Portable and modular energy storage with adjustable waveform characteristics for electric vehicles

• US 9,819,060 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2016
• Issued: 11/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gerard O'Hora
• Original Assignee: Gerard O'Hora
• Inventors: O'Hora, Gerard
• Primary Examiner(s): Rodas, Richard Isla
• Assistant Examiner(s): HERNANDEZ, MANUEL J
• Application Number:
  US15/225,656
• Publication Number:
  US 20170033338A1
• Time in Patent Office: 470 Days
• Field of Search: 320110
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/54 related to batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/545 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/547 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/549 Current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/66 Arrangements of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/21 having the same nominal voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/26 by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 11/10 Multiple hybrid or EDL capacitors, e.g. arrays or modules housings, cases, encapsulations or mountings thereof H01G11/78
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 11/18 against thermal overloads, e.g. heating, cooling or ventilating
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 11/82 Fixing or assembling a capacitive element in a housing, e.g. mounting electrodes, current collectors or terminals in containers or encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0525 Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/425 Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing printed circuits H05K1/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/441 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/486 for measuring temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/617 for achieving uniformity or desired distribution of temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/625 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6556 Solid parts with flow channel passages or pipes for heat exchange closed pipes H01M10/6552
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6568 : characterised by flow circuits, e.g. loops, located externally to the cells or cell casings
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6569 : Fluids undergoing a liquid-gas phase change or transition, e.g. evaporation or condensation heat pipes H01M10/6552
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2010/4271 : Battery management systems including electronic circuits, e.g. control of current or voltage to keep battery in healthy state, cell balancing
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2010/4278 : Systems for data transfer from batteries, e.g. transfer of battery parameters to a controller, data transferred between battery controller and main controller
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 : Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/204 : Racks, modules or packs for multiple batteries or multiple cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/224 : Metals
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/256 : Carrying devices, e.g. belts
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/264 : for cells or batteries, e.g. straps, tie rods or peripheral frames
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/505 : comprising a single busbar
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 : Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 : acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00304 : Overcurrent protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00309 : Overheat or overtemperature protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 : Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/005 : Detection of state of health [SOH]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0063 : with circuits adapted for supplying loads from the battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007182 : in response to battery voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007194 : of the battery
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 : Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/13 : Energy storage using capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

A power system using multiple battery packs to generate a defined power output may include a plurality of modular battery packs, each of which may include: a first housing, a plurality of battery cells, a first interface that communicates information, and a second interface that transmits power. The power system may also include a second housing configured to removably receive the plurality of modular battery packs and a waveform generation circuit, and a processing system that is configured to receive the information from the battery packs indicating electrical waveform characteristics for power received from each, to cause the waveform generation circuit to aggregate the power received from the modular battery packs, and to cause the waveform generation circuit to generate an output electrical signal based on stored parameters.

Claims

1. A power system using multiple, modular battery packs to generate an output electrical signal, the power system comprising:

a plurality of modular battery packs, wherein each of the plurality of modular battery packs comprises;

a first housing;

a plurality of battery cells enclosed in the first housing;

a first interface that communicates information associated with the modular battery pack; and

a second interface that transmits power from the plurality of battery cells;

a power module comprising;

a third housing that has a same form factor as the first housing of at least one of the plurality of modular battery packs;

a waveform generation circuit enclosed in the third housing; and

a processing system enclosed in the third housing that is configured to;

receive the information from each of the plurality of modular battery packs, the information indicating electrical waveform characteristics for respective power received from each of the plurality of modular battery packs;

cause the waveform generation circuit to aggregate the power received from each of the plurality of modular battery packs according to the respective electrical waveform characteristics; and

cause the waveform generation circuit to generate the output electrical signal based on stored parameters wherein the stored parameters define at least a voltage of the output electrical signal; and

a second housing configured to removably receive the plurality of modular battery packs and removably receive the power module, the second housing comprising;

a plurality of openings in a front face of the second housing into which the plurality of modular battery packs and the power module can be inserted;

a backplane on a back face of the second housing that is opposite of the front face, wherein each of the plurality of modular battery packs and the power module connect to the backplane when inserted through the plurality of openings.

