Variable Energy System

• US 20110223468A1
• Filed: 03/15/2010
• Published: 09/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Electronvault, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Electronvault, Inc.
• Inventors: Ferber, Robert R. JR.
• Application Number:
  US12/724,382
• Publication Number:
  US 20110223468A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/160
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/64 Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4207 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/51 Connection only in series
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/514 Methods for interconnecting adjacent batteries or cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49108 Electric battery cell making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49716 Converting

Abstract

An energy system is provided that may be reconfigured, repaired, upgraded, and remanufactured through, for example, removal and replacement of various components of the energy system such as power cells, releasable modular interconnects, and the like. In this regard, a reconfigurable energy system may include a plurality of power cells and a releasable modular interconnect configured to form releasable electrical connections to a terminal of each of the plurality of power cells. The electrical connections may be releasable through application of a first non-destructive interconnect removal force to the releasable modular interconnect to provide for non-destructive removal of the releasable modular interconnect from the energy system. Additional and related methods and apparatuses are also provided.

Claims

1. A reconfigurable energy system comprising:

a plurality of power cells, each power cell within the plurality having a first terminal and a second terminal; and

a first releasable modular interconnect configured to form releasable electrical connections to at least the first or the second terminal of each of the plurality of power cells, the releasable electrical connections to the first or second terminal of each of the plurality of power cells being releasable through application of a first non-destructive interconnect removal force to the first releasable modular interconnect; and

wherein the releasable electrical connections formed by the first releasable modular interconnect contribute to generating a first electrical configuration of the plurality of power cells, the first electrical configuration being defined by a first number of series connected, parallel groups of power cells and a first number of power cells in each parallel group.

2. The reconfigurable energy system of claim 1, wherein the first releasable modular interconnect is replaceable with at least a second releasable modular interconnect, the second releasable modular interconnect being configured to form releasable electrical connections with the plurality of power cells that contribute to generating a second electrical configuration of the plurality of power cells, the second electrical configuration being defined by a second number of series connected, parallel groups of power cells and a second number of power cells in each parallel group, wherein either the second number of series connected, parallel groups of power cells differs from the first number of series connected, parallel groups of power cells or the second number of power cells in each parallel group differs from the first number of power cells in each parallel group.

3. The reconfigurable energy system of claim 1, further comprising output terminals electrically connected through the first releasable modular interconnect to at least some of the plurality of power cells, the output terminals being configured to be connected to an external device for supplying power to the external device.

4. The reconfigurable energy system of claim 1, further comprising:

a power cell array receiver with at least one containment panel, the containment panel including a plurality of apertures, each aperture configured to receive one of the plurality of power cells and laterally hold the one power cell in a position that corresponds to a respective contact of the first releasable modular interconnect.

5. The reconfigurable energy system of claim 1, further comprising:

a power cell array receiver with at least one containment panel, the containment panel including a plurality of apertures arranged in a hexagonal grid, each aperture configured to receive one of the plurality of power cells and laterally hold the one power cell in a position that corresponds to a respective contact of the first releasable modular interconnect.

6. The reconfigurable energy system of claim 1, wherein the first releasable modular interconnect includes:

a plurality of contacts configured to form the releasable electrical connections to the at least first or the second terminal of each of the plurality of power cells; and

a plurality of magnetic members, each magnetic member being associated with a respective contact and being positioned to form a magnetic coupling with a respective power cell to generate a connection force on the respective contact towards the at least first or second terminal of the respective power cell.

7. The reconfigurable energy system of claim 1, wherein for each of the plurality of power cells, the first terminal is disposed on a top surface of a power cell and a second terminal is disposed on a bottom surface of a power cell;

wherein the first releasable modular interconnect is configured to form the releasable electrical connections to the first terminals of each of the plurality of power cells and overlay an upper plane formed by the top surfaces of the power cells; and

wherein the reconfigurable energy system further comprises a second releasable modular interconnect configured to form releasable electrical connections to the second terminal of each of the plurality of power cells and underlay a lower plane formed by the bottom surfaces of the power cells, the releasable electrical connections to the second terminals of each of the plurality of power cells being releasable through application of a second non-destructive interconnect removal force to the second releasable modular interconnect.

8. The reconfigurable energy system of claim 7 wherein the first releasable modular interconnect is replaceable with at least a third releasable modular interconnect and the second releasable modular interconnect is replaceable with at least a fourth releasable modular interconnect, the third and fourth releasable modular interconnects being configured to form releasable electrical connections with the plurality of power cells that contribute to generating a second electrical configuration of the plurality of power cells, the second electrical configuration being defined by a second number of series connected, parallel groups of power cells and a second number of power cells in each parallel group, wherein either the second number of series connected, parallel groups of power cells differs from the first number of series connected, parallel groups of power cells or the second number of power cells in each parallel group differs from the first number of power cells in each parallel group.

