carbonaceous spherical particles disposed between the bottom surface of the jelly roll and the negative contact surface. At least some of the non-hollow carbonaceous spherical particles may provide one or more electrically-conductive pathways between the bottom surface and the negative contact surface.

A lithium-sulfur battery includes a casing, a top lid circumferentially welded to the casing, a negative contact surface positioned opposite the top lid, a positive terminal disposed within the casing, welded to the top lid, and configured as a mandrel, a glass insulator circumferentially wound around the mandrel, and a jelly roll including at least an anode and a cathode wound around the mandrel. The jelly roll may also include a top surface not in contact with the top lid, a bottom surface partially in contact with the negative contact surface, and partially in contact with a plurality of non-hollow carbonaceous spherical particles disposed between the bottom surface of the jelly roll and the negative contact surface. At least some of the non-hollow carbonaceous spherical particles may provide one or more electrically-conductive pathways between the bottom surface and the negative contact surface.

Battery systems and associated methods are described herein. A representative battery system includes: a plurality of individual battery units that each include a battery cell enclosed in a housing with a sensor therein configured to sense a physical characteristic of the battery cell; and a controller configured to connect/disconnect each battery cell according to its physical status to/from a device/system monitoring the battery system, such as an overarching vehicle control system. A battery system may comprising an energy storage cell; a cell container surrounding the energy storage cell and comprising at least one power output terminal and a test port; an external housing defining an enclosure configured to encompass the cell container; a conduit attached to the test port of the cell container and accessible through the external housing; and a valve positioned within the conduit and controlling fluidic flow through the conduit.

Provided is a vehicle body lower structure. A vehicle body lower structure includes a battery pack that encloses a drive battery. The battery pack includes a tray and a cover member attached to an upper surface of the tray with a seal member interposed, the seal member making the inside of the battery pack liquid-tight. A battery terminal, a high-voltage junction box, a control device, and a switch, which are connection portions of an electric cable, are arranged above the seal member.

Provided is a vehicle body lower structure. A vehicle body lower structure includes a battery pack that encloses a drive battery. The battery pack includes a tray and a cover member attached to an upper surface of the tray with a seal member interposed, the seal member making the inside of the battery pack liquid-tight. A battery terminal, a high-voltage junction box, a control device, and a switch, which are connection portions of an electric cable, are arranged above the seal member.

This application relates to an energy storage device. In one embodiment, the energy storage device includes an electrode unit including first and second current collectors that are separated by a separator, first and second terminals respectively connected to the first and second current collectors and a case accommodating the electrode unit. The energy storage device also includes a flexible closure covering the case and having first and second through-holes passing therethrough and exposing the first and second terminals to the environment, wherein the flexible closure contains about 15 wt % or less of SiO.sub.2. According to some embodiments, since the weight percentage of SiO.sub.2 is significantly reduced and thus, the amount and degree of the SiO.sub.2 reduction significantly decreases, a structural deformation of the flexible closure at a microscopic level is minimized. Accordingly, a wetting phenomenon is significantly reduced, and thus the life span of an energy storage device significantly increases.

The present invention provides a large-capacity secondary battery, including: a rechargeable cell, a steel shell, a protection IC, an integrated IC, resistors, capacitors, an inductor, an LED lamp, a plastic part, a circular rigid FR-4 substrate, a metal cap, an insulation pad and an insulation heat shrink film, for integrating multiple functions of a constant voltage output, charge management and protection, and overcharge, overdischarge and overcurrent protection. Compared with the prior art, the large-capacity secondary battery of the present invention can achieve multi-functional integration of the battery, and also can save the space occupied by accessory structural parts of the battery and achieve a large capacity of the battery.

A high-quality battery pack is efficiently produced without using any potting material. A battery cover sheet 10 is a sheet member formed of a resin composition containing an inorganic filler, and has flexibility enough to cover, along the shape of the outer surface of a battery (such as a cylindrical lithium-ion battery 20A), at least partially the outer surface. For example, of the outer surface of the cylindrical lithium-ion battery 20A except for both end surfaces, the outer peripheral surface is covered with the battery cover sheet 10 and a seam 10a is fixed with a fixing member such as an adhesive tape 11, to thereby form a sheet-covered battery 30A. In this case, the battery cover sheet 10 forms a battery holder.

A high-quality battery pack is efficiently produced without using any potting material. A battery cover sheet 10 is a sheet member formed of a resin composition containing an inorganic filler, and has flexibility enough to cover, along the shape of the outer surface of a battery (such as a cylindrical lithium-ion battery 20A), at least partially the outer surface. For example, of the outer surface of the cylindrical lithium-ion battery 20A except for both end surfaces, the outer peripheral surface is covered with the battery cover sheet 10 and a seam 10a is fixed with a fixing member such as an adhesive tape 11, to thereby form a sheet-covered battery 30A. In this case, the battery cover sheet 10 forms a battery holder.

Battery systems and associated methods are described herein. A representative battery system includes: a plurality of individual battery units that each include a battery cell enclosed in a housing with a sensor therein configured to sense a physical characteristic of the battery cell, such as output voltage, output current, battery temperature, etc.; and a controller configured to connect/disconnect each battery cell according to its physical status to/from a device/system monitoring the battery system, such as an overarching vehicle control system.