Integrated PCBA design with quick disconnect capability for cell-system design

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an energy storage system, for example, the energy storage system includes a chassis and a printed circuit board assembly connected to the chassis and including connection / disconnection devices configured to connect to corresponding connection / disconnection devices on the battery cells to enable connection of the battery cells to the chassis.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to energy storage systems, such as integrated printed circuit board assemblies (PCBAs) with rapid connection and disconnection capabilities to battery cells of distributed energy resources. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventional lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery modules / packs can be configured for use with distributed energy resources and can be very expensive. For example, Table 1 shows estimated lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery pack costs. LFP is a type of Li-ion battery.

[0003] [Table 1]

[0004] Based on the above table, while the LFP battery pack components are not a significant contributor to the overall LFP battery pack cost at 17.1%, the cost of the LFP battery pack components is still significantly higher compared to the other categories listed in Table 1. The reason for the relatively high cost associated with the LFP battery pack components is the manufacturing required to assemble the battery cells of the LFP battery pack components into modules and then install the modules into the energy storage system. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Therefore, there is a need for a PCBA with rapid connection and disconnection capabilities to the battery cells that allows the battery cells to be directly connected to a chassis (of an energy storage system) to which the PCBA can be connected. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] Provided herein is an energy storage system. For example, in some embodiments, the energy storage system includes a chassis and a printed circuit board assembly connected to the chassis and including a connection / disconnection device configured to connect to a corresponding connection / disconnection device on the battery cell to enable connection of the battery cell to the chassis.

[0007] According to some aspects of the present disclosure, an energy management system includes a distributed energy resource comprising a renewable energy source, a load center connected to the renewable energy source, and an energy storage system, the energy storage system including battery cells, a chassis, and a printed circuit board assembly (which can be connected to the chassis) including connection / disconnect devices configured to connect to corresponding connection / disconnect devices on the battery cells to enable connection of the battery cells to the chassis.

[0008] These and other features and advantages of the present disclosure may be understood from consideration of the following detailed description of the disclosure in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout.

[0009] So that the above-mentioned features of the present disclosure may be understood in detail, a more particular description of the present disclosure briefly summarized above can be had by reference to embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It should be noted, however, that the accompanying drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of the present disclosure and therefore should not be considered as limiting its scope, since the present disclosure may admit of other equally effective embodiments. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an energy management system according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram of an integrated PCBA configured for use with the energy management system of FIG. 1 in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram of an integrated PCBA configured for use with the energy management system of FIG. 1 in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a top view of an integrated PCBA connected to a battery chassis configured for use with the energy management system of FIG. 1 in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 illustrates an integrated PCBA configured for use with cylindrical and prismatic cells in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 illustrates an integrated PCBA configured for use with a pouch cell in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to an integrated printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) having rapid connection and disconnection capabilities to battery cells of a distributed energy resource. For example, the PCBAs described herein can be configured for use with an energy storage system that includes a chassis. For example, in at least some embodiments, the PCBA can be connected to or embedded in the chassis of the energy storage system and include connection / disconnection devices configured to connect to corresponding connection / disconnection devices on the battery cells to enable connection of the battery cells to the chassis. The PCBAs described herein are relatively inexpensive to manufacture, can reduce costs associated with battery cell manufacturing, and can enable rapid field replacement of battery cells (e.g., rapid connection / disconnection to corresponding battery cells).

[0012] 1 is a block diagram of a system 100 (e.g., an energy management system or power conversion system) according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. The diagram of FIG. 1 illustrates only one variation of countless possible system configurations. The present disclosure can function in a variety of environments and systems.

