Electronically reconfigurable battery

• US 7,075,194 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2003
• Issued: 07/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: L-3 Communications Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Titan (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Weidenheimer, Douglas M., Donegan, Kevin J., Morton, David Wayne
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis, Christopher P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Klebe, Gerald B
• Application Number:
  US10/631,017
• Publication Number:
  US 20050023054A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,076 Days
• Field of Search: 105/26.05, 136/291, 136/293, 200/16.A, 200/16.C, 307/10.1, 307/9.1, 307/43, 307/48, 307/71, 307/74, 307/75, 307/80, 307/85, 307/86, 307/87, 307/139, 307/140, 307/150, 340/310.01, 320116-119, 320/121, 320/124, 320/128, 318/66, 318/362, 363/98, 363/132, 361/23
• US Class Current: 307/71
• CPC Class Codes: F41B 6/00 Electromagnetic launchers ; Plasma-actuated launchers projectiles for electromagnetic or plasma guns F42B6/006
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0024 Parallel/serial switching of connection of batteries to charge or load circuit
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

An electronically reconfigurable battery includes a number of battery modules selectively interconnected by a number of electronic switches, wherein a selectable number of battery modules may be connected either in a series configuration or in a parallel configuration, as a result of placing selected switches of said plurality of switches in open states or closed states. In a parallel configuration, the battery provides power to a primary load, such as a propulsion load for a vehicle. In a series configuration, the battery is configured to provide a high voltage and high power output to a short-term and/or pulsed load, such as an additional load provided on the vehicle. Current from the battery is limited in one of three ways: a) by the batteries themselves; b) a current limiting device or system in series with the total erected battery; or c) a single level power converter or current limiter that is used to erect and charge the capacitor bank in a sequential one level at a time manner until the battery is fully erected and the capacitor is fully charged.

Claims

1. An electronically reconfigurable battery, comprising:

a first plurality of battery modules;

a plurality of switches selectively interconnecting said plurality of battery modules, wherein a selectable number of said plurality of battery modules may be connected either in a series configuration or in a parallel configuration, as a result of placing selected switches of said plurality of switches in open states or closed states;

an output switch connecting a first output terminal of said battery to a first load;

a series current limiting device, network or system inserted in circuit with the partially or sequentially connected battery modules so as to limit DC current;

wherein said series current limiting device comprises a single stage converter (SSC), having an input and an output, whose output voltage is limited to approximately the battery module voltage level,

wherein a bypass switch is used to connect the input to the output of the SSC circuit to directly connect a dynamic store portion of the battery with a static portion of the battery.

2. An electronically reconfigurable battery, comprising:

a first plurality of battery modules;

a plurality of switches selectively interconnecting said plurality of battery modules, wherein a selectable number of said plurality of battery modules may be connected either in a series configuration or in a parallel configuration, as a result of placing selected switches of said plurality of switches in open states or closed states;

an output switch connecting a first output terminal of said battery to a first load; and

a series current limiting device, network or system inserted in circuit with the partially or sequentially connected battery modules so as to limit DC current;

wherein said series current limiting device comprises a single stage converter (SSC) whose output voltage is limited to approximately the battery module voltage level,

wherein the SSC is an electronic DC-DC converter whose input circuit is connected to a static portion of the battery and whose output is connected to a first stage of a dynamic section of the battery.

3. An electronically reconfigurable battery, comprising:

a first plurality of battery modules;

a plurality of switches selectively interconnecting said plurality of battery modules, wherein a selectable number of said plurality of battery modules may be connected either in a series configuration or in a parallel configuration, as a result of placing selected switches of said plurality of switches in open states or closed states;

an output switch connecting a first output terminal of said battery to a first load; and

a series current limiting device, network or system inserted in circuit with the partially or sequentially connected battery modules so as to limit DC current;

wherein said series current limiting device comprises a single stage converter (SSC) whose output voltage is limited to approximately the battery module voltage level,

wherein the SSC is an electronic DC-DC converter whose input circuit is connected to a suitable DC source other than a static portion of the battery and whose output is connected to a first stage of a dynamic section of the battery.

4. An electronically reconfigurable battery, comprising:

a first plurality of battery modules;

a plurality of switches selectively interconnecting said plurality of battery modules, wherein a selectable number of said plurality of battery modules may be connected either in a series configuration or in a parallel configuration, as a result of placing selected switches of said plurality of switches in open states or closed states;

an output switch connecting a first output terminal of said battery to a first load; and

a series current limiting device, network or system inserted in circuit with the partially or sequentially connected battery modules so as to limit DC current;

wherein said series current limiting device comprises a single stage converter (SSC) whose output voltage is limited to approximately the battery module voltage level,

wherein the SSC is an electronic AC-DC converter whose input circuit is connected to a suitable AC source and whose output is connected to a first stage of a dynamic section of the battery.