Layered Secondary Battery Module With Parallel Busbar Stack Connection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional redox flow batteries face space limitations and design challenges due to the need for a tank and pump, requiring multiple stacks for increased energy storage capacity, which complicates efficient electrical connections between them.
Innovation Solution
A secondary battery module design featuring a stack of layers with busbars on opposing sides for parallel electrical connection, including metal current collectors and busbar slits for efficient electron migration, allowing for simple connection and disconnection, and protrusions for heat dissipation, ensuring smooth current flow and high energy efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If multiple stacks are used to increase energy storage capacity, then energy storage capacity is improved, but device complexity increases due to the need for efficient electrical connection between stacks
Solution Approach 1:
The battery system is divided into multiple modular stacks, each stack being a self-contained unit with its own current collectors and busbars. This segmentation allows independent manufacturing and assembly of stacks, and the busbar design with protrusions enables simple point-to-point electrical connections between stacked modules, reducing the overall system complexity despite increased capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple battery stacks are arranged in a nested configuration where each stack contains layers with current collectors, and busbars extend from each stack to connect to adjacent stacks. The busbar protrusions from one stack nest into corresponding recesses of the next stack, creating a compact nested structure that simplifies inter-stack electrical connections while maximizing energy storage capacity.
2Reliability
If conventional redox flow battery design with tank and pump is used, then electrochemical reaction can be maintained, but space limitation and design difficulty occur
Solution Approach 1:
The conventional tank and pump components are completely removed from the redox flow battery design. Instead of using external tanks to store electrolyte and pumps to circulate it, the electrolyte is contained within the battery stacks themselves, and natural convection or pressure differential drives the electrochemical reactions without mechanical pumping, eliminating space requirements and design complexity associated with tanks and pumps.
Solution Approach 2:
The battery system uses self-contained stacks where the electrolyte is held within the stack structure itself. The electrochemical reaction is maintained through the inherent design of the current collectors and busbars that facilitate ion and electron transport without requiring external circulation systems. The system serves itself by using the battery structure to contain and manage the electrolyte, eliminating the need for separate tank and pump subsystems.
3Ease of operation
If busbars are designed with protrusions for connection, then ease of assembly and disassembly is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The busbars are designed with asymmetric protrusions that have specific geometric features (such as L-shaped or T-shaped profiles) that can only be inserted into corresponding recesses in one orientation. This asymmetric design provides built-in alignment guidance, allowing workers to assemble the stacks by simply inserting the protrusions without requiring complex alignment procedures, thereby maintaining ease of assembly while managing manufacturing precision requirements through the self-aligning geometry.
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 design enables efficient electrical connection between multiple battery modules, facilitating high energy efficiency, low heat generation, and easy assembly/disassembly, while maintaining balanced current flow and reducing space requirements.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of metal current collectors through which electrons migrate under the redox reaction
Implementation Method 2
a pair of busbars respectively disposed on both opposing side surfaces of the stack of the plurality of layers so as to electrically connect the plurality of layers to each other in a parallel manner
Implementation Method 3
a redox reaction occurs in each layer
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are a secondary battery module in which metal ions dissolved in an electrolyte are oxidized and reduced to charge and discharge the module, and a secondary battery including the same. The secondary battery module includes a stack of a plurality of layers stacking in one direction, wherein a redox reaction occurs in each layer, and a pair of busbars respectively disposed on both opposing side surfaces of the stack of the plurality of layers so as to electrically connect the plurality of layers to each other in a parallel manner.