[0013] The system 100 includes a structure 102 (e.g., a user's structure), such as a residential or commercial building, having an associated DER 118 (distributed energy resource). The DER 118 is located outside the structure 102. For example, the DER 118 may be located on the roof of the structure 102 or may be part of a solar farm. The structure 102 includes one or more loads (e.g., appliances, electric hot water heaters, thermostats / detectors, boilers, water pumps, etc.), one or more energy storage devices (energy storage systems 114) that may be located inside or outside the structure 102, and a DER controller 116 each coupled to a load center 112. Although the energy storage system 114, the DER controller 116, and the load center 112 are shown as being located within the structure 102, one or more of them may be located outside the structure 102. In at least some embodiments, the energy storage system 114 may be one or more of the energy storage devices (e.g., IQ Battery 10®) commercially available from, for example, Enphase® Inc. of Petaluma, Calif. Other energy storage devices from Enphase® Inc. or other manufacturers may also benefit from the inventive methods and apparatus disclosed herein.

[0014] The load center 112 is coupled to the DER 118 by the AC bus 104 and further coupled to the grid 124 (e.g., a commercial / utility power grid) via a meter 152 and a MID 150 (e.g., a microgrid interconnect device). The structure 102, the energy storage system 114, the DER controller 116, the DER 118, the load center 112, the generation meter 154, the meter 152, and the MID 150 are part of a microgrid 180. It should be noted that one or more additional devices not shown in FIG. 1 may be part of the microgrid 180. For example, a power meter or similar device may be coupled to the load center 112.

[0015] The DER 118 comprises at least one renewable energy source (RES) coupled to the power conditioner 122. For example, the DER 118 may comprise a plurality of RES 120 coupled to the plurality of power conditioners 122 in a one-to-one (or two-to-one) relationship. In the embodiments described herein, each RES of the plurality of RES 120 is a photovoltaic module (PV module), but in other embodiments, the plurality of RES 120 may be any type of system for generating DC power from renewable forms of energy, such as wind, hydro, etc. The DER 118 may further comprise one or more batteries (or other types of energy storage / delivery devices) coupled to the power conditioner 122 in a one-to-one correspondence, and each pair of a power conditioner 122 and a battery 141 may be referred to as an AC battery 130.

[0016] The power conditioner 122 converts the generated DC power from the multiple RES 120 and / or the battery 141 into grid-compliant AC power and couples the generated AC power to the grid 124 via the load center 112. The generated AC power may additionally or alternatively be coupled to one or more loads and / or energy storage systems 114 via the load center 112. Furthermore, the power conditioner 122 coupled to the battery 141 converts AC power from the AC bus 104 into DC power for charging the battery 141. A power generation meter 154 is coupled to an output of the power conditioner 122 coupled to the multiple RES 120 to measure the generated power.

[0017] In some alternative embodiments, power conditioner 122 may be an AC-AC converter that receives an AC input and converts one type of AC power to another type of AC power. In some other alternative embodiments, power conditioner 122 may be a DC-DC converter that converts one type of DC power to another type of DC power. In some embodiments, the DC-DC converter may be coupled to the main DC-AC inverter to convert the generated DC output to an AC output.

[0018] The power conditioners 122 may communicate with each other and with the DER controller 116 using power line communications (PLC), although additionally and / or alternatively, other types of wired and / or wireless communications may be used. The DER controller 116 may provide operational control of the DERs 118 and / or receive data or information from the DERs 118. For example, the DER controller 116 may be a gateway that receives data (e.g., alarms, messages, operational data, performance data, etc.) from the power conditioners 122 and communicates the data and / or other information via the communications network 126 to a cloud-based computing platform 128, which may be configured to execute one or more application software, such as, for example, a grid connectivity control application, for a remote device or system, such as a master controller (not shown). The DER controller 116 may also send control signals to the power conditioners 122, such as control signals generated by the DER controller 116 or received from a remote device or the cloud-based computing platform 128. The DER controller 116 may be communicatively coupled to the communications network 126 via wired and / or wireless technologies. For example, the DER controller 116 may be wirelessly coupled to the communications network 126 via a commercially available router. In one or more embodiments, the DER controller 116 comprises an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or microprocessor along with appropriate software (e.g., a grid connectivity control application) for performing one or more of the functions described herein. For example, the DER controller 116 may include a memory (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium) having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by the processor, perform a method for grid connectivity control, as described in more detail below.

