Self-Supported Switch Activation for Faulty Battery Cell Isolation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing self-propelled activation devices for electromechanical switches in battery systems face issues with faulty element isolation, leading to potential damage to healthy elements and increased maintenance costs, especially in inaccessible applications like space exploration.
Innovation Solution
A self-propelled activation device with a current sensor, holding element, and movable elements integral with a coil, allowing for efficient and reliable isolation of faulty battery elements by moving between electrical contact positions, ensuring robust and efficient bypassing without damaging the device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a retaining wire is used to hold tabs on a coil in an activation device, then the device can be activated by melting the wire like a fuse, but the released tabs fall loose inside the device and the coil can rotate, creating damage risk to the fusible wire
Solution Approach 1:
The activation device is segmented into distinct functional zones: the coil assembly with tabs is separated from the piston assembly, with a dedicated passage space allowing controlled movement. This segmentation prevents uncontrolled rotation and loose tab movement while maintaining reliable activation through the fusible wire mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
A passage space acts as an intermediary element between the coil assembly and the piston. This passage space guides the movement of the piston and prevents the coil from rotating uncontrollably, while also providing a controlled path for the activation process without allowing tabs to fall loose.
2Ease of repair
If battery access is required to replace faulty cells, then faulty components can be replaced, but significant maintenance costs and power supply interruption occur
Solution Approach 1:
The battery system incorporates self-service activation devices at each cell level, enabling automatic isolation of faulty cells without requiring external access or manual intervention. The fusible wire activation mechanism automatically responds to fault conditions, isolating the problematic cell while maintaining continuous operation of the remaining battery system.
3Ease of operation
If tabs are held by a retaining wire wound around the coil, then the activation mechanism can release tabs by melting the wire, but there is no control over where the fusible wire breaks, making release less effective or impossible
Solution Approach 1:
The activation device incorporates dynamic elements including the movable piston that travels through a passage space and the flexible fusible wire that can break at controlled points. The passage space dynamically adjusts to accommodate piston movement while the wire's flexibility allows controlled breaking patterns that ensure reliable tab release regardless of break location.
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 efficient and reliable isolation of faulty battery elements, preventing damage to healthy elements and reducing maintenance costs, particularly in challenging environments like space applications, by ensuring robust and efficient bypassing of faulty elements.
Implementation Method 1
an activation device (1) capable of switching, when a current is applied to it, from a non-activation configuration in which the moving elements are held by the holding element in a first position intended to prevent the movement of the contact means of a switching device, to an activation configuration in which the moving elements are no longer held by the holding element in said first position and are in a second position intended to allow the movement of the contact means of a switching device
Implementation Method 2
When a sufficient current is received by the current sensor, the retaining wire melts like a fuse, releasing the tabs, which in turn allow the piston of the switching mechanism to move
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4~5
Figure 6~7
AI summary
The invention relates to a self-supported activation device for an electromechanical switch, which can be used for the isolation of a faulty element of a battery, comprising a set of electrically connected elements. The activation device (1) is intended to activate switching in a switching device (2) of the type having electrical contact means (3) that can move between first and second electrical positions. The activation device comprises a current sensor (6a, 6b), a retaining element (7), and at least two movable elements (8, 9) solidly connected to a coil (10). When a current is detected by the current sensor (6a, 6b) the activation device can move from a non-activation configuration, in which the movable elements are retained by the retaining element in a first position intended to prevent the movement of the contact means of a switching device, into an activation configuration, in which the movable elements are no longer retained in the first position by the retaining element and instead occupy a second position intended to allow the movement of the contact means of a switching device. The coil (10) comprises a passage space for at least part of the contact means, and each of the movable elements can rotate about an axis such as to clear the passage space, in the aforementioned second position, while remaining solidly connected to the coil.