Link Device for Coupling Disparate Battery Chemistries
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing energy storage solutions with different chemistries are incompatible, limiting their ability to be coupled together for enhanced energy storage and power supply applications, such as home power backup, where additional capacity is needed without increasing cost or weight.
Innovation Solution
A linking device facilitates electrically coupling energy storage devices with one energy chemistry to external sources of different chemistries, allowing for the expansion of energy storage capacity while maintaining portability, by regulating power profiles and enabling selective coupling and decoupling of external power sources.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If batteries with disparate chemistries are used to expand energy storage capacity, then energy storage capacity increases, but compatibility between batteries deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a link device as an intermediary component that electrically couples batteries with different chemistries. The link device includes a first interface that couples to the energy storage device and a second interface that couples to the external battery, enabling compatibility between disparate battery chemistries while allowing capacity expansion. This mediator resolves the incompatibility issue without compromising the energy storage capacity benefits.
2Quantity of substance
If multiple separate energy storage devices are used to increase capacity, then energy storage capacity increases, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple energy storage devices with different chemistries into a single hybrid energy storage system. The link device integrates the external battery with the internal battery, creating a unified system that manages power flow between different chemistry batteries. This combining approach increases capacity while avoiding the complexity of managing completely separate systems, as the link device provides centralized control and coordination.
3Quantity of substance
If external batteries are coupled to expand capacity, then energy storage capacity increases, but portability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic coupling system where the link device enables selective connection and disconnection of external batteries. The system can adapt its configuration based on portability requirements - external batteries can be coupled when additional capacity is needed and decoupled when portability is prioritized. This dynamic approach allows the system to optimize between capacity and portability depending on operational context, rather than being fixed in one state.
Data Source
AI summary
An energy system includes an energy storage device and a link device. The energy storage device includes a housing and a battery disposed within the housing. The battery has a first chemistry. The link device is configured to facilitate electrically coupling the energy storage device to an external battery having a second chemistry different than the first chemistry, receive input power from the external battery, and regulate a power profile of the input power received from the external battery such that the energy storage device can accept the input power from the external battery. The energy storage device is configured to receive the input power from the external battery having the second chemistry through the link device and provide output power to a load using the input power received from the external battery having the second chemistry.