[0019] The power generation meter 154 (which may also be referred to as a power meter) may be any suitable energy meter that measures the energy generated by the DER 118 (e.g., by the power conditioner 122 coupled to the multiple RES 120). The power generation meter 154 measures the active power flow (kWh), and in some embodiments, the reactive power flow (kVAR). The power generation meter 154 may communicate the measurements to the DER controller 116, for example, using a PLC, other type of wired communication, or wireless communication. Additionally, battery charge / discharge values ​​are received from the AC battery 130 itself via other network protocols.

[0020] The meter 152 may be any suitable energy meter that measures energy consumed by the microgrid 180, such as a net metering meter, a bi-directional meter that measures energy imported from and exported to the grid 124, a dual meter with two separate meters to measure energy in and out, etc. In some embodiments, the meter 152 comprises the MID 150 or a portion thereof. The meter 152 measures one or more of real power flow (kWh), reactive power flow (kVAR), grid frequency, and grid voltage.

[0021] The MID 150, which may also be referred to as an island interconnect device (IID), connects / disconnects the microgrid 180 to / from the grid 124. The MID 150 comprises disconnection components (e.g., contactors, etc.) for physically connecting / disconnecting the microgrid 180 to / from the grid 124. For example, the DER controller 116 receives information about the current state of the system from the power conditioner 122 as well as energy consumption values ​​of the microgrid 180 from the meter 152 (e.g., via one or more of PLC, other types of wired communication, and wireless communication), and based on the received information (inputs), the DER controller 116 determines when to transition on-grid or off-grid and instructs the MID 150 accordingly. In some alternative embodiments, the MID 150 comprises an ASIC or CPU and appropriate software (e.g., islanding module) for determining when to disconnect / connect to / from the grid 124. For example, MID 150 may monitor grid 124 and detect grid fluctuations, disturbances, or outages, and as a result, disconnect microgrid 180 from grid 124. Once disconnected from grid 124, microgrid 180 may continue to generate power as an intentional island without posing a safety risk to line workers who may be working on grid 124, for example.

[0022] In some alternative embodiments, the MID 150 or a portion of the MID 150 is part of the DER controller 116. For example, the DER controller 116 may include a CPU and islanding module to monitor the grid 124, detect grid faults and disturbances, determine when to disconnect / connect to the grid 124, and drive disconnection components accordingly, which may be part of the DER controller 116 or may be separate from the DER controller 116. In some embodiments, the MID 150 may communicate with the DER controller 116 (e.g., using wired technologies such as power line communication or using wireless communication) to coordinate connection / disconnection to the grid 124.

[0023] The users 140 may use one or more computing devices, such as a mobile device 142 (e.g., a smartphone, a tablet, etc.) communicatively coupled to the communications network 126 by wireless means. The mobile device 142 has a CPU, supporting circuitry, and memory, and has installed thereon one or more applications 146 (e.g., a grid connectivity control application) for controlling connectivity with the grid 124 as described herein. The one or more applications 146 may run on a commercially available operating system, such as IOS®, ANDROID®, etc.

[0024] To control the connection with the grid 124, the user 140 interacts with an icon displayed on the mobile device 142, such as a grid on-off toggle control or slide, referred to herein as a toggle button. The toggle button may be presented on one or more status screens associated with the microgrid 180, such as a live status screen (not shown), for various verifications, checks, and alerts. When the user 140 interacts with the toggle button for the first time, the user 140 is directed to a consent page, such as a grid connection consent page under Settings, and can only interact with the toggle button after the user has given consent.

