Battery pack with cell module assemblies
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Solution Overview
Problem
Battery packs degrade over time, leading to reduced energy capacity, and existing technologies do not effectively manage this degradation to extend the useful life of battery cells beyond their initial application.
Innovation Solution
Implementing an electronic controller in cell module assemblies to track useful life indicators, set multiple end-of-life thresholds, and recondition battery cells for reuse in applications with lower energy demands when they reach a certain capacity threshold.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of moving object
If battery cells are used in their initial application until complete degradation, then energy capacity is fully utilized, but the useful life of battery cells is shortened and waste increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent recovers battery cells from their first application before complete degradation and reuses them in a second application with lower energy demands. The system identifies when battery cells have reached a first end-of-life threshold in their initial application, then transfers them to a second application where they continue to provide useful service, thereby reducing waste and extending overall useful life.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational parameters of battery cells by transitioning them from a first application with higher energy demands to a second application with lower energy demands. This parameter change allows the battery cells to continue functioning usefully after reaching the end of their optimal performance period in the first application, thereby extending their total useful life.
2Loss of substance
If battery cells are retired early from their initial application, then waste is reduced, but capacity utilization is optimized less effectively
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a controller that continuously monitors battery cell performance parameters such as voltage, current, and temperature. Based on this feedback, the system determines when battery cells have reached a first end-of-life threshold in their initial application and automatically transfers them to a second application, optimizing both waste reduction and capacity utilization through data-driven decision-making.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs automatic identification and transfer of battery cells between applications without requiring manual intervention. The controller self-manages the entire process of monitoring battery cell health, determining appropriate transfer timing, and reconfiguring the battery pack composition, thereby optimizing capacity utilization while reducing waste.
3Duration of action of moving object
If multiple end-of-life thresholds are implemented, then battery cell reuse is optimized, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the end-of-life criteria into multiple distinct thresholds: a first end-of-life threshold for determining when battery cells should be transferred from the first application, and a second end-of-life threshold for determining when they should be retired or transferred to a third application. This segmentation allows the controller to manage battery cell lifecycles more precisely, extending useful life while maintaining manageable complexity through structured decision-making criteria.
Data Source
AI summary
A battery pack includes a housing and a plurality of cell module assemblies arranged within the housing. Each of the cell module assemblies includes a positive collector plate, a negative collector plate, and a plurality of battery cells. Each of the plurality of battery cells includes a positive terminal connected to the positive collector plate and a negative terminal connected to the negative collector plate. A number of the plurality of the cell module assemblies within the housing defines a capacity of the battery pack.