METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PERFORMING STRING-LEVEL DYNAMIC RECONFIGURATION IN AN ENERGY SYSTEM
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A reconfigurable energy storage system comprising:
- a negative electrical bus;
a positive electrical bus;
a plurality of energy storage strings connected between the negative electrical bus and the positive electrical bus, the plurality of energy storage strings including at least a first energy storage string and a second energy storage string, wherein each energy storage string comprises;
a negative input terminal and a positive output terminal;
at least a first subset of energy storage cells and a second subset of energy storage cells, each subset of energy storage cells including at least two blocks of energy storage cells arranged in an internal series or parallel configuration such that the arrangement includes an intra-string positive terminal and an intra-string negative terminal interposed between the negative input terminal and the positive output terminal;
an input switch connected between the negative electrical bus and the negative input terminal of the energy storage string;
a first output switch connected between the positive electrical bus and the intra-string positive terminal;
a second output switch connected between the positive electrical bus and the positive output terminal of the energy storage string;
a series switch connected between the intra-string positive terminal and the intra-string negative terminal;
a multi-string series switch connected between the positive output terminal of the first energy storage string and the intra-string negative terminal of the second energy storage string;
an initial input switch connected between the negative electrical bus and the intra-string negative terminal of the first energy storage string; and
a control unit in electrical communication with the negative electrical bus, the positive electrical bus, and the plurality of energy storage strings, wherein the control unit is configured to reconfigure (i) at least one parallel arrangement of energy storage cells in the system to a series arrangement of energy storage cells, or (ii) at least one series arrangement of energy storage cells in the system to a parallel arrangement of energy storage cells.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Described is a reconfigurable energy storage system that is capable of switching an arrangement of energy storage cells from a series configuration to a parallel configuration, from a parallel configuration to a series configuration, or both.
165 Citations
24 Claims
-
1. A reconfigurable energy storage system comprising:
-
a negative electrical bus; a positive electrical bus; a plurality of energy storage strings connected between the negative electrical bus and the positive electrical bus, the plurality of energy storage strings including at least a first energy storage string and a second energy storage string, wherein each energy storage string comprises; a negative input terminal and a positive output terminal; at least a first subset of energy storage cells and a second subset of energy storage cells, each subset of energy storage cells including at least two blocks of energy storage cells arranged in an internal series or parallel configuration such that the arrangement includes an intra-string positive terminal and an intra-string negative terminal interposed between the negative input terminal and the positive output terminal; an input switch connected between the negative electrical bus and the negative input terminal of the energy storage string; a first output switch connected between the positive electrical bus and the intra-string positive terminal; a second output switch connected between the positive electrical bus and the positive output terminal of the energy storage string; a series switch connected between the intra-string positive terminal and the intra-string negative terminal; a multi-string series switch connected between the positive output terminal of the first energy storage string and the intra-string negative terminal of the second energy storage string; an initial input switch connected between the negative electrical bus and the intra-string negative terminal of the first energy storage string; and a control unit in electrical communication with the negative electrical bus, the positive electrical bus, and the plurality of energy storage strings, wherein the control unit is configured to reconfigure (i) at least one parallel arrangement of energy storage cells in the system to a series arrangement of energy storage cells, or (ii) at least one series arrangement of energy storage cells in the system to a parallel arrangement of energy storage cells. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
-
-
22. A method of reconfiguring an energy storage system, the method comprising:
-
providing an energy storage system with a plurality of energy storage strings connected to a positive electrical bus and a negative electrical bus through a circuit containing a plurality of switches, each energy storage string containing a plurality of interconnected energy storage cells, wherein the energy storage system includes a control unit in electrical communication with the plurality of energy storage strings; and controlling one or more of the switches through the control unit so as to change the configuration of two or more of the energy storage cells in the energy storage system either (i) from a parallel configuration to a series configuration, or (ii) from a series configuration to a parallel configuration, to reconfigure the battery system. - View Dependent Claims (23)
-
-
24. A method of cycling energy storage strings, the method comprising:
-
providing an energy storage system with a plurality of energy storage strings connected to a positive electrical bus and a negative electrical bus through a circuit containing a plurality of switches, each energy storage string containing a plurality of interconnected energy storage cells, wherein the energy storage system includes a control unit in electrical communication with the plurality of energy storage strings; discharging the energy storage strings to produce an output; and reconfiguring the energy storage system by operation of the plurality of switches so as to selectively isolate one or more of the energy storage strings while allowing the remaining energy storage strings to continue discharging.
-
Specification