Reconfigurable Battery Pack Series Parallel Switching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current DC-DC power conversion systems for hybrid electric vehicles and military applications are bulky and heavy due to the need for traditional inverters and transformers, making it difficult to achieve high power density at high voltages for short-term and pulsed loads.
Innovation Solution
An electronically reconfigurable battery pack that can switch between parallel and series configurations using switches to deliver high power and voltage outputs, reducing the need for intermediate DC-DC power conversion circuitry and allowing for modular, scalable, and redundant power distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If traditional DC-DC power conversion systems using inverters and transformers are used, then power conversion capability is achieved, but volume and mass increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the traditional inverter and transformer components from the DC-DC power conversion system. By using a solid-state switch matrix to directly reconfigure battery module connections between series and parallel configurations, the system achieves power conversion capability without the bulky magnetic components, thereby significantly reducing volume and mass.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/electromagnetic system (inverters and transformers with moving parts and magnetic fields) with a solid-state electronic switching system. The switch matrix uses semiconductor devices to directly switch battery module connections, substituting the traditional electromechanical power conversion approach with a solid-state alternative that has no moving parts and minimal mass.
2Stress or pressure
If battery modules are reconfigured from parallel to series configuration, then high voltage output is achieved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the battery pack into multiple independent battery modules, each with its own voltage output. The switch matrix is also segmented into multiple switches that can independently control the connection state of each module. This segmentation allows flexible reconfiguration from parallel to series connections to achieve different voltage levels while maintaining manageable system complexity through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a dynamic reconfiguration system where the switch matrix can change the connection topology of battery modules in real-time based on power requirements. The system dynamically switches between parallel configuration (for high current, low voltage applications) and series configuration (for high voltage, low current applications), allowing adaptive optimization of voltage output while using control logic to manage the complexity of reconfiguration.
3Productivity
If solid state switch matrix is used for battery reconfiguration, then power delivery efficiency is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The solid state switch matrix serves multiple functions: it reconfigures battery modules between series and parallel connections, provides overcurrent protection, enables rapid response to power demands, and facilitates efficient power delivery. This multi-functionality consolidates what would otherwise require separate components into a single integrated system, improving power delivery efficiency while the modular design allows for standardized manufacturing processes that can be scaled.
Data Source
AI summary
An electronically reconfigurable battery includes a number of battery modules selectively interconnected by a number of electronic switches, wherein a selectable number of battery modules may be connected either in a series configuration or in a parallel configuration, as a result of placing selected switches of said plurality of switches in open states or closed states. In a parallel configuration, the battery provides power to a primary load, such as a propulsion load for a vehicle. In a series configuration, the battery is configured to provide a high voltage and high power output to a short-term and/or pulsed load, such as an additional load provided on the vehicle. Current from the battery is limited in one of three ways: a) by the batteries themselves; b) a current limiting device or system in series with the total erected battery; or c) a single level power converter or current limiter that is used to erect and charge the capacitor bank in a sequential one level at a time manner until the battery is fully erected and the capacitor is fully charged.