Modular Battery System with Hot-Swap Bypass for Reliability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current battery systems fail to meet strict reliability and availability requirements, particularly in stationary and vehicle applications, as the failure of one cell can lead to complete system failure and interruption during maintenance, making them unsuitable for continuous operation with limited power.
Innovation Solution
The integration of disconnecting devices, charging and disconnecting devices, and bridging devices within battery modules allows for the bypassing of failed cells, enabling the battery system to operate with limited power and preventing safety-critical states, while allowing for repair procedures without interrupting operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If individual battery cells are connected in series to achieve required performance and energy data, then the power and energy output of the battery system is improved, but the failure rate of the battery system increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The battery system is divided into multiple independent battery modules, each with its own disconnecting device. This segmentation allows individual modules to be isolated and removed without affecting the operation of other modules, thereby maintaining system reliability while achieving required power output through series connection of modules.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a mechanism to discard (remove) failed battery modules from the series circuit using disconnecting devices. When a module fails, it can be quickly disconnected and replaced with a备用 module, preventing single point of failure and maintaining system reliability while preserving the high power output capability of the series-connected configuration.
2Reliability
If battery systems are designed with strict reliability requirements to prevent complete system failure, then the reliability is improved, but the system complexity increases due to additional disconnecting and charging devices
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the battery system into modular units with integrated disconnecting devices, the patent achieves high reliability through redundancy while keeping each module's complexity manageable. The modular architecture allows simple replacement of failed modules rather than requiring complex system-wide protection mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The disconnecting devices serve multiple functions: they isolate failed modules, enable hot-swapping capability, provide safety isolation, and facilitate maintenance. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated components for each function, thereby improving reliability without proportionally increasing system complexity.
3Reliability
If repair procedures are performed on battery systems to replace failed cells, then the reliability is restored, but the system availability decreases due to interruption of operation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent prepares replacement battery modules in advance and stores them as hot-swap spares. When a module fails, the replacement is already ready, enabling immediate substitution without interruption to the battery system's operation. This preliminary preparation maintains both reliability and continuous availability.
Solution Approach 2:
The disconnecting devices enable hot-swapping of battery modules while the system remains operational. The useful action of power delivery continues uninterrupted during module replacement, as failed modules are isolated and replaced in-place without requiring system shutdown, thereby maintaining both reliability restoration and continuous availability.
4Reliability
If disconnecting devices and bridging devices are added to enable bypassing of failed cells, then the reliability and availability are improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the disconnecting device and bridging functionality into an integrated module-level architecture. Each battery module contains its own disconnecting device that can isolate the module and create a bypass path within the module itself. This merging of functions at the module level achieves high reliability and availability while keeping the overall system complexity manageable through standardization.
Solution Approach 2:
By implementing disconnecting and bridging functions at the individual module level rather than system level, the patent segments the complexity into manageable, identical units. Each module is self-contained with its own protection and bypass capability, simplifying the overall system architecture while achieving high reliability through modular redundancy.
Data Source
AI summary
A battery includes a first terminal, a second terminal, a first battery module, a second battery module, and a third batter module. The first battery module and the second battery module includes a first pole, a second pole, a plurality of battery cells, a charge and disconnect device, a disconnect device, and a bridging device. The third battery module includes a first pole, a second pole, a plurality of battery cells, a first disconnect device, a second disconnect device, and a bridging device. The first and second poles of the first battery module are connected in series with the first terminal and the first pole of the third battery module. The first and second poles of the second battery module are connected in series with the second terminal and thesecond pole of the third batter module.