[0025] Once consent is received, the following scenarios, listed in order of priority, are handled differently: Based on the desired action entered by the user 140, corresponding instructions are communicated to the DER controller 116 via the communication network 126 using any suitable protocol, such as HTTP(S), MQTT(S), WebSocket, etc. The DER controller 116, which may store the received instructions as needed, instructs the MID 150 to connect to or disconnect from the grid 124 as needed.

[0026] Figure 2 is a diagram of an integrated PCBA 200 configured for use with the system 100 of Figure 1 in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, the PCBA 200 can be configured for use with one or more energy storage devices (e.g., energy storage system 114), such as the storage system disclosed in commonly owned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17 / 145,793, entitled "Storage System Configured For Use With An Energy Management System," filed Jan. 11, 2021, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0027] The PCBA 200 comprises a base 202, one or more connectors 204 (e.g., one or more connection / disconnection devices), one or more signal processing components 206, one or more electrical traces 208, and one or more connection modules 210.

[0028] The base 202 can be made of one or more suitable materials typically used in PCBA manufacturing. Along a top surface of the base 202, one or more connectors 204 are disposed that are configured to connect to one or more battery cells. For example, the one or more connectors 204 can be configured to connect to cylindrical battery cells, prismatic battery cells, or pouch battery cells. In at least some embodiments, the one or more connectors 204 can be configured to connect to cylindrical battery cells or prismatic battery cells. The one or more connectors 204 can comprise at least one of a spring, a terminal connector, a clamp, a weld, a connecting glue, or a bolt. For example, in at least some embodiments, the one or more connectors 204 can comprise a plurality of terminal connectors that can be configured to connect to corresponding tabs or wire connectors of the battery cells, as described in more detail below.

[0029] One or more signal processing components 206 (four signal processing components are shown) may be incorporated (embedded) into the base 202 and may comprise sensing components / circuitry that may be in operative communication (via wired or wireless configurations) with one or more components of the system 100 (e.g., the DER controller 116, the load center 112, etc.). For example, the one or more signal processing components 206 may be configured to transmit / receive battery cell data to / from the DER controller 116, the load center 112, and / or a battery management unit (BMU) of the energy storage system 114. The battery cell data may include, for example, battery connection data (e.g., whether the PCBA 200 is connected to a battery cell), battery status data (e.g., battery charge), etc.

[0030] The one or more electrical traces 208 may be formed from one or more suitable conductive materials (e.g., copper, silver, gold, etc.) and are configured to electrically connect one or more connectors 204 and / or one or more signal processing components 206 to one another. The one or more electrical traces 208 may be disposed on a top surface of the base 302 of the PCBA 200 (as shown in FIG. 2 ), or the one or more traces may be embedded in the base 202.

[0031] The one or more connection modules 210 are configured to connect to a BMU (not shown). For example, in at least some embodiments, two of the one or more connectors 209 are dedicated to connecting to a BMU. In at least some embodiments, the connectors dedicated to connecting to the BMU can correspond to a positive terminal and a negative terminal.

[0032] 3 is a diagram of an integrated PCBA 300 configured for use with the system of FIG. 1 in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. The PCBA 300 includes a base 302, one or more connectors 304 (e.g., one or more connection / disconnection devices), one or more signal processing components 306, one or more traces 308, and one or more connection modules 310, all of which function as described above with respect to the corresponding components of FIG. 2 (other than their location on the base 302). However, unlike the PCBA 200, the PCBA 300 is configured to connect to one or more pouch battery cells, and thus the PCBA 300 includes a number of connectors 304 that are specifically designed for pouch cells having tabs and are part of the connection module 310. Additionally, one or more electrical traces 208 may be disposed on a top surface of the base 302, or one or more traces may be embedded (indicated by dashed lines) in the base 302 of the PCBA 300 (as shown in FIG. 3).

