Rechargeable Battery Defective Module Self-Neutralization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing rechargeable batteries with multiple electrochemical cells connected in series face inefficiencies due to defective cells, which cause overheating and reduced battery performance, and current management systems are cumbersome, costly, and heavy, making them unsuitable for applications like satellite energy supply.
Innovation Solution
A method and battery design that detects defective modules, induces a short-circuit path within the defective module by passing discharge current through it, eliminating the need for switches and bypass branches, and using charge limiting circuits to control the discharge, thereby neutralizing the defective module internally without disrupting other modules.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If switches and bypass branches are added to neutralize defective modules, then battery reliability improves, but device complexity and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The defective module neutralizes itself by forming internal short-circuit paths through electrochemical reactions when discharge current passes through it, eliminating the need for external switches and bypass branches. The module autonomously becomes non-functional through the formation of conductive dendrites that create internal short circuits, thereby removing the defective component without requiring additional control systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The discharge current that would normally cause harmful heating in defective modules is instead utilized to provoke beneficial electrochemical reactions. These reactions form conductive dendrites and short-circuit paths that intentionally neutralize the defective module, converting the harmful thermal effect into a useful neutralization mechanism that protects the overall battery system.
2Reliability
If switches and bypass branches are added to neutralize defective modules, then battery reliability improves, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The battery system uses its own operational discharge current to neutralize defective modules, eliminating the need for additional manufactured components such as switches, bypass branches, and associated control electronics. This self-neutralization capability significantly reduces manufacturing complexity and cost while maintaining battery reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the neutralization function from the operational battery system by utilizing discharge current to create internal short-circuit paths in defective modules. This separates the defective module's function from the healthy modules, allowing the defective unit to be electrically isolated through its own internal changes rather than requiring external extraction or isolation mechanisms.
3Weight of stationary object
If discharge current is passed through defective modules to form short-circuit paths, then battery weight is reduced, but energy loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
The discharge current is applied partially and temporarily only to defective modules during neutralization, rather than continuously to all modules. The current is directed specifically to provoke the electrochemical reactions needed to form short-circuit paths in defective units, then stopped once neutralization is achieved. This partial application minimizes energy consumption while effectively neutralizing the defective modules.
Solution Approach 2:
The energy that would be wasted as harmful heat in defective modules is converted into a useful neutralization process. The discharge current provokes electrochemical reactions that form conductive dendrites and short-circuit paths, intentionally creating a controlled energy dissipation that neutralizes the defective module rather than allowing uncontrolled thermal damage.
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
This approach simplifies, lightens, and reduces the cost of the battery while maintaining operational integrity by internally neutralizing defective modules, enhancing overall battery efficiency and suitability for applications like satellite power supply.
Implementation Method 1
having a discharge current pass through the defective module so as to provoke an electrochemical reaction in the defective module, said reaction resulting in the formation of a short-circuit path between connection terminals of said defective module
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to control of a battery, permitting a reduction in the number of components of the battery. The battery comprises several modules (2a, . . . , 2n), each module comprising a charge limiting circuit (4). When a module is detected as defective, the charge limiting circuit (4) carries out a command for the discharge of said defective module, by formation of a short-circuit path. The battery can subsequently be used without functional hindrance by the defective module.