Controllable Energy Store With Anti-Parallel Sub-Branches
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional energy storage devices in applications like wind turbines and electric vehicles face reliability issues due to the failure of a single battery cell, which can cause the entire system to fail, as current must flow through all cells and they can only carry a limited current, leading to potential safety risks and system immobilization.
Innovation Solution
A controllable energy storage device with n parallel energy supply branches, each divided into two sub-branches with opposite polarities, using controllable coupling units to disconnect or connect energy storage cells based on desired output voltage, allowing for voltage reversal and minimizing switch element losses by using fewer switch elements, such as half bridges.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stress or pressure
If battery cells are connected in series to achieve high voltage, then the total voltage increases, but the system reliability decreases because a single cell failure causes the entire energy storage device to fail
Solution Approach 1:
The energy storage device is divided into multiple independent energy supply branches, each capable of operating autonomously. When a cell fails in one branch, other branches can continue to supply power, preventing total system failure while maintaining high voltage through series connection within each branch.
Solution Approach 2:
Each energy supply branch is equipped with independent coupling units that can locally control and isolate failures. The coupling units enable selective disconnection of failed cells or branches while maintaining operation of healthy branches, providing localized fault management without compromising the entire system.
2Power
If battery cells are connected in parallel to increase maximum current, then the current capacity increases, but the device complexity increases due to additional connection requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The parallel connection structure is organized into modular energy supply branches with series-connected cells within each branch. This segmentation allows current capacity to be increased through parallel branches while maintaining manageable complexity through standardized modular units with uniform coupling mechanisms.
3Adaptability or versatility
If full bridge invertors are used in each phase to enable voltage reversal, then the output voltage control flexibility increases, but the switch element losses increase due to more switch elements carrying operating current
Solution Approach 1:
The full bridge invertor structure is segmented into two independent energy supply sub-branches with anti-parallel cell arrangements. This segmentation enables voltage reversal functionality while reducing the number of active switch elements required, as each sub-branch can independently control current direction through its coupling unit.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses anti-parallel arrangement of energy storage cells in the two sub-branches, where cells in one sub-branch have opposite polarity to cells in the other sub-branch. This inversion approach enables bidirectional current flow and voltage reversal without requiring the complete full bridge structure, reducing switch element losses.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a controllable energy store (2) with n parallel energy supply branches (3-1, 3-2, 3-3), wherein n≧1, each said branch having a first energy supply sub-branch (3-11; 3-21; 3-31) and a second energy supply sub-branch (3-12; 3-22; 3-32) that is connected in parallel to said first energy supply sub-branch. Each energy supply sub-branch (3-11; 3-12; 3-21; 3-22; 3-31; 3-32) has at least one energy storing module (4), each of which comprises at least one electric energy storing cell (5) with a corresponding controllable coupling unit (6). The coupling units (6) disconnect the energy supply sub-branch (3-11; 3-12; 3-21; 3-22; 3-31; 3-32) or bridge the respective corresponding energy storing cells (5) or connect the respective corresponding energy storing cells (5) into the respective energy supply sub-branch (3-11; 3-12; 3-21; 3-22; 3-31; 3-32) dependent on control signals. The energy storing cells (5) of the energy storing modules (4) in the first energy supply sub-branch (3-11; 3-21; 3-31) and the energy storing cells (5) of the energy storing modules (4) in the second energy supply sub-branch (3-12; 3-22; 3-32) are arranged in an anti-parallel manner.