[0033] FIG. 4 is a top view of an integrated PCBA connected to a battery chassis configured for use with the energy management system of FIG. 1 in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. For illustrative purposes, in FIG. 4, the PCBA 200 is shown connected to the battery chassis. In use, the PCBA 200 is embedded in a chassis wall 402 of a chassis 400 of the energy storage system 114. Alternatively, the PCBA 200 can be connected to the chassis wall 402 using one or more connection devices (e.g., screws, bolts, adhesives, etc.). The PCBA 200 enables quick connection / disconnection of one or more battery cells 404 to the chassis wall 402. For example, the one or more battery cells 404 (multiple battery cells are shown) include one or more connectors configured to connect / disconnect to corresponding ones of the one or more connectors 204 on the PCBA 200. In at least some embodiments, the one or more connectors of each of the one or more battery cells 404 may include a corresponding one of the tabs 406 configured to connect to a corresponding one of the one or more connectors 204 (e.g., terminals) on the PCBA 200 (e.g., when pressed into the connector 204, or vice versa).

[0034] 5 is a diagram of an integrated PCBA configured for use with cylindrical and prismatic cells in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, battery cell 500 includes two rows of eight battery cells (e.g., eight per row) with alternating polarity between odd-numbered and even-numbered cells for a total of 16 series-connected battery cells.

[0035] In embodiments where the battery cells have tabs on the same side (e.g., upper and lower tabs), only a single PCBA 200 is required to connect the battery cells to the chassis. For example, a battery cell having upper and lower tabs can be connected / disconnected to corresponding upper and lower terminals on the PCBA 200. Alternatively, if the battery cell has double-sided tabs (e.g., at least one upper and lower tab on either side of the battery cell), two PCBAs 200 are required to connect the battery cells to the chassis. The additional PCBAs 200 are shown in dashed lines.

[0036] In at least some embodiments, one or more materials 502 having functionality may be provided on the PCBA 200. For example, bonding materials, thermally conductive materials, electrically insulating materials, etc. may be provided on / between or connected to the PCBA 200, the chassis, and / or the battery cells.

[0037] 6 is a diagram of an integrated PCBA configured for use with a pouch cell, according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, in at least some embodiments, the PCBA 300 can include a connector 304 and a connector 304b (in a connection module 310) that can be configured to connect to a corresponding wired connector 410 and / or tab 406 of a battery cell 404. For illustrative purposes, the PCBA 300 is shown connected to a battery cell 404 that includes a tab 406.

[0038] 6, two battery cells 404 (upper battery cell 404a and lower battery cell 404b) include tabs 406a and 406b configured to connect to connectors 304a (e.g., upper connector) and connectors 304b (e.g., lower connector) of PCBA 300, respectively (i.e., double-sided battery cells). In at least some embodiments, foam material 600 may be provided over / between the battery cells 404 to hold the battery cells 404 in place / together and to take some of the pressure off the battery cells 404, tabs 406, and / or connectors 304 (e.g., redirect pressure to the chassis walls).

[0039] While the forgoing is directed to embodiments of the present disclosure, other and further embodiments of the present disclosure may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof, which scope is determined by the following claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0040] 100 Systems 102 Structure 104 AC Bus 112 Load Center 114 Energy Storage Systems 116 DER Controller 118 DER (Distributed Energy Resources) 120 RES (Renewable Energy Sources) 122 Power Conditioner 124 Grid 126 Communication Networks 128 Cloud-Based Computing Platforms 130 AC battery 140 users 141 Batteries 142 Mobile Devices 146 Applications 150 MID (Microgrid Interconnect Device) 152 meters 154 Power generation meter 180 Microgrid 200 PCBA (Printed Circuit Board Assembly) 202 Base 204 Connector 206 Signal Processing Components 208 Electrical Trace 209 Connector 210 Connection Module 300 PCBA 302 Base 304 Connector 304a Upper Connector 304b Lower Connector 306 Signal Processing Components 308 Trace 310 Connection Module 400 Chassis 402 Chassis Wall 404 Battery Cell 404a Upper battery cell 404b Lower battery cell 406 Tab 406a Tab 406b Tab 410 Wired Connector 500 Battery Cells 502 Material 600 Foam material

