Stacked Variable Voltage Battery Module for Inverter Elimination
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electric vehicle systems require complex and costly inverters to manage voltage fluctuations for regenerative braking and charging, leading to significant energy losses and high production costs.
Innovation Solution
A reconfigurable stacked variable voltage battery module system that connects multiple variable voltage battery modules in series, allowing for processor-controlled switches to adjust output voltage dynamically, eliminating the need for separate inverters and enabling efficient charge balancing and modularization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If traditional inverter designs are used to manage voltage fluctuations for regenerative braking and charging, then voltage control functionality is achieved, but energy losses are significant and production costs are very high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the voltage control functionality from the traditional inverter and relocates it to the battery pack level through reconfigurable battery modules. Each module can independently adjust its voltage output, eliminating the need for a centralized inverter to perform voltage matching and regenerative braking control.
Solution Approach 2:
The battery pack is segmented into multiple reconfigurable modules, each capable of independent voltage control. This segmentation allows distributed voltage management, where each module can be optimized individually, reducing overall system energy losses and eliminating the need for complex centralized inverter control.
2Ease of operation
If inverter designs with high current requirements (100 Amps or more) are implemented, then regenerative braking functionality is achieved, but the cost and weight increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The battery modules perform self-service by autonomously controlling their own voltage output to enable regenerative braking. The reconfigurable modules directly regulate voltage to the motor without requiring external inverter intervention, eliminating the need for heavy current handling components.
3Adaptability or versatility
If stacked variable voltage battery modules are used, then scalability and configurability are enhanced, but device complexity increases due to multiple processor-controlled switches
Solution Approach 1:
The battery system implements dynamic reconfiguration through processor-controlled switches that can change connections in real-time. This dynamic capability allows the system to adapt voltage output and module configurations based on operating conditions, achieving high versatility while managing complexity through intelligent control.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention comprises a reconfigurable variable voltage battery. One or more variable voltage battery (VVB) modules are connected in series to form a stacked variable voltage battery (SVVB or Stacked VVB). A variable voltage battery module may comprise at least one battery cell and processor controlled switches adapted to vary the output of the variable voltage battery module. By separately configuring the switches of each VVB module, the output of the stacked VVB module can produce any voltage up to the full sum of the voltages of all the cells in the individual VVB modules. In addition, charge balancing can easily be achieved with a stacked VVB configuration, as some VVB modules can be bypassed (e.g., by setting select switches to simulate a short condition) either to prioritize the discharging of stronger VVB modules, or to prioritize the charging of weaker VVB modules.