SAFT

An electrochemical cell of the lithium/sulfur type comprising: a) a cathode comprising: i) microporous carbon in the form of particles, the particle size distribution being characterized by a median volume diameter Dv 50 of the particles which is greater than or equal to 1 μm and less than or equal to 5 μm; ii) sulfur having an oxidation degree in the range of 0 to −2 in the pores of the microporous carbon; b) an electrolyte comprising a solvent, said solvent comprising at least one fluorinated carbonate; c) an anode composed of lithium metal or of a lithium metal alloy. The electrochemical cell exhibits an improved specific gravimetry and an improved life cycle.

The present invention concerns a method for estimating the state of charge (SoC) of an electrochemical element. The method comprises the initiation of an operation charging or discharging the electrochemical element that is traversed by a current and, while the charging or discharging operation is taking place: an operation charging or discharging a power storage element that is traversed by the same current as the electrochemical element, the power storage element having a voltage/charge level relationship that is bijective for at least two values of the voltage at the terminals of the storage element, the capacity CES of the storage element representing a portion of the total capacity of the electrochemical element; detection that the storage element is charged or discharged; calculation of a new value of the capacity CN of the electrochemical element by means of the formula CN=CN-I+CES for a charging operation and CN=CN-1−CES for a discharging operation, in which CN-1 is a previous known value of the capacity of the electrochemical element.

The invention concerns a method for estimating the state of health (SOH) of an electrochemical element, comprising: initiating a charging or discharging operation of the electrochemical element; measuring values representing deformations of the electrochemical element while the charging or discharging operation is being performed, the deformation values measured forming a deformations image signal according to the quantity of electricity passing through the electrochemical element over time; comparing the deformations image signal and a reference image signal, one or more differences obtained by the comparison characterising an estimation of the ageing of the electrochemical element.

Disclosed is a negative electrode comprising multiple coated layers to prevent dendrite formation, the process for manufacturing said electrodes and the electrochemical cells and batteries comprising the same.

The invention concerns a multi-battery assembly, and a container comprising such an assembly, for use in particular in the field of high energy-density assemblies comprising a plurality of Ni—Cd, Ni-MH, lead-acid or Li-ion stationary batteries stored in a container or a library-like room. The multi-battery assembly comprises at least three rows ( 1 to 4 ) of batteries ( 12 to 23 ) connected in series and/or parallel, including two end rows ( 1, 4 ) and at least two intermediate rows ( 2, 3 ), each row being connected in series and/or parallel to at least one adjacent row, extending in a first direction (d 1 ), and comprising at least one level ( 36 to 38 ) of a plurality of batteries connected in series and/or parallel, each of the levels extending in the first direction (d 1 ). At least each intermediate row is a row that is movable relative to an adjacent row in a second direction (d 2 ) substantially perpendicular to the first direction (d 1 ), and is connected in series and/or parallel to said adjacent row by one of the batteries of one of the levels of same and by one of the batteries of one of the levels of said adjacent row by means of a connection element ( 60 to 63 ) that is configured to maintain the connection between the movable row and the adjacent row while allowing the movable row to move relative to the adjacent row in the second direction (d 2 ), so as to allow at least one temporary corridor ( 50 ) to be created between the movable row and the adjacent row without disconnection.

The invention relates to an electrochemical element ( 1 ) comprising: a) a container ( 2 ) comprising an opening allowing the introduction of at least one electrochemical beam ( 7 ); and b) a closing part ( 3 ) for closing said container, comprising: i) at least one flat inner surface ( 4 a, 4 b, 4 c ) which is oriented towards the inside of the container and can be directly electrically connected to a current collector ( 6 ), ii) at least one flat outer surface ( 5 a, 5 b, 5 c ) which is oriented towards the outside of the container and can act as a terminal of the electrochemical element, and iii) at least one wall ( 8 a, 8 b, 8 c ) connecting said at least one flat inner surface to said at least one flat outer surface, said wall forming an angle of between 70 and 120° in relation to one of the two flat surfaces. The closing part of the container allows heat dissipation to be improved in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the element.

The invention relates to a self-supported activation device for an electromechanical switch, which can be used for the isolation of a faulty element of a battery, comprising a set of electrically connected elements. The activation device ( 1 ) is intended to activate switching in a switching device ( 2 ) of the type having electrical contact means ( 3 ) that can move between first and second electrical positions. The activation device comprises a current sensor ( 6 a, 6 b ), a retaining element ( 7 ), and at least two movable elements ( 8, 9 ) solidly connected to a coil ( 10 ). When a current is detected by the current sensor ( 6 a, 6 b ) the activation device can move from a non-activation configuration, in which the movable elements are retained by the retaining element in a first position intended to prevent the movement of the contact means of a switching device, into an activation configuration, in which the movable elements are no longer retained in the first position by the retaining element and instead occupy a second position intended to allow the movement of the contact means of a switching device. The coil ( 10 ) comprises a passage space for at least part of the contact means, and each of the movable elements can rotate about an axis such as to clear the passage space, in the aforementioned second position, while remaining solidly connected to the coil.

An electrolyte composition for a lithium-ion electrochemical element, comprising: —at least one lithium tetrafluoride or hexafluoride salt, —the salts of lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide LiFSI, —vinylene carbonate, —ethylene sulfate, —at least one organic solvent chosen from the group consisting of cyclic or linear carbonates, cyclic or linear esters, cyclic or linear ethers and a mixture of same. The use of this composition in a lithium-ion electrochemical element increases the service life of the element, in particular under low and high temperature cycling conditions.

The invention relates to a method for installing battery modules in a container in such a way as to maximize the amount of energy installed, while providing modularity of the voltage delivered by the container. The invention also relates to a method for installing electrochemical elements of parallelepipedal format in a volume of parallelepipedal format, such as a module or a vertical volume of a container.

A battery module having a housing ( 15 ) including a plurality of cavities ( 16 ), each receiving a housing-element assembly ( 1 ) having: a) an electrochemical element ( 2 ) with a cylindrical container and two current output terminals ( 3, 4 ) disposed on a wall of one of the ends of the container, at least one of the two current output terminals being electrically connected to an electrical connection bar ( 5 ); b) a housing ( 6 ) in the form of a tube for receiving the electrochemical element, the housing electrically insulating the electrochemical element and having one or more indexing members ( 7, 8 ); c) a housing cover ( 9 ) provided with a means ( 10 ) for causing the electrochemical element to rotate about its longitudinal axis.