Lithium-Ion Battery Busbar Layout for Uniform Forklift Charging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional material handling vehicles powered by batteries face issues with inconsistent power delivery, slow charging, and maintenance requirements, particularly with lead-acid batteries, while lithium-ion batteries require additional design considerations for integration and temperature control.
Innovation Solution
A busbar design for lithium-ion battery packs with multiple electric current pathways of equal length and cross-sectional area to ensure even current distribution and temperature management, reducing resistance variations and promoting uniform charging and power delivery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If lithium-ion batteries are used to power material handling vehicles, then power delivery consistency and charging speed are improved, but additional hardware and software integration complexity is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple current pathways into a single integrated busbar structure, merging the functions of multiple separate electrical connections into one component. This reduces the number of individual parts and simplifies integration while maintaining consistent power delivery to all battery cells.
Solution Approach 2:
The busbar design creates equipotential connections by providing equal electrical path lengths from each battery cell to the common connection point. This ensures that all cells are charged and discharged at equal potentials, preventing voltage imbalances and reducing the need for complex balancing electronics.
2Productivity
If lithium-ion batteries are used in material handling vehicles, then charging speed is improved, but temperature control requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
By creating equal-length current pathways in the busbar design, the patent ensures uniform current distribution across all battery cells during charging. This prevents localized overheating and promotes even heat generation throughout the battery pack, simplifying thermal management requirements while enabling faster charging rates.
Solution Approach 2:
The busbar design optimizes the local electrical connection quality at each battery cell interface by ensuring equal path lengths and consistent contact characteristics. This local uniformity prevents hot spots and excessive heating at connection points, allowing for higher charging speeds without compromising temperature control.
3Ease of manufacture
If unequal current pathways are used in battery packs, then manufacturing is simplified, but resistance variations cause inconsistent power distribution
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements equipotential connections by designing the busbar with equal-length current pathways to each battery cell. This ensures that electrical resistance is uniform across all pathways, guaranteeing consistent power distribution to each cell while maintaining manufacturability through a standardized, repeatable design approach.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the critical parameter of current pathway length to be equal across all battery connections. By controlling this geometric parameter uniformly in the busbar design, the patent achieves consistent electrical resistance and reliable power distribution without requiring complex assembly procedures or tight tolerances on other manufacturing parameters.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The busbar design ensures equal current distribution to and from lithium-ion battery modules, providing consistent power, faster charging, and reduced temperature spikes, enhancing the performance and reliability of material handling vehicles.
Implementation Method 1
a first electric current pathway, a second electric current pathway, a third electric current pathway, and a fourth electric current pathway
Implementation Method 2
The first electric current pathway has a first length value defined from the first system-side terminal to the first battery-side terminal. The second electric current pathway has a second length value defined from the first system-side terminal to the second battery-side terminal... A first sum value of the first length value and the second length value is substantially equal to a second sum value of the third length value and the fourth length value
Data Source
AI summary
A battery powered material handling vehicle with a battery pack. A busbar can be provided to equally distribute charging current within the battery pack.