Parallel Cell Group Architecture for Grid Battery Reliability
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional grid battery electrical energy storage systems face challenges such as reduced capacity utilization, increased complexity and cost due to extensive collateral and ancillary electronics, inefficient cooling, and complex fire-suppression systems.
Innovation Solution
The proposed solution involves a novel system architecture where cells are connected in parallel to form groups, and these groups are connected in series to form modules. This architecture employs a higher number of cells connected in parallel compared to conventional systems, reducing the impact of single cell failures and minimizing the need for extensive collateral electronics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If cells are connected in series to increase voltage and energy, then the storage system's dc voltage increases, but the system complexity and cost increase due to additional monitoring and protection electronics
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the battery architecture into modular units where each module contains a series string of cells. Each module has its own integrated monitoring and protection circuitry, allowing the system to scale by adding modules in parallel rather than increasing series connections. This segmentation distributes the complexity across identical modular units rather than requiring increasingly complex centralized electronics as voltage increases.
2Quantity of substance
If cells are connected in parallel to increase energy without increasing dc voltage, then capacity increases, but the system requires additional collateral and ancillary monitoring components increasing bill of materials and cost
Solution Approach 1:
The module-level monitoring and protection circuitry is designed to be universal, serving multiple functions simultaneously: it monitors voltage, current, and temperature; provides overcharge and over-discharge protection; and enables communication with the central management system. This multi-functional design allows the system to add parallel modules for increased capacity without proportionally increasing the number of monitoring components, as each universal module handles all necessary functions.
3Reliability
If conventional modular architecture with limited parallel connections per module is used, then system reliability is maintained, but capacity utilization decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the key parameter of parallel connections per module from the conventional limit of 2-4 cells to a higher number (6-12 cells in parallel per module). This parameter change increases capacity utilization by allowing more cells to be effectively utilized within each module while the modular architecture and monitoring system maintain reliability through standardized protection circuitry and balanced charge management across all parallel cells.
Data Source
AI summary
A system architecture for grid electrical energy storage comprising substantial numbers of cells connected in parallel. The lowest level of modularity comprising about eighteen or more individual cells connected in parallel. The disclosed architecture reduces the number of parts, complexity, and variability, while increasing one or more of reliability, service life, and energy capacity of a large-scale grid energy storage system, relative to a conventional multi-parallel string architecture.