Configurable Vehicle Battery Backplane for Modular Voltage Switching
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional battery systems for electric vehicles are not configurable, scalable, or cost-effective, lacking operational redundancy, and pose safety risks due to thermal runaway and high voltage requirements, making them inefficient and wasteful.
Innovation Solution
A modular energy storage system with multi-voltage configurable modules (MVCMs) and backplanes (MVCBs) that allow for mechanical and electrical configuration, mixing of battery chemistries, and dynamic voltage adjustment, enabling easy replacement and isolation of faulty components, and providing operational redundancy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional battery systems use sealed housing with integrated control circuitry, then system reliability is improved, but ease of repair deteriorates because entire housing must be replaced when any component fails
Solution Approach 1:
The battery system is divided into modular battery packs that can be independently replaced. Each battery pack is a self-contained unit with its own housing, cells, and control circuitry, allowing faulty packs to be swapped out without affecting other packs. This segmentation enables easy replacement of only the defective component rather than the entire system.
Solution Approach 2:
The control circuitry is extracted from the central housing and integrated into individual battery packs. This allows the control circuitry to be replaced along with the battery pack as a single unit, simplifying the replacement process while maintaining the reliability benefits of integrated control.
2Manufacturing precision
If conventional battery systems use uniform battery cells from same manufacturer, then manufacturing precision is improved, but adaptability deteriorates because cells cannot be mixed with other types
Solution Approach 1:
The battery management system is designed with universal communication protocols and control circuitry that can interface with multiple types of battery cells from different manufacturers. The modular architecture allows different cell chemistries and formats to be combined in the same system through standardized mounting interfaces and electrical connections.
Solution Approach 2:
The system can dynamically adjust operating parameters such as voltage thresholds, charge rates, and temperature limits based on the specific cell types present. This allows the system to accommodate mixed cell types by optimizing control parameters for each cell's characteristics rather than requiring all cells to be identical.
3Power
If conventional battery systems are designed as fixed high voltage systems, then power is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to safety precautions and specialized training requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The battery system incorporates dynamic voltage switching capability where the system can operate at different voltage levels (e.g., 48V, 120V, 240V) depending on the application requirements. This is achieved through reconfigurable battery pack connections and intelligent power management that can adapt the output voltage to match the load requirements, reducing the need for high-voltage safety precautions when lower power is needed.
Solution Approach 2:
A DC-DC converter serves as an intermediary between the high-voltage battery packs and low-voltage vehicle systems. This intermediary device handles the high-voltage switching and isolation, allowing the battery system to operate at high voltage for maximum power while the vehicle systems can operate at safer lower voltages, reducing the need for specialized training for routine operations.
4Device complexity
If conventional battery systems integrate all components into single housing, then device complexity is reduced, but adaptability deteriorates because system cannot be modified for different vehicles
Solution Approach 1:
The battery system is segmented into standardized battery packs that can be independently configured and arranged. Each pack is a self-contained module with standardized mechanical and electrical interfaces, allowing different numbers and arrangements of packs to be assembled to match various vehicle requirements while maintaining a relatively simple integrated design within each pack.
Solution Approach 2:
The battery packs are designed with universal mounting interfaces and standardized electrical connections that can be adapted to different vehicle platforms. The modular architecture allows the same battery pack design to be used across multiple vehicle models by simply changing the number and arrangement of packs rather than redesigning the entire system.
Data Source
AI summary
An energy storage/battery system is disclosed. The system can include a multi-voltage configurable module (MVCM) and a multi-voltage configurable backplane (MVCB) that form the system. The system can be dynamically controlled to bring MVCMs on or offline to deliver power and capacity to a device.