A glass-metal feedthrough includes: an external conductor having a coefficient of expansion α.sub.external, and having an opening formed therein; an internal conductor disposed in the opening, the internal conductor including iron and having a coefficient of expansion α.sub.internal, the external conductor and the internal conductor being configured to not release nickel when in contact with a human or animal body or biological cells of a cell culture; and a glass material surrounding the internal conductor within the opening and having a coefficient of expansion α.sub.glass, the coefficient of expansion of the internal conductor α.sub.internal and the coefficient of expansion of the external conductor α.sub.external are such that a joint pressure on the internal conductor of at least 30 MPa is generated in a temperature range of 20° C. to a glass transformation temperature of the glass material.

An electrochemical cell is described, including an anodic chamber and a cathodic chamber separated by an electrolyte separator tube, all contained within a cell case. The cell also includes an electrically insulating ceramic collar positioned at an opening of the cathodic chamber, and defining an aperture in communication with the opening; along with a cathode current collector assembly; and at least one metallic ring that has a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) in the range of about 3 to about 7.5 ppm/° C., contacting at least a portion of a metallic component within the cell, and an adjacent ceramic component. An active braze alloy composition attaches and hermetically seals the ring to the metallic component and the collar. Sodium metal halide batteries that contain this type of cell are also described, along with methods for sealing structures within the cell.

A lid assembly for an electrochemical cell comprises a plate-shaped lid having an opening and a glass-to-metal seal (GTMS) residing in the lid opening. The GTMS does not have a ferrule. Instead, the GTMS has a sealing glass that seals directly to a terminal pin and to the lid. The terminal pin has an enlarged diameter pin section contacted by the sealing glass and a first reduced diameter pin section extending axially outwardly from the enlarged diameter pin section. An electrochemical cell provided with the lid assembly is also described.

A lid assembly for an electrochemical cell comprises a plate-shaped lid having an opening and a glass-to-metal seal (GTMS) residing in the lid opening. The GTMS does not have a ferrule. Instead, the GTMS has a sealing glass that seals directly to a terminal pin and to the lid. The terminal pin has an enlarged diameter pin section contacted by the sealing glass and a first reduced diameter pin section extending axially outwardly from the enlarged diameter pin section. An electrochemical cell provided with the lid assembly is also described.

The disclosed technology relates to an electrical feedthrough for a battery cell. The electrical feedthrough may include a rivet, an outer gasket, an inner gasket, a terminal and an insulator. The rivet compresses the outer gasket, inner gasket, and terminal to create a hermetic seal at an opening through an enclosure of the battery cell. The inner gasket includes a recessed portion for seating of the terminal to prevent rotation of the terminal with respect to the inner gasket, a protrusion for engaging a corresponding notch on the terminal to further prevent rotation of the terminal with respect to the inner gasket, and a mating surface for attaching to the insulator to align and position the insulator within the enclosure. The insulator is positioned between the battery cell and the inner gasket to prevent physical and electrical contact between the set of layers and the feedthrough.

The disclosed technology relates to an electrical feedthrough for a battery cell. The electrical feedthrough may include a rivet, an outer gasket, an inner gasket, a terminal and an insulator. The rivet compresses the outer gasket, inner gasket, and terminal to create a hermetic seal at an opening through an enclosure of the battery cell. The inner gasket includes a recessed portion for seating of the terminal to prevent rotation of the terminal with respect to the inner gasket, a protrusion for engaging a corresponding notch on the terminal to further prevent rotation of the terminal with respect to the inner gasket, and a mating surface for attaching to the insulator to align and position the insulator within the enclosure. The insulator is positioned between the battery cell and the inner gasket to prevent physical and electrical contact between the set of layers and the feedthrough.

At least a portion of the enclosure of a thermal battery is formed of a ceramic material that is non-porous and electrically-non-conductive. The thermal battery includes at least one cell, a squib that when activated causes the at least one cell to become active, and an enclosure that surrounds the at least one cell and the squib. Squib terminals and battery terminals extend through the enclosure and are electrically connected to the squib and to the at least one cell, respectively. At least the portion of the enclosure through which the squib and battery terminals extend is formed of the ceramic material. The enclosure includes a container and a header. At least the header is made from the ceramic material, and preferably both the container and the header are made from the ceramic material.

The present application provides configurations, components, assemblies and methods for sealing cells of sodium-based thermal batteries, such as NaMx cells. In some embodiments the cells may include an integrated bridge member hermetically sealed to an electrically conductive case and a ceramic collar of the cell to hermetically seal an anodic chamber of the cell. In some embodiments the cells may include the ceramic collar hermetically sealed to an electrolyte separator tube of the cell to hermetically seal the anodic chamber of the cell. In some embodiments the anodic chamber may be defined, at least in part, by the case, integrated bridge member, ceramic collar and electrolyte separator tube. In some embodiments the cells may include a current collector hermetically sealed to the ceramic collar, and a cap member hermetically sealed to the current collector tube to hermetically seal a cathodic chamber of the cell.

A feed-through through a housing part of a housing, for example of a battery or a capacitor made of a metal, wherein the housing part has at least one opening, through which at least one conductor is fed in a glass or glass ceramic material, and wherein the conductor has at least two sections in the axial direction, a first section made of a first material, e.g. aluminium, and a second section made of a second material, e.g. copper, as well as a transition from the first to the second material, and wherein the transition from the first to the second material is located in the region of the glass or glass ceramic material, said glass or glass ceramic material being adapted to the metal of the housing in such a way that a compression glass-to-metal seal is formed.

A battery including: first and second battery terminals configured for electrical communication with a load; a battery casing having first and second end portions and a chamber disposed therein; a first and second constituent, and at least one barrier arranged in a first configuration within the chamber which restricts the first constituent from interacting with the second constituent to provide an electrolyte within the chamber that is suitable for operation of the battery in powering the load in electrical communication with the first and second battery terminals; and whereby, responsive to a force being applied to a portion of the battery, the barrier is configured for arrangement into a second configuration from the first configuration so that the first constituent and the second constituent are able to interact with each other to provide an electrolyte within the chamber that is suitable for operation of the battery in powering the load.