A direct welding process for joining a current collector to a terminal pin in the construction of electrochemical cells is described. The resistance welding process utilizes increased current combined with an applied force to bond dissimilar metals with a melting temperature differential of preferably more than 500° C. Preferably, the method is used to bond the terminal pin to the cathode current collector. This method of attachment is suitable for either primary or secondary cells, particularly those powering implantable biomedical devices.

An energy storage device that includes a housing, which includes at least one end panel that includes at least one aperture therethrough. The device further includes a battery cell housed in the housing. The battery cell includes mutually opposed first and second faces joined at their edges. The device also includes a heat sink adjacent to the battery cell and in thermal contact with the first face of the battery cell. The heat sink defines at least one cooling medium passage extending parallel to the face of the adjacent battery cell. The cooling medium passage opens onto the at least one aperture formed through the at least one end panel of the housing.

Provided herein are energy source systems for a vehicle. One energy source system for a vehicle includes a battery having a plurality of cells coupled in series with one another and adapted to be coupled to an alternator of the vehicle. The energy source system for the vehicle also includes one or more ultracapacitors coupled in series with one another and adapted to be coupled to starting components of the vehicle. The battery and the one or more ultracapacitors are coupled to one another in a parallel arrangement, and a combined voltage of the battery cells is substantially matched with a combined voltage of the one or more ultracapacitors.

A method for producing a battery resulting from the joining with a plurality of weld nuggets therebetween of a foil layered part, at which foil exposed portions exposing an aluminum foil overlap, and a positive terminal member made of aluminum, includes: a formation step for forming at the foil layered part a foil welded part at which are formed, by welding aluminum foils together by means of ultrasonic welding, a first high-position part at at least a section of a surface to be joined, and a plurality of first low-position parts distributed at scattered points within the first high-position part; and a resistance-welding step for contacting the first high-position part to the positive terminal member, generating weld nuggets at the first low-position part by flowing an electric current, and resistance-welding the foil welded part and the positive terminal member with the weld nuggets therebetween.

An all solid secondary battery including: an exterior body; a cathode including a cathode active material including a transition metal oxide, an anode; and a solid electrolyte layer disposed between the cathode and the anode, wherein the cathode, the anode, and the solid electrolyte layer are disposed in the exterior body, wherein the transition metal oxide is a lithium composite transition metal oxide that contains nickel and at least one metal element other than nickel that belongs to Group 2 to Group 13 of the periodic table, and wherein the total of partial pressures of carbon dioxide and oxygen in the exterior body is 200 pascals or less.

Plant for the electrochemical formation of lead-acid batteries, which comprises an external circuit (5) in which an electrolytic solution flows with controlled temperature; such solution traverses the single cells (2) provided with metering caps (17) provided with an inlet duct (18) connected with a first connector to a distribution manifold (9) of the circuit and with an outlet duct connected with a second connector to return means (7) of the circuit. The plant also comprises suction means connected to the distribution manifold (9) and actuatable to suck, with the feeding to the distribution manifold (9) interrupted, the electrolytic solution contained in the distribution manifold (9) as well as possible lumps therewith that have stopped in the inlet ducts and/or in the first connectors for feeding the cells (2).

A rechargeable electrochemical battery in the form of a single or multi-stranded wire assembly may be utilized as a power source for any number of implantable or non-implantable medical devices. As the wire form battery may be scaled to micro size, it may be utilized to power medical devices that were traditionally non-active devices, but which may be enhanced with active components. The wire form battery may be cut to size for a particular application which provides the same open circuit voltage regardless of how the wire is ultimately configured and the length of the wire utilized. Although the battery is in wire form, various arrangements of the components within the battery are also possible.

In a feedthrough device and method of assembly thereof, a body has longitudinally spaced first and second end faces and an inner surface defining a longitudinally extending opening. A conductor extends within the opening and an insulator extends within the opening transversely intermediate the conductor and the inner surface of the body to insulate the conductor from the body. The body has at least one indentation formed longitudinally into at least one of the first and second end faces, with a portion of the inner surface of the body being displaced transversely against the insulator in correspondence with the at least one longitudinal indentation to crimp the insulator and conductor within the opening of the body and maintain a hermetic seal across the feedthrough device.

Process for the preparation of electrodes from a porous material making it possible to obtain electrodes that are useful in electrochemical systems and that have at least one of the following properties: a high capacity in mAh/gram, a high capacity in mAh/liter, a good capacity for cycling, a low rate of self-discharge, and a good environmental tolerance.

A manufacturing method according to the present invention is a method for manufacturing a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery including graphite as a negative-electrode active material. The manufacturing method includes: a step of assembling the battery including a positive electrode and a negative electrode; and a step of performing an initial charging process of performing first charging on the battery. In the initial charging process, charging is performed at a relatively large first current value when a gas generation amount caused in the battery during the charging does not depend on a charging current value, and the charging is performed at a second current value smaller than the first current value when the gas generation amount depends on the charging current value.