Smart Cable Battery Discharge With Active Energy Transfer Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery discharge methods often result in wasteful energy dissipation as heat, lack active control, and pose safety hazards due to unmonitored conditions, especially when dealing with high capacity batteries that require precise power management for safe service, storage, or transport.
Innovation Solution
An active discharge manager integrated with a smart cable detects connections between a battery and a discharge-load, monitors transfer status, and initiates or modifies the discharge process to ensure safe and productive energy transfer, allowing the discharge-load to utilize the energy for useful operations rather than simply dissipating it as heat.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If a battery is discharged using existing methods, then energy is transferred from the battery to a load, but the energy is wasted as heat and causes safety hazards
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful effect of energy dissipation as heat into a beneficial controlled discharge process. The active discharge manager monitors and controls the discharge parameters (current, temperature, voltage) to prevent harmful overheating while still transferring energy from the battery to the load in a safe and controlled manner, thereby converting the potential harm of energy release into a beneficial controlled energy transfer.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism through the active discharge manager that continuously monitors discharge conditions (temperature, current, voltage) and adjusts the discharge process accordingly. This feedback loop prevents safety hazards by detecting and responding to changing conditions in real-time, ensuring the discharge remains within safe parameters while maintaining efficient energy transfer.
2Reliability
If active control is implemented in battery discharge, then safety and efficiency improve, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies self-service by enabling the battery discharge system to monitor and control its own discharge process autonomously. The active discharge manager integrated into the cable independently monitors discharge parameters and controls the discharge without requiring external intervention, thereby improving reliability while minimizing the need for complex external control systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary element - the active discharge manager integrated into the cable - that mediates between the battery and the load. This intermediary component handles the complex control functions (monitoring, regulation, safety checks) centrally, simplifying the overall system architecture while maintaining high reliability through dedicated control functionality.
3Device complexity
If unmonitored discharge is performed, then device complexity is reduced, but harmful factors increase due to lack of monitoring
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the monitoring and control functions directly into the discharge cable itself, combining multiple functions (connection, monitoring, control) into a single integrated component. This integration reduces overall system complexity by eliminating separate monitoring devices while simultaneously preventing harmful factors through continuous monitoring and active control of discharge parameters.
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
The solution enables safe, efficient, and productive battery discharge processes, reducing the risk of damage and safety hazards while allowing the discharge-load to utilize the energy for operational purposes, such as charging replacement batteries or preparing batteries for transport.
Implementation Method 1
batteries to provide power... transfer energy from the battery to the discharge-load
Data Source
AI summary
A method comprises an active discharge manager, integrated with a smart cable, detecting a connection of the smart cable to a battery and/or a discharge-load and detecting a connection coupling the battery and the discharge-load. Responsive to the detecting the connections, the active discharge manager determines a transfer status of the battery and the discharge-load. Based on the transfer status, the active discharge manager initiates a discharge process that transfers energy from the battery to the discharge-load. The active discharge-manager can determine a second transfer status of the battery and the discharge-load and, based on the second transfer status, terminate or modify the discharge process. The smart cable can be re-usable, and the discharge-load can make productive use of the energy transferred to the discharge-load. A system can comprise a battery, a discharge-load, and a smart cable to perform the method to discharge the battery into the discharge-load.