Claims

1. 1. An energy storage system comprising: A chassis, a printed circuit board assembly connected to the chassis and including a connection / disconnection device configured to connect to a corresponding connection / disconnection device on the battery cell to enable connection of the battery cell to the chassis; An energy storage system comprising:

2. 10. The energy storage system of claim 1, wherein the connection / disconnection device of the printed circuit board assembly comprises at least one of a spring, a terminal connector, a clamp, a weld, a connecting glue, or a bolt.

3. 10. The energy storage system of claim 1, wherein the battery cells are one of cylindrical battery cells, prismatic battery cells, or pouch battery cells.

4. 10. The energy storage system of claim 1, wherein the printed circuit board assembly further comprises at least one of a signal processing component, an electrical trace, and a connection module that connects to a battery management unit.

5. 5. The energy storage system of claim 4, wherein the signal processing component is configured to transmit / receive battery cell data to / from at least one of a DER controller, a load center, or the battery management unit of the energy storage system.

6. 6. The energy storage system of claim 1, wherein the battery cell data includes at least one of battery connection data or battery status data.

7. 6. The energy storage system of claim 1, wherein the printed circuit board assembly is either embedded in the chassis or connected to the chassis using at least one of a nut, a bolt, a screw, or an adhesive.

8. 1. An energy management system comprising: a distributed energy resource comprising renewable energy sources; a load center connected to said renewable energy source; Energy storage system and The energy storage system comprises: A battery cell; A chassis, a printed circuit board assembly connected to the chassis and including a connection / disconnection device configured to connect to a corresponding connection / disconnection device on the battery cell to enable connection of the battery cell to the chassis; An energy management system comprising:

9. The energy management system of claim 8 , wherein the connection / disconnection device of the printed circuit board assembly comprises at least one of a spring, a terminal connector, a clamp, a weld, a connecting glue, or a bolt.

10. 9. The energy management system of claim 8, wherein the battery cells are one of cylindrical battery cells, prismatic battery cells, or pouch battery cells.

11. The energy management system of claim 8 , wherein the printed circuit board assembly further comprises at least one of a signal processing component, an electrical trace, and a connection module that connects to a battery management unit.

12. 12. The energy management system of claim 11, wherein the signal processing component is configured to transmit / receive battery cell data to / from at least one of a DER controller, a load center, or the battery management unit of the energy storage system.

13. 13. The energy management system of claim 8, wherein the battery cell data includes at least one of battery connection data or battery status data.

14. 9. The energy management system of claim 8, wherein the printed circuit board assembly is either embedded in the chassis or connected to the chassis using at least one of a nut, a bolt, a screw, or an adhesive.

15. 10. The energy management system of claim 8, further comprising at least one of a bonding material, a thermally conductive material, and an electrically insulating material disposed on, between, or connected to one of the printed circuit board assembly, the chassis, or the battery cells.

16. 10. The energy management system of claim 8, further comprising a foam material disposed on the battery cells to hold the battery cells in place and to remove pressure from the battery cells, the connection / disconnection devices of the printed circuit board assembly, or the connection / disconnection devices of the battery cells and redirect the pressure to the chassis.

17. The energy management system of claim 8 , wherein the connection / disconnection device of the battery cell comprises at least one of a tab or a wired connector.

18. 10. The energy management system of claim 8, further comprising a plurality of battery cells comprising a plurality of connection / disconnection devices, the printed circuit board assembly comprising a corresponding plurality of connection / disconnection devices.

19. The energy management system of claim 8 , wherein each battery cell of the plurality of battery cells is provided with a connection / disconnection device on the same side.

20. 19. The energy management system of claim 8, wherein each battery cell of the plurality of battery cells comprises a connection / disconnection device on an opposite side.

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