Programmable Battery Pack Reconfiguration for Lightweight Power Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing solar and battery power systems for high-altitude, long-endurance aircraft introduce additional weight and complexity due to maximum power point trackers and battery packs.
Innovation Solution
A reconfigurable battery system with switchable battery modules and a battery pack controller that adjusts the series connection of battery modules based on state of health, open circuit voltage, internal resistance, state of charge, and closed circuit voltage to achieve a predetermined target output voltage, using solid-state switches for efficient power management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If maximum power point trackers and battery packs are used in solar-powered aircraft, then power management capability is improved, but system weight and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The battery pack is divided into multiple individually controllable battery modules, each with its own solid-state switch. This segmentation allows the controller to selectively connect or bypass specific modules based on their state of charge, enabling flexible power management without requiring complex external circuitry.
Solution Approach 2:
The battery pack configuration is made dynamic through real-time monitoring of each module's voltage and automatic reconfiguration of the series/parallel connections. The system adapts its internal structure based on operating conditions, eliminating the need for external maximum power point trackers while maintaining optimal power management.
2Productivity
If maximum power point trackers are used in solar-powered aircraft, then power optimization is improved, but system weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The maximum power point tracking function is extracted from external circuitry and integrated directly into the battery pack's control system. The controller performs MPPT calculations and uses the battery module switches to implement power optimization, eliminating the need for separate tracker hardware and reducing overall system weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The battery pack controller is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: it monitors battery state, manages charge/discharge operations, performs maximum power point tracking, and dynamically reconfigures the battery architecture. This multi-functionality consolidates what would traditionally require separate systems into a single integrated unit, reducing weight.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a reconfigurable battery system and method of operating the same. An example apparatus includes at least one memory, instructions in the apparatus, and processor circuitry to execute the instructions to determine a state of charge of a battery, determine a closed circuit voltage of the battery, determine a value of a parameter based on a ratio of the state of charge and the closed circuit voltage, and control a switch coupled to the battery based on the value of the parameter, the controlling of the switch to either cause the battery to be coupled to a battery string or cause the battery to be disconnected from the battery string.