2. The power system of claim 1, wherein the output electrical signal generated by the power system is transmitted to a motor of an electric or hybrid electric vehicle.

3. The power system of claim 1, further comprising a multi-tap DC transformer.

4. The power system of claim 3, wherein the output electrical signal comprises a DC waveform generated by the multi-tap DC transformer or solid-state power supply, wherein a voltage and current of the DC waveform is based on the stored parameters.

5. The power system of claim 1, further comprising an AC inverter.

6. The power system of claim 5, wherein the output electrical signal comprises a AC waveform generated by the AC inverter, wherein a voltage, current, and frequency of the AC waveform is based on the stored parameters.

7. The power system of claim 1, wherein the information from each of the plurality of modular battery packs comprises a serial number for the respective modular battery pack.

8. The power system of claim 7, wherein the processing system is further configured to determine the electrical waveform characteristics for the respective power received from each of the plurality of modular battery packs by using the serial number to look up the electrical waveform characteristics in a memory.

9. The power system of claim 1, further comprising a thermal material that is thermally coupled to respective thermal materials each of the modular battery packs to transfer heat away from the plurality of battery cells in each of the modular battery packs.

10. The power system of claim 9, wherein the thermal material comprises a nonconductive extinguishing agent.

11. A method of using a power system with modular battery packs to generate an output electrical signal, the method comprising:

providing a second housing of the power system configured to removably receive a plurality of modular battery packs and removably receive a power module, the second housing comprising;

a plurality of openings in a front face of the second housing into which the plurality of modular battery packs and the power module can be inserted;

a backplane on a back face of the second housing that is opposite of the front face, wherein each of the plurality of modular battery packs and the power module connect to the backplane when inserted through the plurality of openings;

removably inserting the plurality of module battery packs into the second housing of the power system, wherein each of the plurality of modular battery packs comprises;

a first housing;

a plurality of battery cells enclosed in the first housing;

a first interface that communicates information associated with the modular battery pack; and

a second interface that transmits power from the plurality of battery cells;

removably inserting the power module into the second housing, wherein the power module comprises;

a third housing that has a same form factor as the first housing of at least one of the plurality of modular battery packs;

a waveform generation circuit enclosed in the third housing; and

a processing system enclosed in the third housing;

receiving, at the processing system of the power module, the information from each of the plurality of modular battery packs, the information indicating electrical waveform characteristics for respective power received from each of the plurality of modular battery packs;

causing, at the processing system of the power module, the waveform generation circuit to aggregate the power received from each of the plurality of modular battery packs according to the respective electrical waveform characteristics; and

causing, at the processing system of the power module, the waveform generation circuit to generate the output electrical signal based on stored parameters, wherein the stored parameters define at least a voltage of the output electrical signal.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first housing of each of the plurality of modular battery packs is hermetically sealed.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of battery cells of at least one of the plurality of modular battery packs comprises a plurality of supercapacitors.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the first interface of at least one of the plurality of modular battery packs comprises a wireless communication system that communicates wirelessly with the power system.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the second interface of at least one of the plurality of modular battery packs comprises a transmitter coil that wirelessly transmits the power from the respective plurality of battery cells to the waveform generation circuit of the power system.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the second interface of at least one of the plurality of modular battery packs comprises a two-pole wired port that mates with a corresponding two-pole wired port of the power system.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the volume of the first housing of each of the plurality of modular battery packs is at least 0.25 cubic feet.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising communicating, through the first interface of at least one of the plurality of modular battery packs, a charge history of the respective modular battery pack to the processing system of the power system.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the power from the plurality of battery cells provided to the power system comprises a signal of approximately 48 VDC and 45 A.

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

providing, through the second interface of the plurality of modular battery packs, charging power, and

charging the respective plurality of battery cells of each of the plurality of modular battery packs using the charging power.