Modular EV Battery Pack with Swapping and Bidirectional Charging
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Solution Overview
Problem
The adoption of electric vehicles is hindered by high battery costs, limited range due to low energy density, and accelerated degradation from factors like temperature extremes and fast charging, which also poses safety concerns and challenges for grid reliability due to unpredictable charging and discharging patterns.
Innovation Solution
A modular electric vehicle battery pack with an intelligent wireless management system, closed-loop cooling, and bidirectional AC/DC charger, integrated with a swappable platform and battery sharing network that optimizes battery swapping, charging, and energy storage, allowing for efficient energy sharing and grid integration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If lithium-ion batteries are used for electric vehicles, then energy density and power density are improved, but cost and manufacturing complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The battery pack is divided into multiple individual battery cells that can be independently manufactured and then assembled into modules. This segmentation allows for standardized production processes, easier quality control, and flexible configuration options, reducing overall manufacturing complexity and cost while maintaining high energy density through optimized cell arrangement
Solution Approach 2:
The battery pack design incorporates universal mounting interfaces, standardized electrical connections, and modular architecture that allow the same battery pack to be used across different vehicle models and applications. This universality reduces tooling costs, simplifies supply chain management, and enables economies of scale in manufacturing
2Use of energy by moving object
If battery size is increased to extend drivable range, then energy storage capacity is improved, but vehicle weight and volume increase
Solution Approach 1:
The battery system is segmented into multiple modular packs that can be selectively combined based on range requirements. This allows vehicles to be configured with the minimum necessary battery capacity for their intended use, reducing unnecessary weight while providing options for extended range through additive modular configurations
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables dynamic adjustment of battery configuration parameters including series/parallel connections and modular pack combinations, allowing optimization of voltage, capacity, and weight based on specific driving requirements and environmental conditions
3Loss of time
If fast charging is implemented to reduce charging time, then charging speed is improved, but battery degradation accelerates
Solution Approach 1:
The charging system dynamically adjusts charging parameters including current, voltage, and temperature management based on real-time battery state monitoring. This allows optimization of charging speed while preventing conditions that lead to accelerated degradation, adapting the charging profile to the specific battery's needs at each moment
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates continuous feedback from temperature sensors, voltage monitors, and state-of-charge estimators that feed into the charging control algorithm. This feedback loop enables real-time adjustments to charging parameters, preventing thermal runaway and excessive stress on battery cells while maintaining high charging speeds within safe operating boundaries
4Ease of operation
If battery swapping infrastructure is deployed to enable quick battery replacement, then user convenience is improved, but system complexity and initial investment increase
Solution Approach 1:
The battery pack is segmented with standardized mechanical interfaces, electrical connectors, and cooling system connections that enable automated recognition and attachment. This segmentation simplifies the swapping mechanism, allowing robotic systems to perform replacements without complex manual operations, reducing both system complexity and operational time
Solution Approach 2:
The battery pack serves as an intermediary component that decouples the vehicle from the charging infrastructure. Instead of building complex fast-charging systems at every location, standardized battery packs can be swapped at simpler stations, transferring the complexity to the battery design itself while simplifying the swapping operation
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 solution reduces battery degradation, enhances energy efficiency, and improves user experience by enabling quick swapping, predictable charging loads, and resilient grid management through optimized battery utilization and renewable energy integration.
Implementation Method 1
The cooling system features an air cooled heat sink that is pressed onto one or more sides of the battery pack
Implementation Method 2
The cooling system features an air cooled heat sink that is pressed onto one or more sides of the battery pack separated by a heat exchange material such as aluminum
Data Source
AI summary
A Universal Battery Pack (UBP), electric vehicle powertrain design and battery swapping network with battery health management enabling a user of an electric vehicle to access data such as state of health monitoring to enable advanced interface with the electricity grid to address challenges in the adoption of electric vehicles which include cost, range anxiety, charging time and infrastructure, and impacts of vehicle to grid (V2G) operations. The electric vehicle powertrain design is equipped with swapping capability, the modular swappable battery packs, battery storage apparatus, and the bidirectional charging systems. The present invention discloses a method for monitoring, assessing and controlling the battery pack and charger, and the communication interface between the systems and the electricity grid and across the battery swapping network. The present invention provides a cost-effective way of adopting electrification, reducing strain on the electricity grid during peak periods and extending the life of electric vehicle batteries.