9. A method comprising:

removing, via a first non-destructive interconnect removal force, a first releasable modular interconnect from a reconfigurable energy system comprising a plurality power cells, the first releasable modular interconnect being configured to form releasable electrical connections to at least a first or a second terminal of each of the plurality of power cells, the releasable electrical connections contributing to generating a first electrical configuration of the plurality of power cells, the first electrical configuration being defined by a first number of series connected, parallel groups of power cells and a first number of power cells in each parallel group.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising re-installing the first releasable modular interconnect into the reconfigurable energy system.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

prior to re-installing the first releasable modular interconnect, removing one of the plurality of power cells, via a non-destructive cell removal force; and

replacing the removed power cell with a replacement power cell.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the removed power cell and the replacement power cell are of a same technology.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the removed power cell and the replacement power cell are of a different technology.

14. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

prior to re-installing the first releasable modular interconnect, removing a component of the reconfigurable energy system via a non-destructive component removal force, the component being accessible as result of the removal of the first modular interconnect; and

replacing the removed component with a replacement component.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the removed component and the replacement component are of a same technology.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the removed power cell and the replacement power cell are of a different technology.

17. The method of claim 9, further comprising replacing the first releasable modular interconnect with a second releasable modular interconnect.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

prior to replacing the first releasable modular interconnect, removing one of the plurality of power cells, via a non-destructive cell removal force; and

replacing the removed power cell with another power cell.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

prior to replacing the first releasable modular interconnect, removing a component of the reconfigurable energy system via a non-destructive component removal force, the component being accessible as result of the removal of the first modular interconnect; and

replacing the removed component with another removed component.

20. The method of claim 9, wherein replacing the first releasable modular interconnect includes replacing the first releasable modular interconnect with a second releasable modular interconnect, the second releasable modular interconnect being configured to form releasable electrical connections with the plurality of power cells that contribute to generating a second electrical configuration of the plurality of power cells, the second electrical configuration being defined by a second number of series connected, parallel groups of power cells and a second number of power cells in each parallel group, wherein either the second number of series connected, parallel groups of power cells differs from the first number of series connected, parallel groups of power cells or the second number of power cells in each parallel group differs from the first number of power cells in each parallel group.

21. The method of claim 9 wherein removing, via the first non-destructive interconnect removal force, the first releasable modular interconnect includes overcoming connection forces generated by a plurality of magnetic members of the first releasable modular interconnect, each magnetic member being associated with a respective contact of the first releasable modular interconnect and being positioned to form a magnetic coupling with a respective power cell to generate a respective connection force on the respective contact towards the at least first or second terminal of the respective power cell.

22. The method of claim 9 wherein removing, via the first non-destructive interconnect removal force, the first releasable modular interconnect from a reconfigurable energy system comprising a plurality power cells includes removing the first releasable modular interconnect from a position overlaying the plurality of power cells and in releasable electrical connections with the first terminals of the power cells;

and

wherein the method further comprises;

replacing the first releasable modular interconnect with a second releasable modular interconnect;

removing, via a second non-destructive interconnect removal force, a third releasable modular interconnect from a position underlaying the plurality of power cells within the reconfigurable energy system, the third releasable modular interconnect being configured to form releasable electrical connections to the second terminal of each of the plurality of power cells; and

replacing the third releasable modular interconnect with a fourth releasable modular interconnect, the second and fourth releasable modular interconnects being configured to form electrical connections with the plurality of power cells that contribute to generating a second electrical configuration of the plurality of power cells, the second electrical configuration being defined by a second number of series connected, parallel groups of power cells and a second number of power cells in each parallel group, wherein either the second number of series connected, parallel groups of power cells differs from the first number of series connected, parallel groups of power cells or the second number of power cells in each parallel group differs from the first number of power cells in each parallel group.

23. A method of manufacturing a reconfigurable energy system, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of power cells, each power cell within the plurality having a first terminal and a second terminal; and

providing a first releasable modular interconnect configured to form releasable electrical connections to at least the first or the second terminal of each of the plurality of power cells, the releasable electrical connections to the first or second terminal of each of the plurality of power cells being releasable through application of a first non-destructive interconnect removal force to the first releasable modular interconnect; and

wherein the releasable electrical connections formed by the first releasable modular interconnect contribute to generating a first electrical configuration of the plurality of power cells, the first electrical configuration being defined by a first number of series connected, parallel groups of power cells and a first number of power cells in each parallel group.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising providing output terminals electrically connected through the first releasable modular interconnect to at least some of the plurality of power cells, the output terminals being configured to be connected to an external device for supplying power to the external device.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising providing a power cell array receiver with at least one containment panel, the containment panel including a plurality of apertures, each aperture configured to receive one of the plurality of power cells and laterally hold the one power cell in a position that corresponds to a respective contact of the first releasable modular interconnect.

26. The method of claim 23, further comprising providing a power cell array receiver with at least one containment panel, the containment panel including a plurality of apertures arranged in a hexagonal grid, each aperture configured to receive one of the plurality of power cells and laterally hold the one power cell in a position that corresponds to a respective contact of the first releasable modular interconnect.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein providing the first releasable modular interconnect includes providing the first releasable modular interconnect, wherein the first releasable modular interconnect is configured to form releasable electrical connections to the first terminal of each of the plurality of power cells;

and

wherein the method further comprises providing a second releasable modular interconnect configured to form releasable electrical connections to the second terminal of each of the plurality of power cells, the releasable electrical connections to the second terminal of each of the plurality of power cells being releasable through application of a second non-destructive interconnect removal force to the first releasable modular interconnect.