Modular Battery Submodule Interconnectivity for Configurable Power
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Solution Overview
Problem
Standard batteries are inflexible in voltage and capacity, often requiring customized solutions that are costly and difficult to modify, leading to inefficient power systems that can experience premature failure due to lack of data on battery performance and capacity degradation.
Innovation Solution
A modular power system with replaceable battery submodules that allow for configurable power output by connecting and reconfiguring battery cells in series and parallel, using a configuration circuit and battery management system to monitor and control cell performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If standard batteries are used, then the power system is simple and cost-effective, but the voltage and capacity are unconfigurable and incompatible with specific load needs
Solution Approach 1:
The battery system is divided into multiple independent battery cells that can be individually connected in series or parallel configurations. Each cell is a standalone unit with standardized terminals, allowing flexible arrangement to achieve desired voltage and capacity outputs while maintaining system modularity and manageability.
Solution Approach 2:
The battery cells are designed with universal standardized terminals and connection interfaces that can be used in multiple configurations. The same cell type can serve different functions by changing connection topology, enabling a single standardized component to provide various voltage and capacity combinations for different load requirements.
2Adaptability or versatility
If customized batteries are produced to satisfy particular load needs, then the voltage and capacity match the load requirements, but the design and production becomes cost prohibitive and modifications are difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The battery system employs dynamic reconfigurability where standardized cells can be easily reconnected in different series/parallel arrangements to adapt to changing load requirements. This dynamic adaptation capability allows the system to be reconfigured without costly redesign or replacement, maintaining power output matching while enabling flexible modifications.
Solution Approach 2:
The system achieves different voltage and capacity outputs by changing the connection parameters (series for voltage, parallel for capacity) of standardized battery cells rather than changing the cells themselves. This parameter-based configuration allows cost-effective customization of power output characteristics while maintaining ease of manufacture and modification.
3Reliability
If battery replacement is performed only after failure, then replacement costs are minimized, but the system experiences unwanted and surprising failures due to lack of performance data
Solution Approach 1:
The battery system incorporates monitoring mechanisms that continuously track voltage, current, and capacity parameters of each cell. This feedback information is used to detect performance degradation trends, enabling predictive maintenance decisions. The system provides real-time visibility into battery health, allowing operators to plan replacements before failure occurs while avoiding premature replacement.
4Adaptability or versatility
If serial and parallel connections of battery arrays are used to meet power demands, then the system can accommodate loads beyond standard battery capabilities, but the operator lacks information on individual battery capacity degradation and the system becomes limited by the lowest performing battery
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements individual battery monitoring that tracks voltage, current, and state of charge for each cell within the array. This granular feedback enables identification of the lowest performing battery and overall array health assessment. The monitoring data allows operators to understand individual cell contributions to total array performance and make informed decisions about maintenance and replacement strategies.
Data Source
AI summary
A modular power system is configured to supply configurable power to a load. The system includes battery submodules, each having at least one submodule circuit that is configured to replaceably connect one or more of a plurality of battery cells to a submodule positive bus and a submodule negative bus. The system further includes a power output that is in operable connection with each of the one or more battery submodules. The power output is configured to receive electrical power transmission from one or more of the plurality of battery cells, via the one or more battery submodules. The power output is further configured to transmit electrical power to the load. The system further includes a configuration circuit configured to interconnect each of the one or more battery submodules, operably connect the one or more battery submodules to the power output, and reconfigure characteristics of electrical power output.