Battery pack

• US 7,479,346 B1
• Filed: 08/10/2005
• Issued: 01/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Quallion, LLC (EnerSys)
• Original Assignee: Quallion, LLC (EnerSys)
• Inventors: Chow, Lu, Berg, Paul, Pal, Alexandru Z.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ullah; Akm E
• Assistant Examiner(s): DIAO, M BAYE
• Application Number:
  US11/201,987
• Time in Patent Office: 1,259 Days
• Field of Search: 320/110, 320/112, 320/116, 320/117, 320/119, 320/120, 320/124, 320/125, 320/126, 429/97, 429/98, 429/99, 429/100, 429/153, 429/158, 429/160, 429/161, 429/178, 429/211, 429/247
• US Class Current: 429/158
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4235 Safety or regulating additives or arrangements in electrodes, separators or electrolyte H01M10/4242 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/625 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/643 Cylindrical cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6567 Liquids
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/213 adapted for cells having curved cross-section, e.g. round or elliptic H01M50/209, H01M50/216 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/271 Lids or covers for the racks or secondary casings
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/342 Non-re-sealable arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/512 Connection only in parallel
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/528 Fixed electrical connections, i.e. not intended for disconnection
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

The battery pack includes bus lines connecting a plurality of source trains in parallel. Each source train includes a plurality of voltage sources connected in series. Each voltage source includes one or more batteries. The battery pack also includes one or more balance lines providing electrical communication between the source trains such that a voltage source in one of the source trains is connected in parallel with a voltage source in one or more of the other source trains.

Claims

1. A battery pack, comprising:

bus lines connecting a plurality of source trains in parallel, each source train including a plurality of voltage sources connected in series and each voltage source including one or more batteries;

one or more balance lines providing electrical communication between the source trains such that the voltage sources are arranged in a plurality of parallel groups, each parallel group including a voltage source in one of the source trains connected in parallel with a voltage source from each of the source trains and each voltage source is not included in more than one of the parallel groups; and

a balance connector connected to a portion of the voltage sources,

the balance connector serving as the balance line and also as series lines,

the balance connector includes a plurality of tabs extending from a common region,

the tabs providing electrical communication between one of the voltage sources and the common region.

2. The pack of claim 1, wherein series lines connect each voltage source in a source train in series with another voltage source in the same source train;

and

the one or more balance lines provide electrical communication between different source trains, the balance lines each including one or more cross lines providing electrical communication between different series lines.

3. The pack of claim 1, wherein the one or more balance lines provide electrical communication between the source trains such that a voltage source in one of the source trains is connected in parallel with a voltage source in each of the other source trains.

4. The pack of claim 1, wherein each voltage source consists of a single battery.

5. The pack of claim 1, wherein the balance lines provide electrical communication between the source trains such that each voltage source in each of the source trains is connected in parallel with a voltage source in each of the other source trains.

6. The pack of claim 5, wherein each voltage source consists of a single battery.

7. The pack of claim 1, wherein the bus lines connect four or more source trains in parallel.

8. The pack of claim 1, wherein each source train includes more than eight batteries.

9. The pack of claim 1, wherein the battery pack includes four or more source trains.

10. The pack of claim 1, wherein the battery pack provides more than 24 V.

11. The pack of claim 1, wherein the battery pack provides more than 1000 watt-hours.

12. The pack of claim 1, further comprising:

a case having an interior holding the voltage sources and a cooling liquid positioned in contact with the voltage sources.

13. The pack of claim 1, wherein the balance connector has a one-piece construction.

14. The pack of claim 1, wherein the tabs are each connected directly to the voltage sources for which the tab provides electrical communication with the common region.

15. The pack of claim 1, wherein one or more holes extend through the balance connector, the holes being sized to permit liquid flow though the holes.

16. The pack of claim 15, wherein the holes are positioned over a gap between batteries adjacent to one another so as to permit liquid flow through the holes into the gap.

17. The pack of claim 15, wherein the bus lines include a plurality of tabs extending from a metal bar, each of the tabs providing electrical communication between a voltage source and the metal bar.

18. The pack of claim 1, wherein each of the batteries includes a safety shut-down separator.

19. The pack of claim 1, wherein the safety shut-down separator includes one or more components selected from the group consisting of polyethylene and polypropylene.

20. The pack of claim 1, wherein each of the batteries includes a current interruption device, the current interruption device configured to interrupt flow of current from a battery in response to elevation of pressure within the battery without destruction of the battery.

21. The pack of claim 1, wherein the current interruption device is configured to interrupt an electrical connection between a tab and a terminal of the battery.

22. The pack of claim 1, wherein each battery includes a burst disc.

23. The pack of claim 1, wherein each battery includes a shut down separator, a current interruption device and a burst disc.

32. The pack of claim 1, wherein the balance connector consists of a single piece of stamped metal.

24. A battery pack comprising:

bus lines connecting a plurality of source trains in parallel, each source train including a plurality of voltage sources connected in series and each voltage source including one or more batteries, series lines connecting two voltage sources in the same source train in series;

one or more balance lines providing electrical communication between different source trains such that the voltage sources are arranged in a plurality of parallel groups, each parallel group including a voltage source in one of the source trains connected in parallel with a voltage source from each of the source trains and each voltage source in one of the parallel groups is not included in more than one of the parallel groups, the balance lines each including one or more cross lines providing electrical communication between different series lines; and

a balance connector connected to a portion of the voltage sources,

the balance connector serving as the balance line and also as series lines,

the balance connector includes a plurality of tabs extending from a common region, and

the tabs providing electrical communication between one of the voltage sources and the common region.

25. A power supply system, comprising:

a battery pack that includes

bus lines connecting a plurality of source trains in parallel, each source train including a plurality of voltage sources connected in series and each voltage source including one or more batteries, and

one or more balance lines providing electrical communication between the source trains such that the voltage sources are arranged in a plurality of parallel groups, each parallel group including a voltage source in one of the source trains connected in parallel with a voltage source from each of the other source trains and each voltage source in one of the parallel groups is not included in more than one of the parallel groups;

a processing unit configured to monitor a voltage differential between at least two of the balance lines and/or between at least one balance line and a bus line; and

a balance connector connected to a portion of the voltage sources,

the balance connector serving as the balance line and also as series lines,

the balance connector includes a plurality of tabs extending from a common region, and

the tabs providing electrical communication between one of the voltage sources and the common region.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the processing unit is configured to monitor the voltage differential between each pair of balance lines that connect voltage sources in parallel.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the processing unit is configured to monitor the voltage differential between each pair of lines that connect voltage sources in parallel and that includes a balance line and a bus line.

28. The system of claim 25, wherein the processing unit is configured to stop discharge of the battery pack in response to results from monitoring the voltage differential.

29. The system of claim 25, wherein the processing unit is configured to stop discharge of the battery pack in response to a monitored voltage differential falling below a threshold voltage.

30. The system of claim 25, wherein the processing unit is configured to stop charging of the battery pack in response to results from monitoring the voltage differential.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the processing unit is configured to stop charging of the battery pack in response to a monitored voltage differential rising above a threshold voltage.